British tourist sparks outrage for his scathing attack on Bali as Aussies defend holiday island: 'Worse than a war zone'

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

A British fitness coach has sparked backlash after slamming Bali as a 'false reality' and urging tourists to avoid visiting the holiday island altogether.
Harry Mackarness spent two months on the so-called 'Island of the Gods' and said his visit left him 'deeply depressed, disillusioned, and determined never to return'.
Mr Mackarness did not hold back in a scathing 43-minute review shared to YouTube, claiming Bali was nothing like the serene, spiritual paradise sold by influencers.
'It felt like a fake movie set,' he said. 'It's a false reality.'
Mr Mackarness claimed the island is buckling under the weight of mass tourism, and plagued by gridlocked roads, overflowing rubbish, rundown accommodation, and a tourism industry more interested in profit than hospitality.
'Everywhere you go, there's rubbish, construction, or scams,' he said.
'The infrastructure just can't handle the number of people being sold this dream.'
One of his lowest points came when a spitting cobra slithered into his villa's living room.
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A post shared by Harry Mackarness (@resurgent_harry)
When he called the landlady for help, he said she brushed it off with a very dismissive comment: 'I'll deal with it in the morning.'
'That just summed everything up,' Mr Mackarness said.
'There's this attitude that once you've paid, nobody cares anymore.'
Mr Mackarness explained the villa had been advertised as a quiet escape surrounded by rice fields.
He then discovered it was actually boxed in by construction sites and falling apart at the seams - a misleading experience he suggested is very common.
'I couldn't have been more disappointed,' he said.
'I have travelled the world in the last couple of years, from war zones, to the top of mountains, to the Galápagos Islands, and this was the biggest let-down.'
'It was all so isolated. You should save your money and not go. I cannot recommend this place at all.
'This place is an island where people are trying to sell you hair filters. It's a one out of ten for me. There's something so off about this island that no-ones telling you.'
Mr Mackarness did have kind words to share about the booming fitness scene, calling gyms like Wanderlust 'second to none.'
'If you're coming purely for the fitness, you'll love it,' he said.
'But everything else around it? No thanks.'
After completing his two-month stay, the limit for a tourist visa, Mr Mackarness said he couldn't wait to leave.
He flew straight to Thailand, where he claims he instantly felt 'safe, happy, and at home'.
'I went looking for something beautiful, relaxing, and adventurous,' he said. 'I didn't find any of it. For all the money in the world, you couldn't pay me to go back.'
His review sparked backlash, with many accusing Mr Mackarness of painting an unfair picture of the tourist hotspot.
'Bali is an island, like Britain. Parts, like London, are rough. Other parts, the majority, are quiet, serene and filled with beautiful people.'
'I hope you didn't just stay in Canggu and think that represents all of Bali,' another said.
'A part of me is happy though, because maybe you'll convince some people not to come, and I'm not mad about it.'
Mr Mackarness insisted he did venture beyond the tourist hotspots.
'I left Canggu, I went north, I looked for peace and culture, but even there it was the same,' he said.
'Rubbish on the beach, chaotic roads, and a plastic version of what Bali once was.'
Some social media users agreed with his sentiment, blaming rowdy tourists for degrading the island's atmosphere.
'What's unsafe and ruining the vibe are drunk tourists being rude to locals, going only for booze and tattoos, not taking a minute to understand the culture or appreciate the beautiful people who are surviving on very little,' one commented.