Tourists planning their first visit to Bali often have the same few questions: Is it safe? What should I do if I get sick? And is ‘X’ attraction or destination worth the visit?
It only takes a quick look on social media at #ExpectationVsRealityBali to see that some places don’t quite look like the picture postcard version of themselves 100% of the time.
A tourist and travel writer, Jonathan Levin, has revealed the places he thinks are ‘not worth the hype’ in Bali.
After ‘living in Bali for 2 months’, the writer said that there was much that he loved about the Island of the Gods but that several of the island’s leading attractions didn’t live up to expectations.
Levin, who recently left his corporate job to travel for 12 months solo around Southeast Asia, visited Bali for 2 months, ticking off a major destination on his bucket list.
Well-seasoned Bali lovers may already be able to guess the list of top attractions they found to be overrated, and first-time Bali travelers may wish to revisit their itinerary or dig a little deeper to see what these attractions look like when open to the public.
Despite being prepared for queues, Levin found the world-famous Gates of Heaven Temple to be way too crowded for his liking.
This has been noted by many travelers before him. We hate to break the illusion, but the reflection on the ‘water’ that everyone is looking for when standing between the gates is a simple camera trick achieved by holding a mirror up to the bottom of the lens.
In peak season, tourists can wait up to 4 hours to have their photo taken, and they generally get less than 2 minutes standing between the gates; literally, just seconds to get the photo and not even take a moment to take in the view.
Levin described many of the beaches he visited as “mostly a letdown” – something that, again, many regular Bali lovers may be adjusted to, but first-time tourists planning their perfect vacation may need to manage their expectations.
While ionic beaches like Canggu, Seminyak, and Kuta give tourists mixed feelings based on the amount of trash and debris on the shoreline and the number of people, there are no doubt hundreds of stunning, untouched beaches in Bali.
He noted that tourists cannot swim at many of Nusa Penida’s most iconic beaches and there is good reason for it too.
Over the years, dozens of tourists have been swept out to sea and even lost their lives after simply stepping foot in the shallows of Kelkinging Beach and Diamond Beach. It’s just not worth the risk.
Other famous spots that didn’t live up to Levin’s expectations were the center of Ubud, the Tegallalang Rice Terraces, the Campuhan Ridge Walk, and Canggu.
He observed the center of Ubud to be way too busy; he even noted that he had “never experienced the level of constant solicitation that I did in Ubud.” The Campuhan Ridge Walk may well be another victim of the clever camera trickery.
While drone photos make the Campuhan Ridge Walk appear to offer incredible views, the reality is that most of the narrow pathway is sided with bushes and tall grasses, and nowadays, there are more and more hotels being built on the ridges that neighbor the famous walkway at Campuhan.
Nevertheless, taking the Campuhan Ridge Walk is all about the time of day; though the views aren’t breathtaking, going for a stroll past Pura Gunung Lebah in the early hours of the morning, through a gentle living mist up onto the walkway, when there is no one else around, it’s certainly worth the early alarm call.
Can tourists still find the magic in Bali? Are there alternatives to these iconic destinations that give tourists those all-important crowd-free photos, a sense of cultural wonder, and the chance to make genuine travel memories?
Absolutely! Whether you’re a first-time Bali tourist or a returning Bali lover, there is and always will be something incredible to discover on the Island of the Gods; you’ll just have to swap your itinerary!
