SE Asia attracts millions of tourists year from all over the world. These people come from the US, Australia, Europe and elsewhere.
What makes this region so attractive is its variety and accessibility. The Philippines and Indonesian archipelagoes contain over 20,000 islands between them. You will find friendly people, unique cultures, wonderful cuisine, good weather and affordable prices.
Two of the favourite tourist/traveler spots in SE Asia are Thailand and Bali, one is a country, the other an island that is part of a country.
For a short term visitor of less than 30 days how do they compare? (Points are out of 10 with 10 being the most favourable).
Here’s an evaluation.
Visas:
Thailand has a 30 day tourist visa. Bali has a 30 day visa on arrival
Thailand 6 Bali 5
Airport:
Bangkok is one of the major hubs for air traffic, you can fly direct from many international destinations. The airport is located to the north of the city and getting to Khao San Rd and the cheap guest houses takes an hour. Bali’s Denpasar airport is international but has a shorter list of airlines flying in, hence the need to stop over somewhere enroute from the US.The airport is located in Tuban, 2 miles from the affordable guest houses in Kuta.
Thailand 8 Bali 8
Travellers hangout:
Thailand: The travelers congregate in Khao San Rd in Bangkok which is in the west of the city. This is crowded and has the big city feel. Kuta’s Poppies Lane area is crowded but has a very low key feel and is 5 minutes from the beach.
Thailand 6 Bali 8
Costs:
I paid $6 a night for a cheap room on Khao San Rd. The cheap place on Poppies in around 20,000rp ( $2.60).
Thailand 6 Bali 9
Food:
No prizes for guessing who takes the prize for home cooking here…its Thailand. The food rocks and is one of the highlights of the country. Balinese food isn’t much to shout about, however Javanese food quite healthy and tasty. The array of warungs featuring a mixture of local food and simple western favourites is amazing as is the selection of good restaurants with food from all over the world.
Thailand 9 Bali 9
Getting around:
Bangkok has a skytrain which covers some of the city and a force of taxis. The islands in the south are 600 miles ( 960km) from Chiang Mai in the north. Getting around can be time consuming and expensive. Bali is one island and it will take about 3 hours to get to the east or west coast. Vehicles with or without driver can be hired cheaply.
Thailand 6 Bali 9
Culture:
Thailand is predominantly Buddhist and Bangkok has some large temples ( wats) that feature large pyramidal structures and golden buddhas. Bali’s colorful Hindu culture is one of its highlights. Daily offerings and temple ceremonies are great to watch and are accessible for westerners to attend.
Thailand 7 Bali 9
Beaches:
Thailand has lovely beaches, white sand and turquoise water are what you get here. Bali’s beaches are not up to the standard of Thailand’s, but you can find pristine deserted white sand beaches within 35 minutes of Kuta if you know where to look.
Thailand 9 Bali 7
Watersports:
Thailand has ton of diving operations on Ko Samui and Ko Tao. This is a great place to learn to dive. Bali is one of the premier surfing locations in the world and you can surf somewhere in Bali on most days of the year. Diving and cruises are also available.
Thailand 8 Bali 9
People:
People in this part of the world are friendly and I meet good people in both countries.
Thailand 10 Bali 10
Affordability:
Both places are competitive and you can still get a plate of food for $1. The deals get better the further away from tourist centers you get.
Thailand 9 Bali 9
Nightlife:
Thailand has the backpacker bars on Khao San Rd and the famous Full Moon Party on Ko Phan Ghan. Bali has the Kuta scene which focuses on backpackers and short term visitors. The Seminyak area which is 2 miles from Kuta offers a more hip nightscene with some fancy bars and restaurants.
Thailand 7 Bali 8
Safety:
Thailand is a fairly safe place with no macho culture or people looking to start trouble. However it does have a huge drug problem. Bali is very safe too but does not have a big drug scene.
Thailand 8 Bali 9
Weather
Thailand: The wet season is August-September and the hottest time of the year is April- March . Cooler temperatures can be found in the highlands. Winter temperatures in the highlands are much cooler. Bali’s temperatures are more constant being only 8 degrees off the equator. Nov-Mar is the wet season and also the hottest. June -Oct has cool morning and evenings. Cooler temperatures can be found in just 2 hours drive from Kuta in Bedugal. In Bali after the wet season is over its good weather all round for months.
Thailand 7 Bali 8
Souvenirs:
Thailand has a massive industry knocking out artwork and nick nacks tourists will buy. Clothing deals on suits and shirts are good.
Bali has a well developed handicraft scene as well as low price clothing and pirated DVD’s / CD’s. With the heavy presence of the surf culture here you will find deals on surf wear.
Thailand 8 Bali 8
Day trips:
Thailand is a fairly big country and the only day trip you’d want to take from the capital would be Pattaya beach which takes about 2 hours to get to.Bali has the surfing beaches of the Bukit within 40 minutes, Tanah Lot temple on the coast just a 40 minutes ride from Kuta,arts center Ubud is 90 minutes and the mountain areas of Bedugal and Kintimani can be reached in 2-3 hours.
Thailand 5 Bali 9
This was my unscientific survey and the final total score was:
Thailand 119
Bali 134
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I’ve really been enjoying your blog since I found it a couple of weeks ago.
On the Bali-Thai comparison, I think you’ve done a great job–but,it’s hard to compare an entire country including the busy capital city and the beaches and mountains with Bali–a small part of a much larger country.
Nick - thanks for the opinions. As my prospective budget keeps shrinking, I am reevaluating my summer travel plans and have been engaging in an internal debate: Thailand or Bali? Baliblog has helped me tremendously in building comparative budgets.
Perhaps you would be willing to discuss a question I’m finding hard to answer on my own: Is it cheaper (or even practical) to fly into Singapore or Jakarta and travel overland (or by sea) to Bali?
Thanks!
I have to say I found the Balinese friendlier than the Thais, maybe The Land Of Smiles has seen too many travellers.
If I had the choice of a trip to either, Bali would be it, coming out top for me in most of your categories.
I like the size and accessibility of Bali.