I spent two months in Bali, Indonesia, over the summer (although technically, since Bali is south of the equator, it was winter there). I never wrote a long post or guide about it. Instead, I’ll offer a quick 1,000 words to give you my thoughts.
View all Bali photos in the Gallery
Things I Like About Bali
The nature is beautiful. Ubud is a jungle paradise, with temples tucked away in quiet groves. Further north, in the island’s center, steep volcanoes hide waterfalls, rivers, and temples. On the rugged north coast of the island, we even got the chance to swim with dolphins in the wild, which was a very special experience.
Bali is one of the most popular places in the world to do yoga. This is something I really appreciated and made the most of while I was there. I had an amazing time doing yoga every day next to the beach at Power of Now Oasis in Sanur. The teachers were fantastic and the location couldn’t be beat.
Considering the abundance of tourists and expats, there is a very good food scene in Bali. It is on par with Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Singapore in terms of its options for international cuisines. Massimo Gelato in Sanur is some of the best I’ve ever had (even after living in Italy). Plus, Bali has Indonesian and local Balinese specialties, such as nasi campur, ayam sambal matah, and bakso soup, which are all delicious.
Balinese culture is unique. The local culture is fascinating for its ability to express a multitude of seemingly conflicting feelings. Everything seems to toe the line between hysterically funny and utterly serious. Sometimes, things can be both, like in Balinese dance, where human performers are teasingly playful, yet unwaveringly reverent, as they mimic and embody the epic tales of the gods, bringing them to life in the moment. Watching a performance, you might feel humor, fear, awe, joy, and sadness — sometimes all at once.
Locals are genuine, friendly, and kind. Balinese culture is full of sacred traditions, which are taken very seriously and performed with the utmost respect; however, the individuals that do the undertaking of these traditions are playful, lighthearted, and act with innocence. Twice a day, locals don their finest clothes and place offerings of flowers, incense, and occasionally snacks on a banana leaf at the entrance to their house or business. In doing so, they take a moment to honor the gods before returning back to their usual life. All the Balinese people I met were genuinely very kind and welcoming.
Things I Don’t Like About Bali
The first one is obvious: Bali is extremely touristy. It feels like there are more tourists than locals, especially in the southern half of the island. Bali’s nature is nice, but everywhere is crowded with foreigners. As much as I love Balinese culture, experiencing it is the exception, rather than the rule, for life in Bali. Temples are tucked away and outnumbered by bars, hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs where locals rarely go.
Likely as a result of its huge tourist scene, Bali is also relatively expensive compared to the rest of Southeast Asia. It’s still cheap compared to the West, but it feels overpriced compared to nearby countries with similar features. I spent about twice as much per month living in Bali compared to Thailand, for example.
Third, and this might come as a surprise, but there is horrible traffic on the island. This is partly because all of the roads are one or two lanes, which isn’t nearly enough to serve all its inhabitants. You can expect traffic jams daily everywhere in and around Denpasar, practically 24/7. Ubud, the island’s most iconic jungle paradise, surprisingly has pretty horrible air quality, as thousands of cars and motorbikes endlessly cough their exhaust into the sticky tropical air.
Is Bali Overrated?
Many people think Bali is the greatest place in the world, and any place with a reputation like that is likely to disappoint. Considering what people say about Bali — “heaven on Earth,” “utopia,” etc. — it would be impossible for Bali not to be overrated.
Bali is the poster child for exotic, worry-free, tropical island paradises. It’s nice, sure, but I don’t understand the disproportionate amount of hype it gets. It’s comparable to a lot of other places that don’t get nearly as much attention.
A lot of people seem to get caught up in Bali’s reputation and forget to consider alternatives. Here’s how I’d compare Bali to nearby destinations.
Bali as a Nature Destination
Bali has nice beaches and jungles. But the beaches aren’t nearly as beautiful or smooth-sanded as Thailand, the Philippines, or even the rest of Indonesia. The same can be said for its scuba diving.
Bali’s jungles are comparable to any in Southeast Asia, and I think Vietnam’s are the most beautiful I’ve seen yet, although I suspect Laos’ jungles are equally stunning. The volcanoes in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo are equally impressive as those in Bali.
Bali is, however, the best place to surf in SEA, and the cliffs around Uluwatu are stunning.
Bali as a Cultural Destination
Bali’s temples are sacred, which means that foreigners usually can’t enter. The temples that you can enter are crowded and seldom used for actual worship.
Balinese culture is overshadowed by the island’s tourism — it’s elusive and increasingly hard to find, even if you seek it out. Foreigners are outsiders and it is very difficult to get exposed to the “real” Bali; in other words, you don’t get many chances to see Balinese culture as people personally live it. Race and language notwithstanding, this is much less of an issue in the rest of Indonesia and nearby countries.
If you’re looking for culture, consider stopping in Bali for a few days. That said, lots of other places in Southeast Asia offer a more genuine, less touristy experience. I’d recommend going to Yogyakarta if you want an authentic dose of traditional Indonesian culture (which is admittedly different from Balinese culture, but still very interesting). Thailand and the Philippines are the most welcoming countries I’ve been to in the whole world, not just SEA.
For me, the most unique cultural attribute of the island is Balinese dance, the artfulness of which is unmatched elsewhere. Even so, if you go to a Balinese dance performance, the audience is almost guaranteed to be 100% tourists and 0% locals.
Bali as a Vacation Destination
Bali is decent for sitting back and chilling. But it’s also expensive in comparison to other beautiful places where you could do the same. I’d recommend the Philippines, Thailand, or Malaysia. Bali is okay too. It depends how you like to chill and who you want to meet.
Bali has a big nightclub scene; Canggu and Seminyak are famous for their enormous, upscale beach clubs while Kuta’s reputation is more rugged. Bangkok similarly caters to a variety of audiences, but at generally lower prices. Malaysia’s nightlife scene is chiller and more refined. Vietnam’s is more authentic in the sense that locals hang out in the same places as foreigners. The Philippines is a bit quieter (although it depends heavily on where you go).
My Thoughts on Bali
Like so many places, it helps to know what you want to experience. Bali is a solid choice for any of the above — nature, culture, or vacationing — but for me, it lost its luster quickly.
I’d recommend visiting, exploring, seeing dance performances in Ubud, and checking out Uluwatu and Tanah Lot temples. A week should be plenty of time. If you want to travel for longer, I’d recommend exploring other areas in Indonesia.
As for other Southeast Asia travel recommendations, check out some of my other posts for inspiration!
Cheers,
Andrew
P.S. Have you been to Bali? What did you think? What did you like, and what didn’t you like?
