Leaders in Bali are once again responding to the question of whether or not the island is experiencing overtourism.
The Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, has told reporters that while overtourism is not an issue island-wide, the core problem is the over-concentration of tourism development in specific areas.
Pemayun told reporters on 26th December that Bali’s capacity to serve and welcome tourists has not been pushed over its limit, but that ‘over-concentration’ of tourism in specific areas, like the resorts of the central south, is an issue that needs to be resolved. There is a plan.
Pemayun explained, “The concentration of everything is in South Bali, as seen from the business activities in South Bali, traffic jams, and massive development. Bali is not only the south, but there is East, North, and West Bali.”
The Bali Tourism Office is still waiting on a verdict on a proposed ban on tourism development in the central south of Bali, which would see a ban on the construction of new hotels, resorts, and tourism complexes in resort areas like Uluwatu, Canggu, Kuta, and Seminyak.
However, the Bali Tourism Office wants to take a proactive approach and encourage tourists to explore more areas of the island.
The Head of the Bali Tourism Office said that more tourists must come to Bali to seek a connection with Balinese culture and the island’s natural beauty.
Pemayun suggests that these kinds of authentic connections and experiences are easier to find in North, East, and West Bali. Pemayun noted that infrastructural connectivity is the biggest barrier for holidaymakers exploring these areas.
He noted, “Just like us who are tourists, we are definitely still interested in easier access; South Bali is easy to get to the airport, hotels, culinary centers are there, there are several attractions too, hopefully in the future we can go North, East and West Bali, in the three Bs tour we have started to make access easier.”
The 3Bs Tour is a package itinerary launched by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism to connect two untapped destinations in Bali with East Java. The tour visits North Bali’s Lovina Beach, the West Bali National Park, and Banyuwangi in East Java to complete the third ‘B’ destination of the trip.
For tourists to visit East Bali, North Bali, and West Bali, adding just five extra days into a vacation or swapping out five days of a two-week vacation to visit these hidden gem destinations would allow tourists to experience some of the finest cultures and natural wonders the island has to offer.
Many travelers feel that the ‘real’ Bali can be found in destinations like Amed, Munduk, Lovina, and West Bali National Park.
Notably less commercially developed than resorts like Seminyak, Sanur, and Canggu, these emerging hotspots give the Bali vacation vibe of the early 2000s low-key guesthouses, a few fancier resorts, no crowds, route-less day trips discovering waterfalls and empty beaches…the real Bali vacation dream.
For tourists wanting to explore these areas of the province in 2025, there are a few different ways to go about it.
The first is to plan overnight stays in the East, the North, and the West, organizing a local driver to transport you between each destination. The alternative is to take full-day trips to these destinations, returning to a resort close to Ubud for overnight stays.
Activities in East Bali must include hiking up Mount Agung and diving in Amed or Tulamben.
In North Bali, it’s all about sunrise dolphin-watching trips and waterfall hopping in the jungles of Munudk. In the west, it’s all about West Bali National Park, one of the last places on earth where it is possible to see the critically endangered Bali Starling; you better pack your binoculars; these gorgeous white birds are hard to spot!
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