Voyagner

Bali was my first ever international destination, in Australia you could be forgiven for thinking that Australians don’t travel anywhere else, it’s Bali or it’s nowhere. Apparently Australian’s love Bali, the Kuta nightlife and beach, a vacationers paradise, surfing and shopping mecca.

I guess that is why I went, it’s simply an travel staple for us Aussies to go there. I was bitterly disappointed.

I planned to allow for 5 to 6 days on Bali before moving onto Java, I ended up staying four. Of course the first thing to happen as a new traveler was being ripped off on the airport ride to my hotel, pretty much expected that one. I’d arrived late at night so all I did was settle in for the night. It was actually quite depressing, I don’t recommend you land in your destination at 11pm on your very first trip abroad.

Waking up I enjoyed a nice breakfast and got my bearings (what direction the beach is in) and grabbed a card for the hotel knowing full well I would never find my way back. I wandered fairly aimlessly down to the famous Kuta beach. The few photos I took there actually made it look pretty good but but my impression was that ‘anywhere’ beach in Australia is just as good and probably a lot better, this was only confirmed at those times where the heat and the breeze wafted a very unpleasant smell from the large drains under the crappy narrow and broken footpath between

the road that runs along the foreshore and the beach. Kuta beach in reality is about a 1/10 as far as beautiful beaches around the world go. I was beginning to become confused about Australian’s fascination with the place.

The Touts along Poppies lanes and on the beach I later discovered are in their own league, compared to Thailand and Cambodia they are unbelievably persistent and really do get to become annoying along with the pimps and guys trying to sell you drugs. While I’ve really dug into Kuta here I really want to go back to Bali, my experience was the result of under planning and maybe some initial fear of traveling independently, now with some more experience under my belt I’m sure I would change my mind on another visit. The thing that saddens me is that I know Kuta is all a lot of visitors experience of Bali which is kinda like inviting someone into your house and entertaining them in your toilet.

What is the best thing anyone can do on a trip to Bali?

Get out of Kuta, I wish I could take my own advice. One day I will because I know Bali has a lot more to offer than what I saw, Ubud, the temples, the mountains. Actually I met some locals from Ubud selling their crafts on Kuta beach and they were by far the nicest of those I met on that beach.

Images: luthor522, marcomazzei