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Bali Raw: An exposé of the underbelly of Bali, Indonesia
Every year, millions of tourists visit Bali in Indonesia, but what you don’t see in the glossy brochures is the rampant prostitution, the bloody turf wars waged between local gangs and the drug- and alcohol-induced Western hooliganism. Tourists are robbed, raped and murdered and get into vicious fights. In this raw and extraordinary exposé, Scott offers up a Bali choking with violent street fights, cheap sex and aggressive crime.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 19, 2015
This is the worst book I have read to date. VERY poorly written, who edited this?!?! It touches on every offensive/politically incorrect opinion one could have and is written in the most egotistical tone I have ever read. Managed to get through 3 quarters of it before I threw it in the bin. Do NOT waste your money.
November 28, 2013
Biggest load of egotistical crap I've ever wasted my time reading! Do not waste your money. This book should have been called '256pages of me trying to convince you just how tough I am....regardless of the fact that I am unattractive(self proclaimed'
Every chapter is just more and more drivel and totally unsubstantiated 'stories'.
Every chapter is just more and more drivel and totally unsubstantiated 'stories'.
August 28, 2020
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
"An expose of the Underbelly of Bali" is wayyy too misleading. I think it should be "an expose of a white Australian man's underbelly in Bali" because this book is all about him and his bad experience in Bali.
You know that one obnoxious white man who everyone hates because he picks unnecessary fights with innocent people and play the victim card when authorities come? This is him.
What I absolutely hate is how he sets a tone saying that majority of the Balinese people are bad. And then he proceeds to creating chaos by fighting with the locals, getting involved with a gang, sleeping with prostitutes and not paying them (even though they insist on getting paid for survival) and many many things. I was most repulsed by him saying that Indonesians are mostly jealous of westerners. That generalisation is so distasteful.
Even though I managed to read the whole thing, I had to cringe every now and then throughout my reading.
So NON-SPOILER SPOILER ALERT: This book is about him and his acquaintances, not about Bali in any way.
I myself do not understand why I bought this in the first place and why it's sold everywhere on the 'hot bestsellers' rack in Bali. It doesn't help at all. But I guess it's because most tourists in Bali are Australians? I don't know. But the point is, this is plain bad and biased and just.... no.
"An expose of the Underbelly of Bali" is wayyy too misleading. I think it should be "an expose of a white Australian man's underbelly in Bali" because this book is all about him and his bad experience in Bali.
You know that one obnoxious white man who everyone hates because he picks unnecessary fights with innocent people and play the victim card when authorities come? This is him.
What I absolutely hate is how he sets a tone saying that majority of the Balinese people are bad. And then he proceeds to creating chaos by fighting with the locals, getting involved with a gang, sleeping with prostitutes and not paying them (even though they insist on getting paid for survival) and many many things. I was most repulsed by him saying that Indonesians are mostly jealous of westerners. That generalisation is so distasteful.
Even though I managed to read the whole thing, I had to cringe every now and then throughout my reading.
So NON-SPOILER SPOILER ALERT: This book is about him and his acquaintances, not about Bali in any way.
I myself do not understand why I bought this in the first place and why it's sold everywhere on the 'hot bestsellers' rack in Bali. It doesn't help at all. But I guess it's because most tourists in Bali are Australians? I don't know. But the point is, this is plain bad and biased and just.... no.
October 4, 2024
I’ll be blunt—Bali Raw inspired my first-ever review on Goodreads, and unfortunately, it’s not a positive one.
This book is a major disappointment and a waste of money. A more fitting title would be "How to Get a Prostitute in Bali, Especially If You're Ugly."
After living in Bali for 10 years, the so-called "author" still managed to mistranslate "pelit" (which means stingy, not skinny). TEN YEARS and no one thought to proofread this? It's baffling.
I powered through the book in one sitting, and the entire time, I felt like I was being taken for a fool. The author seems obsessed with painting himself and his brothers as "macho-men," though their insecurities are glaringly obvious.
These juvenile, shallow tales should have stayed in bars, not been turned into a published work. What a waste.
This book is a major disappointment and a waste of money. A more fitting title would be "How to Get a Prostitute in Bali, Especially If You're Ugly."
After living in Bali for 10 years, the so-called "author" still managed to mistranslate "pelit" (which means stingy, not skinny). TEN YEARS and no one thought to proofread this? It's baffling.
I powered through the book in one sitting, and the entire time, I felt like I was being taken for a fool. The author seems obsessed with painting himself and his brothers as "macho-men," though their insecurities are glaringly obvious.
These juvenile, shallow tales should have stayed in bars, not been turned into a published work. What a waste.
August 9, 2016
Pure torture in short sentences. This book is not about Bali, it's about some Australian douchebag's poor lifestyle choices and actually... his naivety (although he keeps boasting how streetwise he is). Nothing new is exposed unless you have been living under a rock and have never ever heard about prostitutes and sincerely believe that locals all over the world would never rip a tourist off.
February 10, 2021
It's like a 5th grader wrote this. Repetitive thoughts and poor explanations everywhere. You think you'd learn more about the 'underbelly' of Bali but the book just follows this dude around Bali doing stupid shit with stupid ass dialogue.
July 1, 2025
What a load of crap.
Rather than an ‘expose’ of Bali’s underbelly, it’s one man’s badly written tales of his experiences with prostitutes, getting drunk and fighting. And as an added bonus, stories of his friends doing the same thing.
It feels like it was written to show how tough Malcom thinks he and his brothers are & to brag about how many hookers he knows- he’s virtually a pimp for visiting Australians.
Australian expats living in Bali reading this must just cringe at how he describes what he says is their typical experiences.
So many expats either retired or working in Bali embrace and get involved in local life and culture.
They don’t just spend their time getting pissed, bonking hookers and fighting.
This guy is embarrassing and fits the ‘Aussie bogan in Bali’ stereotype to a t. Why he thought it would be a good idea to publish details of what a jerk he is remains mystery- he must have been short of money.
Besides the subject matter being awful, the book had loads of grammatical errors and typos.
I don’t think the author had a proof reader/editor check it out before he had it printed.
I can not believe he went on to write more books, and even more unbelievably, people bought them.
Glad I only paid 50 cents at the op shop for this load of rubbish.
First time in my life I’ve thrown a book in the bin.
Rather than an ‘expose’ of Bali’s underbelly, it’s one man’s badly written tales of his experiences with prostitutes, getting drunk and fighting. And as an added bonus, stories of his friends doing the same thing.
It feels like it was written to show how tough Malcom thinks he and his brothers are & to brag about how many hookers he knows- he’s virtually a pimp for visiting Australians.
Australian expats living in Bali reading this must just cringe at how he describes what he says is their typical experiences.
So many expats either retired or working in Bali embrace and get involved in local life and culture.
They don’t just spend their time getting pissed, bonking hookers and fighting.
This guy is embarrassing and fits the ‘Aussie bogan in Bali’ stereotype to a t. Why he thought it would be a good idea to publish details of what a jerk he is remains mystery- he must have been short of money.
Besides the subject matter being awful, the book had loads of grammatical errors and typos.
I don’t think the author had a proof reader/editor check it out before he had it printed.
I can not believe he went on to write more books, and even more unbelievably, people bought them.
Glad I only paid 50 cents at the op shop for this load of rubbish.
First time in my life I’ve thrown a book in the bin.
February 26, 2025
It was fun and entertaining at the beginning, quite a quick read, but it got repetitive really fast. The book wasn't what I expected either. It turned out more of a diary of this Australia guy who basically wrote a guide on how to get hookers in Bali and about his bar fights. Read this after coming back from a trip to Bali, and I am glad I didn't read it beforehand. To be fair, it did give me a different perspective on the beautiful and dreamy holiday destination, which I am glad I did not experience, and do not wish on others to experience. Will not reach for his other books.
February 21, 2014
I really have no idea why I read it all, and I really have no idea why he wrote the book... Would not recommend it.
July 9, 2015
Wow...possibly the worst book I have ever read. Grammatically terrible and really just read like a wannabe bad ass talking about how much tougher he is than everyone else...reading hours wasted
August 25, 2017
I couldn't even finish this book. Scam to ever buy this book and think you will learn something.
October 16, 2025
Since returning from my second (wonderful!) trip to Bali, I've been reading through all the books I bought in the English language bookshops there. They've been of varying quality, and some have had a certain "ripped from the tabloids" quality, but this one is by far the most worthless. The description sounded genuinely fascinating, and I was looking forward to entertaining stories about Western tourists behaving badly. Unfortunately, this is just a wildly racist and misogynistic red-piller ranting about how much he hates Bali without ever looking for anything to love about it, aside from emotionally abusing the women. He and his loathsome wannabe mafioso brothers just bounce around Kuta, sleeping with sex workers, getting stabbed in the neck with beer bottles, and shooting people's dogs. And of course, none of it is *ever* their fault. As far as grammar, style, and self-importance, it reads exactly as you would expect considering the 4chan cesspit this guy must have crawled out of. Assuming most of these stories even happened, he has to have paid someone to publish this for him. It's so sad that it's sold in so many bookstores in Bali. I'm only bothering to write this so that any tourists with honest intentions toward learning about Balinese culture, even the darker side of it, can spend their money on something that's actually meaningful.
October 20, 2025
Picked this up at Denpasar Airport expecting investigative journalism into the "underbelly of Bali". Was deeply disappointed in learning (within the first 5 pages) that the book was actually a pseudo-memoir of an older Aussie Bogan who does his best to convince the reader of how hard him and his family/mates are.
I would avoid. Gets 2 stars because it is a very easy read.
I would avoid. Gets 2 stars because it is a very easy read.
June 29, 2018
not exactly what I wanted- was just an obnoxious seeming man's account of fighting and hooking up with working girls. no thanks!
January 29, 2019
This was absolute madness. I picked this up thinking it would be an "expose" of the drug world, the criminals, etc. All this was, was a regaling of Malcolms life as an Aussie Bogan that went around Kuta and Legian like he owned the place, starting fights with people if he looked at them the wrong way and getting to know all the working girls. He says he went to work for his brothers business, but it seems he started his own business as a pimp. So many spelling and grammatical errors that at times I had to re-read the sentence multiple times to understand what was trying to be said.
Really disappointing read. Especially the rushed last chapter about his friend that passed away.
Really disappointing read. Especially the rushed last chapter about his friend that passed away.
December 16, 2015
So many chapters were unnecessary and were a total waste of time. The synopsis at the back made it sound like such an exciting book when in fact, it was just the story about a drunken man's misadventures in Bali. Every time he got into a fight, it was never his fault. People just loved fighting with him. A total waste of time.
June 13, 2024
It wasn’t bad. It’s an easy read with basic language and mediocre editing. Not complex and lacks any sort of plot; just a bunch of stories that I found fascinating given the idea most people have of Bali. I feel the one star reviews are justified. Definitely egotistical but interesting nonetheless if you want an easy 3-4 hour read that is *somewhat* informative
July 3, 2022
Got 8 pages in. Two questions came to mind:
1. Who approved this to be published?
2. How on earth did it get a sequel?
As a regular visitor to Bali, this is far from a true depiction. Only thing you should take from it is there are a lot of undesirables over there (author at the front of the queue).
1. Who approved this to be published?
2. How on earth did it get a sequel?
As a regular visitor to Bali, this is far from a true depiction. Only thing you should take from it is there are a lot of undesirables over there (author at the front of the queue).
March 6, 2021
Agree with every comments here. This garbage belongs to the bin. Read half of this garbage before I threw it in the bin. Talks about himself and nothing about Bali and I am quite sure most of the stories are made up. Regret spending 20$ for this shit.
June 17, 2015
Don't waste your money
This is not a book about Bali. It is the ranting of a man who likes to drink, chase women and fight anyone who looks at him. Total waste of reading time.
This is not a book about Bali. It is the ranting of a man who likes to drink, chase women and fight anyone who looks at him. Total waste of reading time.
June 24, 2015
Sesapa mok beli buku tok ngan aku, sila PM - terima kasih daun keladi.
January 23, 2017
What a poorly written book, of the seedy life of a complete cretin. If this bloke can scrawl this and get it published, then it gives me the utmost confidence for any of my future endeavours.
February 28, 2023
Made the mistake of purchasing this colonoscopy of a book during a recent trip to Bali. Expecting some interesting (albeit reasonably obvious) facts about the Bali underbelly I was sorely disappointed.
The book is basically the alcoholic ramblings and made up stories of, what appears to be, a washed up sex tourist with “many tattoos and a goatee”. Why do I write this? Because the stories resonate like a poorly written porn script combined with a C list action flick. Furthermore, the book is incredibly judgmental when it comes to the people of Bali.
I forced myself to read it to the end, although next time I’d rather gouge out my eyes with a spoon and fill the sockets with gravel, I truly and honestly believe that it would be a more enjoyable experience as opposed to reading this travesty.
The book is basically the alcoholic ramblings and made up stories of, what appears to be, a washed up sex tourist with “many tattoos and a goatee”. Why do I write this? Because the stories resonate like a poorly written porn script combined with a C list action flick. Furthermore, the book is incredibly judgmental when it comes to the people of Bali.
I forced myself to read it to the end, although next time I’d rather gouge out my eyes with a spoon and fill the sockets with gravel, I truly and honestly believe that it would be a more enjoyable experience as opposed to reading this travesty.
August 10, 2025
I saw this book in the bookstore at Den Pasar Airport on my way back and thought it would be interesting. It wasn't. First of all, I think this author has absolutely no writing talent. The book consists of short stories in which the author uncompellingly recounts the experiences he and his "mates" experience in Bali, where he lives as an expat, iIt is not supported by research or facts. The adolescent adventures of a thirty-something. At the beginning, he indicates that he wants to be honest and therefore runs the risk of coming across as less likable. He's right; he doesn't seem likable at all, more like a selfish, disrespectful sexist. The way he generalizes also rubs me the wrong way. At the end, he admits that he's become what he didn't want to be: a cliché expat. Does he realize that his behavior is part of the problem? It's set in Bali, but it could be anywhere.
November 10, 2024
Dreadful book. The title is extremely misleading.
This book is about nothing more than one Australian man's time living in Bali.
The book in a nutshell (so you don't have to read it) - he moves to Bali to work in a family "business", sleeps with prostitutes, frequents unsavory bars in Kuta, engages in bar fights and is involved with some shady tourists and locals. Written to justify his bogan behaviour.
Nothing to do with Bali as a country. Don't waste your time reading.
This book is about nothing more than one Australian man's time living in Bali.
The book in a nutshell (so you don't have to read it) - he moves to Bali to work in a family "business", sleeps with prostitutes, frequents unsavory bars in Kuta, engages in bar fights and is involved with some shady tourists and locals. Written to justify his bogan behaviour.
Nothing to do with Bali as a country. Don't waste your time reading.
May 27, 2018
If you think this book is about the arts, attractions or relgious rites of Bali, move on. An author’s experience as a veteran expat, schooling you on the badest part of Bali (mostly Kuta), how to get along with the locals and how they’ll make a quick buck on tourists or anyone white or foreign. Probably written while drunk or high.
May 9, 2018
Keeping it short. I picked it up and read this in Bali; and I think it is very one sided. I do not know why it is called "An Expose of the Underbelly of Bali'; it was in fact more like experiences of the author.
June 9, 2024
Worst book i read, it deserved my first review.Poorly editing, poor read, all in all, a waste of money and time. Story of a white man living in the sketchy area of bali and contributing to its misery.
October 21, 2018
ugh.
i felt like i read a wasted aimless white man's diary.
i felt like i read a wasted aimless white man's diary.
September 5, 2019
Ik zou nul sterren geven als dat mogelijk was ...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews