Bali beyond beaches: rituals, wellness and a more soulful way to travel

“Diversity is like a rainbow; In Bali, the people blend in like the seven colours and don’t see them as borders,” says Roby, our guide, as we stand before a sacred shrine at Sayan, a village close to Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. A beautiful way to see the world, especially given the current times of turmoil.

Roby and his two fellow guides take us through the temple blessing or ‘melukat’, a purification ritual designed to cleanse the body, mind, and soul with holy water. Aimed at warding off negative energy — a belief that forms the core of Balinese culture — I realise these blessings are a way to learn about the locals’ relationship with the energies around them.