In Reply to: Location? not for everyone. posted by peejay on Monday, 19. March 2007 at 12:09 Bali Time:
"The Mystery and Mystique", "The Religious Calm", "Rich Cultural Heritage" Bali is sold to the world in this way.
"The weather is always warm and pleasant with occasional overnight showers at the monsoonal time."
Picture the unwary tourist arriving at Denpasar, hassled by the not very friendly customs/VOA guys, perhaps even already short changed or asked for "donation" before they are even officially in the country.
Outside they may have a transfer. It is teeming with rain, has been for a couple of days,it is soooo hot and humid. The traffic is nothing short of scary and upon arrival at their Hotel the entire road has been dug up and closed and they have to cart your bags through mud and rain to the Hotel.
The room they requested isn't ready or the Hotel is even overbooked and they try to send them somewhere else.
They "hide" in their room and order room service..what have they done!!!???
The next morning the rain clears and they decide to have breakfast in the restaurant. They are pestered by cats that seem to have the run of the place and, oh no!!! Not a cat..a rat has just run along the wall and behind the bar where is starts to scoff down the peanuts sitting on a tray ready to be put out with drinks in a couple of hours!!
They ask directions and walk to the beach, described in their brochure as "miles of sandy beach". It stinks!! It is covered in plastic and unmentionable rubbish. There are stray dogs emptying themselves and then they notice the locals coming to greet them. They think of the descriptions they have read of these wonderful people "quietness and wisdom in old people's faces, and the interest and respect in the young's" and look forward to meeting them.
AS they approach they start to hold out things for them to see and next thing they know you are being tugged and pulled and demanded of. They do not know how to escape, they have just arrived, they have no local money!!! They say later and they make you promise "remember my name" "you come back to me".
They escape to the main road and decide on lunch, but first they need money. This one offers a good rate so in they go. Something is not right, oh dear, his calculator is broken,it keeps coming up with wrong figure. When they point this out he asks you to leave, has no money!!! Next one along check calculator, all good, but he just can't seemt to count. Start to see a pattern here!!!
OK story over, but all of these things have happened to us personally over the years.
Don't gt me wrong, we love Bali, go 3-4 times a year and our kids love it because they have been going since they were little BUT I can see why some may not. I personally know a lot of people who hate Bali (living in Perth nearly everyone you speak to has been!!!)
Perhaps expectations were too high or incorrect. I agree that with time people would probably find things to love, but a lot of people don't have the time, or even the personal tools to get out and find these things.
We laugh on he forum, fondly remembering the rats/ghekko's/smells/drivers etc etc that newbies would be appalled at when they haven't already fallen uder the spell.
Having said all that, I have never denied going to Bali and I have noticed a shift. People are now asking "where to stay? What to do? How much?"
I feel things are looking up for Bali at last.