We are on a mission from Gods? Rewriting the Future of Bali Tourism

“We’re on a mission from God.” — The Blues Brothers (1980)

But in Bali, we’re on a mission from the Gods.

Not one, but many. The ones who dwell in banyan trees, in flowing rivers, in temple courtyards and family shrines. The ones who sit silently in canang offerings and speak through shadow puppets and Gamelan tones. And lately, they’ve been sending signs:

Bali isn’t happy.

Not with how mass tourism has taken hold. Not with how sacred ceremonies have become backdrops. Not with the rise of what some call “tourist spirituality” and others call cultural erasure.

And that’s where we come in.

Remembering the Roots: Adimelali Bali

Back in 2008, when most of Bali’s tourism industry was still using faxes and foot traffic, Adimelali Bali quietly launched the island’s first internet-based travel service. Bookings via Gmail and Yahoo Messenger. A website before websites were trendy in Bali or even Indonesia tourism.

Was it perfect? No. But it was human.

The goal was never to flood Bali with volume. The mission was to build trust, and to offer travelers more than just pretty views and Instagrammable moments. We invited them to experience Bali like we knew it growing up: sacred, spontaneous, and alive.

We got pushback. The big players didn’t like our model. They liked things predictable, packageable, and profitable.

We kept going.

A Cultural Meltdown or a Melting Pot?

Bali has always been a meeting point of worlds. In the 1930s, European artists like Walter Spies and Miguel Covarrubias came to the island not to take over, but to collaborate. They brought modern techniques and left with deep reverence. They influenced and were influenced.

Modern Balinese painting, music, and performance bear the fingerprints of that cultural exchange. But what was once mutual is now often one-sided.

Today, too many visitors arrive in Bali seeking consumption, not connection.

Not all resistance comes with protests. Some comes with pen and ink.

Gus Dark, a Balinese cartoonist with global reach, is using bold visuals to speak uncomfortable truths. His art critiques over-tourism, cultural distortion, and spiritual commodification. His lines are sharp. His metaphors are sharper.

One cartoon shows a man sitting at beach club with fully loaded machine gun of fireworks and shoot into a sitting on ground and praying local Balinese.

This isn’t satire for laughs. It’s satire to shake us awake.

Adimelali x Gus Dark: The Mission Grows

At Adimelali Bali, we see ourselves aligned with Gus Dark’s message as well as many local Bali or worldwide artist and activist who cares and love Bali. We don’t want to sell Bali. We want to share it.

And that sharing must come with responsibility, respect, and reciprocity.

That’s why we’re growing our movement:

Hosting cultural education journeys for artists, students, and educators Connecting travellers with local knowledge keepers Creating immersive experiences that aren’t staged for tourists, but are real, raw, and respectfully opened to those who truly seek We’re rebranding Bali not as a playground — but as a classroom, a gallery, a spiritual dialogue.

A Sacred Invitation

This mission isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about preservation through progress. We use tech. We love connection. We’re not anti-modernity.

But what we are… is pro-Bali.

We stand by artists like Gus Dark and many others Bali or global artist and activist who speak truth to power. We honor the gods who gave us this island. And we believe that the only tourism worth building is the kind that builds up Bali in return.

If you believe in:

Travel as education Culture as sacred Art as activism Then maybe this mission is yours too.

So pack your bags. Bring your curiosity. And leave your checklist at the airport. We’re on a mission from the gods. And Bali is ready to teach.

If this message resonates with you, follow @AdimelaliBali and @GusDark. Let’s build the future of meaningful, respectful tourism — together.

Photos from adimelali.com