Is Bali still paradise?

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.

1990 - Love at first sight

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.

• The nature was overwhelmingly beautiful. We stayed the first five nights in a very basic tiny bungalow at the sea. Cost: $5 per night. Delicious banana-pancakes and a thermos of tea included. No electricity, no toilet, no running water, just a bak mandi and a hole in the ground. And tons of cockroaches. Giant cockroaches. Remember, always put on slippers when you need to go toilet at night, ok?! And check the slippers first with a flashlight to see that there are no cockroaches on them;-). But hey, you’re in Asia, right? On a budget.
• There, I snorkeled for the first time in my life. Fishermen brought us out into the ocean, we jumped overboard and fed little bananas to beautiful colored fish. We were amazed by indigo blue starfish and by the depth of the sea there. I even experienced a bit of vertigo;-).
• When we strolled through the tiny lanes in the area, we saw rattan cages with fight-roosters. At one time we even stumbled upon a cock-fight going on. Cruel, so not my favorite show to watch. But couleur locale it sure was.
• After a week there, we moved to a giant room in Ubud. It was a room in a private guesthouse along the road next to the famous Monkey Forest. A bit expensive ($25 per night), compared to the beach bungalows, but there was a shower with more or less hot water and there were no cockroaches. The owner took us along on several occasions to traditional dance shows, like Kecak Kecak, the Monkey Dance. We were mesmerized by the grace and expression of the dancers, by the intensity and the trance, the music and the costumes.
• Riding around on our rented scooter through the inland of the island, we drove amidst terraced rice-paddies. The velvety green and curved layout of the fields was just the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! I was in awe.
• The cultural expressions of animism and Hinduism intrigued me enormously and were all so lovely. The way the people did their worshipping was colorful, peaceful and not intrusive at all.

There are altars of all sizes and sorts wherever you look.

• The whole island seemed filled with art and creativity: wood sculpting, gamelan orchestras, batik, wooden puppets and more.
• The locals were all very kind and friendly. And beautiful.
• And then there were the beaches. And the sunsets, the glorious, perfect sunsets. Sunsets that make you feel serene and that make you feel that life is good.

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.

2008 - revisiting 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!

2014 - three’s a charm

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.

Bali: still paradise or not?

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:

• Is Bali still worth visiting - article in the Sydney Morning Herald
• Is Bali still worth visiting - by Leave Your Daily Hell
• Bali reassesed: still worth a visit? - by Stuff.co.nz
• Is Bali worth the visit? - by SomedayIllbethere

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:

• I have been to Rome twice with 25 years in between.The first time I did not like Rome at all and came back with a negative impression of that city, while the second time I absolutely adored Rome.
• I spent 10 days, on my own, in Havana and hated it most of the time, while I know several people who love, love, love Cuba.
• Various friends recently visited Bali, like I did, and each and every one of us had a great time, while some of the travelers in the articles above had a lousy time there.

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?