What Makes Bali the Greatest Destination on Earth?

Take a look into the photo-journal of Daron Bandeira as he ventures into Bali – the greatest destination on Earth.

When someone says 'Bali,' what do you see? The Indonesian province has become synonymous with mile-long stretches of white sand, thick hills of lush green jungle, and rugged volcanic hillsides – all together crafting some of the most breathtaking views that the Earth has to offer. With sights like these and a reputation so high, it is easy to understand why Bali walked away as the most popular holiday destination in 2017, and was even crowned the 'greatest destination on Earth' by TripAdvisor.

But what really makes it so great? It was just about time for Ghanaian-based travel photographer, Daron Bandeira, to see what all the fuss is about.

From Ghana to Bali

The province of Bali holds only a few of the thousands of volcanic islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. It has a population of just over 4 million, with most of that population (over 80%) practicing Balinese Hinduism. Despite that, Bali is warm and welcoming of all colours and faiths.

After nearly 24-hours of journeying from Ghana to Indonesia, Bandeira landed in Denpasar, the capital of Bali. As it was Bandeira's first trip to Asia, it was well worth the long journey: “[Visiting Indonesia] was more like a discovery of what it is like being in the country that you've heard only of from videos online about how amazing it was.” Finally, it was time to discover the islands' magic for himself.

The Greatest Destination on Earth

So what really makes Bali so great?

For Bandeira, “What makes Bali great is the community – the sense of community – from the people coming from different parts of the world, in a beautiful place with beautiful scenery. The one thing that makes bali amazing is the community – it's easy to socialize, it's easy to talk to people. Everybody's welcoming. The way the city is carved out, it's easy to find places, it's easy to go from one spot to another. It's also easy to learn new things, like surfing, and things that you've never done before. It gives you an ideal experience.”

“Bali is amazing because of the mix of culture and luxury. The culture, in terms of how the locals are and receive you with their friendliness, their way of dressing, their makeup, their dancing. That's what makes Bali really special – it's what makes the whole journey from Africa to Bali worth it – because of all these experiences that you get.”

Being one of the very few black travellers around crafted a unique experience for Bandeira, but also surprised him with how welcoming the community was. “As an African traveling all the way to Asia and being in Bali, I felt like I was in between two worlds. I was meeting Asian people, and I was meeting Europeans who both wanted to get to know me and know more about where I'm coming from. I was getting attention from two different groups of people, which made me feel very different and really appreciate myself because they wanted to know more about my culture.”

In the end, it was all about exchange – it was about exchanging cultures, languages, and perspectives. Bali showed Bandeira why it is the greatest destination on Earth: “I would go back to Bali because of the easy access to amazing places, the culture, the trips, the landscapes, the hotels, the community, the parties.”

As for Bandeira? He showed Bali that yes, Africans do travel. And, they travel in style.

Photography & Story by Daron Bandeira

Written By Alexxa Walker