When you think of Bali, the most popular Indonesian island, you imagine a tropical paradise with picturesque sandy beaches with crystal clear waters, sprinkled with traditional culture and rich history.
It is a very popular choice for young solo travelers, thanks to the vibrant nightlife, hostels and tours available.
However, one British tourist traveling through the Indonesian island has been left with a less than Instagram-worthy experience.
Taking to social media, she expressed her horror at the “disgusting” beaches, claiming she “didn’t expect” it to be like this.
Travel influencer Anya Roscoe posted a TikTok of the trash-lined area beneath her hand @anyaroscoeand it has already been seen by more than 400,000 people.
A British tourist traveling through the Indonesian island has been left with a less than Instagram-worthy experience
Next to the footage she filmed, she wrote on the screen: ‘Wow. I didn’t expect Bali to be so disgusting. These are Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta and Legian’.
The clip showed beaches full of chip bags, plastic containers and empty bottles.
The sea also appeared to be a dark, muddy color, which is very different from the sparkling blue waters the traveler thought he was visiting.
Anya added in the caption, “If this is what’s on the surface, imagine what’s at the bottom of the ocean, so depressing.”
However, the video sparked a heated debate, with people rushing to defend the island.
One user angrily wrote: ‘You are so damn shallow. Then go to Ibiza and leave Bali alone, I would like to live there for the rest of my life.’
A second added: ‘Some white travelers or travelers from western countries are really something else. You realize that Bali and Indonesia have locals who have their own lives and problems.’
Meanwhile, a third joked: ‘Um, first of all I bet the tourists destroyed Bali in the first place.’
The clip showed beaches full of chip bags, plastic containers and empty bottles
Anya added in the caption: ‘If this is what’s on the surface, imagine what’s at the bottom of the ocean, so depressing’
However, the video sparked a heated debate, with people rushing to defend the island
A fourth asked: “Maybe you’ll leave the capital and actually go to Bali?”
Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta are all on the south side of Bali, with Legian on the west coast, north of Kuta and south of Seminyak – all are areas frequented by travellers.
It comes as Bali introduced its new tourist tax last month, meaning foreign tourists now have to pay a levy of 150,000 rupiah (£7.60) to enter the popular destination – this is payable on arrival at the airport Gusti Ngurah Rai or the port of Benoa.
Some Brits agreed with Anya’s perception of Bali and shared their own ‘disappointing experiences’.
One person recalled: ‘My friend and I sunbathed for an hour next to the body of a dead, rotting dog in Bali. We were so confused why it smelled and why all those stray dogs came to us and smoke behind our heads. I actually cried about it.’
Another added: ‘Seminyak was the most despicable place I’ve been,’ while someone else wrote: ‘Unfortunately so was my experience with Bali. The north was beautiful, but I was so shocked by the touristy places.’
Someone else said: ‘I was so disappointed with that. If you want to help, there are groups cleaning the beaches every day!’
One traveler suggested: ‘These areas are not the well-known beach towns so it obviously won’t be great. The beaches in Uluwatu are popular and they are a lot more beautiful.’
However, some Brits agreed with Anya and shared their own ‘disappointing experiences’
However, Anya replied: “I’ll keep you posted that we’re going there soon, but I’ve now seen pictures of people there and it unfortunately looks the same.”
Others commented: ‘I think this is the impact of westernization on Bali’ and ‘The Gili Islands are what you expect from Bali! They are a must. And Ubud is great!’
Another said: ‘Sorry, but if you do a little research you will know that Seminyak and Kuta are not beautiful. Bali is so beautiful that you just have to visit the right places.’
Someone else reminisced: ‘Wow, Seminyak wasn’t like this in 2017! This makes me so sad.”
The divisive video comes not long after another British traveler revealed why she ‘absolutely hates’ Bali and tried to warn people about the ‘people won’t show you’ side.
Corrin, who posts on TikTok under the name @corr_98, gained many views by warning her followers about the destination by filming busy roads and rubbish-lined beaches.
In one video she said: ‘Everyone says come to Bali, it’s a great place to come – honestly I absolutely hate it, look at this,’ as she points the camera at chaotic traffic.
She adds: ‘The traffic is everywhere, look how busy it is, it’s terrible, you can’t even move, you can’t even cross the road.
‘You are standing at a zebra crossing and everyone is still passing by. Literally, you’re about to wonder if you’re going to get run over – the traffic is unbearable and I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. To be honest, it completely changed my perspective.”