Visit the Bali Aga Villages in Bali

For those who don’t know yet, the original inhabitants of Bali are the Bali Aga, and they live a relative reclusive life in the mountains to the east, the north and central Bali. It might seem weird to grasp at first considering you meet Balinese people every day you are on holidays in Bali. Basically, most of the high caste Balinese originally came from Java. The Bali Aga inhabited Bali well before the Majapahit invasion in 1343AD. The Balinese today are actually descendants of the Wong Majapahit who were 15thC migrants from East Java when the Majapahit empire finally fell.

It is believed there are several thousand Bali Aga people living in the mountainous regions and they speak their own dialect. There is a distinct indifference between the Balinese you meet every day and the Bali Aga who ensure their seclusion and culture. I have always found the Bali Aga to be a fascinating and beautiful people whenever I have visited the villages.

Having said that, many travellers I have spoken to over the years found them to be aggressive, and indeed, unwelcoming. If you ever visit Bali, I strongly suggest you take some time to visit one or two of the Bali Aga villages. There are a few of note and yet there are those villages that are so remote getting there is a difficulty.

View the Original article