Many in Bali are sick of the disrespect, the illegal work and the indecent social media posts from foreigners.
Shannon Smith had been to Bali before, but it was her first trip back since the pandemic. This time, the Cairns, Australia, resident had come to Indonesia’s “Island of the Gods” for a work conference in Nusa Dua, a resort hub at Bali’s southern tip. While bouncing between Nusa Dua and popular tourist areas such as Kuta and Seminyak, Smith, who works in hotel management, noticed a few changes. There was more traffic on the roads, fewer visitors from Asia and more Russians.
But the Balinese people were as welcoming as ever, and the place was still rife with rowdy tourists.
“If I wanted to hang out with drunken Australians, I’d stay at home,” Smith said.
The image many outsiders have of Bali — the one depicted in the 2010 Julia Roberts blockbuster “Eat Pray Love” — still exists. Bali remains covered with deep green rice paddies and golden sand stretching into turquoise water. Warm locals still banter with beach bar-loving foreigners. But it’s not as tranquil these days.
In a little over a year since Bali reopened for international travel, an uptick in unruly behavior from tourists has removed some of the magic from paradise, pushing national and local officialsto think up new ways to address offenders.