Visits

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Ramadan

We're in the midst now of Ramadan, the big Muslim holiday season in Indonesia (and, of course, around the world), which means that many of the Muslims living in Bali have gone home to their islands of origin. Pulang kampung, they call it. Going home. What this means in Bali is that the traffic is very much lighter than usual, which itself translates to a more pleasant, relaxed driving atmosphere. And that's nice. 

Given that Bali is a very popular vacation destination, many people from the other islands come here to work in the industry or otherwise benefit from the tourist population and its supporting businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, bars and so on. During Ramadan, many Muslim businesses will simply be closed. 

Ramadan is, of course, the holy fasting month in Islam, ending with the celebration of Eid al-Fitri, the end of the fast. During this month, observant Muslims must abstain from eating (as well as smoking, btw) from morning to evening--although I will say that I have observed a few sneaking sneaking bites or puffs here and there :). 

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