Neither of us had never been to Asia before. We’d heard the stories of crowded streets, scams to be wary of and overwhelming language barriers so we when Leah and I booked our holiday to Bali we weren’t quite sure what we had signed up for.
It was the best decision.
Bali was the perfect place to dip our toes in Asian travel and here are the reasons why:
It can be touristy (in the good way)
By “touristy” I mean there’s an abundance of everything you want and need as a traveller: places to stay (hostels, hotels, guest houses, resorts & villas galore), tours of every kind, restaurants everywhere you turn and lots of people to help out a confused pair of white chicks. Obviously, there are places that are the bad kind of touristy (ahem Seminyak, Kuta) that I would recommend skipping (go to Ubud instead) but you’ll never be caught without options to stay when you get off the beaten track.
The Balinese people
Its always an exaggeration to say everyone from a certain place are all the nicest people on earth but everyone we met in Bali were helpful and kind. Most people in restaurants speak some level of English and everyone working the hostels/hotels certainly do too. The taxi drivers we negotiated with were (mostly) reasonable and we never felt like anyone was trying to take advantage of us (but still always barter your prices down at markets and for taxis). Although we were clearly outsiders, the Balinese were always open and accepting and it really made the trip something special.
The island life
Bali is a beautiful Indonesian island that is easy to navigate, safe and laid back. There is a wonderful balance between the rush to find a new adventure and kicking back on the beach without a care in the world. Its easy to get lost in the world of complete Balinese relaxation and get away from all the hustle and bustle.
Happy travels ❤
– Liz
The Broken Compass 