Living with the enemy: Tropical paradise Bali becomes refuge for thousands of Ukrainians, Russians

BALI: Russia and Ukraine may be at war, but thousands of their citizens are living alongside each other in the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

Many have made the island their home, after leaving their countries following the invasion of Ukraine that is approaching the one-year mark on Feb 24.

With no end in sight to the conflict, Indonesia’s top tourist destination has become a temporary refuge for citizens and businesses seeking an escape.

According to government data, more than 7,000 Ukrainians arrived in Bali last year, but last month alone, there were more than 2,500 arrivals.

Last year also saw more than 58,000 Russians arriving on the island. In January this year, there were more than 22,500 arrivals, making Russia the country with the second largest foreign arrivals that month.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY IN BALI

Mr Tjokorda Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali Tourism Agency, said: “Last year, they hit a peak. The trend has increased since Bali began (opening its doors) without quarantine on March 7.

“Why Bali? Maybe even though they are at war, (the travellers) have increased significantly because, indeed, Bali is a place for peace. It is very peaceful, and instead (of being in their respective countries), they are living in Bali.”

The head of the Ukrainian community in Bali, who only gave his name as Dmytro, found himself on an extended stay, after the invasion happened while he was on holiday on the island.

Now, he is building a community in Bali for other Ukrainians.

“The last eight months, I’ve focused only on this,” he said. “Our goal is still the same – to help Ukraine, to find ways we can help, to build strong connections with the local people, with the local government, police…”