Five Great Books set in BALI

29th October 2019

Bali is the latest place for us to visit in our ‘Great books set in…’ series. Five great books set in Bali

“Don’t talk about heaven if you’ve never been to Bali” –Toba Beta

Bali Daze by Cat Wheeler

Beyond beaches and backpackers, spas and five star hotels is a Bali seldom revealed to the casual visitor. Bali Daze tips the reader off the tourist trail as long-term resident Cat Wheeler hurtles into the fascinating, complex and often bewildering adventure of putting down roots in Ubud.

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A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul by Shamini Flint

Inspector Singh is back, but this time working out of Bali. A bomb has exploded and Singh has been sent to help with anti-terrorism efforts. But there’s a slight problem: he knows zero about hunting terrorists. He’s much better suited to solving murder!

So when a body is discovered in the wreckage, killed by a bullet before the bomb went off, Singh should be the one to find the answers – especially with the help of a wily Australian copper by his side. But simple murders are never as simple as they seem – and this one has far-reaching global consequences . . .

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The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke

Two sisters, one life-changing journey…

There are some currents in the relationship between sisters that run so dark and so deep, it’s better for the people swimming on the surface never to know what’s beneath . . .

Katie’s carefully structured world is shattered by the news that her headstrong younger sister, Mia, has been found dead in Bali – and the police claim it was suicide.

With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and – page by page, country by country – begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death.

What she discovers changes everything. But will her search for the truth push their sisterly bond – and Katie – to breaking point?

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The Paradise Guest House by Ellen Sussman

A riveting and poignant novel of one woman’s journey to Bali in search of love, renewal, and a place to call home-perfect for readers of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Alex Garland’s The Beach.

It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions.

One year later, haunted by memories, Jamie returns to Bali seeking a sense of closure. Most of all, she hopes to find Gabe, the man who saved her from the attacks. She hasn’t been able to forget his kindness-or the spark between them as he helped her heal. Checking into a cosy guest house for her stay, Jamie meets the kindly owner, who is coping with a painful past of his own, and a young boy who improbably becomes crucial to her search. Jamie has never shied away from a challenge, but a second chance with Gabe presents her with the biggest dilemma of all: whether she’s ready to open her heart.

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A House in Bali by Colin McPhee

As a young American composer, Colin McPhee quite by accident heard some recordings of Balinese gamelan music. Changed forever by this experience, he “wanted to hear every Gamelan in the countryside.” This book recounts the details of his stay in Bali just before World War II. It presents an amusing and sympathetic look at Balinese society and a rare look at the importance of music in Balinese life.

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Bonus Book (and we can’t really leave this one out, can we?)

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Liz’s memoir who- after her marriage breakdown – takes off for a year and goes to mull over her life in three destinations: Italy, India and Indonesia (Bali). Italy is about the pleasure of eating, India is about finding god and Bali is about finding some harmony and balance.

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Tina for the TripFiction Team

Do you have a favourite read set in Bali? Let us know in the comments below!!!

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