On a blazingly hot day in Bali I sat on the back of Novi's rented moped, grateful for the breeze. A native of Jakarta, Novi was a regular visitor, seeking out the "paradise island" for R&R. On the way from Canggu to Seminyak, we rounded a bend and she gestured toward a row of cafes, restaurants and shops. "Just two years ago, this was all rice fields," she said.
I heard a similar story from one of the many locals employed by the ride-hailing app Grab. Eka Adnyana, driving a white Toyota, told me that since the COVID-19 pandemic Bali had developed "a lot," meaning that the pace of change on this already heavily touristed island had sped up.
