Viral French Tourist Calls Bali 'Hell on Earth', Badung Tourism Authority Responds
A foreign national reportedly from France has gone viral on social media after uploading a video containing sharp criticism of Bali. In her posts, the woman urged other tourists not to visit, describing Bali as a terrible holiday destination.
“Believe me, never come to Bali. I guarantee this wretched island is hell on earth,” the tourist said in a video recording that circulated widely on social media.
She complained about the state of Bali’s road infrastructure, which she considered a major disaster and extremely uncomfortable. Beyond road issues, the woman claimed she nearly fell victim to fraud when attempting to exchange currency at a money changer.
“Everything is complicated here, truly horrifying. The roads are completely destroyed,” complained the unidentified woman.
The female tourist also highlighted the behaviour of some local residents, describing them as dishonest despite Bali’s reputation for spirituality. She felt that claims about karma on the island were unfounded given her repeated bad experiences.
“Three times I exchanged money, three times they tried to cheat me. They say this is a spiritual island with karma, but to hell with karma,” she continued emotionally.
Her disappointment extended to the culinary scene, which she found boring as it served only chicken and rice daily.
Accommodation also drew criticism, with complaints about basic facilities such as Wi-Fi connectivity and toilet paper availability being minimal. Although acknowledging her hotel room had good design, she nevertheless felt the service provided was disappointing.
“Honestly, I cannot take it anymore. Imagine entering a room with no Wi-Fi and no toilet paper. Just one empty roll—are they laughing at me or what?” the tourist said sharply.
In response, I Nyoman Rudiarta, head of Badung Tourism Authority, stated that criticism from tourists, foreign influencers or anyone familiar with Bali should be received as constructive feedback for local government evaluation. He emphasised the importance of self-improvement in line with each department’s responsibilities amid current social media freedoms.
“If we look at it this way, we should take the lesson—the positive lesson for us in local government that given these current freedoms, especially on social media, we must improve ourselves. We must improve ourselves but act in accordance with our respective duties,” said Rudiarta when contacted on Tuesday (10 March 2026).
Rudiarta hoped other stakeholders would also provide positive statements to maintain Bali’s tourism image, particularly in Badung. Badung Regency government is currently implementing various gradual improvement measures, ranging from infrastructure rehabilitation, waste management, traffic management, crime prevention in cooperation with police, and public services to enhance tourism quality.
“We hope influencers and colleagues will also provide positive perspectives on tourism conditions and infrastructure in Badung Regency, starting with road repairs, road widening and other such improvements,” he explained.
He further reminded that the tourism sector is the core business of Badung region, supporting the livelihoods of 60 per cent of local residents. Rudiarta mentioned the government has already implemented strategic policies to address congestion and flooding complaints.
“Badung’s core business is tourism and nearly 60 per cent of residents also depend on this sector. We hope to maintain our tourism dignity and conditions. Moreover, the current government under the regent has created policies related to congestion and flooding—many steps have already been taken,” he stated.
The authorities called on all community members, business operators, and tourism stakeholders to begin collective improvement. Public awareness of the importance of security and comfort is considered key to keeping Bali’s economy running smoothly.