Bali has 6 million visitors per year. The following destinations have Bali’s quality and a fraction of its crowds.
Why This Conversation Exists
Bali is genuinely extraordinary — the rice terraces of Tegallalang, the Ubud arts scene, the Seminyak sunset, the temple culture of the most Hindu island in Southeast Asia. It is also the most tourism-processed destination in Southeast Asia — the Kuta strip, the Bali Belly industry, the digital nomad infrastructure that has made Canggu into a coworking space with a beach.
The following are destinations where the specific things people go to Bali for are available with 10-20% of the tourist infrastructure:
For the Rice Terraces and Culture: Flores, Indonesia
The island east of Lombok — the road across the island (from Labuan Bajo in the west to Maumere in the east) passes through the most spectacular terraced landscape in Indonesia outside Bali, the traditional villages of the Ngada people (the megalithic culture — the standing stones and the clan houses with the thatched roofs raised above the village square), and the Bajawa highland market.
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park — the Komodo dragon in its natural habitat (the dragons on Komodo and Rinca islands are the largest lizards on Earth) and the Pink Beach (the pink-hued sand from the red coral fragments, one of seven pink beaches in the world).
For the Surf: Mentawai Islands, Sumatra
The surfing archipelago off the west coast of Sumatra — the waves of the Mentawai are considered by professional surfers to be the finest in the world (the hollow, powerful right-handers of Macaronis and Rifles in particular). The islands are remote (accessible by 10-hour overnight ferry from Padang, or by speedboat transfer), the accommodation is surf camp rather than boutique resort, and the experience is for committed surfers rather than the Bali beginners’ surf school market.
For the Rice Terraces and Quiet: Nusa Penida (Pre-2020 Bali)
The island southeast of Bali — the limestone cliffs, the Kelingking Beach viewpoint (the T-rex head cliff formation, the most photographed viewpoint in the Bali region), and the Angel’s Billabong (the natural rock pool at the cliff edge). Nusa Penida has developed its own tourist infrastructure in the past 5 years but remains significantly quieter than the Bali mainland.
For the Temples and Culture: Luang Prabang, Laos
The UNESCO city at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan — the 33 Buddhist temples, the morning alms giving, the night market. The cultural depth of Luang Prabang exceeds Bali’s — the temples are functioning, the monks are genuine, the night market is not primarily a tourist product.
Covered in full in the Luang Prabang — Three Days in Laos’ Most Beautiful City guide.
For the Beach and Cheap: Koh Lanta, Thailand
The BGGD recommendation for the traveller going to Bali for the beach: Koh Lanta in the Andaman Sea — 20km of beach, significantly lower tourist density than the main Thai islands, the same crystal Andaman water, accommodation at 40-60% of Bali’s equivalent price.
Covered in full in the Thailand — The BGGD Guide.
