‘Stuck’ with Charm of Island of the Gods

Mount Agung erupted. Ngurah Rai International Airport, the gateway to the Island of the gods closed. Thousands of tourists were stuck.

Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta

Mount Agung evacuees practice playing the gamelan at the Agriculture UPTD evacuation post in Rendan district, Karangasem regency, Bali, Monday (4/12). A number of activities are carried out by evacuees to repel boredom, including gamelan-playing.

Mount Agung erupted. Volcanic ash swept over Bali. Ngurah Rai International Airport, the gateway to the Island of the gods closed. Thousands of tourists were stuck, unable to go home, unable to arrive.

Thousands of hotel rooms in Bali may remain vacant and unoccupied until the end of the year. Thousands of restaurants were deserted. However, several tourism business players are seeing Mt Agung as a guardian attraction. They were grateful and optimistic that the “storm of problems” would subdue.