Thailand or Bali? Which destination wins?
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Many Dutch people and perhaps also Flemish people who opt for a long journey for the first time would like to get acquainted with the always somewhat mysterious Eastern culture in combination with lush tropical beaches during their holiday. Then there are always two destinations that stand out: Bali en Thailand. Choosing between these two holiday havens can be tricky, but help is on the way.
Although tastes differ and travel experiences are personal, we came across an interesting comparison on the travel blog Teavellust.nl. The author makes a comparison between Bali and Thailand in various aspects. Of course you can discuss whether you should compare an island with a country, but blogger Lisette says:
“First of all, I would like to state that these two destinations cannot really be compared. Thailand is a country and Bali is a small island, part of Indonesia. If I were to compare Thailand with Indonesia, the outcome might be very different. Nevertheless, I choose to compare Thailand and Bali, because many travelers see these two destinations as 'Asia for beginners' and are hesitating between the two for a first trip or holiday to Asia.”
Lisette traveled a total of two months through Bali and five months through Thailand and has listed all the similarities and differences for you in an article that you should definitely read if you yourself have trouble choosing between Bali or Thailand.
To lift a corner of the veil, Thailand wins this comparison with flying colours. Lisette says about this:
“Thailand stole my heart. This is mainly due to the great atmosphere, the rich culture, the lovely locals, the diversity, the heavenly beaches and the delicious food. I have a love-hate relationship with Bali. This small island is extremely diverse, you can travel from A to B in no time, the food is good, the nature is stunning and there are many trendy hotspots. If you don't want to go off the beaten track, that is absolutely possible. But in Bali, the extreme mass tourism in the south and the pushiness of some locals left me with a bad taste, which means that in my opinion Bali cannot compete with Thailand. Thailand is amazing and I haven't had enough of it yet. As far as I'm concerned, a deserved winner.”
Read the article at: www.travellust.nl/thailand-of-bali/
I disagree with the blogger for me Bali is number 1 and this is mainly due to the people who are genuinely friendly and the Thai is in my opinion about artificial friendliness, and the pushiness of the sellers is the same for me in both areas if you are on the beach of eg. Hua Hin you don't have 5 minutes of rest or there is a seller again, just like in Bali.
I have also had business dealings with several countries in Asia and even then I found the Balinese the friendliest, not only towards Thailand but also the Philippines but also the Javanese.
Nature is different for me in these countries, but there are beautiful areas everywhere.
I have been working in various countries for over 20 years, both on holiday and for business.
I can't quite agree with the author's conclusion. I have been to Bali many times and it has rarely happened to me because of the pushiness of the locals.
But with one you leave something and with the other you find something.
It always strikes me that people who travel to Asia for the first time see a lot through rose-colored glasses.
I mean the locals are always so sweet and nice . I personally always say I choose Thailand for nature and I don't mean Pattaya or any other seaside resort and despite the fact that I am married to a Thai I choose the Balinese as a holidaymaker. You have to pierce through the Thai smile, the same as the soft character of the Balinese, after all, it's all about the penny and the flute.
Greetings from Tukkerland.
This year, after my long holiday of 11 weeks in Thailand, I decided to add 3 weeks to Bali because I hadn't been there for 3 years.
To be honest, I was shocked when I was there. Traffic in the south has increased enormously since 2015. From the airport I had to take a taxi to Canggu. In 2015 the taxi took about 50 minutes, this time 2 hours! You stand still all the time, Canggu: 3 years ago a friendly, quiet village. Now a hotspot with all the consequences in terms of traffic, buildings and the expulsion of culture.
The south of Bali is really full and a traffic jam. And I doubt whether that will yield much for the average Balinese. I rented a motorbike there and after two days I set off to the north of Bali. Normally the traffic would always decrease after the town of Tabanan, but even the quiet back road via Pupuan to the Lovina area had turned into a busy road. Once in the north, Kalibukbuk (Lovina), it was certainly a lot quieter and more pleasant to stay.
I don't think I compare an island with a country and that is actually what the author says. If you want to compare, I think you should compare Indonesia with Thailand and then you will really arrive at different results. The former is even more diverse than Thailand and there is something for everyone to enjoy. In Bangkok you often have even more traffic congestion than in Bali. Unfortunately it is very busy in South Bali and yes there are always people who try to make extra money from tourists and that unfortunately happens everywhere. Also in Thailand, for example, the taxi drivers in Phuket are notorious.
Bali has become a holiday destination for me. The first time I came about 24 years ago and was already disappointed with the quality of the food, but it was still nice. The road from Kuta to Ubud was a beautiful road between rice fields and mountain hills.
Three years ago I came again at the invitation of a friend of mine who was celebrating his wedding there. Not in Ubud, but on the west coast.
We were accommodated in Kuta for two nights and this was really disappointing. My wife and I rode a scooter to Ubud from Kuta and what a difference it made. The road to Ubud is now one long shopping street and with almost everything the same shops with wood carvings and souvenirs. A long narrow road with few options for parking.
Traffic in Bali is a horror compared to Thailand. I suspect that the number of accidents here is higher than in Thailand, given the way people drive.
If the food wasn't special in 1993, now it was completely tasteless by my standards. I got the feeling that the word pedas had been forgotten.
For the wedding party we were accommodated in a beautiful resort on the coast. Super de lux, but far from everything. The first day was not too bad, it was dry, but unfortunately the next day it rained almost all day. In the evening during the party it was fortunately dry.
The road from Denpasar, the main road on which all traffic runs, with trucks from the port to the capital, is no more than a two-lane road. Narrow, full of curves and bad road surface.
It was not until the day of departure that we were able to eat delicious Indonesian food for the first time. A restaurant offered Makanan Padang with tasty curries.
We had no trouble leaving the island. We will most likely never go there again. Thailand itself offers plenty of good alternatives.
Bali is nice to go on holiday for a while, but as Rene says, it is like comparing an island with a country
The number of 'attractions' cannot be compared.
I've been to Bali several times for work and vacation, but living is a different story, I've experienced that personally with various contacts I have there. I speak both languages and I see no difference in friendliness or pushiness..
I will definitely go to Bali again, but on vacation…
I went to Bali for the first time 2 years ago and I must admit that it was disappointing. nice and so but some parts of the beaches were dirty, the food is cheaper and better in Thailand and Thailand is even cheaper + that the trip costs more because it is a lot further…
pluses: the friendliness of the people who speak fairly good English there in Bali and I find the architectural style of the temples and so more authentic than the rather kitchy colorful style in Thailand, but none of this outweighs the advantages of Thailand. for me it is also added that I speak reasonable Thai which is of course also a big plus.
good that I went there once but still a bit disappointed too!
Bali is more relaxed than Thailand, on the other hand, transport and making arrangements in Thailand is better than Bali. Food, both a 10, diving is a bit nicer (still) in Bali than on the Koh's in Thailand. Food is almost the same prices, transport a bit more expensive oo Bali but the people are gold!! In Thailand they work a little harder, which is why it comes across as a bit more stressed. And in places where many tourists come, both sellers are more pushy. Just go there and experience for yourself
Have been to Both and have been living in Thailand for 7 years but still choose Vietnam.
That will be the best choice in the long run.
Well give me BALI, I have been there 3 times and it always fascinated me like the first time, secondly it is VIETNAM, beautiful country with pleasant people and in terms of price very and more interesting than BALI and certainly THAILAND. All three beautiful countries in SE Asia.
Before I discovered Thailand as one of my favorite countries, I visited Bali many times, when it was not yet completely overrun by tourists. Haven't been there in the last 6 years, the south is a madhouse in terms of traffic and hordes of tourists. The north of the island, for example the area around Lovina, is / was still possible. I like Thailand much better, I now spend an average of 5 months a year there and I still have a lot to discover off the beaten track. Vietnam is also recommended.
I think this is comparing apples and oranges. If I have the comparison between Thailand and Bali, I choose Thailand. But if I have to choose between Thailand on the one hand and Sulawesi with the small Sunda Islands on the other, it will definitely be the latter. But the demand is just bad. There is no answer to give. It completely depends on who you are, in what phase of life, what your interests are, what you find pleasant or unpleasant about the population. Even if I give reasons why I choose Sulawesi and the small Sunda Islands, someone else can choose Thailand with the same arguments.