Think Indonesia and tourism, and the first thing that comes to

Hear the words of Raymond Bonner, who declared: “Think Indonesia and tourism, and the first thing that comes to mind is probably Bali. Think golf holiday, and most people would dream of Scotland or Ireland. But Indonesia harbors one of the best-kept secrets in the world of travel: it is a golfer’s paradise.” These words are not merely about recreation or leisure. They remind us that the world is deeper and richer than the narrow images we hold of it, that every land has hidden treasures waiting for the eye that is willing to look beyond the obvious.

For when men think of Bali, they think of beaches, temples, and sunsets. When they think of Scotland or Ireland, they think of ancient greens where golf was born and has been sanctified by tradition. Yet Bonner calls our attention elsewhere—to the overlooked, the unexpected, the secret paradise hidden in plain sight. His words are a lesson against the laziness of assumption. The wise do not only follow the paths of others; they look with fresh vision and discover what most ignore.

This is the essence of exploration: not always to find what has never been found, but to see what has always been there, unappreciated. How often do we confine nations, people, or even ourselves to a single image? Indonesia, in the imagination of many, is reduced to Bali, as if one island could contain the soul of thousands. Bonner reminds us that a land is always more than its postcard. It is forests and mountains, villages and rivers, and yes—even hidden fields where golfers find paradise beneath the equatorial sky.

History is filled with such awakenings. When Marco Polo traveled eastward, Europe imagined China only as myth and legend, a place of silk and mystery. Yet his writings revealed a civilization vast and sophisticated, overflowing with wonders beyond Europe’s imagination. In the same way, Bonner’s words remind us that the surface image of a place is never its full truth. The traveler who seeks only what is advertised sees little; the traveler who listens and looks with patience finds the hidden gems.

The origin of Bonner’s thought lies in the nature of perception itself. Humanity clings to symbols and clichés because they are easy, because they fit neatly into memory. Bali is an icon of leisure, Scotland an icon of golf. But such simplifications blind us to the full richness of the world. It is a call to humility: to recognize that our first thoughts about a place are rarely its truest ones, and that the world has more to give us than we dare to expect.

The deeper meaning of the quote is not about golf alone, but about the discipline of seeking beyond the obvious. For in every life, as in every land, there are treasures unseen by the casual observer. The man who judges another only by his surface may miss his hidden strength. The woman who sees herself only as others have labeled her may forget the secret gardens of her soul. The lesson of Indonesia’s golf courses is the lesson of life: hidden beauty often lies beyond the common gaze.

The lesson for us is clear: resist the temptation of easy assumptions. When you travel, when you meet people, when you walk through life, look deeper. Do not be content with the postcard version of reality. Seek the secrets, the hidden gems, the surprising truths. Practically, this means asking questions, listening more than speaking, and venturing beyond the tourist path—both in lands and in lives.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, remember the wisdom of Raymond Bonner: the world is wider, richer, and more surprising than the clichés we inherit. Bali may dazzle, Scotland may inspire, but there are countless other paradises waiting to be seen. Do not walk blind with assumptions; instead, open your eyes to the secret beauties of the world. For the greatest discoveries are not always new lands, but new ways of seeing the lands that have always been before us.