BALI, INDONESIA – Whether going out for a nice dinner, attending a festive celebration or meeting the in-laws for the first time, who hasn’t wondered, “What should I wear?”
I must confess, fashion is not my strong suit. Most of the time I dress strictly for comfort. Shorts and sandals, a favorite T-shirt (worn so thin it’s almost transparent) and I’m good to go.
If I need to be more dressy I’ll switch out my battered Tee for a real shirt with buttons and a pocket.
But when we travel, local rules of etiquette sometimes require me to venture outside my sartorial comfort zone.
When in Bali…
When Melanie and I visited Bali in December we were advised what to wear when visiting a temple…
“Shoulders and knees should be politely covered.”
“Men should wear the traditional Udeng, or headwear.”
“Men and women should both wear a sarong, with a sash.”
Sarongs are often provided – for a fee
Mel brought her own sarong. Most temples provided a sash to tie around her waist.
John had to borrow (more often ‘rent’) a sarong and sash at each temple. The fee also covered the use of an udeng when required.
What we didn’t realize beforehand was that many of the carved stone figures placed at the gates and around the temple grounds apparently also required proper attire.
Check out the ancient statues in the photos below. Each one is decked out in a colorful patterned sarong of its own.
Flowers in the hair are perfectly acceptable
We also found out that adorning oneself with a flower behind the ear is perfectly acceptable…
For men, women and ancient statues alike!
Now that you know what to wear to a temple in Bali…
Enjoy your trip!
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