Bali: Why is it better than Gold Coast Australia?

Gold Coast, Australia: The favourite domestic holiday destination in Australia. It’s handy, safe and popular, but how does it stack up to Bali?

Prices: I'll leave it to you to decide where you’d rather take your family (and credit card) out to dinner, The Gold Coast or Poppies Lane I.

Food: The Gold Coast has good food, but Bali has the same selection, plus the Indonesian food is authentic, being cooked by locals.

Weather: Both have great weather.

Culture: If pubs, mates and surfing are your thing, then the Gold Coast might work. Still, Bali has a lot more and can even be fun for a bunch of mates who just want partying and surfing.

Beaches: Gold Coast beaches are nice, but the buildings block the sun in the afternoon. Some Bali beaches have too many beach vendors which can also be annoying.

Surfing: Gold Coast gets good surf for a few weeks a year. When you get a decent swell and the wind is onshore, you have to take it because you might not get much else for a while. In Bali we get 2 seasons, wet and dry, with different wind direction and a chance to try out different sides of the island.

Accessibility for the tourist: The Gold Coast has better, faster roads, no argument.

So there you go. Bali stands up well against a selection of it rivals based on Prices (food, accommodation, shopping, transport), Food (quality, selection), Weather, Culture, Beaches, Surfing and Accessibility for the tourist. Of course not everyone who visits Bali comes away with that impression. You do have to 'demand quality' as in every aspect of life. If you are content going to McDonalds and eating a grease burger then you might not feel Bali has great food. If all you see is Kuta and t-shirt vendors, your idea of Balinese culture and the island will be pretty low. The point is if you are on a budget, a honeymoon, a family trip, a relaxation trip, a party trip or a culture exploration trip, then Bali offers it all, if you make the effort to find it. Other destinations have some of the same, but almost never in such an affordable, friendly, accessible bundle as Bali.