A PARADISE LOST: BALI AND THE DECADENCE OF AN IDYLLIC NATION
WORDS BY LAURA PROST IMAGE BY FREEPIK.COM
S
ince 2016 Bali has been a hotspot for tourism and seasonal surfers. Once a little Indonesian island that served as a scapegoat from reality, Bali has lost its original mystery and charm over the years, reduced to being labelled as a ‘floating garbage island.’ All the wonder Bali could offer has been forgotten due to the consequences of tourism. But has it changed the image of Bali and the urge to visit it?
24
Two years ago as I dreamt away along the coastline of Bali and the resplendent shores of Dreamland Beach and Seminyak of getting the best experience of the whole summer, the surroundings were not as I remembered them to be in 2015. With surf sessions at sunrise, it felt like just yesterday when every stroke excavated plastic, bottles clicked against fins, whilst surfboards dragged fish nets — the concept of surfing in Bali had drastically changed and after a few steps on the shore, the horizon was barely visible, crowds were suffocating the beaches as the noise of flourishing tourism muffled the sound of ocean tranquility. The appearances I once knew felt like a vague dream. Commerce was making it impossible to turn a blind-eye to the burgeoning demands of tourism, with businesses booming and Bali getting a spot on APPEARANCE & ATTRACTION
