30-05-2025
I was warned that Bali would be different when I returned after decades away. But I was still FLOORED by the reality...
A Gen X Aussie has shared his shock at how drastically Bali has changed from a cheap holiday paradise to an Instagram-obsessed hotspot.
Craig Lambert, now in his late 50s, told Daily Mail Australia he first touched down on the island in 1988 when he was a young man looking for adventure.
Then, palm trees lined modern-day high streets, surfing backpackers roamed the dusty roads, and a singlet cost just 50c.
But when Mr Lambert and his wife returned to Ubud this year, the tourists of today just left him and his wife scratching their heads.
'It was my first trip back to Asia in many years, seems like a lot of places are now for TikTokers and Instagram types,' he said.
'There was one lady we saw in Ubud in the huge resort we stayed at who would do laps around the resort wearing full makeup and carrying yoga equipment.
'She never seemed to go do the yoga – just walked around taking selfies and wanting to be seen.
'That seem a bit odd to oldies like my partner and I.'
He said the 'vibe' had changed. The old-world charm of 80s Bali had been replaced by cookie-cutter development you could find anywhere in the world.
'It felt like a real adventure for a young bloke in his 20s. This visit I can see how much Bali has grown to cater for the tourists,' Mr Lambert said.
'The malls could be anywhere in Australia and it's not as cheap as chips anymore.
'The singlet I bought for the photo cost $6, the one in 1988 probably cost 50c.
'There's a lot of men in the stalls now and some can be quite pushy, enough to make the missus and I want to avoid going in. Back in '88 I remember having lots of fun with the stall owners bartering. It was a hoot - this trip not so much.'
Mr Lambert said even the beaches had changed.
'There were no places set up with chairs for drinks if I remember correctly,' he said.
He shared a 'before and after' picture near the Sari Club Bali Memorial, exposing just how much had changed in the last few decades.
The photos were shared on Facebook with many social media users lamenting the drastic changes.
'Maybe it is the beautiful sunlight and the greenery in the top photo... but Bali back then had such a positive, happy vibe to it,' one wrote.
'Somehow that got lost along the way, I really miss it.'
'Old Bali had its quiet charm, untouched and raw. Today it's different: busy, built-up,' another woman agreed.
'You haven't changed a bit,' a third quipped.
Bali was recently deemed the world's top destination to avoid, with tourism-driven development and well-documented plastic pollution pushing the island to the brink.
In the past two decades, the sector has eclipsed the island's other industries, including its declining agriculture sector.
Bali has remained the top travel destination for Australians, with 1.3million visiting in 2024.
Australians were put on notice by Balinese officials earlier this year, as many locals have been left upset by the increasing numbers of poorly-behaving tourists.
In March, bizarre footage emerged of a tourist being wheeled on a trolley through the streets by security staff with his wrists and ankles tied.
'Drunk foreigner causes chaos at Y Sport Bar, Legian – starts hitting people,' the caption to the video shared on the Instagram page said.
Legian is a popular tourist area of Denpasar located between the bustling hive of Kuta to the south and Seminyak to the north.
Commenters on the clip commended the way security staff handled the situation and said it was 'tough to find the balance between being welcoming as a tourist island and letting tourists walk all over us'.
'Gotta admire the way this was handled,' one said, while another added: 'This kind of tourist we don't need in Bali. Jungle behaviour!'
One viewer branded the incident 'Bali Bogan strikes again!' as another posted: 'Looks like they're taking him to a dumpster... Give him another Bintang.'
The man's nationality was unclear, but the incident came after Australians were caught up in a brawl at the famous Finns Beach Club in nearby North Kuta earlier this year.
Five tourists had a fight with about 15 security staff in that incident.
