Thought Thailand’s dirty old men were bad? This is what young women are doing in Bali and why you should never let your girlfriend go there solo

So, your partner is heading off on a girls’ trip to Bali? What could go wrong?

Well, apparently, quite a lot.

As it seems, Bali has slowly made a name for itself as ‘Infidelity Island’, a place where women – and men – go to let off some steam while their partners sit blissfully unaware at home.

The tropical paradise is just a stone’s throw away from Australia and its affordable luxurious accommodation and world famous beaches have now made it a hotspot for Europeans and Americans too. 

But many have begun to wonder if the Indonesian island is ‘cursed’ following confessions of cheating among both men and women alike.

Just ask Melissa Zahorujko, who has spent the last two months in Bali and witnessed the debauchery of many who are supposedly in committed relationships. 

Speaking to Daily Mail, the socialite is known among the Sydney influencing scene, flocking from one event to another and is hardly ever home on a weeknight.

‘There’s such a mix of expats and international travellers in Bali. Everyone is in holiday mode, in a good mood and open to chatting, the weather is warm 24/7 – it’s a paradise,’ Mel, 31, said. 

At bars she’s often hit on by flirtatious married men and knows of women who have cheated on their partners who are waiting back home Down Under.

It’s the sole reason why you should think twice before your partner travels to Bali alone – and why it’s a bad idea to plan your bachelorette party there.

For the last few years, Mel has remained single by choice – but has had her fair share of ‘situationships’ with men not willing to commit. 

From finance bros to ‘Peter Pan’ men who don’t want to grow up, Mel says the Australian dating pool is a ‘practical joke’ for men and women alike. 

So she packed her bags and looked for love abroad.

She’s had a string of romances around the world including in London, Turkey and Dubai, yet has never been lucky in Indonesia, which she doesn’t think is a coincidence. 

‘I’ve had so many successful holiday romances in the past, but never in Bali,’ Mel said. 

‘While I’ve been single for the last few years, I’ve seen people cheat on their partners or they’ve told me of their affairs – nearly all have happened in Bali.’

Mel shared stories of attending beachclubs and private soirées where travellers and friends revealed their shameful secrets.

‘Women are a lot more secretive than men because they’re normally judged more by others. They don’t want other people to think badly of them whereas men don’t care,’ she said. 

On one occasion, Mel was at a villa with friends and was chatting to one woman who she knew had been sleeping with a handsome man she’d met in Bali that week.

‘She goes, “Oh yeah.. I have someone back home and I feel bad about what I’ve done.. And he’s flying over to see me today”,’ Mel recalled. 

A few hours later, the boyfriend arrived and introduced himself to the group while everyone kept quiet about what his girlfriend had been up to in his absence.

The pair adored each other yet the young woman still found herself in someone else’s bed. Mel doesn’t know if they are still together or not. 

On a previous week-long trip, Mel heard how a friend’s holiday slowly descended into chaos following a hen’s night.

The group hired out a villa so they could all stay in one place. The bridesmaids ordered a stripper, balloons, and the other usual checklist items for a bachelorette party.

‘My friend told me everyone was having a fun time, drinking champagne and celebrating our friend – just the girls,’ she said.

But one of the women who had a fiancé back in Australia went ‘too far’ with the stripper.

‘They were all drunk by the end of the night and the stripper stayed a bit longer to party with us. One of the girls got a bit frisky with him. They went into the bedroom together and didn’t come back for an hour,’ Mel said. 

‘I couldn’t believe it. Apparently her relationship ended when she returned to Australia.’ 

Over the last eight weeks and on previous trips, Mel has noticed a common denominator: people run to Bali to escape their reality back home. 

When Mel first arrived in mid-July and met a man at a bar, he asked how long she was planning on being in the tropical paradise for. 

Then the conversation took a deeper turn and he asked, ‘What are you running away from?’ 

‘Bali is a form of escapism for so many people,’ she explained. 

‘I’ve been approached by married men who come to Bali to figure out what they want out of life – most of them are unsure about either their relationship or career. 

‘One guy I met had recently had a baby with his wife and their relationship has never been the same. 

‘So many people I’ve met have all the things society tells you to strive for – a partner, kids and career back home – yet those sometimes aren’t enough.’

THE BALI ‘BREAKUP CURSE’

Unmarried travellers are warned to stay away from Bali due to the ‘breakup curse’.

The Bali ‘curse’ is rooted in Balinese folklore and Hindu mythology, detailing a love story gone horribly wrong.

As the tale goes, a Brahmin Prince and Brahmin Princess came to Bali from Java and visited the Tanah Lot Temple, which is best known for its stunning scenery.

The engaged couple had pre-marital sex but the following morning the prince refused to marry the princess.

In her heartbroken state, it’s believed the princess placed a curse on the island – dooming any unmarried couple who visits.

When Mel first heard of the curse, she found it difficult to believe.

However, having had her own bad experiences with men on the island, and with one situationship ending particularly badly, she’s now convinced.

During her travels, Mel met a cute man named Jared* who seemed like a ‘perfect gentleman’ but things quickly unravelled during a trip to the islands. 

‘We were talking about this curse on our first date and were determined for this not to end badly for us. He was quite spiritual himself and truly believed in the “curse”,’ she said.

‘We were really hitting it off, everything was going great and we planned to travel the island together. He’d open doors for me and was really sweet.’

One afternoon, Jared went back to his hotel extremely fatigued and wanted to stay in for the night, however Mel didn’t want to ‘put her holiday on hold’. 

‘I told him I’m going to go out and he can meet me later if he’s up for it. I ended up on this pub crawl, met all these other amazing people and didn’t hear from Jared,’ she said. 

‘I was talking to a group of really hot Canadian guys later that night then all of a sudden Jared popped up out of nowhere and was really annoyed I was talking to other men.

‘I greeted him but he was really cold towards me and then didn’t want to come home with me. 

‘We had an argument, both stormed off from each other and haven’t spoken since.’

While Mel’s trip will be coming to an end later this month, she hopes to return to Bali soon – but she’s not counting on meeting her Prince Charming.

Instead she’s found formed ‘strong platonic friendships and community’ in Bali and looks forward to returning for that reason – not for men.  

*Name has been changed