It’s a fact of life when you visit Bali that somewhere along the line you will end up paying a fee to get into a tourist attraction and even at major road intersections that lead to the aforementioned. Bali is one big money-spinner for the government. I have noticed that over the years the more popular a tourist attraction is, the more you pay for fees to enter.
A good example of this is Alas Kedaton; the monkey ‘rehabilitation’ centre not far from the renowned Sangeh Monkey Forest. At one time years ago one could virtually walk in and stroll around taking photos and enjoying the view of the massive bats hanging from the trees. When you left then you made a donation. Now, it has become an obyek turis or tourist object. You now have to pay a fee to enter.
The entrance fee at Sangeh Monkey Forest has increased dramatically whereas twenty years ago one would pay a mere pittance. It’s not the fee that I am bitchin’ about because it is nothing to tourists and especially with such a good exchange rate. It’s the blatant money-making machine that Bali has become. If they can make big bucks or even bigger bucks out of tourists then it is done.
And now, according to an article I read today, the admission fee to enter Tanah Lot will increase 200%. It seems it represents a very small amount for visiting foreign tourists. Because the fabled sunset at Tanah Lot is world renowned as it is, this warrants the massive increase. Crap! The number of tourists visiting there has increased dramatically and ‘tink’ ‘tink’ goes the register in the minds of the government.
For an alternative visit to Tanah Lot do what a group of us did a few years back. Walk there. It’s a pleasant stroll and you get to see some of Bali that is beautiful. The rugged coastline is amazing with the crashing surf and what it is even more delightful is the characters you meet along the way.
