The REAL Bali: Sad photos showing a popular beach covered in trash-stun Aussies

Australian tourists were stunned by sad photos showing beaches in Bali littered with rubbish, sparking debate about the island’s value as a popular tourist destination.

A horrified Sydney woman shared photos of the island’s famous Legian Beach.

In the pictures, the sand is completely covered with plastic waste.

Some online forums are now cynically calling the summer in Bali “garbage season,” at least on the island’s bustling east coast.

Located north of Kuta and south of Seminyakm, Legian is a popular tourist hotspot for millions of Aussies.

The reality of Bali’s beaches compared to the glossy images in tourist ads has been questioned after photos emerged showing beaches strewn with rubbish

Not quite the beach walk the tourists were hoping for. A photo shared online of Legian Beach in Bali

Australian tourists were stunned by sad photos showing beaches in Bali littered with rubbish, sparking debate about the island’s value as a popular tourist destination

The images sparked a heated debate, with many questioning if they showed “the real Bali” and if the popular vacation hotspot was still worth visiting.

“At least I know where the sewers are in Legian today absolutely disgusting,” claimed Tracey, who shared the photos online.

Others corrected them, saying it wasn’t sewerage but a recurring seasonal problem with ocean currents bringing floating debris to Bali’s eastern beaches.

During the rainy season from October to March, tons of water bottles, food wrappers, straws, cutlery and bags are washed into the sea and rivers by ocean currents every day and dumped on Bali’s Kuta, Seminyak, Legian and Jimbaran beaches.

The once-pristine beach is a hotspot for holidaymakers who flock to the destination to soak up the sun and soak up the party atmosphere (pictured, Kuta Beach, Bali)

A familiar sight on Bali’s east coast in summer: tractors cleaning up the beach

During December and January, the entire east coast of Bali is inundated with rubbish and only a small army of dedicated volunteers struggle to keep it clean

During December and January, the entire east coast of Bali is inundated with rubbish, with a small group of dedicated volunteers fighting a losing battle to keep it clean.

Tractors hauling rubbish off Bali’s beaches are a common sight.

In December, 600 tons were collected, according to Made Gede Dwipayana, coordinator for marine litter evacuation at the Environment and Sanitation Service of the Regency of Badung.

On a Christmas day alone, 25 tractors were dispatched to Kuta Beach to clean it up.

However, some locals are not well trained in the latest beach cleaning methods and are taking a more short-term approach.

Bali’s beaches aren’t always pristine, and they’re far from pristine in summer

From October to March, Bali’s eastern beaches are inundated with rubbish

“We saw Balinese people picking up rubbish and then digging a hole in the sand to bury it,” one person said on Facebook.

The photos shocked people unfamiliar with Bali and left some puzzlers as to why anyone would think of a beach holiday there when they can go to clean beaches in Australia.

“Why would you go there when Australia has the best beaches in the world,” said a Sydney woman in the Facebook thread.

“That’s why you don’t swim in the ocean in Bali,” said a Newcastle woman.

“If you’re going to Bali for the beaches, you’ve completely missed the mark!” said one Canberra mother.

One Sydney surfer claimed Bali’s beaches have looked like this in the summer “for at least two decades”.

“All the rubbish is hauled in huge heaps to Tuban Beach, where it is trucked to a landfill. About five tons are removed every day,” he wrote.

Some commented that the beaches on the other side of the island are still clean even at this time of year.

Over 100 volunteers and four front loaders (pictured) were sent to Kuta Beach to clean up the trash. An estimated 600 tons of rubbish washed up along the entire coast of Bali from October to December

The west coast gets the drain from the villages! Go to the east side, the water’s fine,’ one said.

Others commented that the eastern beaches are much cleaner in June and July.

Many said the island’s beaches are clean outside of the rainy season, adding that despite the litter problem during the rainy season, Bali still has plenty to offer.

Many say that the warmth of the local people, bars and restaurants, temples, Balinese culture and the natural beauty of the inland are the best things about Bali.

In 2022, more Australians visited Bali than any other national. Over 352,000 Aussies went there, with Indians being the next largest group at just 93,000.

The biggest year in recent memory was 2019, when 1.23 million Australians visited.