Snowing in Bali: The Incredible Inside Account of Bali's Hidden Drug World

by Kathryn Bonella

A true crime book set in Bali's drug trafficking underworld.
It's snowing in Bali. Among Bali's drug dealers it's the code for a huge cocaine shipment having just landed. For the men who run the country's drug empires, it's time to get rich and party hard.

Snowing in Bali is the story of the drug trafficking and dealing scene that's made Bali one of the world's most important destinations in the global distribution of narcotics. With its central location to the Asia Pacific market, its thriving tourist industry to act as cover for importation, and a culture of corruption that can easily help law enforcement turn a blind eye, Bali has long been a paradise for traffickers as well as for holiday-makers.

Kathryn Bonella, bestselling author of Hotel Kerobokan, has been given extraordinary access into the lives of some of the biggest players in Bali's drug world, both past and present. She charts their rise to incredible wealth and power, and their drug-fuelled lifestyles, filled with orgies, outrageous extravagance and surfing. But running international drug empires in Bali can also be a highly risky business, with terrible consequences for those caught and convicted.

From the highs of multi-million dollar deals to the desperate lows of death row in an Indonesian high security jail, Snowing in Bali is a unique, uncensored insight into a hidden world.

Paperback

Published January 30, 2014

About the author

Kathryn Bonella is the bestselling author of gripping true-crime books that reveal the hidden world behind some of the region’s most infamous criminal cases. Her books, including Snowing in Bali, Hotel K and Operation Playboy, have been translated into multiple languages and captivated readers around the world. Drawing on years of investigative journalism and extensive firsthand research, Bonella tells extraordinary true stories with the pace and suspense of a thriller.


Instagram: @kathryn.bonella

Reviews

[Mike Cheng]

3/5 stars. “It’s snowing in Bali” is a euphemism meaning ample supplies of cocaine. The island province is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, and its location, expat community, and surfing culture makes it a strategic spot for international drug trafficking. Published in 2012, author Kathryn Bonella provides accounts of the rises and falls of several drug traffickers and dealers. These include Marco Archer Moreira, Andre Mendes, and “Rafael”, the last of whom was a very significant player in using surfboards, windsurfing booms, and DHL mail services to import cocaine into Bali. The extreme risk, extravagant lifestyles, and eventual cat and mouse game with the local and international authorities made for quite the compelling read.

[Gemma Searle]

I found hotel k really interesting so I was really looking forward to this book but I found it just ok.

[Sasha Flux]

Such a fascinating look into the underbelly of Bali

[Alicia Harriman]

Very informative

[Neo Jonathan]

Eye opening and lifted the cover to reveal the reality of the drug world in Bali and in fact the rest of the world. Although was repetitive at points and some parts were not as engaging as others.