A morning walk in Seminyak, 2021

30 Jan 2021Photography3 min readTranslated from IndonesianBy Joe Wasia

We all know what happened in 2020, especially what it did to Bali. This post is just me sharing what Seminyak looked like in the morning at the start of 2021.

At the end of 2020 we were probably all hoping 2021 would be better, given how busy Bali got in December. At least December 2020 helped Bali's economy a little, with domestic tourists coming in.

An empty row of shuttered shops in Seminyak, a torn black net strung overhead and an inflatable doughnut hanging from the roof — A normal view around Seminyak

Like it or not, that hope kind of faded. At the start of 2021 the airport closed to international arrivals, and the PSBB restrictions got stricter, all the way into February. No domestic tourists, no international tourists.

Seminyak beach right now

Driftwood and trash piled up on the sand at Seminyak beach, under a street lamp and a sign — Piles of trash and driftwood. It's been cleaned up since, a few weeks ago.

When I went, it was still fairly clean. Over the last few weeks, though, this beach was full of trash. Trash washed in by the west wind.

But washed in or not, one thing is certain: the trash is there because of us. Come on, let's clean up our act.

Oh, and why is it clean now? Because lately lots of organisations and communities have been doing beach cleanups. I joined one with friends from @balithisweek.

On top of that, every morning the banjar, the Kuta/Badung sanitation office and hotel cleaning staff are out cleaning too.

If you get the chance or have some spare time, come join your local community. Or if you don't have time, you can start right now by not littering.

Someone in a hooded jacket crouching on the wet sand at Seminyak beach, picking up trash into a white sack

A woman jogging barefoot along the wet sand at Seminyak beach on a grey morning, her reflection below her

A pale dog with a red collar sitting on the sand at Seminyak beach, the photographer's shadow in the corner

A beach cleaner raking the sand at Seminyak beach, the sea behind him

Seminyak beach runs all the way to Petitenget, so it's a great place to exercise. This morning I saw lots of people out for a morning run, riding horses, and cleaners tidying up the beach.

You could say it's the complete opposite if you go in the afternoon, because the draw of Seminyak beach is more the evening chill at La Plancha and friends, the shopping at the malls near the beach, and the sunset (though it's not as beautiful as Uluwatu, haha).

If you want to surf, it's better here too (Kuta and Seminyak). I mean it's better for beginners, because it's a beach break, and there are lots of surf instructors and board rentals from 50k to 100k. (These are COVID prices.)

A rider on a dark horse walking along the shoreline at Seminyak beach under heavy grey clouds

Waves washing onto an empty stretch of Seminyak beach under a misty grey sky

A red no-swimming flag on a pole at Seminyak beach, rough waves behind it

A tall wooden swing with two seats standing on the sand near Seminyak, palm trees behind

Oh, see the swing in the photo above? The seat is about 167cm off the sand. So hard to get on. And to get off you have to jump down. Anyone know which beach that swing is on? ^^

Same as 2020, tourism is focused on locals, so there are promos to grab domestic tourists' attention.

Even OneEighty Bali is doing 50% off, plus restaurants in Seminyak and all sorts of tourist spots with huge discounts. When else will you get to stay in a 5-star hotel this cheap?

There's even a local privilege trend, and "COVID prices". Honestly that's fine, I'm one of the people enjoying all these promos myself. But the saddest part is when people already get a promo and still ask for a *COVID price*.

Come on! Please be aware of what we're all going through. Some people already get the COVID price and still want high-class service, complain about everything, and some even ask for compensation. (I work in hospitality, and guests like this really hurt!)

On one hand, we ask for the foreign tourists who come here to be high-quality tourists. But on the other hand, plenty of local tourists aren't high quality either.

*High quality here means awareness. E.g. still littering (Yes! Just look at La Plancha and the streets of Seminyak and Kuta last December), getting a promo price and still asking for a COVID price, asking for compensation with no real reason.*

Joe