Understanding Balinese Culture Before You Visit
Updated: Sep 12
Balinese culture runs on a Hindu calendar of daily offerings, temple ceremonies and rules of behaviour that shape almost everything a visitor sees. You do not need to master it, but a little understanding keeps you from causing offence without meaning to. We set out the basics, from the offerings underfoot to how to behave at a temple, before you arrive.
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Why a Little Understanding Goes a Long Way
Most visitors cause offence in Bali by accident, not rudeness: stepping over an offering, touching someone's head, wearing the wrong thing into a temple, pointing with a foot. The culture is lived out in the open, everywhere you look, and nobody expects a tourist to know all of it. But knowing a few basics is the difference between moving through it respectfully and blundering through it.
The Basics Worth Knowing
Step around the small daily offerings, the canang sari, left on the ground, and never over or on them.
Cover shoulders and knees, and wear a sarong and sash, to enter a temple.
Use your right hand to give and receive, since the left is considered unclean.
Avoid touching anyone on the head, including children, as it is seen as the most sacred part of the body.
Ask before photographing people or ceremonies, and stay back from a procession rather than cutting through it.
What Shapes Daily Life Here
Bali is Hindu in a mostly Muslim country, and its version of Hinduism runs the calendar. The small woven trays of flowers, rice and incense you see on doorsteps, pavements and dashboards are canang sari, daily offerings of thanks placed everywhere, several times a day. They are why you watch your step on a Balinese pavement, and stepping on one is a real, if forgivable, misstep.
Ceremonies are constant. Temple anniversaries, cremations and the island-wide days like Galungan and Nyepi mean you are rarely far from a procession, a gamelan or a temple in full dress. Visitors are usually welcome to watch respectfully from the edge, in modest dress, but not to walk through the middle or climb for a photo. When in doubt, hang back and follow what locals do.
The rules of behaviour are mostly about respect and cleanliness. The head is sacred and the feet are low, so you do not pat heads or point with a foot; the right hand gives and receives; and temples ask for covered shoulders, a sarong and a sash. None of it is hard, and Balinese people are forgiving of an honest mistake, but a visitor who makes the effort is treated very differently from one who does not. That difference is the thing we would most want a first-time visitor to understand.
See also: Explore Ubud
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the small offerings on the ground in Bali?
They are canang sari, daily offerings of flowers, rice and incense placed everywhere as thanks. Step around them, never on them.
What should I wear to respect Balinese culture?
Modest dress covering shoulders and knees generally, and a sarong and sash to enter a temple.
Why should I not touch someone's head in Bali?
The head is considered the most sacred part of the body, so touching it, even a child's, is disrespectful.
Can tourists watch Balinese ceremonies?
Usually yes, respectfully from the edge in modest dress, but not by walking through the middle or climbing for photos.
Is it easy to cause offence in Bali?
Most offence is accidental, like stepping on offerings, wrong temple dress or using the left hand. A little awareness avoids it, and honest mistakes are forgiven.
See the Culture Up Close
Understanding the culture is one thing; seeing it is another. Sort where you stay and a few guided experiences so you meet the ceremonies, temples and crafts with someone who can explain them.
Where To Stay?
Ubud puts the ceremonies and temples on your doorstep. Compare hotels and villas across Bali and base yourself in the island's cultural centre.
Things To Do
Culture is best met up close with a guide. Browse tours, temple visits and day trips across Bali so you see the real thing, not just a postcard.
Rent A Car
The big temples sit far apart and inland. Compare car hire across Bali, check what your licence needs, and sort transport before your temple day.
