Sorry, Australia: Bali might be banning booze

Australians love Bali. Rolling coastlines, tropical rainforests, $5 massages and a party strip that boasts only the happiest of hours.

Australians love Bali so much that even the planned execution of convicted drug runners isn’t enough to keep us from this infamous playground of adult excess – in fact, Aussie tourism has seen an increase of 16.7% over the past two months.

So, what will it take to keep pleasure seeking folk away from the equator straddling island that has become so synonymous with Australian indulgence?

Well, how about a booze ban?

Two Islamic political parties have proposed a ban on the sale, production, distribution and consumption of all boozy beverages containing more than one percent alcohol – a worrying and sobering prospect for those who seek hedonistic refuge upon the island’s pure shores. Mini marts would take the initial hit, with the ban extending across the majority of the island’s alcohol outlets.

If that weren’t frightening enough, the rulings could be in place by the end of the year, if old mate President Joko Widodo agrees.

There remains one silver lining: pleasure seekers would be able to find boozy solace at five star hotel bars. It has been agreed, much like other dry nations, that outlawing booze in its entirety would strike a massive blow to tourism, so the actual grown ups have decided that five star boozing is still okay.

It’s unclear how much support the proposal has garnered, although the head of the Indonesian Institute remains cautious, commenting on the momentum with which political parties with a religious affiliation have grown.

Words by Becky O’Malley