Tuesday, December 11, 2012
I came home slightly disappointed with Bali - I think it has probably grown too touristy for my liking. And even Ubud (where Julia Roberts' character retreated to in the movie Eat, Pray, Love) was not spared from the "assault" of tourists...
I can see how Bali can be a really charming place, but the swarms of tourists (esp in the Kuta area) just put me off somewhat. Perhaps the tourism industry has provided a good source of income/jobs for locals, but have mixed feelings whether such development is good or bad for the locals... having little kids walk past you (even in the villages in Ubud) calling out "money money" makes me feel like tourism has corrupted their innocence. The frequent traffic jams have also prob made Bali a less liveable and much noisier place. Perhaps I happened to only see the really touristy areas, but I feel like I should have visited 10 years ago!
Ironically though because the Kuta part of Bali has become so internationalised, I was actually able to do some decent shopping at a newly opened mall Beachwalk. And ended up buying 1 dress, 1 top and 3 pairs of flip flops for myself..
On a separate note, i think Qatar Airways prob has one of the best airline entertainment systems around! They let you watch movies right away after you board, and continue to let you do so even after landing! Heh. I managed to catch 2 rather different but good movies - Tim Burton's Frankenweenie and Never Let Me Go (Based on Ishiguro's novel). Sadly since the flight wasn't very long I didn't manage to finish Never Let Me Go - but it turned out to be surprisingly good (though depressing).
I also found a new favourite song with meaningful lyrics and a very catchy tune - the ending song for Frankenweenie Love Is Strange. Enjoy!
I can see how Bali can be a really charming place, but the swarms of tourists (esp in the Kuta area) just put me off somewhat. Perhaps the tourism industry has provided a good source of income/jobs for locals, but have mixed feelings whether such development is good or bad for the locals... having little kids walk past you (even in the villages in Ubud) calling out "money money" makes me feel like tourism has corrupted their innocence. The frequent traffic jams have also prob made Bali a less liveable and much noisier place. Perhaps I happened to only see the really touristy areas, but I feel like I should have visited 10 years ago!
Ironically though because the Kuta part of Bali has become so internationalised, I was actually able to do some decent shopping at a newly opened mall Beachwalk. And ended up buying 1 dress, 1 top and 3 pairs of flip flops for myself..
On a separate note, i think Qatar Airways prob has one of the best airline entertainment systems around! They let you watch movies right away after you board, and continue to let you do so even after landing! Heh. I managed to catch 2 rather different but good movies - Tim Burton's Frankenweenie and Never Let Me Go (Based on Ishiguro's novel). Sadly since the flight wasn't very long I didn't manage to finish Never Let Me Go - but it turned out to be surprisingly good (though depressing).
I also found a new favourite song with meaningful lyrics and a very catchy tune - the ending song for Frankenweenie Love Is Strange. Enjoy!
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