When My Mom Said Bali Was Ruined

I got into an argument with mom today. She’d sent me a reel on Instagram about how crowded Bali was becoming, the message she sent with it about how she’s 100% turned off from the island and only wants to come because I live here. It made me mad, because my Bali is so much different than these ignorant videos.

But then it made me think. How has social media shaped Bali to what it is today, and how much of the island’s real magic still lives, untouched, just out of frame?

The Reality of Bali Overtourism

Already people have taken to the internet, bashing Bali for being so overcrowded and overdeveloped. Unfortunately, these people have also never explored outside of the overpopulated areas. They see Bali through TikToks and reels—filtered, exaggerated, and almost always limited to Canggu, Seminyak, or Ubud's most tourist-heavy corners.

When you walk through the rice terraces in Ubud, the view is almost entirely obstructed by human bird nests for photos, heart constructions for photos, swings where you can rent hundred-dollar gowns to swing for 5 seconds—for more photos. Vendors crowd your space and shove their wares into your face, continuously asking you if you want to buy even after you’ve said no 10 times.

I get it—they just need to make a living—but this Instagram-driven tourism has completely altered this once peaceful part of the island.

Instagram vs. the Real Bali

The same story is told down south in Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu. A concrete jungle sprawls from all the demand for Instagram-worthy cafes, restaurants, beauty salons, gyms, and coworking spaces. The locals are happy with the business—Instagram turned their lives around and brought them success—but what will happen when there is nothing left of Bali?

There are so many beautiful places left in Bali, but part of me hopes that Instagram never finds them.

Finding the Real Bali Experience

People forget that Bali isn’t a resort. It’s a real place, with real people who have lived and prayed and laughed and worked here for generations. It’s not some digital detox fantasy curated for your Instagram carousel. And when you treat it like it is—when you extract from it without offering anything back—it bleeds.

Honestly, maybe I’m just being a little too hopeful. Maybe the Bali I fell for isn’t built to keep up with the way content moves now. But if even one person reads this and picks the quiet backroad instead of the tourist trap, then maybe there’s still a little hope.