10 Differences between Bali and South America

Having done extensive traveling in South and Central America, but never before having visited an Asian country, I was looking forward to finding things that were different in the two regions. I found some. And I made a list.

Note: This is besides the obvious differences like they speak a different language and drive on the opposite side of the road. Those ones are just no fun in a list because duh.

1. People wear masks driving their scooters. Like ones dentists or doctors wear to cover half their face. I think it's to add a layer of protection from air pollution?

     1b. The majority of small vehicles on the street are scooters, not motorcycles.

2. There are a lot less bicycles present. Pretty much no one riding them from one place to another, and a lot less kids in the street riding them.

3. There is a lot less graffiti. South America it was plastered all over the sides of everything, Bali was a lot cleaner in that respect.

4. Main roads don't feel like main roads. Even in the bigger cities we were in, what Google Maps showed as the main drag didn't feel like a main street. Even in smaller South American cities, the main streets felt bigger than the side streets.

5. We had to listen to a lot less catcalls while walking around. The machismo mindset that is a way of life in all of Latin America is non-existant in Bali, so we could go about our business without a hoard of young guys whistling, yelling, asking us our names and if we were single. It was lovely.

6. There were not as many people selling things on the side of the street at stoplights, or waiting for buses to stop. There were some occasionally with little packets of some sort of crackers or food along the side of the road, but nowhere near as many as in South America.

7. Drivers actually use their turn signals, which surprised me a bit. Almost every driver we had over the course of the trip used it at corners, and while passing other cars.

8. It was much more common for scooter riders to have a helmet on. Even in the more rural parts of the country.

9. Kites are a thing. There were kites being flown everywhere. You'd notice them way up high above the city, just hanging out. Even going back into bigger cities before we were left, I saw some high above the buildings.

10. Minions are not a thing, whereas you can find minion themed whatever you want in South America.


Along with the differences, there were also a bunch of things that were similar between the two regions. And these are things that are common between Bali and South America but not present in the States.

1. Rice is a main component of every meal.

2. Change is still impossible to find. Especially in small stores, even small amounts of change are a difficulty.

3. Pavement markings mean next to nothing. Same goes for traffic signs, for example ones indicating that passing is not permitted.

4. Horn usage is much the same. They toot the horn to warn a car/scooter before passing, honk going fast around  blind curves to warn anyone coming in the opposite direction, and also going through intersections to say they're not planning to stop.

5. Multiple people on scooters or in the back of a truck is common. I think the max we've seen on one scooter is 5.

And as a reward for making it to the end of the list, here's my new favorite street sign. And also one that doesn't exist in the States (to the best of my knowledge)

Side note: hati-hati behind it means 'danger'. If it's just one hati, it means 'heart'.