Hi! My name is Vivien and I’m a university student from Australia. By 2026, I will have completed a double degree in International Security Studies and Languages. I was an intern at JED in November-December 2025.
How did you end up at JED?
Back in Australia, I applied to be a part of the Sustainable Tourism Professional Practicum run by ACICIS. This is a program that takes Australian students to Indonesia for bahasa Indonesia classes, academic learning and a professional placement with a local partner. I chose to study sustainable tourism partly because the topic wasn’t offered at my university and I wanted to learn something new outside of my degree, and partly because I’ve always been interested in travel, intersections of culture and people-to-people exchanges.
I came to JED because they were a local industry partner of ACICIS. Their focus on community-led tourism was particularly relevant to my studies on grassroots community building.
What did you do as an intern?
In the office, we reviewed the marketing materials of JED and Nyambu Village Ecotourism, providing recommendations for increased engagement and improved design. We researched Australian organisations for potential strategic partnerships that could bring more international opportunities to JED. We also researched how JED could produce sustainability impact reports in the future.
We also spent lots of time in Nyambu Village working with locals to support their vision of eco-tourism. We participated in a trial tour, which included activities like a bicycle tour and making canang offerings, to give ibu-ibu feedback on how to improve the experience for guests. We travelled with ibu-ibu to villas in the area, interviewing the owners about the demographics of tourists who stay in the village. We also assisted with a second trial tour that was hosted for the accommodation owners, so that they could collaborate and better promote it to their guests.
What were the highlights?
Definitely the odalan ceremonies. We were invited by Jati, a JED staff member who was from Nyambu, to attend the odalan ceremony at her temple. She also kindly lent us her kebaya to wear so that we could enter the temple.
It was a completely different scene to visiting temples as a tourist. The place was bustling with sounds of chatter and gamelan. It felt like the whole village was there. Smells of incense and smoke filled the area, and the temple was bursting with colour from the kebaya, decorations and offerings. We joined in on the prayers and blessings. We watched a dance from the ladies of banjar, and an intense barong dance to eliminate the evil spirits.
Through the ceremony, I was able to see the cultural richness of the village as well as the sense of community over shared spirituality. Everyone knew each other and knew exactly what to do. Being there at the ceremony and a part of the process made me feel more spiritually and emotionally connected to the village myself – I had now dedicated parts of myself to this place and people.
What were the challenges?
The main challenge was working out what I could offer JED and Nyambu Village. They were keen to hear our perspectives as young non-Indonesians, but what was that? What was my personal opinion and what would be representative of a young Australian perspective? Because of this, it took a little time getting comfortable with offering feedback.
What are your hopes for the future?
I really hope tourists coming to Bali look beyond the main attractions, venture out of the tourist clusters and come see the charms of lesser-known places. The island is so much more than the resorts and beach clubs. The people who live here are so friendly and eager to share their connection to the land, why not go and discover the true Bali.
Any advice for future interns?
You will learn as you go. Don’t worry about not having all the specialised skills and knowledge for the job. Before this internship, I had no experience in marketing or tourism. But with everything on the Internet nowadays, you can learn as you go. It’s all part of the learning process and growth that you will experience during your time as an intern.
About Vivien
Vivien Deng is an Australian university student pursuing a double degree in International Security Studies and Languages. She joined JED as an intern through the ACICIS Sustainable Tourism Professional Practicum in late 2025.
