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.
Tea Leaves
Bali is a lesson in the fragility of paradise
The island of the gods reckons with the specter of overtourism
As more tourists and developers flock to Canggu, a coastal village on the Indonesian island of Bali, the remaining patches of green have become all the more precious. (All photos by Lu-Hai Liang)
Read Next
Latest on Tea Leaves
