Editorial

Tourists, Travelers, & Adventure-seekers... Bali from the editor

Om swastiastu. Welcome to our May issue! May is one of the best months to be in Bali. The rainy season is over, there is plenty of sunshine and it is slightly less humid. The average temperature in Bali is 28°C (23°C - 33°C) and the ocean also remains about 28°C. May to early June is typically a great time for hotel deals, with fewer tourists on the island.

With the world still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Bali continues to be in semi-lockdown. Though no large-scale social restrictions are currently in place here on the island and official confirmed cases of Covid-19 remain fairly low, we must continue to exercise vigilance and caution to stay healthy in our communities. The Indonesian government has banned the traditional annual exodus around the major Muslim holidays. Health experts have warned that allowing millions of people in the world’s biggest Muslimmajority country to travel back to their hometowns and villages could hasten the spread of Covid-19. A ban on air and sea travel domestically until June 1 has been implemented to help mitigate this.

For those that are lucky enough to be in Bali right now, there are many great deals on hotels. Hotels and restaurants that are open are implementing stricter standards of hygiene as well as exercising caution to limit interaction between guests and staff. Some restaurants are slowly opening while others have transitioned to takeaway and delivery only.

Check out our Hot Deals section for great deals on stays at the Anantara Seminyak, the Westin Ubud, Ayodya Resort, Trans Resort and Hyatt Regency Bali. In our Don’t Miss section, you can read about Tumpek Kandang, a day the Balinese celebrate the animals that help with their livelihoods. This day also reminds us to respect nature and be grateful for the blessings that it provides.

Also in May, followers of Buddhism and Islam, two of the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia celebrate their respective major holidays of Waisak (May 7) and Idul Fitri (May 24/25).

May is a great month to be outdoors with some of the driest weather all year. We hope that the government will soon consider loosening some restrictions on outdoor activities that still allow people to maintain safe levels of physical distancing. Hopefully beaches will be open again soon so that people can stay healthy via surfing, swimming, jogging and just admiring the views while breathing in that ocean air.

If you’ve had a wonderful time here in Bali, or have tried something exciting and new that you would like us to know about, contact us! We always love to hear from you. Reach us on Facebook (Baliplus Magazine) and Instagram (@baliplus). Tag us or send us messages with your favourite Bali photos and stories and we might just share it on our feed. Meanwhile, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter via our website (www.baliplus.com) where you’ll find the latest updates, articles and blogs to help you on your visit. ‘Til next time, Om shanti shanthi shanti Om, stay safe and welcome to Bali!

The Bali Plus Team