- READ MORE: Tourist criticizes a popular vacation spot for being dirty and littered with trash
A passionate traveler has shared his insights on a picturesque vacation spot, exposing the less appealing aspects of the island that are seldom seen on social media.
Joshua, a travel influencer who frequently shares his global adventures onTikTok, shared a collection of videos from his stay in Bali.
Bali is an island situated in Indonesia, part of Southeast Asia.Asia.
Renowned for its stunning beaches, mouthwatering food, and breathtaking scenery, the island is frequently depicted as a high-end destination.
Nevertheless, although Joshwa commended the ‘excellent culture’ and ‘warm welcome’, he pointed out there were other elements, such as the fact that residents do not enjoy the same advantages as visitors.
One of the content creator’s videos featured dilapidated structures, forgotten beanbags on a shoreline, and trash stacked up high.
The video also included scenes of temporary structures with metal roofs and roads in bad condition.
He added a caption to the video saying: “Incredibly beautiful island.”
Bali’s incredible culture, stunning locals, and excellent hospitality left a lasting impression.
However, the island does not have the necessary infrastructure to support 1. the problem of littering and pollution and 2. the issue of excessive tourism that is currently unsustainable.
The video received more than 700,000 views and thousands of likes, as numerous people commented to express their opinions about the popular travel destination.
One wrote: “Visited once. Not to my liking. The Gilly Islands were the highlight of the trip, but Bali is definitely not for me.”
While another person highlighted the country’s economic conditions and stated, “The biggest bill in this country is literally $6, with an average salary of $250 a month, what do people expect?”
Another addition: “You travel to another country for a cultural experience… that’s Bali, stay at the resort if you’re an influencer because that’s who you are—a resort-goer… I prefer to embrace and immerse myself in the culture, mixing with the locals, who are wonderful people!”
“Finally, someone is presenting real facts,” a viewer added.
In a different video, which garnered more than one million views, Joshwa discussed the challenges faced by local residents in Bali.
The camera moved to reveal a lively dining establishment, then shifted to display delicate-looking structures.
At one time, there was a sign that said “please stop littering,” located beside a heap of plastic bottles and various trash.
He added a caption to the video: “I truly agree with what Zoe mentioned. Bali felt very pretentious to me. Perhaps just my perspective, but it was full of people who aren’t really my type. You might come across one or two genuine individuals. The rest seem to be wandering through some other realm.”
The residents are the most wonderful people, incredibly caring, kind, and extremely welcoming. It’s a pity they can’t fully experience their island the way tourists do!
I’m going to create a longer reel about this, but it’s absolutely crazy that it came up at the same time. Because just the other day I was talking about how Bali is known for pollution, poverty, and poor health standards.
While everyone is a beach cop living a luxurious life, spending thousands of pounds, and the locals cannot enjoy their life or even integrate with the tourists due to the lack of the aforementioned.
Molly Mae’s sister was not fabricating stories.
Joshwa’s videos follow those of Molly Mae’s sister, Zoe Rae.Left Bali after only 48 hours since it failed to meet her expectations.
The 28-year-old fitness influencer had planned the trip toIndonesiato celebrate their first wedding anniversary with her husband Danny.
Even though they were staying in a spacious ocean-view room at the Radisson Blu, a five-star hotel, they chose to depart early and fly toDubai instead.
Zoe mentioned that Bali appears more appealing on social media compared to its actual appearance, as influencers present it as a luxurious destination, even though it is a nation in development.
In a new YouTubevideo, Zoe said to the camera: “Since we arrived in Bali, something for us hasn’t been quite right.”
We arrived with high hopes since we saw on social media that everyone was enjoying themselves a lot. Great places to dine, beaches, and excellent gyms and cafes.
But I don’t believe the true essence of Bali is portrayed very often, and I feel this is because many influencers share only the more upscale aspects.
She said, “Prior to joining the military, I spent five months exploring Southeast Asia. I visited Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Hong Kong, and experienced a lot while staying in these places. However, there is something uniquely different about Bali.”
We were told that Uluwatu, where we are now, is one of the best places to visit, so if this is among the better spots, I’m not sure what the other places are like.
I had no intention of sitting down and saying anything, but people are eager to find out.
Danny then appeared in the video and stated, “You either take a trip to explore and immerse yourself in different cultures or you simply want to escape and unwind.”
Zoe added, “Yeah, we could have taken a flight tomorrow since today is our anniversary, but time is valuable, and we really just want to leave. Why wait?”
We didn’t hit the target, perhaps we didn’t conduct our own investigation, maybe it’s our own responsibility. However, I did a significant amount of research.
I believe it’s simply a matter of personal choice, and our preference is that this isn’t the right fit for us. We’ve made the executive decision to celebrate our anniversary somewhere we know we’ll enjoy ourselves, relax, and have access to drinkable water.
