After several incidents of unmannerly behavior by tourists in Bali, the regional government is planning a special guide to good manners. “Not all foreigners know what is and isn’t allowed in Bali,” the Bali Sun newspaper quoted a spokesman for the local Ministry of Justice as saying today. Therefore, the guideline, which has been planned for a long time, should now be completed as soon as possible.
Among other things, the “Good Tourist Guidebook” will provide an introduction to Balinese culture and customs. Temple etiquette and rules of dress and manners around sacred landmarks such as banyan trees and certain mountains will also be explained.
Several incidents within a few weeks
The background is several incidents in the past few weeks. Most recently, a Russian woman was forced to leave the country after posting a photo on social media of herself snuggled up against a famous banyan tree in the Tabanan region. This tree species is revered as sacred by Hindus around the world, including the Balinese.
Earlier, another tourist from Russia was forced to leave the country after posing shirtless on Mount Gunung Agung and also sharing the photo online. For the Balinese, the approximately 3100 meter high Fire Mountain is the seat of the gods, especially Shiva, the most important deity of Hinduism. Both tourists had apologized for their behavior.
