Wednesday, April 27, 2011

10 Things I Hate About Bali

Only a few days left in Bali! It’s been unreal that this paradise has been my home for the last 6 months. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing though…

Here are the top 10 things I hate about Bali…

  1. Traffic – Everyday it feels like I’m in one big game of Mario Kart. You have to constantly be on the lookout for aggressive drivers on bikes/scooters, aggressive drivers in cars who drive like they’re on bikes, potholes the size of manholes and construction/garbage trucks that always spill their cargo on the road. Not to mention the fact that there is no Air Care here which means it’s a regular occurrence to drive through huge black clouds of exhaust fumes. Despite the fact that there are traffic lights here (when you can find them since they are regularly hidden by trees or 15 ft. back from the intersection), most drivers seem to consider them as suggestions and only follow them 50% of the time. Also, forget driving during 8-9am, 3-6pm, and 10-11pm – traffic is at standstill at most major roads (Sunset, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Merthandi, and Bypass).
  2. Slow internet connection – If you’re lucky, and I’m talking extremely lucky, you’ll be able to find 1Mbps for internet speed. If you’re unlucky, like 99% of the population, the fastest speed you’ll be able to get is about half that. If you’re a homeowner and would like internet at home, expect to shell out anywhere from $60-$700(!!!!) depending on the speed you want.
  3. No hot water – I’ve been living without hot water the entire time I’ve been here and despite Bali being a tropical, humid climate, there are several times when you just want a hot shower! Especially if you just spent 20 mins riding through freezing rain. And yes, I could have spent a couple more hundred bucks a month to have hot water but even that isn’t reliable. If an upscale place like the W Hotel has constant hot water problems, I’m positive a koskosan would have them as well.
  4. Lawlessness – Rules are for chumps and poor people. Traffic lights are suggestions. Anything is possible here as long as you pay off the right person.
  5. Corrupt officials – Don’t trust any authority figure here as they will try to rip you off. Cops will constantly pull over bules (foreigners) for the slightest infractions and threaten them with a ticket, court date or even jail in order to make some money. Same thing with immigration officials, custom officers and the like. This brings me to my next point…
  6. Everyone trying to rip you off – It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or a bule, you will still get ripped off. I’m not even sure family members are immune from this.
  7. Bureaucratic BS – If you ever need to get anything official done, like renew your visa or sort out your immigration problems, have fun! Rules are archaic, inefficient and ever-changing. You can follow every process and every step and still something will be wrong with your application.
  8. Pollution – There is a complete disregard for the environment here. This paradise island is slowly dying to the amount of waste and pollution. Obnoxious tourists, who would never litter back home, have no problem littering here. Locals will throw their garbage anywhere and everywhere. The garbage will clog the ditches which causes the roads to flood whenever it rains. The garbage also finds its way to the beaches and ocean. There’s next to no recycling and you can forget about Air Care. You can’t completely fault the locals however as environmental care has never been in their culture or upbringing. That’s something that needs to change in their education system.
  9. Lack of professional pride – No one cares about their jobs enough to do a good job. Walk into any store and you can find the staff standing around gossiping and chatting. Beyond a quick hello, expect no help until you have to ask for it. Forget special requests, the answer will always be NO – not because they can’t do it but because they don’t want to spend the extra time to make it happen. Countless friends who have staff have mentioned that unless they are there to micromanage every move, nothing will ever get done. The moment they leave the office or their home, the staff will immediately cease working. Also, no one is empowered to make any decisions. They always pass the buck to someone else who passes the buck to someone else and so forth. You could talk to 4 or 5 people before you find someone who has the answer to your problem. If I were to go on a hiring spree here, I would only hire 5 people. That’s the amount of people that have impressed me with their work ethic the entire time I’ve been here.
  10. Lack of sanitation/hygiene – B.O is not a good smell. Ever. Oh, and I would appreciate it if you washed your hands before you prepare my food. Thanks.

And lest you think that I completely hate this place (which is the furthest from the truth), stay tuned for my next post about the top 11 things I love about Bali. And yes, it’s 11 because the positives always have to outweigh the negatives.

11 comments:

  1. slow internet connection, yah its true :D

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  2. our guide /driver totally tried to rip us off from Dolphin boat ride to meals, quoting us 10X the normal price. so really do your own research before going to Bali.We did, so we sacked our driver after 1 day and paid him one day's work. he demanded 2 days but we never gave in.spoilt our trip.

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  3. I was in Bali for 3 days, and couldn't wait to get off the island. I didn't mind the tourists, the locals totally annoyed by trying to rip me off, and insulting my intelligence. I now understand why my friend told me to avoid the place. Some of the Javanese I met were honest, the locals would sell their own grandmothers to make a profit.

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  4. I actually do hate Bali. I have been to Vietnam several times, Cambodia and China. I would not go back for anything, even I was paid to.

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  5. Oh my god, I don't mean to be rude or anything but its even worse living here. It was fine living here 10 years ago. It was peaceful and worth going to but now not anymore. My family and I are stuck here due to financial problems and I can't wait til we move overseas. I hate it here so much. I'm glad someone understands.

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  6. The animal cruelty and total neglect really made me mad. I saw a neglected owl at the Turtle Island. What's the use of complaining to ignorant uneducated people. I used to love going to Bali but I'm now ttrying to get my partner out of that filthy place

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  7. Bali is just a shit place! Bullshit,arrogant,lazy, criminal on their spiritual white clothes. 2 years and 3 month in Bali is just fuck!

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  8. And not to mention you have to literally keep an eye on your food once it is served. There are houseflies everywhere.

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  9. I am currently in Bali on the end of a 5 week holiday. Bali is not for everyone and certainly isn't for me. Whilst there are some beautiful places and resorts the negatives far outweigh what the island has to offer.

    We stayed in Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Lovina and Candi Dasa. Candi is about the only place I would recommend to anyone. The rest of the island is just a dive.

    The thing that I hated most about Bali was the very thing that most westerners rave on about...the people! I found the locals to be the most passive aggressive I have ever come across. They might present a friendly demeanour and yes they are happy to see you....they're smiling because they see their next potential victim. The constant harassment just takes the fun out of a holiday.

    We stayed in some pretty swanky villas and hotels and not one hotel had competent staff. Sure they were friendly and polite.....they were just criminally incompetent. We stayed at the Royal Pittamaha in Ubud and despite having around 15 staff at the check in counter it still took them 50 mins to check us in. At one point they had 4 staff trying to arrange a private taxi for one guest whilst 7 other groups waited. The intent might be there but their incompetence, even at the slightest of tasks over and over again wore me down.

    I had lunch by myself at the Oasis in Sanur whilst the SO had a massage. When I asked for the bill it turned out that the waiter serving me had disappeared for 30 mins and no one else knew what I had eaten. This is despite me pointing out what I had ordered. So I politely got asked to hang around for 30 mins till my waiter got back wtf?

    Sure there are isolated pockets of sheer beauty but the 5% did not offset the 95% for me. I have checked Bali off my bucket list and have come to the realisation that Bali does not need me and nor do I need Bali. There will still be hordes of Aussies, Dutch, German and Poms visiting as it is a cheap destination. I'll just have to keep looking for that little patch of paradise :)

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  10. I so agree with you. Those people talk shit about foreigners in Indonesian behind our backs all the time, thinking we wouldn't understand what the heck they are talking about. I don't understand what they are saying but I can still see them rolling eyes and stuff!! All the smiling and gratitude is soooo fake and they are just looking to rip us off!!

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  11. Am so glad am not the only one who believes Bali and its people are all full of shit literally. Just been back after spending 3 weeks in this shithole. It was my first time there and after hearing so much about Bali I thought I'll see for myself. Truthfully it was a waste of money and my time. It's dirty, overated, noisy, polluted and just a dump. There are millions of cars and motorbikes in every nooks and crannies, taxis beeping at you every two minutes and someone trying to sell you at every turn. The tourism industry needs a serious overhaul because these people are killing the golden goose. I will never go to Bali ever again. I hate it that much.

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