What are Bali's traditional jobs, and what can you see?
Tourism has become the island's main activity, but yesterday's trades are still here, and it is the countryside that shows them to you.
What you will see:
- The rice farmer: straw hat, hoe, and sometimes a scarecrow. He works the terraced paddies, irrigated by the subak (see the natural sites section). A field generally gives several harvests a year.
- The fisherman: his outrigger boat (jukung) pulled up on the sand, his nets and bamboo traps, on the beach.
- The craftsman: the basket-weaver's bench, with a basket half plaited. For other skills (carving, silver, weaving), see the Ubud and culture sections.
- The salt maker: at Kusamba, on the east coast, families still harvest salt directly on the beach, using a very old method. About 10 to 12 tonnes a month are produced in the dry season, a salt with a distinctive taste that some restaurants now use.
- The seaweed farmer: on Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, you see them at low tide, very early in the morning or at the end of the day (see the Nusa Islands section).
And tourism? It supports a large part of the population: guides, drivers, waiters, cooks, surf instructors, hotel staff. Wages remain modest: the province's minimum wage is about 3 million IDR a month (around $170).
Verdict: a few minutes watching someone work, with a polite question, is often the best part of a visit.
Tip: if you meet a craftsman or a salt maker, buy from them directly: it is often the most useful way to support them. And for Kusamba salt, don't bargain: the work is hard and the price is already low.
Figures and practices checked in October 2026; confirm before you go.