Posted by Janey Mackay on Tuesday, 6. October 1998 at 11:52 Bali Time:
thought that I would share with you a brief report on our 7 day holiday in Bali which we have just come back from, in case any of you were ever considering going there.
We actually spent 10 days, 7 in a hotel at Nusa Dua, and the other 3 in Lombok, which I should say is not actually in Bali, and is another Island of the coast of Indonesia, and thankfully, far better, more like Bali must have been some 20 years ago.
Bali is a shining example of a crowded, hot, humid country that has been exploited by other countries, it's politics, it's own people and just about every tourist cliche known. Only one perso I met in the entire time actually enjoyed it, and the majority wanted to leave within the first week.
In short, Bali was terrible.
I should have known when I ran into a couple (on my first day) who told me they were ready to kill after 7 days, that it would be be bad.
So what is so bad. Well, here's an example, and this is how the trip went every minute of every day.
All day, every minute and every second, you are contstantly hassled to buy thigs that you dont really want everywhere you go.
Heading down to a resteraunt (after finally finding someone who spoke english at the hotel who let us in as to how to get out of the hotel, which charges $26USD for a hamburger, a lasagne and 2 beers).
(Pre-story Story here) we were hassled by probably about 25 locals, who in succession yell out "Transport, you want taxi, T-Shirt, Braid your hair Braid your Hair etc etc" - wnd they dont take o for an answer - if you stop for more that 15 seconds they come up in groups and hassle you - and DO NOT STOP. . . even to the point of being abusive.
Finally get to the resteraunt after yelling NO - I said NO to someone who yelled in Jane's face 4 time "BraiD your Hair, Madam -LISTEN TO ME - I SAID BRAID YOUR HAIR!!!" - we look at the menu for 10 seconds and someone comes up telling us to come to HIS resteraunt instead and wouldnt take no for an answer.
OK - Here's the punch - sit down, for that 30 minutes of peace you like when you are on Holidays, and 7 of them come up to the table (straight after you order so you are trapped) and start - grabbing Janey, they sat at the table and wouldnt leave "Watch, Comon Cobber, you want watch, Billabong, Mambo. you want watch, Tshirt, Sarong, Watch" and this is whilst shoving things over our plates, we must have said, No, please, we are just trying to eat" maybe 30 times before I lost it and got uip to leave, yelling out that we were going to leave the resteraunt if they dont leave us alone - then they stopped hassling us (meanwhile other people are leaving the resteraunt in droves) then one or two of them came up every minute and said "Bloke, you want Sarong, Braid your hair etc".
OK - So I kow you are thinking, that isnt that bad - but beleive me it is. And everything is in on it. From the minute you leave your hotel room (they even came to the hotel room once) to the final second you get thru customs, it is non stop hassling, all day, every minute and every second, you are contstantly hassled to buy thigs that you dont really want everywhere you go.
Shopping and haggling
Shopping?? Shopping is a myth. You have to Haggle for EVERYTHING. Now that may also sound kinda cute, but after a very short space of time having to hassle for simple things like a bottle of water or a can of coke in 38 Celcius heat it shits you. And I mean everything. Here's how it goes.
"Can I have a bottle of water"
"35000 rupee ($3.50 US)"
"But the sign says 9000 rupee"
"OK - How much you want to pay "
"9000 Rupee"
"Ok - Morning Price, 22000 rupee"
"No, I just want water - 9000 rupee"
"OK - for you special price, 18000 rupee"
"No - Just please, can I buy the water"
"How much you give me"
"9000 rupee"
"You buy 4 bottles"
"No - just two"
"15000 rupee each"
etcetcetc
And this is the same for everythig, every over inflated, USD driven, expensive, touristy shitty thing in the place, tours, rooms, drivers, taxi's, tshirts, water, thongs, anything. It is just impossible. And the tour operators MAKE you go thru it. For example, you go to a tourist trap (Temple, Monkey forest etc) and they herd you through maybe 25 minutes of shops being hassled before getting 5 minutes of forest. A few of the people I met were in a tour bus (open air) which pulled up at an area where about 40 street sellers closed in on, and the driver wouldnt move on until they spent money - it is really really really that bad.
Here's some examples of some of the first prices I was given for general things
T-Shirt 200000 Rupee ($20 USD - $38 AUD)
Fake Counterfeit Billabong watch 500000 Rupee ($50USD - $96 Aud)
Sarongs 200000 rupee ($20 USD)
15 minutes on a Jet Ski $50 USD, 100 AUD
Imitation SIlver (Try aliminium) ring - 250000 Rupee (25USD, 50 AUD)
Plastic fake sunglasses that Broke - 150000 rupee for two.
Prices and hotels.
The only way to SEMI escape is to stay in the hotel, which sells everything for 5 times the going rate in the counrty you came, and then you get a hassled a little less, only for even MORE money.
Aircraft
Here's a beauty - we sat next to the emergency door on the short trip from Bali to Lombok, and the bit that says "please break glass to open door" - well, it was already broken, both planes, both ways - We even took a photo justy to show people.
Everything else, Dirty, smelly, unclean, crowded, touristy, shitty, smelly, expensive, expensive, unsafe and generally not fun.
And like I mentioned, everyone we met, whether they were backpackers or rich resort stayers, hated it, and would have killed to get out.
Lombok?
Completely different to Bali, Well, as dirty an smelly, but in a youg kind of way, more about that for anyone who emails back and is interested - it is heaps better.