Enduring charms of Bali

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 18

Enduring charms of Bali

The Balinese. By Hugh Mabbett. January Books/Brick Row, 1985. 262 pp. index. Illustrations. $19.95 (paperback). Bali ranks with Tahiti as a legendary island of escape. Both have suffered the penalty of fame — a growing burden of tourists whose presence helps to erode the very experience they come to find. Bali has changed fast since this quiet corner of what was the Dutch East Indies was discovered by travellers in the 19305. That change is accelerating as plane-loads of Australians whirl through on package tours, mixing their crassness with Balinese charm. Yet it is a theme of this attractive little history and guide that Bali has always been changing, always absorbing elements of the outside world while retaining its own essential character. Hugh Mabbett, a New Zealander with 20 years experience as a journalist in South-

East Asia, is optimistic that Bali will survive its latest invasions. Its arts and crafts, its religion, and its intricate social structure will not be easily overwhelmed. “The Balinese” should be enormously appealing, for armchair travellers as well as for those who have been or hope to visit the island. It mixes personal anecdotes and essential information with history 1 , and with information on many aspects of life in Bali today. “No island is an island,” the author reflects. And while he mourns that he was not among the visitors who wrote with such fresh enthusiasm about the Bali of earlier years, he has managed to produce a scintillating book of his own. The problems from mass tourism certainly exist, and may get worse. The end result is still an optimistic picture of one of the Pacific’s charming places.