Welcome back to Bali. Come have a look.

**terry57** · 25-09-2011, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

Enjoy your last day, dont forget Made's Warung for lunch.

Thanks Willy, I'll drop your leather pants back to the Boys at the Drag show joint.

**Davis Knowlton** · 25-09-2011, 11:30 AM

Really great thread, Terry. Many thanks for taking the time and effort. I think I'll take the family next year. Cheers.

**withnallstoke** · 25-09-2011, 11:43 AM

Great thread.

As someone said earlier, it's stuff like this that makes the forum what it is.

Much appreciated.

Can i borrow Willy's pants if you've finished with them?

**natalie8** · 25-09-2011, 12:05 PM

Thanks so much for the thread, Terry. I'm working on my plans to go there around Songkran time. I'll be in Thailand from Feb-July and I kept stressing over the visa issue. I think I'll use a trip to Bali as my way to break up the visa.

**terry57** · 25-09-2011, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Can i borrow Willy's pants if you've finished with them?

Yes OK, you'll just have to get the arse hole re stitched.

Strange fellow our young William but I do like him.

**TizMe** · 25-09-2011, 12:16 PM

Great thread Tez.

Sure looks like the "Land Of Smiles" tag has been given to the wrong place.

**terry57** · 25-09-2011, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by natalie8

I'll be in Thailand from Feb-July and I kept stressing over the visa issue. I think I'll use a trip to Bali as my way to break up the visa.

Air Asia fly direct. Book now and it will cost you next to nothing to fly.

**natalie8** · 25-09-2011, 12:32 PM

Thanks, Terry. I'll be able to book it in the next couple of weeks.

**terry57** · 25-09-2011, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by TizMe

Sure looks like the "Land Of Smiles" tag has been given to the wrong place.

My theory on this issue is simple. In Bali the local woman do not go with foreigners, they are governed by a strict social code and a religion that they actually follow. A local woman bringing shame to her community by shagging foreigners for money would be quickly banished and ostracized.

There are a few local woman married to foreigners but these relationships have developed over a long period and certainly have not been associated with a bar scene or whatever. This also keeps the mongers and mad Muppets away from Bali, there home base is Thailand.

One will never encounter a Balinese woman sitting in a bar, smoking cigarettes and talking shit to a foreigner. Hence us male tourists present no threat what so ever to the local men leaving the door wide open for us to talk to all Balinese about anything but shagging there women.

There is a mongering scene but this is restricted to late night and the party finishes at Sun Rise, its not highly visible like in Thailand. The working girls are bought in from Java, they service all the mongers leaving the local lady's to carry on a decent life free from the shit and trouble that this industry brings.

This in turn has allowed the local Balinese to remain untainted, they welcome decent honest tourists with open arms as the tourists have enabled the Balinese to move forward with there lives. You must realize that in Bali there are very few other avenues for making money besides the tourist business, thats why the people and community where devastated when the bombings happened, the tourist scene died a quick death.

So many Balinese were financially devastated by that act you could never know.

The joyous part of a trip to Bali is they genuinely like us where as in Thailand they only tolerate us because they need our dollars. We all know the majority of Thais would be quite happy if we all left the country and never came back. Its all about the dollars, full stop.

Also no Jet ski scams, no taxi scams and no wankers like JJ threatening innocent punters with his gun. The cops sometimes take a bit of tea money from a tourist but its usually because they have no license or are wearing no helmet, mainly soft core stuff and certainly no beatings going down and shit like that.

Certainly no brutal attacks on foreigners like is becoming the norm in places like Phuket. The main scam is back room money changers doing the quick hand shuffle and extracting a few dollars from a punter who is chasing a silly exchange rate.

In Thailand one must venture far away from the tourist scene to actually interact with the real salt of the earth Thai, in places like Phuket and Pattaya the locals have seen enough of the worst sort of sex tourists and in turn become embittered towards tourists in general. The majority of Thai Islands have had there best days as well.
Issan is the place to encounter the real Thai, still plenty of solid people up there far away from mass tourism.

In Bali the salt of the earth Balinese are right in front of you on Kuta beach giving massages, doing manicures, braid work, selling T shirts, clothing, jewelery and a few beers, anything that will turn an honest buck.
Many generations of Australian families have established long term relationship with these people, its a great thing to actually see.

What ever floats one's boat I say, Ive traveled far and wide in Thailand and have a genuine like for the place but I know my spots.

But in Bali I can thoroughly enjoy even the most heavily touristed areas like Kuta, its all good for me. Its a completely different vibe with a completely different sort of people.

The once off tourist will never see anything but mass tourism in Bali but long term visitors like myself know so much more and see through the Fog.

**nidhogg** · 25-09-2011, 01:58 PM

^ awesome post. Nail, head springs to mind.

**laymond** · 25-09-2011, 02:23 PM

love your work tezza,your a bloody legend

**natalie8** · 25-09-2011, 02:25 PM

Great post, terry and so tue. I had been to Bali a few years before Thailand and I was really unpleasantly surprised in Thailand. I saw more scowls than smiles, so much more that it was almost like I never left Canada.

I was in both places alone, so it's obvious I'm not a sex tourist. In Bali, if I would ask anyone a questio about where to go, what to do, etc, I would get a nice long conversation with advice, tips, recommendations and they were happy to help.

When I was first in BKK, I was amazed at how rude and harsh the business owners and employees were, and this is at places where I gave them business! It was in 2000 that I went to Bali and I've always wanted to go back. I have a couple of great stories, but I have to go out now. I'll post them up if anyone's interested.

**sunsetter** · 25-09-2011, 11:54 PM

^ go for it mate

**sabang** · 26-09-2011, 01:55 AM

I've got a well off mate who, wisely, decided to up sticks and move to a plush villa in Bali rather than slug it out with the Aussie taxman, who was making his life a misery. Must give him a call and arrange a visit.

**astasinim** · 26-09-2011, 03:58 AM

Superb trip report Terry. Are you on commission? I doubt the Balinese could sell the place better.

**sagegong** · 27-09-2011, 02:39 PM

Can someone tell me what I have to do in order to be able and write my own thread and UPLOAD photos, thank you.

**GRUMPY** · 27-09-2011, 10:58 PM

In the newbies board you'll find instructions. I couldn't figure it out either.

I upload to photobucket.com and link from there. It's free & pretty easy

(computer knucklehead speaking)

**Strongarm** · 28-09-2011, 06:34 AM

Great post mate, we always stop off in Bali on our way through to Thailand from NQ. Uusally stay in the Legian area at Kumala Pantai, I like to spend my afternoons at the Sandpit Bat on Double Beach, just down from the bungy jump. They make a top Mojito.

I agree with the general happiness of the Bali people, never ever had a problem there. I often comment to the mrs that the Balinese people are nicer than the Thai's, this usually gets her going and is good for an argument or two.

It was actually the first foreign country I took the mrs, and she was able to experience what being a "farang" was all about. She almost went into thermal meltdown when a taxi driver charged us $4 for a trip that only cost us $3 earlier in the day (It was midnight FFS, I would have paid him double). She couldn't understand how they could "rip us off" like that. I said now you know what its like for me in Thailand. A great eye-opener for her.

Tried to green you, but can't.

**khun andy** · 07-11-2011, 11:23 PM

Thanks for a great pictorial thread Terry I decided to revisit Bali after a 20 year absense last month on my way to Thailand where my last 7 years has been spent month on/off. I was there a week and though f*ck this place..too busy, too crowded and too many vendors , then I got into the rythme of the joint and really enjoyed it. So much so that I cut my Thai visit short, broke up with my Thai girlfriend and headed back.
I met a Balines chick from North Bali who started showing me the real Bali so to speak, out of the way places and explaining a bit about the culture etc..now I am bloody big fan of the place and the prices..just this week I have booked return flights, , 10 days car hire and 1 week in a private pool villa for the total price of my usual Thai Air economy return Perth - Bangkok.
Taking a 3 day drive across the centre up to Lovina and back in a few weeks and if I can post a road trip report I will. My new Bali girlfriend reckons she knows some nice places in the mountains. Cheers again.

**aramuk** · 16-11-2011, 01:44 PM

Very nice picture of Bali that you have terry I bet you have good surf and good holiday..

**Sailing into trouble** · 16-11-2011, 02:20 PM

Good STuff Terry. You looks like a great place

**Bobcock** · 25-11-2011, 10:21 AM

I'm looking to go to Bali for a holiday in February, been 24 years since I was last there.

Got an excellent quote on Thai Airways of 13,750 Baht so I wanna book early.

When I last went to Bali Kuta was the major place to go.....where is considered the best beach for a family, nice resort, some shopping?

I will also travel up to Ubud as well...

**Strongarm** · 25-11-2011, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Bobcock

I'm looking to go to Bali for a holiday in February, been 24 years since I was last there.

Got an excellent quote on Thai Airways of 13,750 Baht so I wanna book early.

When I last went to Bali Kuta was the major place to go.....where is considered the best beach for a family, nice resort, some shopping?

I will also travel up to Ubud as well...

For flights, compare with Air Asia, they often have good deals form Bangkok to Denpesar.

We stay in Legian, its just out of Kuta and there's plenty of restaurants.

**Aussie Tigger** · 25-11-2011, 11:47 AM

Well done Terry a very descriptive and informative thread.
Only been to Bali once, about 8 years ago (or before the bombing took place)and stayed in a resort about walking distance along the beach from Kuta.
At that time I was married to a Filipina and she accompanied me which resulted in me getting totally pissed off at a couple of comments made with males thinking she was Balinese and I had her in my company for short time. That really got up my nose and I approached the police officer nearby to get him to speak to the Bali guy as if I had done so violence would have surely followed.
The trip though outside of that was great and the people exactly as you described.
We did witness abuse from a group of guys towards a women walking on the other side of the street who I assume was from Java and was tempting fate by walking through the street in day time.Very poor behavior and embarrassing for all those around as well as the poor women who was being subjected to the abuse.
Since the Night bombing and the Corby affair and now the 14 year old kids case I have been very negative in returning.I would not want my Thai wife to be seen as a low life as this is obviously how they see the Java girls.
I would add we did get ripped off or at least they attempted to by a money changer,the bastard was so clever but fortunately having lived in the Philippines I was aware of such scams and we got our full amount after a somewhat heated discussion.
Interested to know if you saw many Westerners with their Asian partners, and if so how did you regard the manner in which they were appraised?

**Bower** · 01-12-2011, 02:36 PM

Great TR, i've just returned from 10 days in Bali, Echo Beach, great food and live music.

Thread: Welcome back to Bali. Come have a look.

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