Posted by Traveller on Monday, 12. October 1998 at 22:40 Bali Time:
In Reply to: ...a triumph of fantasy over research? posted by Dr. Carl on Sunday, 11. October 1998 at 03:10 Bali Time:
I, too, am surprised by the number of people who will spend a fortune, often travelling half-way around the world, to visit a place that they have not bothered to learn ANYTHING about. The vast majority of posts here tell us two things: 1) people are very much OVER-concerned with where to eat and where to stay and 2) very UNDER-concerned about how to make their (often) once-in-a-lifetime trip a truly remarkable experience. I have VERY little sympathy for those who post here about being disappointed by Bali, as 99% of the time their displeasure is the result of their own laziness or naivete.
Anyone interested in Bali and its modernity/tourism would do well to read the book entitlted, "Bali, Paradise Created." It dispells many of the myths about modern Balinese culture and its relationship to international tourism, that many living in Bali even believe.