Recently I stumbled upon a whole range of posts and articles on blogs, websites and in online newspapers about Bali and it’s reputation. For a long time the general consensus was that it was a paradise-perfect destination. Now, apparently the feelings are mixed, varying from those who are still ‘believers’ (in Bali) to dislikers and everything in between that. The ‘haters’ complain about traffic jams, mass tourism, pollution and garbage, crime and dangers, amongst others.
So who’s right? Is Bali still paradise? Is it still worth your while to vacation on this island? Or should you avoid Bali at all cost?
One of many super comfy and relaxing spots along the beach. This one belongs to the W hotel in Seminyak, Bali.
Let me begin by sharing my own experiences, feelings and thoughts with you.
When I first set foot on Bali, 25 years ago, I fell in love with the island right away. It felt as if I had found paradise! Why? Well, let me try to explain.
There are altars of all sizes and sorts wherever you look.
After two weeks on Bali we visited Java and we were in shock. Although for example Yogyakarta and the Borobudur were spectacular, we were not prepared for the contrast with Bali. Java felt grim and sometimes even aggressive, compared to the friendliness of Bali.
When I returned to Bali it was a different story. Both Bali and I had clearly changed. As had my circumstances. In 1990 I traveled with my then-boyfriend, our backpacks and a very tight budget.
This time I returned with my current (and here to stay;-)) husband and his two teenage children. The backpacks had been replaced by solid suitcases and our budget was definitely bigger then 18 years before.
You know how it goes when you travel with children, right? Basically it’s all about them and about what they want. And what they wanted was the pool, cool lemonades, pizza and ice-cream. Culture sniffing, guys? Nah…. Sightseeing then? Bleh…. So we ended up staying mainly at the hotel poolside with the occasional walk and incidental day tour. Luckily we did manage to go to the rice paddies, a lake and a volcano, temple ruins and bat caves.
Ofcourse I noticed how much Bali had changed. Much more traffic, more constructions going on, more hotels, noise, garbage and pollution…no, no changes for the better. Also remarkable was the number of muslims, often coming from Java. Animism and hinduism seemed less predominant then before. There were many beer-drinking young Aussies in Kuta, but they were there 18 years earlier as well.
Fortunately there was still enough left of the loveliness from before: the green rice fields, the black and white checkered cloths around trees and the beautiful sunsets, to name some things.
Bali’s sunsets are unparalleled!
This time our visit was a short one: five days. Just my husband and me. We were staying in the super luxurious W hotel in Seminyak. Wow! We enjoyed the hotel, it’s facilities and the look and layout so much, that we decided to spend our days mainly on the grounds of the hotel. We went out for a daily walk, usually through the streets of Seminyak, other times over the beach. It was lovely.
View from our room at the W hotel.
The same problems that I already mentioned had gotten worse, traffic- and construction-wise.
Before, there was one notorious tourist group: the drunk aussies in Kuta, that I mentioned earlier. Now, a second type of tourists seems to be everywhere on the island: (older) hippies. The Eat, Drink, Pray followers. The yoga/health/meditation peeps. Not that they bother anyone, mind you.
Ok, so it got less paradise-like, over the years. A lot less perfect. Yes, all the problem issues that are mentioned are there. Yes, there is mass tourism. For sure you will need to make a bit of a bigger effort then 25 years ago to find serenity and to experience the authentic Bali. It did not really trouble me all that much though, when I was there, and I still love Bali. I am not ready to state that it isn’t paradise anymore. Or that it isn’t worth your while to go there any longer. Then again, I am by no means an expert.
Too bad this lovely naked sand-lady was half destroyed. She was well-made.
If you look at the media, the topic seem to be hot. Here are some articles of people who have strong opinions about Bali, either positive or negative:
My own experience and opinion about traveling is this: of course there are things that are facts. Objective, statistic, indisputable facts. But next to that there is the subjective: the personality of the traveler, his or her mood, what one likes or needs from a holiday, having luck or bad luck (e.g. with the weather), and so on and so forth. That plays a big role in how we appreciate a certain vacation or destination.
Some examples:
Without wanting to trivialize anyone’s opinion, I just felt a need to emphasize that it is -at least partly- in the eye of the beholder too.
Oh, and of course I am generalizing when I talk about drunk aussies, so please don’t feel offended and don’t take it personally. I am fully aware of the fact that it’s just a small percentage of the australian population;-)!
Have you visited Bali? How was your experience and would you still recommend Bali to other travelers?
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