Welcome on the blog of Swarga Odyssey, a local travel agency specialized in Indonesia. Here, we give you all the advice and tips to prepare your trip to Bali and Indonesia.
Prefer eco-friendly products
Many developing countries have no or very few wastewater treatment systems, and this is the case in Indonesia. And as a result? It's simple, when you shower or use the sink, everything is dumped into the oceans.
You wouldn't want to spend your vacation in murky waters full of toxic waste, would you? So choose biodegradable cosmetics and hygiene products instead, ideally without plastic packaging. Solid soaps, shampoos, and toothpastes are a great option.
It is advisable to also favor eco-responsible sunscreens, which can spread into the ocean during swimming, although invisible to the naked eye.
Use reusable bottles
Bali and more widely Indonesia are facing an immense plastic pollution crisis. To avoid making the situation worse, avoid single-use plastic bottles by using reusable bottles.
Decathlon, Equa, Gobi, etc... there is no shortage of brands of reusable bottles. It's good for the planet and you save money! “Refill” devices that allow you to refill your water bottle for free, encourage these practices and are multiplying. Water fountains can now be found everywhere: in airports, in shops, etc... To locate these filling stations, there are many mobile applications but the most used in Indonesia is @refillmybottle.
Download the app RefillMyBottle via the Google play store
Download the app RefillMyBottle via the apple store
Save water and electricity
Whether out of ecological awareness, or because of financial management concerns, you probably already have these reflexes at home. You turn off the lights when you leave a room, you turn off the tap water when you brush your teeth, and you avoid long showers, right?
Don't lose this habit when you travel, and remember to turn off the air conditioning when you leave the hotel for the day. Even if most of the running water used is not drinkable in Indonesia, more and more accommodations are forced to have water delivered by cistern, due to episodes of drought in some regions, especially in Uluwatu (Bali).
Pick up your trash
Okay, you might see places that are particularly contaminated with garbage of all kinds, but that's no reason to make the situation worse. Whether at the beach, hiking, or even in the city center, remember to take and throw your trash in the trash. For smokers, don't leave cigarette butts on the floor. The ideal is to have a pocket ashtray, but you can simply throw them in the trash, taking care to put out your cigarette.
Respect marine life
As has been said, Indonesia's maritime fauna is among the richest and most diverse in the world. To avoid upsetting this fragile ecosystem, it is important to preserve marine life. Whether during your dives, snorkeling, or simply swimming, avoid touching the coral. You will also avoid a few cuts.
This makes sense, of course, but we still see a lot of people acting in an inadequate manner, certainly due to a lack of knowledge or information.
Indeed, you should know that access to water can be delicate on many beaches. Depending on the tide, rocks and corals are hidden under the surface, making them difficult to locate. Conversely, other places require enough water to swim across the coral reef.
The solution in this case is to ask for advice from the locals, or from the surfers present on site. It may also be a good idea to postpone your swim until the tide rises.
Also, avoid touching marine creatures (we think in particular of turtles). We're not marine biologists either, so that would be hard to explain precisely. But to put it simply, by touching these turtles and other aquatic species, we leave a particular body odor on them, repelling other species connected to the same ecosystem, and thus being able to cause their death.
Cultural respect
When traveling abroad, it is a good practice to learn a minimum about local manners and customs. This way you will avoid offending the locals and coming across as one of its completely disrespectful tourists.
Indeed, the culture in Indonesia is very different from Western culture, and you might be surprised to learn some common practices. For example, consider wearing a “sarong” before entering the temples, you can usually rent one at the entrance of the main ones, but the easiest way is to buy one.
Prefer accommodations that care about environnement
Staying in eco-responsible establishments makes it possible to support slower and responsible tourism based on social and environmental respect.
Prefer establishments such as eco lodges, bamboo houses, huts or bungalows that strive to minimize their environmental impact by adopting practices such as responsible waste management, the use of renewable energies, and water conservation. And if you prefer resorts, avoid intercontinental chains and prefer smaller independent brands.
The choice of building materials is also an important criterion. What could be more atrocious than a huge sheet metal building built in the heart of the lush jungle? We agree, it not only affects the landscape, but what will happen to the raw materials once they are used up?
Our accommodations are selected, among other things, according to these criteria.
Participate in cleaning activities
Do you want to do a good thing, and/or participate more actively in the preservation of local environments? A good way to do this is to join directly with a
local initiatives. You can thus help clean beaches and rivers to contribute to the preservation of the natural beauty of Indonesia.
We support the Sungai Watch association, which organizes “beach cleaning” every Friday. You can register directly hither or let us know this desire when creating your trip, so that we can integrate it into the itinerary.
Choose eco-conscious activities
Take part in activities that respect nature or have a low impact on the environment. Better still, choose activities that work for a worthy cause. For example, it is proposed to adopt a coral and to transplant it directly into natural parks in order to restore marine diversity. An opportunity to admire the ocean come back to life during an epic snorkeling.
that you will have the pleasure of exploring and participating in aquatic life
Our experiences are designed
