Spiritual Tourism in Ubud, Bali

August 3 2020

What’s Wrong with the West(?): How lifestyle migration shaped the spiritual tourism industry in Ubud, Bali

It’s a long title, I know. But it’s the name I’ve given to the paper that represents the culmination of my ethnographic work studying the spiritual tourism industry in Ubud, Bali.

Ubud is a medium-sized village located deep in the jungle of central Bali and has been a popular tourist destination on the island for decades. It’s also where Elizabeth Gilbert goes to find love in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Ubud is attractive to a specific type of tourist. Tourists who are interested in seeking life-altering experiences through practices of “eastern spirituality”. I call these individuals “spiritual tourists”, as the experiences they seek emulate certain cultural practices (spiritual or not) that are found outside the western world.

The fact that Bali is majority Hindu contributes to its reputation as a spiritual destination. Not only can spiritual tourists watch Hindu ceremonies take place, but in many cases they can actively participate in them. In Ubud, ceremonies such as cremations happen on a regular basis and, while they are often advertised to tourists, they are not for them. For tourists hoping to be more than onlookers, a myriad of experiences can be found online and through travel agents.

But locals’ participation in Ubud’s tourism is not the main focus of my project. I tackle how foreigners living in Ubud have shaped the spiritual tourism industry. What’s more, I answer why Ubud is seen as spiritual by foreigners.

You can read about my findings here.