Bali: The Tropical Paradise Battling Tourist Disillusionment

Sun Oct 19 2025 17:47:22 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As social media fuels an influx of tourists to Bali, many are finding the reality of the island starkly contrasts with their expectations, leading to growing concerns about its sustainability and cultural essence.

Bali, once lauded as an idyllic getaway, is grappling with the pressures of mass tourism. The gap between the paradise depicted on social media and the congested, polluted reality is causing disappointment among visitors. Insights from local residents reveal a complex relationship with the tourism influx, as environmental issues and cultural dilution come to the forefront. As Balinese communities strive for sustainable tourism and local traditions, the future of this beloved island hangs in the balance.

Instagram vs reality: Bali is becoming a victim of its own success

Bali, Indonesia's famed tropical paradise, has charmed plenty of tourists over the years.

But it's also leaving a growing number disillusioned - recently among them Zoe Rae.

Since landing in Bali, something for us has just not felt quite right, she said in a YouTube video in July, filmed in her hotel room.

We came to Bali with high expectations because we'd seen on social media everyone having such a lovely time.

She added: If you took a picture of the coffee shop and zoomed out, you would see what the reality was.

Social media posts about expectations vs reality in Bali abound. Diners enjoying the sunset at a beach-side restaurant - and the piles of rubbish along the rickety stairs to get there. The bikini-clad pose in front of a waterfall, while a snaking line of tourists await their turn on slippery rocks. The alfresco smoothies with bamboo straws, right beside soot-puffing motorcycles stuck on jammed roads.

Millions flock to Bali every year in search of the spiritual Shangri-La promised in the noughties memoir and film Eat, Pray, Love. What they're greeted by instead are crowds, traffic and the cacophony of construction, which has ramped up alongside a post-pandemic boom in tourism.

The growing strain on the island had produced plenty of eye-rolls and grumbles, but this month events took a sombre turn. More than a dozen people died in rare floods on the island. Poor waste management and unchecked urban development had worsened the situation, officials said.

The local government has since announced it will restrict new construction, yet many see such interventions as too little, too late.

How did Bali, celebrated for decades as the last paradise, get to this point? In the past decade, tourism to the island skyrocketed from 3.8 million visitors in 2014 to 6.3 million last year. This year looks set to be a record-breaker.

The latest hipster destination is Canggu, a once sleepy fishing village that has become a magnet for surfers from around the world. The island’s once tranquil landscape is now littered with nightlife and commercial establishments, raising concerns among locals.

Despite the challenges, initiatives for sustainable tourism and operations have begun to sprout, showing that hope for Bali’s future remains alive in the hearts of its people.