In an attempt to protect the sanctity of Bali’s mountains, Governor Wayan Koster said that his administration is drafting a set of rules that would limit mountain tourism activities such as hiking.
Speaking at a plenary session to members of the Bali Regional Council yesterday, Koster reiterated that the island’s ancestors deemed the mountains as sacred sites. As such, Bali’s mountains are sought after by locals for religious activities and those seeking solitude with meditation.
However, Koster said the touristification of the mountains has tarnished their sanctity.
“[The planned regulations] are so that activities in the mountains can be controlled and that people won’t just come and go as they please. [These days people are] going up to the top of the mountains on motorbikes. That is too much,” he said.
Koster also highlighted several hiking accidents on Mt. Batur, which, he said, was a sign from nature that the sanctity of the site is in jeopardy.
Whether you are a believer or not, the fact remains that tourists have engaged in extremely offensive behavior at sacred sites in Bali. For example, in April 2021, a Russian woman angered locals after a video of her performing oral sex during a hike on Mt. Batur appeared on Pornhub.
In April 2022, a Canadian man was deported after a video of him performing the haka dance naked on Mt. Batur went viral.
