After living in Bali for two months this summer, I lived and I learned. Now I’m here to tell you what I’d do differently if I were to go back.
For starters, I would never stay in Canggu again. Plain and simple. Instead, I’d spend more time in Uluwatu or venture north to see what finds me there. When I booked my villa in Canggu, I didn’t do much research—I just knew it was the most popular spot.
What I discovered was that Canggu is overly congested, with traffic so absurd it borders on comical. There’s no sense of that “Bali Magic” people once spoke of.
What do I mean by “Bali Magic”? I’d describe it as the feeling that anything is possible—the sense that a place can make you feel alive and whimsical, like there’s a special gift from the universe around any corner. It’s a divine trust that Bali will guide you to whatever you’re searching for or hoping to learn, whether that’s something consciously in your mind or not.
In simple terms, Canggu feels like high school—people everywhere trying to show off, be the hottest, and the “coolest.” The whole scene felt superficial to me, and it definitely wasn’t worth breathing in exhaust fumes during high-traffic hours. I’d call it rush hour, but there’s no rush to be found in those traffic jams.
The reason I’d choose Uluwatu over Canggu is because there’s still a sense of that “Bali Magic” left there. Ulu is one of the most popular surfing destinations in the world. I learned how to surf here, and it was a blast. The people in Ulu were easier to talk to—they didn’t have that “how are you going to impress me” energy. There’s plenty of shopping, good food, and nightlife in this area as well.
I didn’t venture to the northern part of the island, so I can’t speak from experience, but in my head, that seems like an area that would still be full of Bali Magic. I’d love to explore it in the future.
Next, I’d island hop more. I’d see Lombok, Komodo Island, Java, and whatever other little islands I might find myself drawn to. I did visit Gili T for a night, and it was an enjoyable time—beautiful water, though it hurt my heart to see all the horses that are so obviously overworked.
I had the time to island hop more this summer, but when I set out on this adventure, my goal was to stay in one spot for an extended period. I didn’t want to lug all my things around, riding ferry after ferry or bouncing between planes and boats. I wanted to establish a routine somewhere. But even with that goal in mind, I still struggled with feeling stagnant. In the past, I’d always hopped around so much, constantly doing something cool and exciting, collecting stories I’d later share with friends. This summer, I didn’t have as much of that, and I felt a weird sense of letting others—and myself—down.
Lastly, I’d make more of a social effort. For the most part, people are pretty friendly once you get to chatting—it’s just that initial icebreaker that can be intimidating. When I was living in Bali, I was there alone, staying in a villa rather than hostels. I’d also gotten into a serious relationship just before I left.
These two factors felt limiting in some ways. The relationship was probably more limiting on my social desire because, in my personal experience, men are easier to break the ice with—for reasons I’m sure you can gather. I’m known to be very friendly, bubbly, and outgoing, but I can also be shy, contrary to popular belief. I also find women far more intimidating than men. So with the easy friendship target of men not being a respectful choice, paired with the fact that I wasn’t in an easy setting for meeting new people, I struggled a bit. I also wasn’t drinking much while I was there, but I still found myself wishing I had some girlfriends to go dancing with. I had one girlfriend I went dancing with one night, but it was house music—which is not up any of my alleys. I ended up going home after an hour.
I would never say I regret my time in Bali—unless my bald spot (which is thanks to the extremely hard water) is brought up—but I would definitely approach it differently if I were to ever venture back. If you’re thinking about going to Bali, or anywhere honestly, I’d encourage you to ask yourself what you want out of the adventure. Do you want to meet people and party? Do you want to focus on yourself and your growth? Do you want to learn to surf or scuba dive? All of that and more is possible. Bali is what you make it, and that is what—in my opinion—makes Bali so beautiful.