Exposing the Brutal Reality of Gangs, Drugs, Violence and Prostitution

Some people seem to have a problem with Bali Raw being too violent or
mentioning what happens between expats and prostitutes, and that's fine.
Everyone has a right to their opinion including myself. But I have to ask
why people that feel this way would pick up and read a book like Bali Raw in
the first place. 

Bali Raw is violent and there are stories about prostitutes in its pages. It
isn't a nice book about Bali. This should be evident from the blurb. If
these things offend you then maybe it isn't for you. But then Bali Raw also
gives an honest view about what Bali has become. And it is a view from an
expat that lived there for eight years. 

Some people also seem to feel that Bali Raw is about Kuta and not about
Bali. For the most part this is true. But I would then pose the question,
what is Bali without Kuta? 

Everyone who travels to Bali visits Kuta at least once and anyone who has
been to Bali more than once has been to Kuta. Kuta is a must on most Bali
tourists travel agendas, even if it is only for the shopping, or to gawk at
the nightlife. Maybe people won't like it. But to me the two are so
intertwined that they could be considered as one.

Bali has its wonderful side, but people already know that. But in the pursuit
of keeping Bali's pleasing image intact, are visitors to Bali being given all
the facts? Bali has sold itself so well over the last twenty years. It is
advertising genius, especially for someone like me with a background in
marketing. Put the name Bali in the title or headline and people want to
read it. But then a lot of bad things happen in Bali. All anyone has to do
is type in "Bali crime" on a search engine and scroll back a few years to find
out about them. It could be said, that in part, by writing Bali Raw I was
trying to wake people up to this fact. 

Bali is a great place and a delightful holiday destination. But it does have
a dark side. Do people want to know about this dark side? 

I think they do. Bali Raw wouldn't be selling so well if they didn't.