More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and, as they travel, are also aware of their carbon footprint. But it is not only this that we have to take into consideration. Ecotourism is an excellent alternative to the mass tourism that exists now in Bali and therefore we should look to utilising the resources of the locals when we choose where to travel on the island, what to see and do so that the profits are fed back into the community and not into some big bosses back pocket. This can be done in several ways. Use locally owned tour operators, or better still, those independent drivers who one often sees on the streets offering day-trips around Bali. Another is to stay in the not-so-fancy hotels but instead staying in reasonable accommodation owned by the Balinese themselves.
Then of course there is food. Look for and eat in those places like warungs that are owned by the Balinese instead of the fancy restaurants owned by the more affluent in society. You will be pleasantly surprised because a majority of these warungs and Balinese-owned restaurants cater for the tastes of westerners and for those wishing to sample the local cuisine. If it is your carbon footprint you are concerned about then whilst around the tourist strip, walk instead of taking a taxi. You will find that you will see more and get the opportunity to interact with the Balinese more often than you would from the back seat of a moving vehicle.
These are just a few things to think about. If you are thinking do I do it, the answer is yes I do and have done for as long as I have been travelling in Indonesia and that’s a very long time. Here is an interesting article about the environment in Bali that I was reading yesterday.
