Give Bali a break: Nine amazing places you should visit instead

It’s a cliche because it’s true. You can love a place to death.

More than five million people visited Bali last year – up from 2022’s 2.2 million – and most came from Australia. Almost 1.2 million Australians visited – that’s three times higher than the number of visitors from India, in the No.2 position. Coupled with the high numbers of Indonesians encouraged to visit during the pandemic who then stayed on, the underlying infrastructure can’t keep up.

Hidden Beach, El Nido, The Philippines. A four-kilometre stretch of bone-white sand surrounded by limestone cliffs only reachable via a hole in the rocks.Credit: iStock

Roads – built primarily for bikes – are congested, rubbish is everywhere (waste management is a massive issue) and developers continue to encroach on rural Bali to build the new Bali. The provincial government introduced a tourism tax (about $15) in February to help find solutions, but don’t hold your breath.

What’s more, there’s a rise in unruly behaviour from the tourists who are coming. The Bali Tourist Board was forced to promote an advertising campaign encouraging visitors to behave more responsibly, and considered banning the renting of scooters after so many (drunken) accidents, and access to numerous sacred sites after arrests for desecration.

Bali is a stunning island – but maybe it’s time we gave it at least a little break. There are islands all over South-East Asia offering the same sorts of wonders – from perfect unpolluted, deserted beaches to vast numbers of wellness sanctuaries – but without any of the overcrowding. And they’re ready for your love as they continue to recover after years of isolation caused by the pandemic. We look at those you might consider instead of Bali for your next Asian holiday.

FOR SURFING

Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

The Mentawai Islands are one of the most wave-dense areas on Earth.Credit: Alamy

Why here
Located off Sumatra’s west coast, the Mentawai Islands are one of the most wave-dense areas on earth. Bali’s waves are less consistent, and they’re always crowded – at every surf break. But there are 70 islands here, with more than known surf breaks, and they’re only accessible by boat. Choose between surf camps or a charter boat – though waves near camps do get more crowded. As a bonus, there are two island groups north – Banyaks and Telos Islands – offering hundreds of world-class waves with few surfing them.

Lake Toba is one of the awesome natural wonders of the world. Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
When you head back to Sumatra, fly north to visit one of Asia’s last great wildernesses, taking jungle hikes in the only place on earth where tigers, rhinos, orangutan and elephants live together – the Leuser Ecosystem. You can also hike to the world’s largest crater lake, Lake Toba.

Make it happen
Fly to Padang, Sumatra, via Kuala Lumpur, with Air Asia or Jakarta with Garuda, then take a three-hour fast ferry to the heart of the Mentawais at Playgrounds, or board a charter boat in Padang. See  indiestrader.com, or stay at a surf camp, surfcampsumatra.com, the best surf is April to October, indonesia.travel/au

FOR SOCIALISING

Gili Trawangan, Indonesia

Step back in time … Gili Trawangan.Credit: iStock

Why here
Located an hour by ferry from Bali off Lombok’s north-west coast, Gili Trawangan shrinks the best aspects of Bali’s beach bar scene into one tiny party island. It’s only six square kilometres and there are no motorised vehicles so you can walk to bars on every beach.

There are beach bars, live music, DJs and parties every night of the week (and guided pub crawls three times a week). Bars look out on the ocean, and there’s always at least one bar open until dawn.

Awaya from it all … Gili Meno, Indonesia.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
Don’t just pub crawl – island crawl. There are two other tiny islands – Gili Meno and Gili Air – reachable within 10 minutes on boats which leave every 30 minutes. Less boisterous, both islands are known for their beaches, surfing and diving.

Make it happen
More than 200 ferries leave Bali’s east coast at Serangan for the Gili Islands, the fastest takes an hour, see giligetaway.com. Book a luxurious villa or consider a quiet night at an adults-only sanctuary on Gili Meno. See www.indonesia.travel

FOR PEACE AND QUIET

Koh Phayam, Thailand

Koh Phayam feels like Bali, 30 years ago.Credit: iStock

Why here
Want to go somewhere that feels like Bali 30 years ago? Take a short flight from Bangkok and a boat to Koh Phayam, in Thailand’s north-western corner (bordering Myanmar). Most of its locals (there are barely 500) still live off cashew and rubber plantations or fishing, but there are rustic beach bars and restaurants on its long white sand bays and beach bungalows with enough mod-cons to please the fussiest traveller. There are no cars or paved roads – rent a scooter and enjoy the dirt. You’ll be one of a maximum of 100 travellers.

A hornbill on Koh Phayam.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
While these beaches are made for sunbathing, there’s a lot to do on Koh Phayam. Asia’s most secret waves break on Ao Yai beach, while the diving from November to April is world-class. Or take to jungle tracks to find hornbills this part of Thailand is renowned for.

Make it happen
Fly 75 minutes west of Bangkok to Ranong with Nok Air or Thai Air Asia, then take a speed boat to the island. See ranongferry.com.

Accommodation options range from simple beach huts to low-key resorts. Marina Resort is relatively luxurious with a great restaurant. Wi-Fi is a recent addition to the island so opt to tune out instead. See  tourismthailand.org    marinaresortpkayam.com

FOR FOOD

Penang, Malaysia

Penang is famous for its hawker fare.Credit: iStock

Why here
It’s Penang – not Bali – which offers some of the world’s best street food. Located off Malaysia’s north-west coast, Penang offers a unique cuisine fusing Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and local Peranakan flavours and techniques. Famous for its hawker fare, eat like a royal for under $5 in hawker centres across Penang’s capital, George Town. Local delicacies include char koay teow: spicy dry noodles with prawns, eggs, chives and crunchy bean sprouts. Or opt for fine dining restaurants, Penang is home to Malaysia’s most awarded, like fused Franco-Asian restaurant, BLANC.

Kek Lok Si Temple in Georgetown.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
There are more than 12,000 historic buildings in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can walk this city, past centuries-old Chinese shophouses, British colonial buildings, mosques, churches and temples, or escape to national parks nearby to take boats to beaches fringed with rainforests.

Make it happen
Fly for an hour from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airlines or Jetstar Asia, stay in the heart of George Town at the city’s best-known heritage hotel, Eastern & Oriental Hotel. Monthly temperatures only vary one degree all year, but January to March is driest. See mypenang.gov.my

FOR DIVING

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Island idyll … Raja Ampat.Credit: iStock

Why here
Located off the easternmost Indonesian island of Papua, Raja Ampat isn’t just the best place to dive in Asia – it’s the best place to dive on earth. Its remoteness protects it from the visitation numbers that have harmed Bali’s reef. In this archipelago of 1500 islands you’ll find 75 per cent of the world’s marine species including 540 types of corals, 1800 reef fish species and 17 species of marine mammals living in the world’s most diverse coral reef ecosystem. With no mass tourism and a sparse local population making for little pollution, water visibility is often more than 50 metres.

Coral branches against the sky in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
The biodiversity isn’t limited to the ocean, the forests of Raja Ampat teem with species not seen anywhere else. Take hikes through Raja Ampat’s rainforests, experiencing the remote village life of the local Maya Ambel people, staying in homestays along the way.

Make it happen
Fly from Bali or Jakarta with Garuda via Sorong, then take the two-hour Bahari Express boat to Waisai, or take a chartered flight from Darwin with Coral Expeditions, many luxury live-aboard expedition boards also operate. See aquaexpeditions.com or stay in a dive resort. See papua-diving.com/. The best diving is between October and May. See www.indonesia.travel

FOR BEACHES

Palawan, The Philippines

Palawan is the Philippines’ most western island.Credit: iStock

Why here
The Philippines’ westernmost island, Palawan, is home to beaches unspoilt by the mass tourism (and rubbish) which has plagued Bali’s beaches for more than a decade. Boracay – 350 kilometres east – attracts most international attention, but Palawan flies under our radar.

It once took a day to travel to Palawan’s best beach location, El Nido. Now you can fly there in 80 minutes from Manila. Located on the edge of an archipelago protected in a marine reserve with 45 limestone islands, island-hop by boat to Asia’s best beaches – including Hidden Beach, a four-kilometre stretch of bone-white sand surrounded by limestone cliffs only reachable via a hole in the rocks.

Wait, there’s more
Fly to Palawan’s capital, Puerto Princesa and take a tour of a World-Heritage-listed subterranean river within one of Asia’s most biodiverse rainforest systems (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park). Take a boat tour through a limestone karst cave system.

Make it happen
Qantas will fly Brisbane to Manila four times a week from October. See qantas.com Fly to Manila with Cebu Pacific, then fly 80 minutes to El Nido with Air Swift, there are beachfront resorts across El Nido, but consider your own private island, Matinloc Resort. Driest between November and May, tourismphilippines.com.au/where/palawan

FOR WELLNESS

Koh Samui, Thailand

Koh Samui is set to be the next location for the hit TV series, White Lotus.

Why here
Bali became the wellness capital of the universe when the film adaptation of the global bestseller Eat, Pray, Love was released in 2010. Now it’s Koh Samui’s turn. Thailand’s second-biggest island was known only as a stepping stone to full-moon party mecca, Koh Phangan, but it’s fast becoming the wellness capital of Asia. Come 2025 when the third season of the Netflix hit series, White Lotus (filmed on the island) is released, Koh Samui will be Asia’s hottest destination – so get in fast. It has the highest concentration of five-star hotels outside Bangkok, most with wellness programs. Cutting-edge science mixes with eastern medicine, yoga and reiki in the most luxurious wellness sanctuaries in Asia.

Take a 30-minute boat ride to neighbouring island, Koh Phangan.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
Done switching off your cortisol with detox juices? Take a 30-minute speedboat to Koh Phangan, Asia’s original party island. Famous for full moon parties and beach bars, re-tox slowly by retreating to peaceful beach communities reachable by long boat from party central, Haad Rin.

Make it happen
Fly to Koh Samui via Bangkok with Thai Airways, or via Singapore with Singapore Airlines, stay in one of Asia’s best wellness resorts, Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, December to August is the best time to visit. See tourismthailand.org

FOR SOPHISTICATED BARS

Singapore

Lobby Bar at the Edition Hotel in Singapore.

Why here
Singapore has the most sophisticated bar scene in Asia, full stop. It has the highest number of bars of any Asian country on the illustrious World’s 50 Best Bars, such as hidden speak-easy, 28 HongKong Street, which could easily be in Manhattan. Choose between secret lounge bars behind unmarked doors, whiskey bars, wine bars, craft beer breweries and cocktail lounges. Bali’s best bars, like Rock Bar Bali, are mostly found within resorts and hotels and lack Singapore’s urban chic.

Orchard Road is Singapore’s most famous shopping street.Credit: Bloomberg

Wait, there’s more
For such a small island (though it’s connected to the mainland by bridges), Singapore packs a punch. It competes with Penang for Asia’s best street food, and is synonymous with shopping – from boutiques to craft, vintage and flea markets. The island’s most famous shopping street, Orchard Road, offers more than 5000 retail and dining options.

Make it happen
Fly direct with Singapore Airlines or Qantas. There are 430 or so hotels offering more than 70,000 rooms, though consider Singapore’s most iconic historic hotel, Raffles Singapore. For the least humidity and rainfall, travel between March and August, visitsingapore.com

FOR SPIRITUALITY

Goa, India

Book yourself into a spiritual retreat by the beach.Credit: iStock

Why here
It’s hard to top the Island Of The Gods with its 1000-plus temples, but consider Goa on India’s west coast. Like Bali, it’s a long-established step-off point on the hippy trail, but it, too, is full of temples, churches and spiritual retreats. Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam merge happily. Visit ancient Hindu temples, World Heritage-listed Catholic churches, take spiritual circuits on tours or book yourself into an ashram or a spiritual retreat by the beach, practising yoga, meditation and Ayuveda.

Goa is becoming a foodie hotspot.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
Goa is becoming a foodie hotspot. The Portuguese ruled for about 450 years and left their mark. Try dishes like vindaloo which fuse traditional curry with Portugal’s de vinha d’alhos, or island favourite, chorizo – spicy pork sausage. Check out Goa’s impressive array of restaurants. It’s also become a hub for distillers of gin, rum and whiskey.

Make it happen
Fly to Mumbai, then take a one-hour flight to Goa with Air India, book a multiple-night spiritual retreat at the luxurious beachside Bamboo Yoga Retreat, the shoulder season of July to October is best to travel, goa-tourism.com

FOR ADVENTURE

Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Sabah is full of wild adventure opportunities Bali was famous for two decades ago.Credit: iStock

Why here
Located on Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, Sabah is still full of the sorts of wild adventure opportunities Bali was famous for two decades ago. But while visitor numbers mean every nature adventure in Bali is booked solid, it’s easy to find your own wild adventure in Sabah.

From white-water rafting three rivers – for everyone from absolute beginners to experts negotiating rapids with names like ‘The Head-hunter’ – to climbing a 4095-metre-high mountain (Mount Kinabalu) in time for sunrise to river cruising, sea-kayaking and caving.

A proboscis monkey in Sabah.Credit: iStock

Wait, there’s more
There are about 10,000 orangutans in Sabah and you have one of the best chances of seeing them in the wild. Take a multi-day river tour down the Kinabatangan River – one of the best wildlife spotting destinations in South-East Asia – and you’re almost guaranteed of seeing one (and endemic proboscis monkeys).

Make it happen
Fly to Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airlines, stay near Kota Kinabula for easy access to tours all over Sabah. Sutera Harbour Resort is a convenient option, or stay on your own island. See echoresorts.com/bungaraya-island-resort.

Still want to ‘do’ Bali? Follow these rules

Manage your expectations
If you want pristine, empty beaches go to the South Pacific. Many of Bali’s beaches are busy and are ringed with plastic. But Bali is still a place of great natural beauty – find the waterfalls in its green mountainous areas and the mist-filled paddy fields that still exist outside Kuta, Canggu and Seminyak.

When they go high, you go low
Consider travelling in shoulder or low season. The high season (July to August and December) is a hectic time to visit Bali, but April to June and September to October still delivers mostly dry weather, minus the crowds and higher accommodation prices. And consider low season – January to March – for real bargains. And it doesn’t rain every day.

Far east
Go east. It’s just 80 minutes from the airport to Bali’s east coast but you’ll find Bali as it was 30 years ago. Locals wash clothes in rivers, farmers use water buffalo to till the soil – and there are stunning (black sand beaches) and lesser-known beach towns like Amed offering low-key resorts, diving and beachside restaurants.

Far north
If the east coast is like the Bali of the 1990s, its north coast is the Bali of the ’70s. Sheltered by mountains dividing Bali east-to-west, the north coast is home to tiny communities living off the land and sea. There are 12 kilometres of (black sand) beaches west of Bali’s former capital, Singaraja, including Lovina Beach, where hundreds of dolphins gather most mornings.

Safety first
Only hire a scooter if you’re confident and your travel insurance covers it. They are great for negotiating the heavy traffic of Bali’s hot-spots like Seminyak and Kuta, but always expect the unexpected – bad drivers, erratic dogs and other obstacles. Consider a local driver for about $50 a day.