Russians in Bali

Since the early 1970s the Indonesian island of Bali has become a favourite destination in the tropics for western tourists attracted there by everything from the weather , volcanoes, surf, beaches, rice paddies easy going people and a rich Hindu culture .

It’s said by tour guides that the French and Italians are attracted by the culture , the Germans by the nature , the Australians by the beach and bars and the Americans by the swimming pools.

The Australians are still the main foreign nationality visiting here . Hippies and surfers started coming here in growing numbers in the early 1970s .

in the early 2000s large numbers of Chinese started arriving and were criticised for a herd mentality and , like another big cultural group , the Americans before them , wanting eveything, food in particular, tailored to what they had at home.

But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine large numbers of Russians have decended upon the island . Some are draft dodgers and opponents of the Putin regime escaping a country they feel is heading in the wrong direction . Others are coming here because ,as a non aligned country, Indonesia does not restrict entry to Russians as western countries in Europe and beyond do .

But after complaints about Russians working illegally and taking jobs, there have been calls including from Bali’s Governor ,to restrict entry of Russians .

But in September , 2024 a new direct twice weekly Moscow-Bali flight service is set to launch operated by Aeroflot.
This is a new development in the constantly evolving tourist ecosphere which has changed dramatically in the past 50 years since the first hippies and surfers arrived here.

Old timers claim that their island paradise has been ruined and the Russians are only the lat est nationality to arrive .
In 2022, almost 60,000 Russians arrived in Bali and in January 2023, there were 22,500 arrivals.

But the Russian numbers are still comparatively small and whatever their complaint the old timers keep coming back.

Destination – Indonesia