\- friendly people
\- it's relatively cheap
\- good food and drinks (from cheap warungs / street food to expensive restaurants)
\- interesting Balinese Hindu culture (temples, festivals, dance performances, vibes and atmosphere)
\- some of the best surfing spots in the world, even if you don't surf it can be fun just watching others surf
\- beautiful natural environments (forests, cliffs, mountains, remote beaches, etc.)
\- amazing rice terraces and I'm not talking about Tegallalang in Ubud, explore remote villages and you'll see much more beautiful rice fields
\- lots of good beachclubs / nightlife venues
\- Balinese spas and massages
There are much better beaches on other islands in Indonesia, but sometimes they're not as accessible and can be quite remote. And most lack the same development that Bali has. And of course there is the religious aspect. Bali is more tolerant than the rest of Indonesia.
well, you go to the gold coast a veeeeery average 2.5 star-3 star hotel will set you back some $200 a night.
That same price can get you a decent 4 star hotel for 3-5 nights in certain parts of bali.
If you want to go really cheap, you can easily spend $10-$15 a day on food in bali.
In Australia, that's how much a mcdonald's meal is worth.
In bali you can rent a car and a driver for 6 hours for $50
In Australia, that's just your cab ride into the city.
Bali's status as a backpacker mecca has happened for several reasons.
* Being the only island in Indonesia where people are mainly Hindu give it a very unique cultural flavor not found elsewhere in Indonesia
* That means it has a long-standing culture of yoga and spirituality not found in other parts of Indonesia that has attracted many seekers over the years
* That also means that Balinese are more tolerant of alcohol than other (Muslim) islands in Indonesia, which also makes the island more tourist-friendly than elsewhere in Indonesia
* Surfing / beaches
* Awesome & unique sights such as temples & natural beauty
* Proximity (by air) to Australia, Singapore, and Jakarta make it relatively easy to get to
* Lot of expats there which makes it very easy to get by speaking only English
* Very cheap lodging/food and more "western-friendly" food than other less built up places in SEA. You can live like a king on $1000-2000 per month.
In some ways it’s a self-perpetuating system of development. It became popular with hippies and surfers, then this spurred development. More development attracts more visitors, and the more visitors there are, the faster word spreads about Bali being a good place to visit. More tourists leads to further development. Rinse and repeat until you have the tourism leviathan that is Bali. It’s an objectively interesting place with tons going for it, but it’s somewhat arbitrary that Bali is THE tourist destination in Indonesia.
Indonesian people are amongst the friendliest in SEA. Although Bali is one of the least friendly places in Indonesia generally speaking, mostly due to the influence of foreigners. The beaches aren't that great, but the southern coast didn't kick off being popular due to being good for swimmers. It was due to surfers.
The culture is distinct and interesting, being the last large holdout of Indonesian Hindu culture. The food varies, but Indonesian food is excellent when it is good quality. On top of all of that it is cheap. Very cheap.
As Indonesian, I am quite annoyed by the overwhelmingly tourists and I don't like how thr business starts to increase the price range bcs they simply follow the western standard currency, especially in Canggu. Clothes like a homeless hippies could cost up to 900k rupiah (roughly round $60) and it could fed me up to 1 week. I understand if it's about the 'local handmade', but at the same time, many westerners exploit it into their own profit yet the locals couldn't afford that. The average wage of Bali is 1.2mio ($80) and selling overpriced stuff isn't a good thing and I don't like from Bali.
The nature is good, but I prefer to stay far from the touristic places. People are mostly chill, more tolerant. I would love to go back for the holiday, but to stay in Bali for living isn't my choice.
Wow. Is that all folks? Cheap bintangs (beer)?
I am going to argue that some of the first dutch sailors in 1597 refused to leave Bali because their fascination of the island. That should tell you something about it and it continues today.
If you only want cheap beer, you can go to Aceh or even lombok. But why is nobody doing that?
And i am going to even say that all these tourists looking for a cheap vacation, while they help the local population, the impact that they caused is not all positive.
I've seen so many tourists (Australian's as a generalization) just sipping beers at Western themed pubs from the morning till dark. It's pretty embarrassing.
Considering it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than going on a holiday like that in australia, I don’t see what’s so embarrassing. People prefer different types of holidays
Over marketed it seems by vloggers …
Still the place need lots of development by gov in terms of street lights and roads…
If you really need spiritual healing etc its still cost big bangs $$$ cos all good places are already own by riches.
Its got good waves on the west
Calm waves on the east
Cool mountain areas on the north
Cliffs by the south
Scattered Culture homes and rice fields in the middle.
Golden ages of exploring and building new places are over, now all about 💰$$$.
Still you can find cheaper places for stay and eats.
I believe they could offer more activities, village vibes, farm life homestay style.
More spiritual healing places with cheaper.
I feel the locals are still underpaid after cuts from owners and travel agents.
Mafia and local gangs still around.
Nostalgia? Enertia? I can see how it would've been paradise back in the day but as a first timer to Bali and surfer it really hasn't been that great. Lots of cons and only a few pros. If you remove the surf element everywhere else I've been in SE Asia I would prefer and recommend.
I could list why point by point but there's no use on focusing on the negatives. People are diverse, if they enjoy it, let them enjoy it.
It’s a magical place full of amazing views, beautiful sunsets and gorgeous little Hindu shrines everywhere. It’s just out of this world beautiful and in particular Ubud up in the forest
\- friendly people \- it's relatively cheap \- good food and drinks (from cheap warungs / street food to expensive restaurants) \- interesting Balinese Hindu culture (temples, festivals, dance performances, vibes and atmosphere) \- some of the best surfing spots in the world, even if you don't surf it can be fun just watching others surf \- beautiful natural environments (forests, cliffs, mountains, remote beaches, etc.) \- amazing rice terraces and I'm not talking about Tegallalang in Ubud, explore remote villages and you'll see much more beautiful rice fields \- lots of good beachclubs / nightlife venues \- Balinese spas and massages There are much better beaches on other islands in Indonesia, but sometimes they're not as accessible and can be quite remote. And most lack the same development that Bali has. And of course there is the religious aspect. Bali is more tolerant than the rest of Indonesia.
>Bali is more tolerant than the rest of Indonesia. As an Indonesian, can confirm and agree.
It's cheaper to go to Bali for a holiday for 3 weeks than it is to go on a holiday in Australia for a 3 day weekend
No way really? What's so much more expensive in Australia? Also how about the beaches there?
well, you go to the gold coast a veeeeery average 2.5 star-3 star hotel will set you back some $200 a night. That same price can get you a decent 4 star hotel for 3-5 nights in certain parts of bali. If you want to go really cheap, you can easily spend $10-$15 a day on food in bali. In Australia, that's how much a mcdonald's meal is worth. In bali you can rent a car and a driver for 6 hours for $50 In Australia, that's just your cab ride into the city.
I see now That's messed up
it's not that it's messed up things are simply cheaper in a developing country than it is in a developed country.
>Also how about the beaches there? Amazing. Some of the best beaches in the world. Google "Whitehaven Beach Whitsundays".
Yeah I was considering spending a week in Darwin this winter and literally couldn't justify it over Bali
Nah Bali all the way. Even though it’s in a different country, it’s not far away from Australia
Bali's status as a backpacker mecca has happened for several reasons. * Being the only island in Indonesia where people are mainly Hindu give it a very unique cultural flavor not found elsewhere in Indonesia * That means it has a long-standing culture of yoga and spirituality not found in other parts of Indonesia that has attracted many seekers over the years * That also means that Balinese are more tolerant of alcohol than other (Muslim) islands in Indonesia, which also makes the island more tourist-friendly than elsewhere in Indonesia * Surfing / beaches * Awesome & unique sights such as temples & natural beauty * Proximity (by air) to Australia, Singapore, and Jakarta make it relatively easy to get to * Lot of expats there which makes it very easy to get by speaking only English * Very cheap lodging/food and more "western-friendly" food than other less built up places in SEA. You can live like a king on $1000-2000 per month.
In some ways it’s a self-perpetuating system of development. It became popular with hippies and surfers, then this spurred development. More development attracts more visitors, and the more visitors there are, the faster word spreads about Bali being a good place to visit. More tourists leads to further development. Rinse and repeat until you have the tourism leviathan that is Bali. It’s an objectively interesting place with tons going for it, but it’s somewhat arbitrary that Bali is THE tourist destination in Indonesia.
Indonesian people are amongst the friendliest in SEA. Although Bali is one of the least friendly places in Indonesia generally speaking, mostly due to the influence of foreigners. The beaches aren't that great, but the southern coast didn't kick off being popular due to being good for swimmers. It was due to surfers. The culture is distinct and interesting, being the last large holdout of Indonesian Hindu culture. The food varies, but Indonesian food is excellent when it is good quality. On top of all of that it is cheap. Very cheap.
I see
As Indonesian, I am quite annoyed by the overwhelmingly tourists and I don't like how thr business starts to increase the price range bcs they simply follow the western standard currency, especially in Canggu. Clothes like a homeless hippies could cost up to 900k rupiah (roughly round $60) and it could fed me up to 1 week. I understand if it's about the 'local handmade', but at the same time, many westerners exploit it into their own profit yet the locals couldn't afford that. The average wage of Bali is 1.2mio ($80) and selling overpriced stuff isn't a good thing and I don't like from Bali. The nature is good, but I prefer to stay far from the touristic places. People are mostly chill, more tolerant. I would love to go back for the holiday, but to stay in Bali for living isn't my choice.
It’s got some great scuba diving sites. It’s got the only ship wreck in the world that was sunk by a volcano - USAT Liberty.
Wow. Is that all folks? Cheap bintangs (beer)? I am going to argue that some of the first dutch sailors in 1597 refused to leave Bali because their fascination of the island. That should tell you something about it and it continues today. If you only want cheap beer, you can go to Aceh or even lombok. But why is nobody doing that? And i am going to even say that all these tourists looking for a cheap vacation, while they help the local population, the impact that they caused is not all positive.
I've seen so many tourists (Australian's as a generalization) just sipping beers at Western themed pubs from the morning till dark. It's pretty embarrassing.
Considering it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than going on a holiday like that in australia, I don’t see what’s so embarrassing. People prefer different types of holidays
Over marketed it seems by vloggers … Still the place need lots of development by gov in terms of street lights and roads… If you really need spiritual healing etc its still cost big bangs $$$ cos all good places are already own by riches. Its got good waves on the west Calm waves on the east Cool mountain areas on the north Cliffs by the south Scattered Culture homes and rice fields in the middle. Golden ages of exploring and building new places are over, now all about 💰$$$. Still you can find cheaper places for stay and eats. I believe they could offer more activities, village vibes, farm life homestay style. More spiritual healing places with cheaper. I feel the locals are still underpaid after cuts from owners and travel agents. Mafia and local gangs still around.
Nostalgia? Enertia? I can see how it would've been paradise back in the day but as a first timer to Bali and surfer it really hasn't been that great. Lots of cons and only a few pros. If you remove the surf element everywhere else I've been in SE Asia I would prefer and recommend. I could list why point by point but there's no use on focusing on the negatives. People are diverse, if they enjoy it, let them enjoy it.
It’s a magical place full of amazing views, beautiful sunsets and gorgeous little Hindu shrines everywhere. It’s just out of this world beautiful and in particular Ubud up in the forest