Bali Indonesia

What’s wrong with Bali – and one simple way to fix it

Picture of Leigh Turner
Leigh Turner

What’s wrong with Bali.  This beautiful island is a great holiday destination. But it has some ugly features that risk spoiling it.  Here is a fix.

I was lucky enough recently to enjoy a holiday in Bali.  It was fabulous.

Challenges for Bali

But the island faces challenges.  Development is eating up the beauty which draws visitors.

Rice field on Bali

Rice field on Bali (Photo Robert Pimm)

Locals seek prosperity.  Visitors want somewhere to stay and amenities to enjoy.

The same tension tingles in tourist hotspots from Barcelona to Istanbul (links in bold italics are to other posts on this site).  How do you prevent tourist development ruining what the tourists have come to see?

What’s wrong with Bali: fix the skyline

Here’s my modest suggestion for Bali: start by protecting the skyline.

Much of Bali remains low-rise.  From a distance it mostly looks unspoiled.  But here and there – eg the Bukit Peninsula – a single out-of-scale high-rises piercing the skyline is visible for miles.  The result is to broadcast a dismal tale of destruction.

Protecting skylines in London and the Caribbean

There’s an alternative.  Many Caribbean islands are overdeveloped .  But they keep their idyllic image.  How?

They do it by having development codes which protect skylines.

You may be able to build a property at a certain location.  But the planners set a condition.  You can only build if you don’t break the skyline, as observed from certain other places.

They even do a similar thing in London, on a more limited scale, with “protected vistas“.

How about protected vistas for Bali?  Or, if they already exist, how about enforcing them?

That way Bali will stay fabulous for longer.

Panorama of Uluwatu, Bukit Peninsula

Panorama of Uluwatu, Bukit Peninsula (Photo Robert Pimm)

P.S. if you enjoyed this review, you’re welcome to explore other writing on this site, starting with the sitemap and guide.

Share:

Sign up for my update emails

…and receive a FREE short story!

I won’t pass on your details to third parties / unsubscribe whenever you wish

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

3 Body problem
Reviews

The Three-Body Problem

“The Three-Body Problem” is out on Netflix. Some Chinese critics are reportedly angered by the Netflix series, including its depiction of China. I can see why.

Read More
Travis McGee
Reviews

Travis McGee, loner prototype

Travis McGee, the creation of US author John D MacDonald, is a superb prototype of a loner hero. Lee Child cites him as an inspiration for his solo tough guy, Jack Reacher.

Read More
Journalism

Choosing a safari

Choosing a safari is something most of us are only ever likely to do once in a lifetime, if that. A few tips.

Read More
Phineas Finn
Reviews

Phineas Finn: The Irish Member

You have to worship an author who wrote: ‘It has been the great fault of our politicians that they have all wanted to do something.’

Read More
The Tunnel Under the World
Reviews

The Tunnel Under the World

The Tunnel Under the World begins with the words: “On the morning of June 15th, Guy Burckhardt woke up screaming out of a dream.”

Read More