In Reply to: Rome vs Paris/Bali vs Phuket posted by KilaKila on Wednesday, 8. August 2007 at 18:05 Bali Time:
how 'at home' they feel in Bali.
Well, I don't travel to feel at home. I travel to experience somewhere different. I think a lot of people on this forum get into a real comfort zone in Bali so it's not really travel anymore - it's somewhere beautiful that's cheaper than Australia. They forget that travel pushes you out of your comfort zone and that you've got to do some homework to get the best out of a place. If you travel to Phuket and stay in Patong then you really haven't done any homework at all, have you?
Thailand is gorgeous, with a fascinating culture and the best food on earth. Bali is one small, though wonderful island. If you go to Phuket, which is just one island in Thailand, and then you stay in Patong, well you deserve what you get frankly. There's a lot more to Phuket than Patong and there's a lot more to Thailand than Phuket. Some of the people who post on here seem to regard Bali as their backyard. You really need to be a lot less parochial.