Days 396 – 407 Bali (Indonesia) / motorbike GS Dakar RTW overland adventure traveller

• Left – I didn’t
  
• 5th – 16th May 2015
• Miles rode – many on a scooter

I spent 2 1/2 weeks riding to Bali through Sumatra & Java and planned to revisit the ‘Lazy World’, having developed the skills necessary to fully enjoy a period of laziness it didn’t take me long to sit back, relax and enjoy the moment.

Bali is in Indonesia but from my experience that’s where the similarity stops for 99% of people who come here on holiday. Bali could be one of many internationally known tropical holiday destinations,  it has everything most people need for a two week holiday, lovely weather all year around, beaches, blue sea, thousands of bars and restaurants to help tease the cash out of your wallet and let’s not forget it’s a surfers Mecca so full of Aussies.

Bali is the only holiday destination in Indonesia that attracts mass crowds, over 4 million tourists are anticipated this year of which over 25% will be Australian. The vast majority of these tourists stay in the central South of the island making it very congested and hard to see anything that might resemble traditional Bali. 

I travelled from west to east across Bali and as soon as you get away from the tourist areas a more traditional way of life can be seen. In the very far south of the southern peninsular is the surfers Mecca, there aren’t any ‘two week tourists’ here, just cool surfers doing their stuff and hanging out. My only contribution to surfing is admiring them from a beach bar with a cold beer in my hand. I think I do it pretty well!

Whilst I was being ‘the laziest person in the world’ I sent my Dakar off on a retreat for a period of psychotherapy and reflection at a the worldwide retreat called ‘BMW Motorrad’. As we left BMW she was purring again like she used to, no coughing and spluttering for the new girl. I’m sure if I continue being ‘a new man’ life going forward will be perfect.

Bali is great and loved by millions of people but like most places in the world step outside the tourist areas and it instantly gets better.