I moved to Bali, these are mistakes Aussie tourists make

Here are six of the most common mistakes tourists make in Bali and how they can be avoided.

Penny Watson relocated to Bali from Melbourne during the COVID lockdown. Image: Instagram / Penny Watson

Bali, Indonesia’s tropical island paradise, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia, with more than six million visitors per year pre-Covid.

Its hot spot status has much to do with its surfable waves, balmy weather, terraced rice paddies and coconut treed jungle. The Balinese also add to the mystique. The mostly Hindu people are known for their calm accommodating ways and authentic culture and spirituality.

I’ve lived in many cities: London, Edinburgh, Seville, Hong Kong, Melbourne (my hometown) and now Bali where I’ve been for the past two years. It’s barely time to scratch the surface, sure, but at very least it has honed my understanding of what not to do when travelling. Here are six of the most common mistakes tourists make in Bali and how they can be avoided.

Penny Watson in Bali. Image: Instagram / Penny Watson

Follow the road rules

I’ve seen motorists zig-zagging dangerously through tiny villages, around dogs and kids, I’m always clocking people without their helmets, and I’m all too familiar with the unusual number of passengers on flights out of Denpasar with crutches, slings, bodily bruises, even wheelchairs. Perhaps more importantly, I’ve seen locals get really upset about it.

The roads might seem chaotic and the rules indiscernible but the fact is tourists just aren’t familiar with them. Once you learn to drive here, the intricacies of navigating a mostly motorbike-ruled road become apparent. As does the fact that mugging up on the local rules, and respecting the way locals drive, is critical to the safety of everyone.

Pay attention to the way others are driving and follow suit. Picture: Getty

Remember responsible tourism

Visitors to Bali forget their responsibility to the local community and the environment at their peril. Tapping into Balinese communities and businesses, especially those with a sustainable ethos, contributes directly to the local livelihoods and improves the overall tourism experience. Whether it is buying keepsakes and souvenirs from artisan studios or fairtrade shops; signing onto a tour or experience run by a Balinese business, or staying in accommodation owned by a local family, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Be mindful of sacred places

Since Bali opened up to tourists more than a year ago, news outlets have had a field-day covering stories about Bali’s ‘bad’ tourists. In fact, the majority of tourists aren’t that inclined to drop their pants on a sacred mountaintop for a selfie or pose naked against a holy banyan tree, but those that did have since been deported.

Respecting Bali’s Hindu culture and its sacred sites - banyan trees, rivers, mountain peaks and temples, is key to honouring the Balinese people. This also means stepping around the little canang sari offering baskets found around domestic shrines and outside shops (often spilling onto the footpath) and being respectful of mongku (priests) and anyone in ceremonial dress. If you’re participating in a ceremony, dress conservatively. Better still, buy yourself ceremonial clothes (available from roadside shops and markets).

Dress respectfully at Bali's temples.

Don’t limit yourself to the tourist hubs

All too often otherwise adventurous travellers come to Bali and find themselves flopping and dropping. It’s the understandable pitfall of the oh-so-fine weather, cheap cocktails and comfy poolside day beds where every possible luxury is at your fingertips. But what is lost is the opportunity to dig a bit deeper on the island’s fascinating array of landscapes and habitats beyond the surf beaches, from mountain highlands and volcanoes to tropical jungle and coral reef. Places such as Kintamani, home to Mt Batur volcano, and Lovina, with its shipwreck dives, should be on the itinerary.

Go with the flow

Most people would find it hard to believe that I’ve never seen a Balinese person lose their rag. Ok, maybe once, during Covid, when I refused to pay for shade while (briefly) standing under a beach umbrella. But I’m pretty sure that guy was drunk. My point is, Balinese people are the world’s most cool, calm and collected. They have got the go-with-the-flow mentality down to artform, in fact it’s a way of life. No matter what might be going wrong with your trip – stuck in traffic, beer not cold, sambal too spicy – remember you’re on holiday, your privileged, you’re a guest. Chilling out will make for their day, and your stay.

Originally published as I moved to Bali, these are mistakes Aussie tourists make