Bali: expectations vs. reality

The third destination of Phase 2 of the Master in Tourism Destination Management was Bali, Indonesia. In this blog I will reflect whether my expectations of this destination matched with the reality. Since having high expectations might disappoint me, I often try to not have to many expectations, but of course everyone has some (unware) expectations, so did I about Bali. Before arriving in Bali, I knew it is a famous and popular destination in Indonesia / Asia attracting many tourists every year. Nevertheless, since Bali is located in South East Asia, I expected a destination similar to the several Asian islands I have been, e.g. Koh Tao and Koh Samui in Thailand or Langkawi in Malaysia.

Let’s go back to the 8th of April when we arrived at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Depansar, Bali. Like many airports in Asia, it is quite chaotic when you arrive, where at least 30 guys try to catch you for a taxi drive to your accommodation. After some negotiating together with 5 other students, we managed our transport to Seminyak, the area in which we would stay for this month. After a few days spending in the area of Seminyak and Kuta, the place where tourism in Bali started when it was discovered by hippies and surfers in the 60’s, I was surprised how modern this destination actually was. Everywhere you find (international) hotels, restaurants and stores. Tourism has developed the area to an extent that it became in my opinion the most modern/westernized destination of South East Asia where I have been excluding mayor cities like Singapore. Particularly in an area like Kuta, you see how mass tourism influenced the area in a negative way, but even when I went on a weekend trip to Ubud, located in the middle of the island, I did not expect so many tourists and so much developments. Although tourism has a huge impact on Bali, the island has much to offer, for example the beautiful sunset at the west coast. Every afternoon, the beach is packed with tourists watching how the sun goes down into the sea.

However, if you want to escape these crowded beaches, I definitely recommend to take a fast boat from Sanur at the east coast to one of the islands next to Bali. In the 2nd weekend in Bali, I went to the island called Nusa Penida, which you can easily discover in 2 or 3 days when you rent a scooter. The highlights which are definitely worth visiting are Atuh Beach at the east coast of the island and Kellingking Beach, Angels Billabong and Broken Beach at the south coast. If you like to see huge manta rays, go for a snorkel or dive trip at Chrystal Beach.

Moreover, if you are looking for an adventurous accommodation, spend a night in Nyuh Bengkok Treehouse.

After a month in Bali and 3 months of research, it is now time for all tdm students to choose their own path. Some students will fly back to the Netherlands, many will explore some more of this side of the world. For me it is an easy choice; I will continue my journey..