John Hardy's Bali
John Hardy, founder of the Green School, is a bon vivant, visionary, and Canadian gone Balinese. Here are his principles for living and exploring Bali.
Walk -- You can walk safely everywhere; you could walk across Bali and never walk on the road. So, get off the road and walk. There is always a path down to the river; there is always a path across the river up the other side.
Bike -- Get on a bicycle. If you are too hot or tired to ride uphill, take a bus up the hill and ride downhill -- any hill. You really can't get lost if you ride downhill; eventually you will end up at the ocean. I recommend any road down from Kintamani. If you can say the word Ubud, you can get there.
Get a Guide -- If you can afford a ticket to get here, you can afford a guide. Nothing fancy, just someone you've convinced to show you Bali -- the sister, cousin, uncle of the person that is running your hotel. Go to temple; go to the mountains; go anywhere, such is the magic of the guide.
Get Dressed -- When the Balinese called the gods down, they called them to bless all souls on the planet. This is magic, so get dressed for it. Ask a Balinese person to help you get the proper temple attire. Every Balinese person, rich or poor, has it and goes to temple. And so should you.
Eat Temple Food -- The food in the temple is amazing and made as an offering -- you will not taste this anywhere else. If there is any way you can talk your guide into getting you temple food, it's worth the effort.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
