Adra Writes

In the summer of 2019, I planned a vacation to the tropical paradise of Bali, Indonesia. It had been a dream of mine for several years up to that point. I cannot say why or how I even knew Bali existed, but I knew that I had to go and experience the “Instagramable” yet spiritual place for myself. 

Unfortunately, the 3-week vacation turned out to be more of a disappointment than a dream. Now, don’t get me wrong that it isn’t a tropical paradise. I would still encourage a person to go if they desired, but due to some of my own mistakes in planning and my very high expectations, it turned out to be less than what I had hoped. 

Here, I want to share my 3 biggest mistakes and disappointments from this trip:

1. My greatest error was OVER planning the trip and prebooking ALL my hotel reservations

At the time, I was very nervous about the trip, especially as I was going alone. Now, this was not my first time traveling alone. I have done solo road trips in the States and also traveled about China on several solo adventures. But for some reason, this trip really had my anxiety levels at maximum capacity. 

So, as a result of my extreme anxiety, I made the unfortunate mistake of booking all my hotels for the whole trip. This was a rookie move.

This over planning created my second problem as I found myself in parts of the island that didn’t suit the vibe and atmosphere I want when I go on vacation. 

2. When a place doesn’t suit you, move on

Each place I visited had a drastically different feel and atmosphere to it, and I don’t think any one of them really suited me. However, I forced myself to stay at each place because I didn’t want to lose money. Looking back, I know I should have planned better first, but also been willing to move on to another place or do better to make the most of a situation.

That’s not to say that there weren’t some aspects I didn’t enjoy but at the end of the day, we all deserve to enjoy our vacation to its fullest. Below, I’ll briefly go over each place I stayed and explain what I liked/disliked.

Kuta

My first stop was in Kuta. I would dub this a party place. Here, I was greeted with streets lined with shops to buy whatever souvenirs you could want. Aussie families crawling all over the place. Lots of bars and tattoo shops. The beach was beautiful and not terribly crowded during the day time.

One of the least appealing aspects of this place was that on the main strip, locals would constantly offer you ‘cocaine,’ ‘weed,’ ‘pills,’ and other drugs. Not only is it not cool to be harassed, but they are schemes to get tourists arrested, as Bali has very strict laws for the use of any drug by locals and tourists alike. 

Chengdu

My next stop was in Chengdu for several nights. I stayed in a very modern/Instagramable hostel filled with people my age. It was my least favorite place. It didn’t suit my style. The city itself was a little too much for me in terms of the crowd, yogi shops, vegan cafes, boutiques, cross fit gyms, and the like. I think it is a perfect place for a person who enjoys such a lifestyle, but not for myself. However, this city did have the best beaches that were large enough to not feel crowded, and it is a perfect place to take a surfing lesson. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the beach. 

Ubud

After Chengdu, I headed inland to the jungle city of Ubud. Now, this was my favorite hotel to stay in. It was far back from the main strip, but not so far that I had to walk a long way to find things to do. The hotel was so serene and peaceful. The owners were very kind and helpful, and the other guests would engage in pleasant conversation over breakfast and share their experiences or plans for their vacation. But the city itself was so crowded in a very uncomfortable way. The streets were more narrow, and I was rubbing shoulders with everyone who passed by. Yogis were wandering around asking for the “Yoga Barn.” The monkeys! It was too much. But my favorite part of this city, was the rich art scene. I visited the Neka Art Museum and the Blanco Renassaince Museum. They were fabulous and well worth the walk. 

Sanur

My last stop was in Sanur. I don’t recommend this place for anyone under the age of 40 or if you are looking for a good time. This is a place for families to enjoy a resort vacation. There wasn’t much else in the way of things to do other than walk the beach or catch a boat to go to Nusa Penida, which I could not do after a debilitating hangover. 

3. The quantity and quality of tourists

I was not prepared for just how popular Bali is/was. I was constantly faced with crowds of people to go see a waterfall or find a seat on the sand for a sunset viewing. But most disappointing was the quality of tourists. I saw so many younger people, the “Influencers” if you will, standing in front of some scenic view or sight with a barely-on bikini posing for a photo shoot. At my least favorite hostel, there was a literal photo shoot happening on the stairwell to go to the bathroom, so it was impossible to use it. There were hour-long lines to take the “perfect vacation picture” (that I was informed of, but did not personally experience).

Maybe I am being overly critical, but it was so shocking to see such behavior from so many tourists. I feel that it detracted from my experience at sightseeing places considerably. And you might think, “Well don’t go to a sightseeing place if you don’t want to see that.” And you would be right, but there is a certain etiquette to maintain when traveling and being respectful to other tourists and the locals that I did not see here.

Would I go back?

Absolutely I would go back. And not all of my time was a disappointment. I had an amazing experience climbing an active volcano and watching the sun rise. I did meet a few genuine human beings along the way. I visited a coffee farm, historical places, and had other trip highlights.

I think that the majority of my disappointment came from my mistake at the very beginning (prebooking your hotels for the entire trip). I am more than confident that I could return and find my perfect vacation in a tropical paradise in or near Bali on a neighboring island.