As it is the height of the rainy season right now, with more rains falling over the weekend and into the beginning of this week, parts of the island are really feeling the impacts of the weather.
The rainy season is also known to bring tides of ocean plastic to Bali’s shores.
It may come as a shock to first-time tourists, but it is something that Bali lovers are all too aware of. In the rainy season, the beaches along the southern coast of Bali are frequently littered with tides of ocean plastic and waste disposed of on the shoreline carried downstream by the island’s rivers.
While many blame Bali for its poor waste management system, officials on the island want people to know that not all the waste that winds up on Bali’s popular tourist beaches is generated on the island.
In fact, much of it is blown in on the tide, and some are generated on neighboring islands.
@cor_98 I just cant belive what i have whitnessed why on earth dont people show you this side of things on the beach. Kuta beach has been an absolutle dissapoinment. I really dont want to be negative about Bali but so far its just been Awful hopefully jungle life is much better! #indonesia #beach #kuta #litter #dissapointment #travelling #truth #fyp ♬ original sound – Corrin
The Head of the Bali Tourism Service, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, confirmed to reporters that following a viral video of a tourist complaining about the condition of Kuta Beach, clean-up teams are still regularly being deployed.
Pemayun told officials, “Indeed, the seasonal waste from the sea [comes[ in December and January, it is [now] at its peak, so the Badung Regency Government has moved very quickly in terms of anticipating waste.”
@travelbeyondborders23 Kuta Bali Travel Guide – Top 10 things you can do in Kuta Bali Walking TOUR | 4K | DRONE 2023 #Kuta #Bali #indonesia #Travel ♬ original sound – travelbeyondborders23
The last clean-up operation took place on Friday, the 26th, with officers regularly patrolling the Kuta Beach, Legian Beach, and Seminyak Beach areas to make sure everything was safe and comfortable for tourists.
Following a visit from the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, and the Regent of Badung, Nyoman Giri Prasta, teams have also been set to task removing the broken and unused kiosks and stalls on the Kuta Beachfront.
They have also rearranged those that remain so tourists and vendors can use them.
The carts and kiosks were put in place at Kuta Beach as part of an initiative to help beach vendors formalize their businesses and reduce the number of times tourists are approached by people seeking their wares on the beach. However, the project never really got off the ground, and the kiosks have been left to ruin.
However, since his visit, the Acting Governor has said that he wants to see the project kick-started and actually brought to life.
The Head of the Badung Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Department, Ida Bagus Surya Suamba, explained that the steps to take this innovative cart were a continuation of the visit of the Acting Governor of Bali on the orders of the regent and regional secretary.
He said that carts that were not used according to the original plan would be taken first, and those that were damaged would be repaired.
He explained, “There is no deadline for completion; what is clear is that we will redesign the placement of traders later. This will also be done together with the village customs; we will hold a joint coordination meeting regarding the placement of traders.”
“Now we are redesigning which areas can be used for sales and which areas cannot be used.” This way, they hope the kiosks will be more attractive to tourists and more usable for vendors.
All this has come about after a TikTok travel content creator by the name of Corrin shared her disappointment with the state of Kuta during a recent visit.
The travel influencer shared how she was frustrated that after months of planning her trip to Kuta, it didn’t live up to her expectations; she noted that the trash on the beach and the traffic conditions were worse than she anticipated.
Officials from the Tourism Task Force are now following up on her claims and could take legal action against her if she is found to be making false allegations.
However, it appears that she has now traveled to Thailand.
Remove All Ads & Unlock All Articles… Sign up for The Bali Sun Premium
Plan Your Bali Holiday:
Book The Best English Speaking Drivers For Airport Transfers & Tours
Choose From Thousands of Bali Hotels, Resorts, and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
Book Cheap Flights To Bali
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance That Covers Medical Expenses In Bali
For the latest Bali News & Debate Join our Facebook Community
SUBSCRIBE TO NEW POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Bali Sun’s latest breaking news, straight to your inbox.
Emma
Monday 5th of February 2024
It's not just about beach clean ups.. it's about education..we, the expats, made the first plastic recycling programs in Bali in 1993.. we taught the locals about the damage of plastics and to spread this knowledge..but it is hard to do when the government doesn't back this movement only when an influencer complains about this.. or a top world surfer or a celebrity.. followed by being blacklisted or threatened with criminal charges.. how about the government says, "yes you are right, let's do something about it"
Wayan Bo
Saturday 3rd of February 2024
Trash from another islands, radioactive water from Fukushima, Covid from Wuhan, …
Passing bye
Friday 2nd of February 2024
The girl said nothing out of turn, basically she was gutted because she read the hype about Bali and decided to make the trip. Lets get one thing clear, it doesn’t really matter which bloody island the flotsom comes in from, the FACT of the matter is trash is being dumped all over the place by a laissez-faire populace. I actually think its a mix of casual throwing and also those who are paid to collect the waste and then tipping it down the ravine. Unfortunately for the government here, the rainy season winds blows the ‘banged to rights’ evidence ashore, guilty as charged. Be nice if it floated off to the southern ocean they’d, be scot free of any responsibility. I know predict a whole lot more ‘influencers’ using the power of the internet in support of this young gal and Bali bigwigs, despite their threatening stance, can’t afford that. The balls in their court.
Producer
Friday 2nd of February 2024
It's clear to see. Bali has a garbage problem and a traffic problem, as well as a problem with antisocial criminals and disrespectful tourists. If you don't fight the causes, you will never achieve a satisfactory result. Why isn't plastic banned worldwide so that the crap doesn't end up in the sea? It looks like that everywhere. in the middle of the forest by a river, stinking piles of garbage. In front of the villas, in the green. Trash, trash and trash as far as you can see. If Bali continues like this, it will have another problem. There won't be any more wealthy tourists coming, only the partying people, the vulgar and the disrespectful. My dentist from Europe was in Bali for the first time, he said. Never again. And many now prefer to fly to Thailand or Central America. If my wife wasn't from Indonesia, who I love, I probably wouldn't travel to Bali anymore, even though I love the people and the island. I'm just a guest and can't change anything. But I can't live in a pile of trash. Traffic collapse loud and smelly. too many tourists who behave like scum and animal suffering everywhere you look. The last beautiful corners in Bali are being paved with villas or entire districts. The beautiful and quite quiet Sanur is also getting a gigantic boost, then it will also be a second Kuta. It makes it very stressful for me. I'll look for another two years and then I'll decide. It's a shame, but everything in Bali has changed for the worse in the last 10 years.
Josh
Thursday 1st of February 2024
Straight across the sea (Bali Strait) to Bali's west is East Java's Alas Purwo National Park - which runs all the way up the coast parallel to Negara. No rubbish is coming from there since nobody even lives along that entire area or for many kilometres inland!! No islands exist south of Bali at all, so, which islands are we talking about when most of the garbage is washing back up on Bali's southwestern beaches??