Type A Tourists Might Not Appreciate Bali's 'Rubber Time' Tradition

Hailed as one of the world's most beautiful islands, Bali is a paradise packed with surf, sunsets, and culture that everyone from surfers to yoga enthusiasts hopes to visit in their lifetime. But when it comes to planning a Bali adventure, type A personalities should ease their foot off the gas pedal on that action-packed, scheduled-to-the-minute itinerary to avoid one glaring cultural collision with the Indonesian concept of jam karet, or "rubber time."

Jam karet, the unwritten rule of viewing a meeting time as a suggestion instead of an obligation, is a laid-back cultural concept that has been ingrained in the mindset and lifestyle of the Balinese — or Indonesians in general. Invited to a 7 p.m. dinner party? In Bali, people may come trickling in at 8 p.m. Others, maybe even later. Though this would be scandalous in some of the most punctual countries, this widely tolerated practice allows locals to stretch that rubber band concept of time to their bidding: It doesn't matter how long it took you to get there — what matters is that you showed up.

Should jam karet be chalked up to the laid-back rhythms of tropical island life? A way of adapting to the lack of infrastructure that prevents people from being on time? Or is it pushback against rigid societal norms? As American anthropologist and "Beyond Culture" author Edward T. Hall told Wonderwhy, jam karet can be explained by the concept of monochronic and polychronic time. Monochronic societies like Switzerland, Germany, or Japan are more likely to show up to meetings on time or queue in traffic in an orderly manner because time operates in a linear, chronological flow. Alternatively, the polychronic cultures of Indonesia, Chile, or Portugal are more likely to embrace flexibility, focus on interactions, and be in the present.

Needless to say, type A tourists who are used to Swiss trains arriving on the dot or the Japanese penchant for arriving five minutes early to a meeting may find the jam karet concept particularly challenging, especially when a carefully timed itinerary gets derailed by a surf lesson or a sightseeing tour starts much later than expected. For Vienna-based Indonesian Edo Danilyan, jam karet reflects how Indonesians nurture "a culture of harmony over punctuality" — stopping to render a service to a neighbor, for example, is more important than being on time for something else. "Arriving late might seem 'bad' in a schedule sense, but not stopping to help might be worse socially," he writes on his blog. "The result? We tend to forgive lateness because we value connection over the clock."

So if science says that traveling alone can make you a nicer person, expect Bali's jam karet to test the theory — and your patience. As a traveler, try adjusting your on-time expectations by building some leeway into your itinerary's schedules or timelines. Live like the locals do and leave punctuality in the backseat. Bali is, after all, one of the world's best destinations for a stress-free holiday, so embrace this rubber time culture instead of fighting it — at least for a little while.