"Bali - A Hindu Island in Muslim Indonesia" Bali by easyoar

Bali Travel Guide: 7,016 reviews and 14,829 photos

Bali is an amazing island with wonderful scenery and very friendly people. If you get away from some of the horrific coastal resorts and head inland, you can have an amazing time. Being predominantly a Hindu island, the typical funeral consists of a cremation - and it needs to be lavish. The higher the caste you are, the more it costs to die. Why am I telling you this? Well one of the most interesting experiences you can have is to go to a cremation. I'm not saying gate-crash one, it is common practise for tourists to be invited (after paying a charge to a tourist guide). Apparently tradition dictates that the soul of the dead person must be thoroughly confused so it doesn't try and return home, so the more strange people there are milling around the funeral the better.

Balinese Funeral Tower

Important rituals in a cremation are transporting the body to the cremation site from the deceased persons home, and then burning the body along with a 'mode of transport' for the dead soul. A funeral tower is used to transport the body to the cremation site (this is carried by local men in the village on a bamboo frame. The tower itself is extremely ornate and costs a lot to build (I guess another reason why paying tourists are very welcome to attend). It is unlucky to use a tower more than once, so this gets burnt too. It is not uncommon for a body to be buried for a while whilst the family gets the funds to cremate the body, but ultimately the body must be cremated to free the soul for its onward journey and possible reincarnation.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The Scenery, the temples and the people
Cons:More recently the threat of terrorism
In a nutshell:If you don't mind the threat of danger you'll have a great time

Last visit to Bali: Jun 2002
Intro Updated Nov 4, 2004
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Reviews (8)

Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud Things to Do (6)

The monkeys in the Monkey Forest Sanctuary roam freely. They have also been used to countless people feeding them, and... more travel advice

A sacred phallus Things to Do (6)

An erect phallus (or Lingga Yoni) is a symbol of fertility in Bali, and it is not uncommon to see them in temples and... more travel advice

The terraced Paddy fields and spectaular... Things to Do (6)

You might think a Paddy field (a field growing rice) is going to be the same whether it is in India, Kenya, or anywhere... more travel advice

Volcanoes in the clouds Things to Do (6)

Bali is a volcanic island, and the old craters can be seen from several points around the island. One of the most... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Not made to feel welcome

Tourist Traps (1)
Hard sell (and then conned)

Comments (32)

ukirsari Jun 25, 2007 at 1:57 AM Report Abuse

dear andy, happy birthday to you :) wish you all the best!
BluBluBlu Jun 19, 2006 at 2:18 PM Report Abuse

Nice page Andy...with the funeral to the scam...one extreme to the other! Blu
kyoub Jul 17, 2005 at 12:11 PM Report Abuse

Very interesting page on Bali cremations.I love Bali but not the vendors. Good for you finding the guy to make things right.
Bwana_Brown Jul 8, 2005 at 7:42 AM Report Abuse

Andy, very interesting and informative tips on Bali ! Your photos are fantastic as well, so sharp and colourful it is almost like being there! Also, thanks for the details on what is involved with a cremation!!
mazzap Jul 4, 2005 at 3:05 PM Report Abuse

Great Bali tips - how did I guess I would find an 'Andys fave subject' amongst the pics?!!
saraheg77 Jun 15, 2005 at 3:31 PM Report Abuse

Very interesting! Hopefully we can get to Bali from Australia! the monkey place sounds fun - at least they are active!
Guantanamera May 8, 2005 at 8:04 PM Report Abuse

Nice pics... Balinese cremations are so much more colorful and spectacular than the Western kind...
Dabs Apr 27, 2005 at 12:30 PM Report Abuse

Highly obscure indeed!
willy_wonka Apr 22, 2005 at 1:09 AM Report Abuse

nice little page here andy. im thinking of bali over xmas/new year, but there is a big drug scandal amongst aussies in bali at the moment. it has turned many of us off this island. hopefully will still go, im all for adventure!
Goldenboy Apr 16, 2005 at 4:10 AM Report Abuse

You must be a braveheart to enjoy bali :)