---
title: "After visiting Bali, I realized: it's not the 'cheap"
description: "Seven days and six nights in Bali: a meal costs USD$32–65, and the quality at hotel restaurants is comparable to city restaurants in the US—but step outside…"
url: "https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/bali-travel-review-not-cheap/"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z"
source: gobaligo.id
---

Travel Stories

# After visiting Bali, I realized: it's not the 'cheap Southeast Asia' I expected

小 [By Go Bali Go Editorial Team](https://gobaligo.id/about/) Go Bali Go editorial team · Bali travel guides

Oct 1, 2026 · Updated Oct 1, 2026

---

![After visiting Bali, I realized: it's not the 'cheap Southeast Asia' I expected](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1789992604471-index.jpg)

💡 Quick Answer

Seven days and six nights in Bali: a meal costs USD$32–65, and the quality at hotel restaurants is comparable to city restaurants in the US—but step outside the…

>

Group member [Abby Huang’s original post here](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dr8RGWk4D/)

## After Seven Days and Six Nights, I Realized Bali Isn’t What I Thought

Before heading to Bali, my imagination was pretty much like everyone else’s: a Southeast Asian island, relaxing for a vacation, and probably not too pricey.

Seven days and six nights later, that image was half-shattered.

This isn’t a travel itinerary—it’s what I’ve been mulling over since I got back: Why is Bali so irresistible? And why, while I was having a blast, was there always a little ‘huh?’ in the back of my mind?

Let’s start with the biggest takeaway. It’s not ‘cheap,’ but rather:

## 🌴 **Bali is a truly mature, highly internationalized vacation paradise**

If you’re staying in a nice resort or villa and hanging around Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, and Seminyak, you’ll quickly realize that Bali has a deep understanding of Western travelers’ lifestyles.

Coffee, brunch, steak, cocktails, yoga, spa, wellness, beach clubs, private drivers, villas—even social media marketing, branding, and English communication are all top-notch. Based on my own travel experience, I subjectively feel that its tourism service completeness is even higher than the resort areas I’ve visited in Thailand and Portugal.

The food surprised me even more. The quality at good hotel restaurants can rival decent restaurants in US cities, with even more attentive and detailed service.

So Bali feels to me like this: the entire lifestyle familiar to the Western middle class, transplanted onto a more dreamlike tropical island. I’ve been joking that, to some extent, it’s really like a ‘Disneyland for white people.’

**Let me be clear: this isn’t a dig. I’m one of those guests who had a blast** 😂

## **The ‘Cheap Southeast Asia’ illusion shatters at checkout**

On this seven-day, six-night trip—flights, hotels, private drivers, spa, safari, horseback riding, and dining all factored in—I did a careful tally and found it cost about the same as my previous ski trip to Hokkaido, maybe even more. Meals of USD$32 to USD$65 were common.

But from another perspective, you’re paying mid-to-high prices, yet the density of service and experience you get would cost significantly more in the US or other high-income countries.

## 🚗 **Yet, the longer I stayed, the more I felt a strong sense of contrast**

As soon as you leave the resort, step outside that tourist bubble, the channel switches instantly.

Traffic jams are severe, public transit is virtually nonexistent, roads are narrow, pedestrians have little space, and motorbikes are everywhere. Issues of water resources, waste, sewage, electricity, and how many people the island can actually sustain have long been debated topics in Bali.

You might be sitting in a resort that looks like a movie set, eating a meal, and five minutes later, you’re stuck on a tiny road that’s completely gridlocked.

I’ve always been curious: Bali has been a world-class tourist destination for so many years, with millions of visitors and so much money flowing in—why hasn’t the public infrastructure improved along with it?

After doing some research, I realized it’s not as simple as I thought. Bali hasn’t stagnated; it’s just developed very unevenly:

🏨 Private tourism industry: racing ahead at full speed
🏙️ Public infrastructure and governance: struggling to catch up

Villas can be built quickly, restaurants can open fast. Hotels generate their own electricity, manage their own water, hire their own drivers, run shuttles, provide security, and handle cleaning.

But roads, public transportation, water resources, and sewage systems require government involvement, land, budgets, and cross-regional coordination—progress is far slower than private investment.

So this is the unique Bali we see today: hotels get more stunning every year, restaurants get more impressive every year, and traffic pressure gets heavier every year.

## 🎬 **The Impact of *Eat Pray Love* Is Bigger Than I Thought**

![](https://images.gobaligo.id/vocus/vocus_edfaa79d7c5dd8f919591b51bf0d684f.jpg)

▲Screenshot from the movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts

Bali was already a famous tourist destination before the movie, no question. But after the film, especially in Ubud, the whole image of ‘healing, spirituality, yoga, retreats, slow living, and rediscovering yourself’ was amplified globally—and it was amplified with remarkable success.

It sells not just a destination, but a story: Tired of your old life? Come to Bali, slow down, and rediscover yourself.

No wonder everywhere you look—yoga retreats, sound healing, organic cafés, spas, wellness centers, villas—all shaped by ‘the Bali that Westerners imagine.’

That got me thinking about a slightly playful question: Are travelers coming to experience Bali, or has Bali gradually become ‘the Bali that travelers expect’?

More often than not, you don’t really need to adapt to Bali—Bali adapts to you. The coffee is the coffee you know, the brunch is the brunch you know. Yoga, spa, cocktails, steak, English service—it’s all ready for you, just with a backdrop of coconut trees, rice paddies, sunsets, and island vibes.

I can totally see why Western travelers love it here. It’s not just the scenery—it’s about ‘living somewhere else’ without paying too much of a cultural adaptation cost.

## Soul Healing in Ubud

- [Spiritual Soul Healing Ubud Review | Palm Reading, Chakras, Melukat Purification Ceremony Guide](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/ubud-spiritual-soul-healing-review/)
- [【Bali Spiritual Healing/Spiritual Journey】When 'Eat Pray Love' Became My Real Life](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/eat-pray-love-bali-spiritual-journey/)
- [Ubud Sound Healing/Singing Bowl Meditation](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/ubud-sound-healing/)
- [Taman Beji Griya Waterfall Guide | Bali Melukat Purification Ceremony Healing Experience](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/Beji-Griya-Waterfall/)
- [Qiang Qiang's Bali Soul Journey! Shaman Weeps Revealing Tumor Signs, Forbidden Ground Truth Shocks](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/bali-soul-healing-journey/)

## 🤝 **‘How about staying less at international hotels and supporting local businesses more?’**

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790073523424-795483939_1708206284647547_7674514777600005852_n.jpg)

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790073524330-803265853_4425287147723080_2976010502031484256_n.jpg)

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790073526822-813785462_1883778833006265_788372294990164292_n.jpg)

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790073527828-818101761_1740013123722883_8375425120104432470_n.jpg)

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790073528445-818598461_10245002443220966_8054912389160781043_n.jpg)

▲ Photo by Abby Huang at Ayana Resort, Bali

I later realized this question isn’t so straightforward.

‘Local’ doesn’t always mean the average resident. Someone who can afford to buy land, build a villa, or run a guesthouse is likely already part of a wealthier class. Meanwhile, international hotels, though some profits flow abroad, can bring formal jobs, employee training, English skills, service standards, and career advancement.

So now, I don’t decide where to spend my money based solely on whether it’s foreign-owned or locally owned. Instead, I ask myself a few things:

Is this thing any good?
Is the service worth the price?
Does it utilize local supply chains?
Does it provide fair work?
Does it actually create a better product?

If a local restaurant is good, I’m more than happy to support it. If an international hotel does a great job, I won’t avoid it just because it’s foreign-owned.

For travelers, I think a balanced approach is: **fully enjoy Bali’s well-established tourism services, while also directing some of your spending to truly excellent local restaurants, guides, drivers, spas, cafes, brands, and small businesses**.

Not out of pity, but because they genuinely do great work.

#### No-Fail Accommodation List

- [Ubud Yoga Retreat Accommodation: 10 Dreamy Options Combining Yoga Classes and Relaxation](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/ubud-yoga-retreats-bali/)
- [【Ubud Accommodation Guide】Private Pool Villa Paradise: 20+ Stunning Bali Villas in Ubud](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/ubud-villa-pool-guide/)
- [Bali Family Water Parks: Top 15 Resorts with Waterslides for Kids](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/bali-family-resorts-water-slides/)
- [Bali Uluwatu Accommodation Guide: La Cabane Bali's Dreamy Little Paradise](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/la-cabane-bali-uluwatu/)
- [Guide to Accommodation on Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/nusa-lembongan-ceningan-accommodation-guide/)
- [In-Depth Review of Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Family Highlights](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/renaissance-bali-uluwatu-resort/)
- [18 Handpicked Hotels Near Kuta Beach](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/kuta-beach-hotels/)
- [Canggu Bohemian Boutique Accommodation Recommendation: Belajar Bali Boutique Hotel and Retreat](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/belajar-bali-boutique-hotel/)
- [Nusa Penida Accommodation Guide: 14 Top-Rated Stays from Luxury to Budget](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/nusa-penida-hotels-guide/)
- [Canggu: 10+ Private Pool Villa Recommendations – Bali Villas You Can't Miss](https://gobaligo.id/en/blog/canggu-villas-guide/)

## 🌿 **After visiting, I feel a bit conflicted**

I really love this place, and I admire its tourism industry. It has perfected the art of vacationing, with a charm that’s hard to replicate.

But I can’t help wondering: after twenty or thirty years of world-class tourism, what should a place ultimately leave behind?

Just more hotels, villas, and restaurants? Or should it also leave behind better roads, more mature public infrastructure, better job opportunities, stronger local businesses, and a higher quality of life?

I think that’s what makes Bali such a compelling topic. It’s incredibly successful—and precisely because of that success, it makes you ask:

## **In the end, did you actually step outside the resort?**

I haven’t fully sorted out these thoughts myself yet.

I’ll definitely go back to Bali. Next time, I’ll probably still stay in a comfortable place and enjoy great brunches, but I’ll pay more attention to one thing: where my money is actually going.

If you’ve been to Bali too—whether it was a resort vacation or a more local-style trip—I’d love to hear your take. Do you feel like **Bali is about ‘you adapting to it,’ or ‘it adapting to you’?**

>

[Check out the guide map for different areas of Bali](https://gobaligo.id/map/)

## What Netizens Think: A Summary of the Discussion

After this post went up, the comments turned out to be even more interesting than the original article. Many netizens chimed in from different angles, even offering opposing views. Here are a few standout points:

**‘Compared to Thailand, Bali really falls short’**
One netizen directly disagreed with the claim that Bali’s tourism services are better than Thailand’s, pointing out that Thailand has the Sky Train and Metro, a more mature ride-hailing system, and a far higher density of chain stores (Big C, Lotus) and 7-Elevens, along with a stronger food scene. The original poster clarified that they had hired a private driver the whole time and didn’t get a chance to try the ride-hailing system, adding that Phuket might be a more fitting comparison—it also has a ‘white tourist bubble,’ but the sense of disparity isn’t as stark as in Bali.

**‘It’s not just Phuket—Bali’s entire public infrastructure is behind’**
Building on the discussion, someone agreed that Phuket is a better benchmark and bluntly stated that Bali’s public infrastructure is indeed quite lacking. Another netizen, speaking from the perspective of a long-term resident, observed that Bali has changed a lot in recent years, with more and more Chinese-language signs appearing, which makes them feel the local vibe is shifting.

**‘Thailand feels like Taipei; Bali feels like a Western resort’**
A netizen made a vivid comparison: In Thailand, you eat local street food, stay at affordable star-rated hotels, and take the sky train to malls—it feels like an extension of Taipei’s lifestyle. In Bali, it’s more Western-style, with large resorts and villas perched along cliffs, making it easy for visitors to spend the whole day inside the resort without venturing out. Another person added that once you leave the resort, there’s not much to explore, and it’s a completely different world from Thailand’s bustling streets.

**“The real problem is that profits don’t stay local”**
This is one of the sharper angles in the discussion thread: some netizens pointed out that most of the commercial profits in Bali are taken by foreigners and large corporations, leaving very little for locals—no wonder infrastructure development lags behind. In the end, it’s the same bosses, the same clientele, just a different setting and service staff. Others shared a driver’s perspective: before the pandemic, there were many Chinese tourists, but most of their spending went to Chinese-invested businesses, unlike Western tourists who spend more broadly, allowing more local small shops to get a share of the pie.

**“The Bali of ten years ago is more memorable”**
More than one netizen mentioned that the motorcycles and traffic jams are much worse now than before, prices have risen significantly, but public infrastructure hasn’t kept up, making the “value for money” far less than before. One netizen shared that they used to visit Bali, Phuket, and Bangkok with family twenty years ago, comparing the simple, laid-back, and cheap Bali of their memories to today. They bluntly said that after the release of *Eat, Pray, Love*, Bali never returned to its former self—now it’s more Westernized overall, with prices jumping several levels. While quality has indeed improved, the “ridiculously cheap” Bali is gone.

**“Inside and outside the pink bubble are two different worlds”**
Another netizen shared their first trip to Bali, staying at the Ayana resort, describing the dreamy feeling as if they were in love. But stepping outside the resort walls and seeing the street scene, they felt a stark contrast. They also mentioned that when hiring a driver, they deliberately stick with the same person, give tips, and frequently use local services, hoping to keep more profits with the locals who actually provide the service, rather than letting platforms take too big a cut.

## Our Editors’ Take

This article really struck a chord, especially the final question: ‘Has this success truly stepped outside the resort?’—I think that line could be pinned at the top of any Bali discussion thread, because so many people have asked similar questions.

We often have to clarify to readers that Bali is no longer cheap. Many people still have the backpacker price memory from ten years ago, but today, a decent brunch in Canggu or a spa treatment costs on par with international standards. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you need to adjust your expectations first—know where to splurge and where to save, so your itinerary doesn’t go off track.

The phrase ‘Disneyland for white people’ made me laugh, but it’s also quite fitting. Honestly, this level of maturity is actually a good thing for first-time independent travelers—you don’t have to struggle too much to adapt and can still have a high-quality vacation. We often recommend that beginners start with more familiar areas, then once they get the hang of it, venture inland or to more local spots—the contrast will feel much more vivid.

![raw-image](https://images.gobaligo.id/images/2026-09/1790164046249-4fe6bc962d1baa8ca311af59c2811441.jpg)

But the line I think is most worth remembering from the whole article is actually: ‘Locals who can afford to buy land and build villas are already part of the capitalist class.’ This punctures a common misconception that people easily fall into—thinking ‘supporting local’ is a binary opposition between foreign capital and local businesses, but things are never that simple. Instead of obsessing over brand origins, it’s better to look at whether a business is well-run, whether it uses local supply chains, and whether employee treatment is fair—that’s the real way to spend money in the right places.

Bali is often written about either with blind praise or critical condemnation, but your article captures that complex feeling of love and clarity—this is the most authentic perspective, and the one most worth seeing.

## Bali Area Guides