Bali: what to expect?

Is Bali really as overexposed as they say?

First, an explanation of why Bali is so packed with tourists. We were in New Zealand for over three months, one month of it travelling and three working on an orchard and a building site. You’d say travelling is a free choice, so you’ll do what fulfils you. Believe us, with a shovel in hand the world spun a bit in front of our eyes, and as our friend Tomáš put it: “A backpacker’s bread is hard-earned”.

It isn’t so much about bread as about recovering muscles we didn’t know we had. At the same time Christmas was approaching at speed, and even though New Zealand turns into a literally tropical destination in summer, we opted to “flee” to a more tropical Bali. Rather than a travelogue, we’d like to share our experience and how Bali looks through the eyes of two young lads standing in the shadow of “colonising” Australians.

Everyone has been, is, or will one day be in Bali

That’s how it is. Say Bali and there’s no limit to what people imagine. Mostly it’s mess, crowds, beautiful beaches and dreamlike, photogenic spots.

You can now read our take, and please bear in mind we were doing this backpacker-style. Our budget wasn’t big, it was small. No resorts, no top-end restaurants, and as much time as possible spent outside with people. Not counting the villa with a pool we rented at Christmas, I’d rank among our best rooms the one called DELUX with a shower with a single tap and a toilet in one, including an “anti-mosquito” in the form of a gecko, and beds on the floor.

Mess, or rubbish if you prefer

A thorny topic troubling the whole of Indonesia and Asia generally. It isn’t only plastics that represent a serious ecological problem, though travellers’ initiatives working with volunteer organisations are increasingly trying to keep Bali “clean” and comfortable for visitors.

It depends how you approach your holiday. A holiday in a more luxurious resort in busier areas will most likely mean minimal exposure to rubbish. Those heading to Bali under their own steam (backpacking, for instance) will be exposed to it more, mainly in the more remote and less developed parts of the island. It commonly happens that while swimming, your swimwear isn’t the only thing wrapped around you – rubbish is too.

Paradoxically the biggest problem isn’t tourists but local residents, who don’t have enough knowledge to protect the most precious thing they have – their own heritage.

Crowds of tourists

As we’ve written, there are plenty of people in Bali, and you may be surprised who you run into (we met the ball of energy that is Leoš Mareš with his wife, and a girl called Nikča from Moravia whom we didn’t know). The popularity of this exotic destination keeps rising (and I thought while writing the article in 2019 that it had peaked – it hadn’t 😅), whether for rest, experiences or because the country is economically friendly. Bali meets the western style halfway, whether in facilities, accommodation style, cooking or language.

By stepping away from the well-known areas (Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak, Canggu or Lovina beach in the north) and from attractions that draw hundreds of visitors a day, you can achieve “freedom”. The well-known areas have their reason for holding so many people, and sometimes it’s good to enjoy that atmosphere too.

It’s worth remembering that areas without tourists are less developed and therefore not suited to everyone. For backpackers like us, and the adaptable, these areas are paradise, but honestly we also enjoyed breakfast with quality coffee in Canggu!

Bali: photos and social media

What do you do before a holiday? Look up beautifully edited photos online wherever you can. It’s worth counting on the fact that places listed as “TOP”, “Best beaches”, “Nice beach”, “cheap girls” or “where to spend time…” are visited by hundreds of people a day. These places often charge entry or at least parking (temples, waterfalls, beach access), where everyone wants to grab their slice of tourist wealth and take part in the country’s grey economy.

Bali and the people connected with business here know how to satisfy the target customer. Artificially created opportunities for taking photos and sharing them are above all effective advertising, which draws even more people. One thing has to be said: conjuring up a world-famous photo at the Lempuyang temple, where by some miracle you’re standing on water like Jesus with a backdrop so vividly rendered that even Van Gogh would be astonished, is genuinely an unprecedented piece of trickery.

The local people

From our point of view, warm and smiling people who, partly thanks to their faith (most of the population is Hindu), try to be pleasant and hospitable in every situation. They radiate through their smiles, would give you the shirt off their back, and it takes little to make them happy. Trust people, or at least try to. Where better to recharge the conviction that the world is still all right than in Asia?

From a different barrel. In tourist areas you’ll find local people adapted to foreign behaviour who can change face in many situations. Pushy sellers mustn’t be left out. The notorious “mafia” around Mount Batur is world-famous, and thousands of people fall for it every year anyway – us included. There’s no need to be alarmed; it’s just that you can only reach the summit with a guide. Yes, you can do it on your own too.

In the end we always met interesting and friendly people. Sellers do their job and it’s enough to decline politely, have a chat and move on.

The atmosphere of Bali

Even before landing we knew Bali would be a slightly ordinary, cheap easy time. We have a few trips to exotic destinations behind us, hence the mild scepticism. Bali surprised us and gave us a lovely 27 days of actively restful holiday. Everyone enjoys whatever they’re inclined towards, and that’s Bali’s asset – variety and flexibility.

Getting around the island

There are three ways to travel: renting a motorbike, renting a car or taxi services (a guide).

Given the intensity and volume of vehicles on the roads, travelling by car seems safest, at the expense of speed and flexibility. Besides taxi services you can use the GRAB and GoJek apps, which also cover scooters and bikes.

For us, definitely a motorbike (scooter). The whole of Asia is made for motorbikes, for a simple reason: the number of people. Imagine every Asian having a car, or two, as in Europe. Not only would the written laws collapse, people would go mad.

You can rent a motorbike anywhere in the busier areas. The rental price depends on the length and your haggling skills; in other words, don’t make the mistake of agreeing to the first offer. We rented a bike for the whole stay at Kuta rent bike for 75 CZK a day, but later found out it can be done cheaper.

The disadvantage of a motorbike is safety, which doubles as a concern if there are two of you. Don’t get on a motorbike if:

a) you can’t ride – see our friend, who had never ridden a scooter. She tried and ended up with twelve stitches in her leg at the night clinic. Along with her went our passport, our cash and part of the night.

b) you don’t have an international driving permit! The local police have not the slightest interest in checking locals, even if it’s occasionally bizarre to see a child as the rider with two more of the same age on the bike. That’s when you ask yourself whether something isn’t amiss at the local authority. Just mentioning a local authority is absurd. They’re mainly interested in foreign tourists, who often have no licence at all.

The police set up mass roadblocks on the main routes and stop every foreigner. Our acquaintance was one of those stopped, had no papers, and the result was a fine of 500,000 IDR (around 800 CZK).

💡 Tip: If you come into contact with the local police over a nonsensical offence, your papers are in order and you’re facing a fine, don’t be afraid to act. Corruption is widespread in Bali (police are only human, after all), which the locals confirmed to us. There’s a way to avoid the fine. During the negotiation, take out your phone and start recording the whole conversation. We were stopped by police for the very logical reason that we were standing at the side of the road preventing vehicles from passing. They pulled us aside, took the bike’s registration and threatened a fine of 500,000 IDR, or 250,000 IDR on the spot. CAREFUL! NEVER LET THEM TAKE YOUR BIKE KEY and never HAND OVER YOUR REGISTRATION AND PASSPORT!! I got out my phone, started recording and the officer got nervous. He gave us the registration back and we drove off without a fine.

Accommodation in Bali

In Bali you can sleep for a few hundred crowns or for tens of thousands. There’s no bad or good choice – it depends purely on what kind of experience you’re after. Prices vary by location and season (the priciest is July-September and Christmas). Below I’ll try to describe the advantages of each area. We always sorted accommodation through Booking, or simply asked along the way 😅

Canggu – paradise for digital nomads, surfers and café lovers. Ideal for solo travellers, nomads or a group of friends.

Ubud is the heart of Bali. It lies almost in the jungle and offers rice fields, yoga and art. Ideal for couples, creatives and anyone looking for calm.

Uluwatu is a bit special. Cliffs, beaches, surf and incredible sunsets. For the loved-up and for surfers.

Seminyak & Kuta are stylish and full of boutiques. Kuta is very busy but cheap. Suited to party souls, shopaholics and first-time visitors to Bali.

Beaches

White sand, azure water and sipping from a young coconut. Apart from the last of those, you have to search thoroughly or come to terms with reality.

Beach quality is set by the weather; after rain especially the water is polluted with branches and plastics. The second factor is the tide, which effectively means beaches like that barely exist in Bali. It’s definitely better to head to the neighbouring islands like Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, the Gili Islands or the nearby Nusa Dua peninsula…

From our own experience we’d recommend:

• White Sand Beach near the town of Padang Bai
• Lovina beach
• The Sanur area
• Sawangan beach in the Nusa Dua area (all the beaches there are beautiful)

What should you definitely enjoy in Bali?

Welcome to Bali; enjoy everything that excites you. For us, definitely diving at the Czech-run OK Divers resort in the Padang Bai area, messing about on rented dirt bikes on the beach near Canggu, and snorkelling or diving with mantas, which is rare and gorgeous!

Renting luxury accommodation for a few days for next to nothing, surfing on the main beach in Canggu. Eating in the local restaurants known as warungs without regretting it. Local transport, and above all try that on a scooter – at the very least, a small traffic jam will never faze you again.

A day or multi-day hike up one of the active volcanoes, whether Gunung Batur or Gunung Agung. An experience starting in the small hours, when your only thought is to stamp on the alarm and stab yourself – though at the top the world is all right again.

Trips to gorgeous waterfalls, cliff jumping, the monkey forest or visits to temples.

Visit the surrounding islands, reachable from various port towns (we know of Padang Bai and Sanur). Sadly we didn’t get to the islands, but from friends’ stories and photographic evidence we’re certain of their riches and unspoilt nature. They include the party island Gili Air, where even the police don’t hold sway. You can find anything here that anyone inclined towards alcohol, drugs and good music can think of.

Note: there are three Gili Islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and the party island Gili Air.

The final verdict

The island’s size isn’t especially staggering; you can drive around the whole thing in a few days. At first we were worried about the crowds, because they strip an area of authenticity. Even though thousands of people fly in every day, everyone gradually disperses across the whole island and the surrounding islands.

Our only worry was that the time we had each day slipped away faster and faster with the nonsense mentioned above. Judge for yourselves whether there are plenty of activities. It depends which path you choose. In the end both options come out win-win.

Would we go back to Bali? A hundred per cent, not least because it’s better than working.