Having talked with a variety of people living in Ubud, where the movie was shot, it has become clear that there are different schools of thought on Bali being seen in the background for this film.

During the production of Eat Pray Love, it was the younger crowds rather than older, seasoned and settled individuals who were enthusiastic about it.

Each camp has come up with strong arguments about negative and positive impacts as a result of the world’s spotlight being shone on them.

Visual artist and owner of Nirwana Hotel in Ubud, I Nyoman Suradnya is one of those older people who thought that Eat Pray Love might do more harm than good to the already crowded resort island.

“Personally, I’d rather Bali be left alone. Bali is too small,” he said, when asked whether he would welcome more Hollywood style productions on the island.

“Even without this movie we are already overloaded,” said Nyoman. He said that by opening its doors to more Hollywood productions in the future, this merely reinforced the stereotype that Bali had become the place where materialism rules. “It’s not good for the Balinese to have too much money. Money may be something, but it is not everything,” he said.

It is possible that after the film, more and more people will be flocking to Bali in search of balance, culture and hopefully, well, love. And the more people come to Bali in search of love, the more it is likely that Bali will become more commercial.

And as Nyoman repeatedly stated, there is the risk that the Balinese may part company with their traditional values, replacing them with values that put a premium on money.

For some younger Balinese — who have been more receptive to Western influence and whose values has shifted to financial priorities — having Bali in the spotlight is always a good thing.

“Eat Pay Leave”, a naughty take on Eat Pray Love by Naughty Nuri’s

It is undeniably clear that the economy of the island has become too reliant on tourism. Cynics have said that culture becomes a sad by-product of tourism and ultimately people who come to Bali can easily see the diminution of traditional customs.

But what is it about the film that could put Bali in danger of more commercialization?

The movie portrays a serenely quiet Ubud with its abundance of beautiful pristine bays and an ever evolving vibrant and spontaneous social life.

The most prominent features shown in the film are the stunning views that will not easily be lost on movie fans.

Thanks to this free advertising, businesses in the area have now marketed their products piggybacking on the movie — Eat Pray Love.

Restaurant Naughty Nuri’s, famous for heavenly ribs and martinis, has come up with a quirky “Eat Pay Leave” T-shirt using the same font and print as appears on the cover of the best-selling book.

Other clothing lines came up with designs that among other read “Live, Laugh, Love”.

Additionally, hotels and travel companies have been quick to capitalize on the hype by creating Eat Pray Love travel packages where soul searching individuals will be spending a couple of days indulging in the tour of Bali’s spirit, beauty and culture.

The Lonely Planet suggests hitting upon Ubud, “as the Mecca for finding love”, to check out the “remarkable Balinese culture in its myriad forms”. Packages such as these, airbrushing and selling the Elizabeth Gilbert experience undoubtedly raise the question; has the culture, beauty or spirit of Bali simply become a commodity for the island?

“It is only strategic to continue to create packages that meet with the current needs of global travelers. Our Bali, Pray, Love package offers the guests experiential ways in which to discover Bali intimately through different senses,” said John O’Sullivan, Four Seasons general manager, on the motive behind composing such packages.

The Four Seasons noted “increased enthusiasm and excitement in Bali” since news about the movie circulated. But it does not attribute higher occupancy rates to Eat Pray Love.

And with the higher occupancy rate, it is about time that prices of rooms are beginning to go up. Bali is now ranked 7th in the list of the world’s most expensive hotels after average room rates recently increased by a staggering 53 percent.

The prospect of price increases has worried locals, settled expatriates and regulars who do not want to see the image of the once idyllic, peaceful and easy going island slip away.

Other business establishments have only just begun to anticipate the windfall from Eat Pray Love.

French restaurateur Evelyn Rieu Beldame, who runs the Pignou di Penyu restaurant said that she has not seen an increase in clients, although she thought it was too early to expect higher numbers of visitors, as the movie has only been screened recently.

Beldame, who has been in the hospitality business since 2006, said that Bali tourism will likely experience an upswing thanks to the Hollywood promotion.

She was however, quick to denounce the recent price increases as “bad policy” and she would not resort to it unless the price of raw materials rose too.

But whether or not the purists like it, the tourist boom will undoubtedly be positive for the Balinese economy with more jobs being created.

The Hollywood-generated hype over Bali will also be very helpful to improve its image which was earlier dealt severe blows from two terror attacks, followed by the mainly Western financial crisis. Not bad for a free, and lengthy promotion that people can enjoy while munching on their popcorn and tacos.

It seems that the starring role in Eat Pray Love is also fitting for Bali which has recently been named
the most favored holiday destination by Business Traveler. Another publication the US-based Travel and Leisure has also named Bali as “The Best Island in the World”.

Perhaps, Bali now needs another accolade and Eat Pray Love could surely help Bali win a new title as being the island of romance?

It is likely that in the next few months we will see more female travelers going solo to the island.

But one thing is for sure that if you see a lone women looking out onto stretches of verdant paddy fields, cocktail by her side and notebook at the ready; it is surely another Elizabeth Gilbert.

Photo by JP/Anna-Lisa Robertson

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