Why This Is The Best Time To Visit Bali

This beach usually really crowded. But last time not so anymore combination of global issue and development.
photo: private owned

I’m not trying to overselling Bali. Seriously, who doesn’t know Bali. Some say this island is way more famous than the country itself. With that in mind, it also means it's quite easy to find information about what really happens on this island. Including recent global issues regarding corona virus that are spreading in the world. Just google it, you’ll find what the official or unofficial statement is on the internet. So for anyone who has a doubt for the government, why not try to find what the people or tourist say. After all, nowadays, it’s not easy to hide something, people with social media are everywhere. In a world where gossips and hoaxes everywhere, you can count on the wise or younger generation who has better digital literacy.

Despite what really happens, I should say in my personal humble opinion, this is one of the times where Bali is at its best. Why? Even with so many people coming to Bali, we all have heard some bad opinions about Bali nowadays. Some say Bali is too crowded, traffic jams in some places, there are also issues about garbage and tourist behavior. Well, everybody knows it is the risk of mass tourism. It brings welfare to the island yet also had some externalities problems.

I won’t explain how the war of arguments about quality vs quantity tourism happen in Bali. But the rapid changes are there, especially in the south of Bali. The heart of the tourism industry. When I first 'came home’ ten years ago. The first beach that I went to was Blue Point beach. My first friend who now has become my wife takes me there because she loves the vibes. I didn’t even tell her that I’ve seen the beach just months before in a movie called “Eat, Pray and Love”. Was it the Law of Attraction, i didn’t know. In my first years, I went to some Jimbaran area beaches, but then it became too crowded. Now I don’t know when was the last time I went there. This getting too crowded experience became a ‘deja vu’ thing in other places.

To be honest I love how this island is growing economically. But to think about it again, maybe we should consider the capabilities of the island to handle it. I’m not trying to be racist, Balinese people have their own traits, and with the growing economic opportunities, there are so many people coming to Bali with their own beliefs and cultures. I’m afraid Bali is going to be the next Jakarta. At least the towers are still not allowed here. I’ve heard problems about water and other resources. Of course people can build infrastructure, but with that kind of fast, we should be careful not to stumble.

Back to my main topics. As I’ve said, one of the biggest contributors for Bali problems are mass tourism. And in recent years one of the biggest contributors for mass tourism are Chinese. I’m not blaming them. They have contributed to the economy. But there are also some issues like under pricing, unfair trade system and so on. To be fair, this moment should be used to fix these things.

While it is still unsure about how long will these corona viruses affect the world, we have seen that people are afraid to travel, especially to Asia. That means, Bali is in lighter condition. Yes that’s what I’m trying to say. An industry which used to serve lots of people now serving fewer. This is what you need to relax.

Of course this doesn’t mean I like the situation that is happening. Few days ago I went to a hotel where my kids usually swim. It’s affordable even for locals. Most of the time the hotel is filled with Chinese and local tourists. It’s different now. There is no one in the swimming pool. Because we swim till dark, I can see how many rooms with the lights on. Just four. I hope this is just a transition time. I saw the manager observing the facilities, this is the time to make changes, at least for better quality tourism.

Before the corona virus struck, there are some disputes between local and online transportation in Bali. Some turned into violence. This is also a part of mass tourism. The speed for government to handle disruption not as fast as the growing industry.

Yesterday I went to the nearest beach. I have known before that they are going to build a new beach club there. There’s already a famous beach club there. But this time they already closed the place where I used to park. It was a hidden gem before, just like Blue Point. I don’t know if this is the quality tourism that we are expecting or the huts that we used to hang before were the real quality. It seems there are also question marks about this.

The beaches are emptier than usual. I sit next to the roasted corn stall. At least if it rains, he has an umbrella. An Australian man is coming to buy corn. I asked him how long he had stayed. He said already six weeks. He has two months off. I asked him about the virus issue. He said it doesn't bother him.

"It doesn't affect me," he said paying his corn and going to nearest hut to grab his beer.