News from tourists who have recently visited Bali, Indonesia:
As of late, the costs of liquor and wine have greatly increased in Bali, to such an extent that it might deter diners who enjoy drinking wine with dinner or simply want to imbibe in any alcoholic beverages to change their travel plans and go somewhere else. With these Draconian laws in place, please do yourself and everyone else a favor, and avoid this island altogether. This is the only way these, either greedy or bigoted legislatures, will understand that they cannot get away with these practices. Previously there was a tax on alcoholic beverages of 20 -140%, depending on the beverage and its origin. Recently, the government removed that tax and imposed an excise tax of 150 – 600%. This has had a huge effect. The least expensive wine on certain wine lists, which you might pay $12 for in a location in the West can be listed at $70 on a restaurant menu, and most restaurants authenticate that most of the price of its wines are due to the new tax. No one knows yet, whether this boost in the tax is the result of religious opposition or just lining the coffers. In either case there is no justification for it.
Bali is a beautiful island, but to be fair, there are many other places to go on this planet! I for one, shall not visit the island until these unfair practices change, and I highly advise all others to protest as well.
