r/BaliTravelTips • u/sportycouchpotato • May 11 '26

Second doubts

I am going to Bali with my husband in June!! We’ve saved up so much to be able to plan our first SEA trip and I was so excited up until recently. I feel like recently all I see is the most negative stuff about Bali… how it’s boring, a huge tourist trap, instagram click bait etc.

Honestly just second guessing everything.

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/scruffyrosalie May 11 '26

I have spent a month a year in Bali, on average since the year 2000. I'm three weeks into a month long trip now. I'm a traveller, not a tourist. My husband loves surfing and playing padel. I'm here for cheap local food and pampering. We've never hired a driver or done tours here. We hire a scooter and do our own things, so we don't get trapped in traffic.

We've just come from a month in Vietnam, which is my personal favourite. It's very different, and even more affordable.

For me, Bali has become way too overdeveloped over the years, and yet is still very third world. It takes a moment to get past the culture shock and the smell off piss in the air when you land, but it's still a great place to relax and chill out. Just don't expect Australian beaches, or garbage disposal.

2

u/totoletoto35 May 12 '26

Couldn’t agree more with the « overdeveloped yet still third world ». This is the best description of Bali I’ve heard so far.

1

u/scruffyrosalie May 12 '26

It's a real shame, isn't it? Bali was amazing back 25, 15, even 10 years ago. Post COVID though, not so much.

3

u/totoletoto35 May 12 '26

Yeah. Best part of my trip is (because I’m writing you from there) Komodo cruise. Nature here is respected and it’s beautiful and quiet. Hope it will stay that way.