Inlove with Bali

Annick Edouard

joji gulapetis

The key to loving Bali is to get out of your fancy five star luxury resort/villa & mix with the locals, fall in love with the landscape & immerse yourself in the culture. My family & I went to Bali about 4 years ago for 2 weeks, stayed at the Nikko in Nusa Dua & did not venture out at all. What idiots we were. Then the kids & I went back about a year later for a month & stayed a cheap local villa & got out & really looked at Bali & sure enough we fell inlove. We moved there within a month & stayed for 3 glorious years. Why bother going to Bali if you are going to live like you do in the West, stay at a fancy place, eat fancy food & do everything fancy ? Why not try something completely different you might be pleasantly surprised or fall inlove like us ![/QUOTE] [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTX8oQy_lWE]Perry Como - Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes (1952) - YouTube[/url]:topsy_turvy:

Markit

LovingBali

Thanks for sharing.

Rangi

When I was walking on the beach and people wanted to sell me things, I took the time to discuss and listen to them. .[/QUOTE]http://media.giphy.com/media/n8SkNR77udWlG/giphy.gif[/IMG]

LovingBali

Thanks Rangi for pointing out a misunderstanding on my thread. It's indeed not fascinating (putting this way), but as a solo female traveler in Asia I had no other choices than talking with my neighbors, friends or locals I could meet in any circumstances. Is this wrong in any way to meet people who became friends under different circumstances?

Rangi

Why you edit your post for??? It was a nice contribution to the thread.

samsiam

Moving to Bali ourselves shortly.....I wonder if the balinese are as friendly as all say and if that is genuine, or just skin deep...I have some experience with the skin deep variety and just wondering.We are moving to go surfing first and foremost...so anything more is a bonus.

tintin

samsiam

^ Thats a shame then.

Markit

Definitely skin deep, for sure.:uncomfortableness:[/QUOTE]I couldn't disagree more. After 6 years living here I can honestly say I've never met a friendlier, honester, happier and a more truthful group of people on the planet. The farther you get away from the south the truer this becomes. Now if Tintin was to be believed then this says nothing good about the rest of the people on Earth but I'm sure he was being facetious since he spent many a year here and has nothing but good to say about the locals - usually. Maybe he's on some new meds?

samsiam

I couldn't disagree more. After 6 years living here I can honestly say I've never met a friendlier, honester, happier and a more truthful group of people on the planet. The farther you get away from the south the truer this becomes. Now if Tintin was to be believed then this says nothing good about the rest of the people on Earth but I'm sure he was being facetious since he spent many a year here and has nothing but good to say about the locals - usually. Maybe he's on some new meds?[/QUOTE]Thats what I was hoping to hear.

davita

Although Bali is predominately of Balinese people and the religion is different to the majority of Indonesia...it is still a Province and therefore, as in all of Indonesia, extremely diverse.Many other Indonesians will say that Balinese are lazy and sneaky...that is in the nature of competitive diversity. For sure the men don't do much manual labor...they leave that to their womenfolk...btw I'm thinking of converting to be Balinese!!!:eagerness:Everyone I meet is impressed by the very calm and patient demeanour of Balinese...even compared to their Javanese brethren. However, when you delve into their history and culture, it is replete with violence...so I wouldn't like to cross Kris with them.As in all things everywhere the friendliness and disposition of people is a reflection of one's own friendliness and disposition.In our household we employ, on a permanent and casual basis, 2 Balinese/1Timorese/1 Javanese/a student from Flores and very occasionally, during Muslim holidays, a Papuan driver who speaks the best English....they are all a delight. My wife is Ambonese and gives most trouble. :icon_evil:I agree with markit (wow! 2014 is a good year) in that, so long as you can verify...Balinese are very honest. There may be some crime in Bali and there is some theft but, when investigated, they are usually committed by people from other Provinces.

balibule

Definitely skin deep, for sure.:uncomfortableness:[/QUOTE]Hmm, not how I experience it. Sure, if you're in the South where money rules maybe friendliness is only skin deep. Anywhere else in Bali the Balinese are generally genuinely friendly.

seanblist20

Really worth to visit! It's a nice place indeed..

SamD

Really worth to visit! It's a nice place indeed..[/QUOTE]Are you trying to wind everybody up with your sudden plague of "non sequitur" one-liners?I think we should be told.

JohnnyCool

People who keep on bad-mouthing South Bali should remember that most Balinese actually live there.It's far from "perfect", but where else is?Bali and Indonesia as a whole has no monopoly on criminals. You can find "bad people" in every country.I've been in Bali for nearly 20 years - most of that time in the South.Most of the Balinese I interact with here are just good, decent people.Of course, there are [I]some[/I] arseholes as well, like anywhere else.

BestofBali

Couldn't more correct, great post :)

RossM

The key to loving Bali is to get out of your fancy five star luxury resort/villa & mix with the locals, fall in love with the landscape & immerse yourself in the culture. My family & I went to Bali about 4 years ago for 2 weeks, stayed at the Nikko in Nusa Dua & did not venture out at all. What idiots we were. Then the kids & I went back about a year later for a month & stayed a cheap local villa & got out & really looked at Bali & sure enough we fell inlove. We moved there within a month & stayed for 3 glorious years. Why bother going to Bali if you are going to live like you do in the West, stay at a fancy place, eat fancy food & do everything fancy ? Why not try something completely different you might be pleasantly surprised or fall inlove like us ![/QUOTE]This is an old thread, but I'm a born again balipod member,so I'll post.This is exactly what I've been saying since my first visit in 1979. I spend a day in Kuta, order my tailoring, hire a motorcycle, and head off, back in Kuta on the morning of my departure day, for an evening flight.One of my missions is to eat at every Masakan Padang warung on the island!! There are way too many bogans on the south coast beach strip for me, and it has little to offer other than bars and discos.

RossM

Wonderful post and thanks, you have spoken from my heart too. I would only add that to find the "real" Bali that you speak of one needs to get on the first road leaving the south as quickly as you can.Problem is that there are so many "Balinese" expats that live in the south and know nothing of the rest of the island. I meet them all the time - "where do you live?" when I answer "Karangasem" I might as well be saying Outer Mongolia.They have usually heard how nice the rest of Bali is but haven't managed to get out and see it although having lived here for years.Half of me thinks it's tragic and the other half is glad - the third half doesn't give a shit and wants another beer :uncomfortableness:[/QUOTE]Re your first para, I'm on the same page, still in love with the place, but not Tuban to Canggu, and I'm away from the south coast as fast as fast as a Honda Vario can carry me!!Re your last paragraph, the glad half is right, and THAT is one of the great points about Bali, most of the imbeciles and drunks congregate along the south coast beach strip.Regrettably, they're making a pilgrimage to Ubud in recent years, so disappointing, and whilst I still love visiting Ubud, it's lost some of its shine.