Letter: Learning tourism from neighbors

I have visited Bali and Lombok many times in recent years. Legian and Kuta have some unfixable problems that mainly boil down to traffic congestion and inadequate footpaths.

It’s probable that Lombok’s new international airport will slightly reduce the number of tourists to Kuta but it won’t be noticeable. Existing facilities are not adequate for the local inhabitants. Those basic facilities are inadequate as it is.

What will it be like in 20 years when another generation spills onto the streets. What to do? Build a traffic overpass maybe; demolish all buildings on one side of the street to enable road widening; both these options are not possible. Maybe prohibit single floor buildings and reserve the ground level for parking.

All first floor retailers have common access to adjoining buildings thus reducing use of inadequate footpaths and removing all parking from streets. There is an immediate increase in traffic areas and an improvement in movement.

I have seen vehicles stop on a congested single lane road in peak times, probably waiting to pick up a family member. It caused a total blockage to all road users. That must cease. My comments relate to observations mainly on Bali and are not just in the best interests of tourists.

The big advantage that Kuta and its surrounds have is that most locals can speak some English that being the common language of tourists. It is difficult for English speaking tourists to converse with locals in Lombok. That problem also applies to Vietnam however facilities in Vietnam are superior to Bali.

My last visit to Bali was in the week prior to Christmas. Darwin and Bali have the same weather I entered the immigration area and joined one of six or seven queues of tourists in a barn like building, those queues were barely moving.

That is fixable and must be immediately fixed. Having to slowly move forward in a hot crowded room to inadequate desks is a terrible welcome to Bali. Several days later I went on to Singapore and Vietnam. The facilities were excellent. It is probable I was ripped off by officials at my departure from Denpassar. I had a bottle of Scotch that I purchased Duty Free on arrival. One drink had been taken.
It was allowable for this bottle to be in my luggage at time of entering Singapore and Vietnam.

Scanning my luggage at departure Bali showed the bottle, it was confiscated by the departure officials, why?

That can be fixed by sending your clever people to look at your Asian neighbors and how they are serving tourists, then copy and improve on their procedures. I have many local friends, great people, I will miss them.

Peter Jacobs
Darwin