The Good & the Bad – my honest opinion of Bali as a solo traveller

So much has been said about Bali. Some will claim the island is heaven, the perfect destination for a dreamy, lush holiday, where you come in touch with your body, with your soul. A transformative visit, that awakes in you a spirituality you didn’t even know you possessed. So much so that so many digital nomads have chosen the island to live in recent years. It’s affordable too – you can definitely rent an entire villa for you, your family and your friends for a fraction of the price of any other place. Social media is likely the culprit in spreading this message, with influencers taking beautiful shots of themselves with green, lush rice fields in the background, wearing colourful dresses, typically whilst sitting on a swing, their backs facing the camera.

I was sceptical. After wanting to visit the island for many years, mostly curious about the Balinese culture, I was afraid social media had destroyed it. I was also reading serious articles on the overdevelopment of the island. How locals are losing their lands to the greed of foreigners planning to build new posh hotels and resorts. I had heard about the awful traffic. And the pollution – entire beaches transformed into cesspools. Plus, some areas were now dedicated to hosting drunk Russians and Aussies, how the affordability of the island attracts the worst kind of tourists.

With Bali being in such a spotlight in the past few years, I wanted to write my honest opinion of the island. As with any destination, your expectations, personality and personal interests come into play. So, as a disclaimer, I was not looking to party, to get drunk or to just sit at a villa doing nothing. I went to Bali as a solo traveller at the end of my four-month backpacking journey through Southeast Asia, looking to explore the Balinese culture and history. I stayed on the island for three weeks, and visited Seminyak, Ubud, Lovina, Munduk and Amed, with a day trip to Nusa Penida. For context, I was in Bali from the end of April to mid-May in 2024.

The below points are my own observations of the island, refer to my own experience. The bottom line is – would I visit Bali again? Likely not, unless I had a very specific reason to.

1. Bali is not a destination for culture and history buffs

I know Bali is famous for its beaches, but due to its unique culture, I was not expecting this. It was such a disappointment to visit temples and have no explanation whatsoever about them, about the rituals, the origins, the architecture, even when having guides. I felt I couldn’t really understand anything about what I was visiting, and that is because…. (point 2)

2. Tourism has been tailored towards social media

…all experiences seem to be tailored to the Instagram/TikTok feeds. Guides seem to have been trained in taking the best videos and photos of you, rather than in communicating anything about their customs and history. Every time I wanted to learn about the significance of something, I had to google it. They were so insistent on making photos of me, and even videos. I saw once a guide literally climbing a tree, and precariously balancing himself there, putting himself in danger as well as the people passing below him, just to get the best picture. It’s absolutely insane and it really put me off.

3. Everyone owns their own business.

With the explosion of tourism in Bali, a lot of locals found a way to make money in this industry without the harshness of manual labour that had sustained their families for so long. But what is happening is quite scary, because it seems there is a predominant mindset that everyone should own their own business. I noticed that we end up with so many options for accommodation, food and transportation, and in many ways, a lot of these are so poorly run that you can tell these people would probably be better off doing something else or working for someone else. Lots of places would be empty because there is just so much choice, with plenty of people just idling on the streets, waiting for business to happen. Of course, this isn’t an issue that is unique to Bali – it happens in so many other tourist places, but it did stand out more to me in Bali. It’s dangerous when around 80% of the economy is dependent on tourists, and there are no regulations whatsoever to control how much of internal investment goes to the industry.

4. You pay for literally everything

It’s really not that affordable – yes, of course, it’s cheaper than a holiday in the Greek Islands or anywhere in Europe (if you are from Europe and exclude flights). Accommodation, food, and alcohol… it will be cheaper. And I suppose if you are planning to simply go to rent a villa and do nothing else, yup, it will be affordable. But if you want to explore, the costs definitely pile up – because you will even pay to drive through a road just because there is a view of Mount Agung. You know that famous picture, Instagram cliche, of people posing by a Balinese Heaven Gate? That was built by a hotel and you have to pay to take a picture there. You literally pay for everything – to see a waterfall, a view, to cross a certain road. So many experiences you could do by yourself, but are only allowed to go with the guide you, of course, have to pay for. They make it harder by not adding any indications for some hikes – the one I did in Munduk was only possible with the app AllTrails and I got shocked reactions when I told locals I had done it alone. You are seen as an ATM, a rich tourist who will be charged for things that are free anywhere else.

If you are also looking to do some shopping, bearing in mind boutiques in Ubud have lovely stuff, but priced the same as back home or even more expensive. So also be aware of this!

5. Hot take: Bali isn’t meant for solo travellers with an exploring mindset

It will be costly and often uncomfortable, and this is connected to what I am saying in point 4. A lot of experiences you could easily do solo, are gatekept by locals who will demand fees for you to access them. The fact that Grab is mostly prohibited in tourism hotspots doesn’t help. Costs will definitely creep up because if you don’t drive a scooter, you will have to hire private drivers (same cost for one person as it would be for two or more) and Grab is something that is somehow “banned”. Also, do you want to drive in there? It is dangerous, and hundreds of tourists get into accidents there. There are no rules!

There aren’t many group tours available, and even with the only two I went with, it ended up looking like a private one as it was only me and another guy. It just makes it so awkward to spend time by yourself with a driver who is also supposed to be a guide, but often they don’t even speak English properly and have zero cultural insight to give you, so that can be quite strange – definitely uncomfortable for someone who is already socially anxious by nature. I really struggled with being solo in Bali, personally, as someone who has travelled to so many places alone. Of course, it all depends on what sort of experiences you want to have. If I just wanted to stay in Ubud or anywhere else for a Yoga retreat, I wouldn’t have felt this way. But I was in exploration mode! And I don’t do Yoga…

6. Really do your research for some activities before investing in them

I skipped Dolphin watching in Lovina after hearing it was more about “dolphin chasing”. And then I also skipped climbing Mount Batur after being told how terrible the experience was due to the crazy crowds, all in a line, climbing in the dark, to be able to see the sunset. I read so many bad reviews, people even claiming that it was dangerous precisely because of this. And since it had been raining, I knew it was going to be slippery. So, in the end, I decided to leave out these two popular experiences, and after my experience in Nusa Penida, I really didn’t regret it at all.

7. Nusa Penida is crowded and is being destroyed by over-tourism

I almost stayed here for two nights. So many posts online advised it. And I don’t understand how. Nusa Penida needs urgently to control the number of people entering and staying on the island. My experience there was suffocating and anxiety-inducing. Instead of staying overnight, I did a day tour from Bali, only to find myself navigating through crowds and crowds of people, being driven in treacherous roads slumped with traffic, and seeing the environment and nature of the island being destroyed by all of this. The sights were stunning, but it was impossible to enjoy it. I was drained with sadness after visiting it.

8. The beaches aren’t that great

Beaches weren’t what attracted me to Bali, but I was under the impression this was what attracted other holidayers who would stay in places like Seminyak, Kuta or Uluwatu. The ocean is treacherous, and not great for swimming, but I understand it’s great for surfers. They aren’t very clean either – in certain patches, there would be trash, but mostly I had to be careful not to step on the traditional offerings the Balinese people do to the ocean every morning, the Canang Sari. A lot of these had mentos in their packaging, causing the plastic to be sent to the ocean. Offerings at the beach and nature, that won’t be cleaned up by humans, should only use rice or crackers, easily decomposed.

9. Bali’s authentic traditions have not disappeared; they are hidden and gatekept from outsiders

Which is probably for the best. Every experience available to tourists is absolutely staged. The real thing is happening behind closed doors. Whilst I do think this is the best way for locals to protect themselves and their customs, the only thing that disappointed me was that when I was visiting certain places, open to tourists, there wouldn’t be any explanation, any information for us, the foreigners, to understand what is being done.

10. Hot Take: the Balinese aren’t that friendly

I know. Another hot take. I found the Balinese to be in general nice, but that was it. Their hospitality definitely paled in comparison to what I experienced in Thailand and the Philippines. I had some poor experiences when navigating the markets, being harassed by vendors, who would become quite rude the moment I told them I wasn’t interested. Sometimes they were trying to rob me blind – charging me prices I wouldn’t even pay in my home country. At many points I felt I was an inconvenience to them, especially on a couple of tours I did, the drivers/guides just seemed so fed up, volunteering very little information about anything at all.

What about the good stuff? Of course, there were things I loved about Bali.

1. Its unique and rich culture and traditions

I absolutely loved everything about their offerings, the placing of flowers in the heads of their deities. How there are flowers decorating the interior of the rooms where I stayed. Sometimes I would pass by a ceremony, with everyone dressed in traditional clothing, showing me that is a part of the island that is not dying. The kites in the sky, an attempt to be closer to the divine. Their locals are keeping it alive, and perhaps one of the ways to do that is precisely by keeping it behind closed gates, so foreigners don’t appropriate them.

2. The food was simply amazing everywhere I went

I have to say after Malaysia, Bali was my second favourite when it comes to food. I couldn’t have enough and I’m sure I put on some weight in there. Bring me all the Nasi Goreng, Satay, Peanut Sauce and Tempeh. The fruit was also so rich, sugary, and tasty. Make sure you try the local specialities.

3. The rice fields are a sight to behold

The rice terraces of Bali have become quite famous in the past few years, and I have to say it deserves such attention. The Subak irrigation system makes them unique in many ways, the patterns of the plantation are mesmerising, but most of all its intense greenery is simply stunning, and I often couldn’t believe such colour existed in real life. It was as if an editing program had gotten into my brain and increased saturation by 100%.

4. Go to Munduk, the waterfall hike was a highlight

Munduk isn’t as famous as other areas of Bali, but if you are looking for nature, hikes, and more greenery, this is the place to come. It’s stunning and the Munduk Four Waterfall Walk can be done easily without a guide – just bear in mind you will be charged a fee for every single waterfall.

5. The temples are stunning

I particularly like the way they blend with nature, and it really feels special. These are very different from the temples I had visited throughout my travels in Southeast Asia – their majesty doesn’t come from gold-plated ceilings and richly decorated interiors, but instead from the nature that surrounds them, and that is a philosophy I stand with.

In conclusion…

This is my very honest opinion about Bali, which sadly ended up disappointing me in many ways. I am so glad I got to visit it though, and I have to also call out the many highlights of my time there, which you can see in my posts about the island – its intense colours, the beautiful lake and sea temples, the delicious food, some of the best I had in my entire trip.

I do not want this post to stop anyone from considering visiting the island – again, I’ve met people who loved it, and it all goes down to personal expectations. Would love to hear about your opinion of Bali if you’ve been there, or whether it’s on your list to visit!

Love,

Nic