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I live in Jakarta with my family and I totally get where you're coming from. I think part of the reason is the marked difference in pace of life and what is considered important. I would imagine the discrepancy would be greater in Bali where the locals are even more relaxed.

Sad, but true. Yet respect should perhaps not be about differences in lifestyle or culture, but about our common humanity. In the blog post I implied that some people leave their capacity to respect at the airport; but in reality those people never arrived with any.

Very true, I doubt that genuinely nice people would suddenly morph into utter asses just by being on holiday. Have enjoyed your blog. Especially the posting about your pembantu... Mine has much the same ability to disappear

Hi, I'm a newbie to the forum since yesterday and Bali is my passion. Moving to Bali is No. 1 on my "Bucket List" and still have a few years to go before I can hopefully make this dream come true.  59 more sleeps before we're off again to Tanjung Benoa our home-away-from-home and I can't wait.

I was amazing to read that we're not the only people who share your feelings.  How often do we see others behave this way and it breaks my heart to put it mildly.  How can adult people be so rude to these beautiful people is beyond my comprehension and something that I believe we will never understand.  Our Balinese friends have come to ignore this obnoxious behaviour but it is sad none-the-less. I believe this behavior tends to be more in Kuta but we also experienced it with a group of wealthy Germans in Tanjung Benoa. I was so mad I wanted to slap the lot of them, but they wouldn't have understood why.

So, no - you're definitely NOT being over sensitive, it's a widespread problem in Bali but luckily primarily confined to Kuta area where Bintang flows like water. These apes should be collected when it gets dark and confined in their cages or better yet sent back on the boat or plane where they came from the whole disrespecful lot of 'em!!!!!

Coming from England and seeing how we treat the Spanish along the Costa Del Sol I can make comparisons to Bali and the foreign visitors it attracts. I actually feel ashamed sometimes to walk about in Kuta, Bali when I see westerners behaving the way they do there and the impact it must have on the local Balinese people. However as normal that is a small minority of people that make me feel like that.
Bali in my opinion is what you want it to be. It can be a party paradise, an escape from the stress of life, a chilled out beach resort or all. However the respect or disrespect of tourists there, it goes hand in hand with the fact that the tourists bring trade and commerce to the island and contribute greatly to its economical success.
Bali is a Hindu Island and so the cultural impacts are different and over time the local people just ignore what they see as it is just old news. The same can be said for Spain where the same things happen.
Tourists come, go red in the sun, get drunk at night. Forget their manners and decide that they have had so much fun that they will come back again.
And it is in the culture to welcome them back.
Sad but true.
In Jakarta there is just as much drink, dancing and debauchery but the cultural aspects drive it underground or confine it to a limited amount of places. It is there but the °µÍø½ûÇøs that are into these scenes seem to be more aware of their impact I feel.

couldn't agree more

The instances you mention on your blog are just the tip of an ever growing iceberg sad to say. These problems have been exacerbated in recent times with the advent of low cost flights to Bali allowing young, immature idiots to descend on the island. I see teens/early twenty somethings riding motorbikes recklessly through Legian with no regard for the safety of others - or their own. Would they be allowed to do this in their own country??? Of course not but they quickly realise that the people here have an extremely long fuse and what little common sense they may possess at home flies right out of the window here.

However, like the Balinese. I am a great believer in Karma. What goes around comes around for this absurd and embarrassing minority.

Thanks for making this world a better place. Everywhere, you can find ignorant people like that from different nationalities (including my countrymen, Indonesians ). When I see people like that, I try to ignore them and go back to the state of mind of enjoying my travel.

Yes!!! totally agree!!! KARMA!!!!

Your observations are unfortunately sad but true. Not just your countrymen/women but seems there are westerners from different countries that behave like this. Seen it many times in my travels with US, UK and Aussies in diff loactions behaving in this manner.

I could add to your list young or even middle aged women in nothing but a bikini sit down at a restuarant, young men with shorts around their ankles and all age men walking around the streets with no shirts, idiots on bikes not wearing helmets, to abusive customers not having the patience when ordering or getting what they expect etc.  Would be good if the law enforced some dress and driving codes which could be really carried out without bribery getting a foot in the door. We can only live in hope