More To Bali Than Bogan-Infested Zones

 

Bali luxury villa owner urges Australian travellers to discover areas free of Aussie bogans,
like West Bali and its hideaway beaches and accommodations.

Australian TV watchers can learn a lot from realityTV shows like 'What happens in Bali" and
'Bogan Hunters". Yes, Bali can be hectic and dangerous. From methanol poisoning to unsafe
sex, from street mugging to drug taking, real Bali dangers do exist as depicted on Aussie TV.
But these dangers are mainly concentrated in South Bali, in the Kuta Seminyak area. This
area is where traffic jams are the worst and mass tourism is ever rising. Bali received 3.27
million foreign tourists in 2013, among which 25% were from Australia. Even if Bali bogans
are a minority among Australian travellers, there are still a lot of them.

So, should upscale travellers avoid Bali altogether? Not so, says Thibault Masson, owner of
Bulung Daya, an exclusive Bali beach retreat. 'Europeans travellers have already discovered
the charms of West Bali, especially in the Tabanan district. It is much less crowded, still has
some pristine beaches, stunning rice paddies, and friendly locals. It is much more relaxing for
tourists looking forward to enjoying a peaceful holiday".

While 80% of tourists pile up in less than 20% of the surface of the island of Bali, the tranquil
Tabanan district is only a short 1hour drive away from Kuta Seminyak.

The district boasts a mix of black sand beaches, crater lakes and attractions such as the Jatiluwih rice paddies (a UNESCO World Heritage site). This is of no interest to bogans, but is very attractive to sophisticated tourists, especially as a few highend Bail villa rentals and boutique hotels have recently opened up in the area.

Mr. Masson says that tourists who might have been detracted from Bali because of what they
have seen on TV should reconsider their position. These shows underline the existing
problems of the Kuta Seminyak area, but are not representative of the slices of paradise
that still exist in other parts of Bali. He adds: 'Do your homework, look beyond the usual
places. Even Ubud is suffering from heavy car traffic. Time for discerning travellers to discover West Bali".

www.thibaultmasson.com
@tibostbartbali
+33 676 245 392

Mr. Masson owns Bulung Daya (www.realbali.com/bulungdaya), a luxury beach retreat for
rent in the pristine Balinese countryside. He has been operating luxury holiday rentals for
more than 15 years, with stunning properties in Bali (Indonesia) and St. Barths (Caribbean)
and been listed several times as an international holiday rental expert to follow.