Bali Then and Now: A Smarter Way to See a Changed Island

I’ve been visiting Bali since 1976, when Kuta was a handful of guesthouses and electricity only reached the airport. Fifty years and millions of visitors later, the island has changed — more traffic, more crowds. But the gamelan still plays, offerings still appear each morning, and the sunset still draws everyone to the beach. Here’s how I navigate it now.