ABSTRACT
In this chapter the author reflects on her fieldwork experiences researching power relations in community-based tourism in Bali. She discusses the difficulties of negotiating and being in a ‘foreign field’ as early career researcher, notably under time and money constraints. Community-based tourism is regarded as alternative form of tourism, with characteristics such as the active participation of communities in planning, implementing and managing tourism, and close contact between tourists and residents. The author started her empirical research in April 2013 at the age of 24 to investigate community-based tourism on the island. The Balinese caste system is made up of four groups: Brahmana, Satria, Wesia and Sudra. Regarding Bali, and the villages where the author lived, as geographically distanced from home as well as places of cultural difference gave her insights into how she perceived the fieldwork. Indeed, in her first week upon arrival, she kept emphasising the aspect of ‘work’ in her diary.
