So after years of hearing about this island paradise (it only took me twelve years to put it on my calendar) I finally came to see for myself; is Bali still the paradise everyone raved about a decade ago? The short answer is not really, BUT there are certainly exceptions and arguments to be made and I loved my entire month in the Canggu beach area. The island is huge so I can't say much about the other areas. Admittedly, I saw such a small slice of the whole pie that this really can't be a review that applies to the whole island. I never even made it to Ubud, the famous, hippy dippy, veggie munching, chillax capital of Asia. Perhaps I was a bit discouraged when a friend told me "Unless you're in to eating leaves and carrots, doing yoga by moonlight, and reading romance novels, then don't bother, it's overrated." I suspect that put me off so I never went.

I decided to take up residence in Canggu. It's just out of reach of Kuta and Legian where all the things that suck about touristy places take shape; drunk, disrespectful foreigners, prostitutes, annoying touts and salespeople, tons of trash on the beach, terrorist bombings(2002 and 2005), and things that generally suck the fun out of potential paradises around the globe. Canggu has three clean beaches that are great for beginner and intermediate surfers and just playing in the waves. Sunsets here are epic! Dining options are outstanding, ranging from street side warungs to organic gourmet coffee and pizza shops.

The first downside to the paradise side of things is the immense amount of traffic coupled with the poor driving skills of the local population. I wasn't expecting so many vehicles to be on the road. The second traffic downside is you pretty much MUST rent your own motorbike to get around. Walking is not an option. This is fine for me but I have no idea how travelers that don't know how to ride get anywhere they need to go without spending a fortune on taxis. And finally, Indonesia has a quirky law in place requiring an international driver's license, which no one has and they know it. The cops probably spend half their day trying to pluck foreign riders out of the rivers of traffic for a "violation". (they spend the second half of their day doing nothing) If you get caught, this quickly goes from a ticketable offense to a bribe negotiation. It is wise to always carry a "stash 'o cash" in the amount of a few dollars, just in case. Fortunately for me, I was well schooled on the Ins-and-Outs of police avoidance and escape. The most useful avoidance tactic, and the one applied most frequently, is to hide behind a taxi or SUV on the opposite side of the road that the police are waiting and then hit the gas and get moving just as you pass the trap. Apart from learning where the checkpoints are, the recommended escape technique is to avoid eye contact and just keep going. Never stop! They are too lazy to chase you down anyway. In one situation, a cop jumped out right in front of me at an intersection on the main road to Uluwatu with his whistle blaring and his little red flag outstretched in hand. I simply pretended he was signaling me to turn left and that's exactly what I did. Not stopping. Just escaping. So you read that right. the exact same behavior that would land you on an episode of COPS back home is standard procedure here.

So once you learn to move around the island, you can appreciate the good stuff. My motorbike rental for an entire month was ridiculously cheap (US$52) and it came with a surfboard rack, which makes you look cool regardless of your surfing skills. The sea is bathwater warm, the waves can be big and fun to play in, and if you get far enough out of the population centers, you'll never see such brilliant shades of green anywhere. Indonesian food is fantastic and the growing international foodie scene in Canggu will keep you fed with a lot of healthy alternatives. The surfing and yoga scene here seems to provide a never ending supply of fitness models... I'll just leave that one there without further commentary.
As far as accommodation goes, Bali has managed the hotel and resort construction boom poorly, meaning there is a huge surplus of rooms that can't possibly be filled. Their lack of planning is our gain. Room rates should remain inexpensive by western standards for the foreseeable future.

A word of warning:
Women need to take extra care at the moment. There is a recent rise in crime in general and a big increase in attacks on women riding their scooters to steal their hand bag. For now, men are left pretty much alone but this will probably change the longer the police do nothing.
In addition, it's good to know beforehand that the monkeys at Uluwatu temple are professional thieves! They are exceptionally skilled at stealing flip flops and sunglasses. You've been warned.

So I guess "paradise" is still found in pockets here and there in different places and through different experiences. Will I come back? For sure!. Do I recommend visiting? Not for everyone but in general, yes. I would avoid Kuta at all costs, be prepared for heavy traffic, and look at police corruption like a fishing net with giant holes in it. There's always a way through.