"BALI" a Bali Travel Page by FletteMette

I was in Bali & Lombok for 3 1/2 weeks - had booked the first two nights in Sanur Beach Hotel, as I figured it would be a nice, comfortable place to relax after around 30 hours on planes & in airports... :o) Apart from the two nights in Sanur, we hadn't decided on what to do or where to stay - I only knew I wanted to go to the Gili Islands - but ended up not going as it was raining quite a lot on Lombok. Spent some days in Senggigi, and it started pouring down every day at around noon - wouldn't stop raining until after dark.

We ended up using Sanur as some sort of base - went to Lombok, back to Sanur, to Amed, back to Sanur and so on. Sanur has many large resort-type hotels, but also smaller, more charming options. On this trip I mainly stayed in mid-range hotels - at around 50 USD for a double room, including breakfast. (on longer trips I usually stay in cheaper places) The hotels in Bali are generally very good value, and when travelling off peak tourist season rates are usually highly negotiable.

We've all heard a lot about Bali - both good and bad. There is much to see and do - mountains, lakes, stunning green rice fields, temples, cultural events, there's great shopping and the people are friendly (like in most parts of South East Asia!) - but I still don't think Bali lived up to my expectations.

My biggest complaint isn't all the touts and hawkers and the crass tourism (even though it can be pretty annoying not being able to walk ten metres down the street without someone trying to sell you something - Transport? Braiding your hair? Manicure? Pedicure? Cheap price!! Massage? Watches? Sarong, lady? Marijuana? Hair extensions? Good price!) - My main complaint is rather that *it just wasn't that nice*. When comparing Bali to places in, say, Malaysia and Thailand, I'd say Bali falls short in many areas... I didn't find Bali to be the "tropical paradise" some claim it is - in my opinion there's *way* too much mass-tourism and overdevelopment for that... And a tropical paradise does, at least to me, create an image of long white beaches & turquoise sea - but the beaches I went to in Bali were, at best, average - and the water quality was pretty questionable in many places. We visited many different parts of the island during our almost month-long stay, and sure, there are many interesting, beautiful and nice places - but you will probably have to share these spots with about a gazillion other tourists.

I'm probably going to get my head bit off now, I know there are many Bali-fans on VT - but this is just my honest opinion... :o) I still think Bali is an ok holiday destination - and the Balinese do need the tourists - but to call the island a "tropical paradise" is, in my opinion, a bit of an exaggeration... :o)