NOBU TRAVEL MAGZ - 1st Edition : BALI

Special 1st Edition - Sat, 29 Aug 2026

a light 3 minutes read travel article

Wait… Bali is not a country?🏝️

Have you ever met someone who thought Bali was a country?

Or maybe someone never heard word "Bali" previously.

You might be surprised how common this is. For some people, Bali sounds like a country of its own. They know Bali. They know its beaches, temples, rice fields, and famous sunsets. They may even know more about Bali than they know about Indonesia.

So, where exactly is Bali? 🗺️

Imagine someone travelling to Bali for the first time.

They fly for hours, land at the airport, collect their luggage, and finally arrive at their hotel. Maybe they stay at Kuta or Sanur, looking forward to their first proper Bali holiday.

Then, somewhere along the way, they discover something they did not expect.

Bali is not a country.

It is one of the provinces of Indonesia, a country in Southeast Asia. 🇮🇩

Yes. That beautiful island you have probably seen all over Instagram is part of a much bigger country.

And Indonesia is big. Very big. 🌏

The country is made up of thousands of islands stretching across a huge area between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Bali is only one small part of this enormous archipelago, located between the islands of Java and Lombok.

So how did this relatively small island become so famous?

Why Does Everyone Know Bali?

There is no single answer.

Bali has beaches for surfers, mountains for hikers, rice terraces for photographers, temples around almost every corner, and sunsets that seem to understand their job very well.

But the scenery is only one part from all magical things of Bali.

Bali also has a strong and distinctive culture. Balinese Hindu traditions, religious ceremonies, traditional dance, music, architecture, and local food have become an important part of the island's identity.

Over the years, international tourism helped spread that identity around the world.

Surfers discovered its waves. Travellers came for its culture. Couples came for their honeymoons. Families came for the beaches and resorts. And eventually, social media made sure everyone else knew about it too.

Bali Is More Than Beaches 🏝️

Of course, Bali has beautiful beaches. It would be strange to pretend otherwise.

But spend a little more time here and you will quickly discover that there is much more to the island.

You can leave the beach, drive inland, and suddenly find yourself surrounded by rice fields, small villages, temples, and local ceremonies.

You can see offerings placed outside homes and shops. You can hear traditional music during a ceremony. You can visit a market in the morning and watch the island become busy with daily life. 🌅

And Yes, Bali Is Still Indonesia

Bali has such a strong identity that it can sometimes feel like a country of its own.

But it isn't.

Bali is part of Indonesia, just as Java, Sumatra, Lombok, Sulawesi, and many other islands are.

If Bali is only one part of Indonesia, imagine how much more there is to explore.

Indonesia has hundreds of cultures, hundreds of languages, different landscapes, different traditions, and thousands of islands.

Bali is one of a magical place, and Indonesia has thousands more.

That's all for our first edition!

If you enjoyed Nobu Travel Magz, please consider supporting us with a tip. Your support will help us keep the magazine going.

In the next editions, we will explore destinations in more detail, starting with Bali. From there, we will travel across Indonesia and eventually explore interesting places around the world.

See you on our next magazine edition! 🌏✈️