BALI - what do you think about it?

kiroshi

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after being employed in western africa for the best part of two years, i returned home via bali. i had not been before, and it had been recommended by many people as a nice place to wind down.

its full of ferals, mainly aussie ones at that. i seen it all; fights, shouting, general antisocial chimpanzee like behaviour. the culprits were all australians. i observed many of our australian brothers and sisters treating locals poorly, mocking them and taunting them in a racial fashion. thought we were liked around the world until i began to travel a few years ago. turns out most of the world are either ambivalent or spiteful towards us, with good reason too.

i liked the rural areas of the island more. ubud was good and climbing mount agung was memorable.
 

Borry

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I haven't been there before, and from reports about the place, especially Kuta (where all the bogans hang out apparently) it is a low priority destination for me. The people that don;t like the place comment a lot about the hordes of drunk, obnoxious Aussies that frequent the place just because of the cheap booze, hotels etc. IMO the less obnoxious Aussies in a travel destination the better.

I am heading on a Busabout tour for 11 nights in Eastern Europe over Xmas and NY. It is a 'party trek' as described in the tour. I have checked who is in my group and it's all Aussies. Not a problrem in itself, although I have heard many stories about drunk obnoxious Aussies (and Brits for that manner) showing off that sort of behaviour in most of the popular tourist landmarks, mainly on Contiki tours or equivalent.
 

kiroshi

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I haven't been there before, and from reports about the place, especially Kuta (where all the bogans hang out apparently) it is a low priority destination for me. The people that don;t like the place comment a lot about the hordes of drunk, obnoxious Aussies that frequent the place just because of the cheap booze, hotels etc. IMO the less obnoxious Aussies in a travel destination the better.

I am heading on a Busabout tour for 11 nights in Eastern Europe over Xmas and NY. It is a 'party trek' as described in the tour. I have checked who is in my group and it's all Aussies. Not a problrem in itself, although I have heard many stories about drunk obnoxious Aussies (and Brits for that manner) showing off that sort of behaviour in most of the popular tourist landmarks, mainly on Contiki tours or equivalent.

what can ya do? enjoy the trip mate. :thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu:
 
Oct 5, 2004
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I can't specifically speak on Bali but have met plenty of Aussie tossers on my travels and I agree that we don't have great reputation. Similar to Brits and Americans I guess in that the people who are educated and have a bit of culture blend in fine and have a great time where as the drunken meat heads that expect everything to be like home and think they rule the roost look like fools.

Not only are they Australian's that cause trouble in Bali but generally West Aussie's since it's so cheap from Perth which makes it even worse. If it was a bunch of Queenslanders being wallies then that would be fine. ;)

I did Busabout in the northern summer of 2006 (wasn't a tour, think they called it a flexi-pass?) and loved it DA.
 

IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN

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Haven't been there, but the guys from work and a few mates head over there regulary, so I'm interested in going in the medium term.

Obviously caters for the young, and I'm sure has more than enough natural and cultural assets to cater for when you want to keep it quiet.

If and when I do head over, I'd probably spend spend a week at the hotels, lounging around and pissing it up, then probably a week and a half checking out Indonesia in general, with the last couple of days back at the hotels chilling.
 

estibador

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I went when I was 15 but was doing family stuff back then so didn't get exposed to the drunken lout scene much. I do remember my Dad asking one of the locals whether he was sick of Aussies and the guy replied that the Americans visiting the island were a lot ruder than Aussies in general. But he was probably just being diplomatic.

Going back in November for a week with some friends and unfortunately I think a few of them will be more interested in clubbing and drinking than any real travel experience. That's why I haven't booked a ticket home yet and am going to spend a month or so afterwards doing some real backpacking around the rest of Indonesia. The real Indonesia.
 

Borry

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I have seen a work colleague go there on a holiday sick and come out of it suffering from pneumonia after spending most of his Bali time in a local hospital. And a close friend go there for a wedding mildly sick and come out suffering dengue fever. Moral of these stories is to make sure you are physically 100% before you go to these places.
 

MadMac

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Went there once, wouldn't go back again.

Mauritius on the other hand, well....that is a paradise. Capital St. Louis isn't anything special, but the small towns are awesome. Good food too.
 

theGav56

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Obviously I have a different perspective having lived here with my family for four years now. It also makes a huge difference speaking a little Indonesian.

Kuta can get really ugly, but not unlike many places that are party central. Would favour a walk through Kuta at night over Northbridge personally.

Seminyak is a lot more laid back, not so "young", and more variety.

Pleanty of other place to head to. The whole Canggu area, or the Bukit gets you out of the Kuta. Head up north to Lovina and you won't see any ugly Aussies. Get to Kintamani and head around ro candidasa and Amed. go over to Lombok, Flores, Sumba.

My suggestions is don't stay in Kuta/Legian. For sure go in there to party if you really want to. You can get anything from budget to luxury accommodation and great food and shopping.
 

theGav56

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I went when I was 15 but was doing family stuff back then so didn't get exposed to the drunken lout scene much. I do remember my Dad asking one of the locals whether he was sick of Aussies and the guy replied that the Americans visiting the island were a lot ruder than Aussies in general. But he was probably just being diplomatic.

Going back in November for a week with some friends and unfortunately I think a few of them will be more interested in clubbing and drinking than any real travel experience. That's why I haven't booked a ticket home yet and am going to spend a month or so afterwards doing some real backpacking around the rest of Indonesia. The real Indonesia.

Just on the last bit, I think the real Indonesia is the equivalent of thinking Alice Springs or Kwinana is the real Australia. The real Indonesia is as much Jakarta with its horrendous traffic, booming economy, massive development and staggering wealth disparity as it is about some sleepy village with locals who have lived there growing beans for generations un-known, and never left the village. Where I live, the older people cannot speak Indonesian; the country has existed for not much more than 50 years (and see the Japanese as liberators from Dutch rule). With 17,000 islands and huge diversity in cultures within that context, it is a unique place to visit. Just don't go to to Kuta and think you have been to Indonesia.
 
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TheGav56, We're thinking of heading over for a family holiday this time next year. We will have three little girls with us (around 2.5-3years). You would recommend staying in Seminyak? We're not really the party type, but wouldnt mind heading somewhere for some good shopping. Any tips you can give us? Should you get vaccinations? etc etc
 

estibador

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Just on the last bit, I think the real Indonesia is the equivalent of thinking Alice Springs or Kwinana is the real Australia. The real Indonesia is as much Jakarta with its horrendous traffic, booming economy, massive development and staggering wealth disparity as it is about some sleepy village with locals who have lived there growing beans for generations un-known, and never left the village. Where I live, the older people cannot speak Indonesian; the country has existed for not much more than 50 years (and see the Japanese as liberators from Dutch rule). With 17,000 islands and huge diversity in cultures within that context, it is a unique place to visit. Just don't go to to Kuta and think you have been to Indonesia.

Well yeah, that's what I mean by the real Indonesia - exploring the place and experiencing the different parts, for better or worse.

Bali seems more of an Aussie holiday resort than a different country to me.
 

theGav56

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Well yeah, that's what I mean by the real Indonesia - exploring the place and experiencing the different parts, for better or worse.

Bali seems more of an Aussie holiday resort than a different country to me.

Parts of Bali are like that for sure. But if I go for a look around the area I live, there are people still planting rice-fields, praying to a million gods, sacrificing chickens, filing teeth, bathing in the drain on the side of the road etc. Hire a bike and go take a look. Eat at some of the roadside stalls. Go for a walk in the evenning when the sun is setting and smile at the locals. You can find what you want in Bali, but you may not find it in Kuta. I've bumped into my old Freo neighbours in Legian, and it didn't surprise me the least.

* one of the pluses of the Kuta area is that it means the rest of the island is pretty much free of tourists looking for a hedonistic binge.
 

EaglesFlyingHigh

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I always stay at the Kumala Pan-tai (spelling probably not right) which is beachfront in Seminyak. Not the absolute flashiest place in the world but still very nice.
 

theGav56

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TheGav56, We're thinking of heading over for a family holiday this time next year. We will have three little girls with us (around 2.5-3years). You would recommend staying in Seminyak? We're not really the party type, but wouldnt mind heading somewhere for some good shopping. Any tips you can give us? Should you get vaccinations? etc etc

Your usual vaccinations that your kids already have will be fine. Tetanus/booster maybe. Forget about malaria unless you go to other Indonesian islands. There is Dengue, but use mozzie repelant, and look for a place with nets or aircon and spray the room. I have had more problems with Mozzies in Freo, and Dengue is apparently pretty similar to Ross River Virus. Don't get bitten is the best thing. Rabies is getting publicity too, but it is over-blown as a problem. The medical facilities here are not as bad as I thought they would be. In fact I get my dentistry here rather than Aus now.

With accommodation, it is best to work out a budget. There is a huge range of stuff here. We do accommodation ourselves, and there are heaps of "villas" of all sizes and prices. In Seminyak a 2 bedroom "villa" with pool and garden would be around $220 per night. A room in a nice but cheapish small establishment with a shared pool and breakfast for around $70. But you can get rooms for $10. I would also suggest an area called Jimbaran for a small family. A little out of the Kuta area, but close enough by cab for shopping etc. Or for something a little bit hippie, Desa Seni in Canggu uses old wooden houses from around the archipelego as accommodation, set in an organic veggie garden, and yoga classes happening. About 15-20 minutes by taxi to Seminyak ($5).

I would stay in Seminyak or Legian over Kuta with a small family. Sometimes with little kids it is quite good to stay in some of the larger kid friendly hotels (The Jayakarta for example on the beach in Legian). There will be other kids there, most guests will be Australian, and the staff are usually great around the pool. And they will probably have a kids club. They will have child minding too if you want. Another place some friends enjoyed is called Pearl in Legian. Old style bungalows in a garden setting, and a great little French restaurant. Happy to flog you our own places too of course.

Seminyak has more European influence with designer/boutique clothing, jewelry, hairdresser type things, Legian more craft, lamps, nic-naks, and Kuta has more Bintang T-shirst, carved wooden penis bottle openers and more Bintang T-shirts. But they all blur into each other and are very close together.

Traffic is becoming a bit of a nightmare, so if you can walk to where you want to get to most of the time, or get a cab for a couple of dollars it is worth it.
 
Jul 22, 2010
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bali is the aussies version of Ibiza or Benidorm. It's good for young people to have some fun but if you're looking for somewhere to be completely immersed in foreign culture without constantly bumping into loud Darwin/Perth louts then it isn't the place. I went earlier this year with the missus and stayed at the newly referbished Holiday Inn which was pretty awesome. We were happy coming home a few kilos heavier around the waist, although I should clarify that's through overindulging and not shafting customs.
My folks have been there and also Phuket and reckon while Phuket is a tad more expensive, it's better.
 

theGav56

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bali is the aussies version of Ibiza or Benidorm. It's good for young people to have some fun but if you're looking for somewhere to be completely immersed in foreign culture without constantly bumping into loud Darwin/Perth louts then it isn't the place. I went earlier this year with the missus and stayed at the newly referbished Holiday Inn which was pretty awesome. We were happy coming home a few kilos heavier around the waist, although I should clarify that's through overindulging and not shafting customs.
My folks have been there and also Phuket and reckon while Phuket is a tad more expensive, it's better.

Just googled Holiday Inn Bali, but from your post I would say you never left the Kuta precinct.

If you want to " be completely immersed in foreign culture without constantly bumping into loud Darwin/Perth louts" then go to different areas; it is a pretty big island, and Balinese culture for the most part has remained remarkably intact. If you want to be immersed in Aussie louts sounds like you already know the places to go Nickos; Kuta, Ibiza, Phuket.
 
Jul 22, 2010
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Yeah that's what I kinda mean't. We didn't care so much about being surrounded by these types but I can obviously see how people might not like it. We were only there for 5 nights to catch a break and some R&R while the little squirt was shipped off to the folks for a holiday of his own.
But you're right, we didn't venture too far, the furthest we got was Jimbaran bay & Seminyak as we weren't after a huge cultural experience, just some chillout time.
 

theGav56

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Yeah that's what I kinda mean't. We didn't care so much about being surrounded by these types but I can obviously see how people might not like it. We were only there for 5 nights to catch a break and some R&R while the little squirt was shipped off to the folks for a holiday of his own.
But you're right, we didn't venture too far, the furthest we got was Jimbaran bay & Seminyak as we weren't after a huge cultural experience, just some chillout time.

Thought so. And why not. I think Bali has a lot to offer like that. But if you are looking for "cultural experience" just look in other parts.

In the end Kuta is Asia-Lite as a destination. You can enjoy being somewhere else, and never leave your air-conditioned bubble, or having to eat something that you don't quite know what it began life as, or having to try and get someone who speaks no English to tell you how to treat the random infection you have picked up. You can be rude to the locals and never have to face the consequences or even be aware of what are acceptable local customs. You can walk down the street in your budgie-smugglers drinking beer, and bribe a police officer when you get busted for next to nothing.
 
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My own personal travel experience..

Bali is a good first step in anyones travel adventures, great for a 18 or 19 yo kid fresh out of highschool looking for their first adventure away from the parents.

Thailand is your next step, probably has more value for the older people as well...Vietnam after that.
 
I've never been to Bali outside of stop-overs to/from Jakarta - just judging the louts who would hop on the flight turned me off ever wanting to go personally (never good form to abuse flight attendants and demand more alcohol). Aussie travellers in general make me cringe, and half of the point of travelling for me is to experience another culture and not have a 'home away from home'.


Having said that - while a lot of people dislike Bali for the same reasons, I also know a lot of people who are well travelled and far from the stereotypes, and travel to Bali frequently to get away and relax. They usually stay on the other side of the island though - which is probably the trick.

I was in Thailand earlier this year - spent some time in Koh Samui for a wedding. Stayed just out of Chaweng and was pretty low key and relaxing. 20 minute walk into the main strip and you can experience all the bars, drunks, tuk tuks, lady boys, flea markets, massage parlours, 'aussie steakhouses' and cheap thai food you want.
 
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