Earlier this year when my boyfriend asked if I wanted to visit Bali for a short getaway, my initial reaction was, “Oh god, no”. The reason was pretty straightforward ‒ I didn’t want to be a victim of the Bali curse. Call me superstitious, but I prefer to be safe than sorry, so we settled for Bintan instead.
For the unacquainted, the Bali curse refers to an unmarried couple breaking up after stepping foot on the Indonesian island. The breakup could happen at any time ‒ during their stay in Bali, right after they leave the island, or months after their visit. Some people also believe that it only applies to those who visit the sacred sites of Bali.
Below, three Singaporeans share their Bali curse stories that might make you have second thoughts about visiting the island with your bae.
“My trip to Bali actually didn’t include my ex-boyfriend, but I video-called him every day when I was there. However, whenever I did so, he made me angry and upset, causing me to be in a bad mood. It was at that point in time when I came to a sudden realisation that I didn’t need a guy to ruin my holiday with my family.
For instance, he commented that the dreamcatchers that I bought for my friends were satanic, and told me to throw them away. Imagine how confused and shocked I was, considering the fact that I was really excited about showing them to him. Plus, when I returned to Singapore, he didn’t even bother asking how my trip went.
Bali curse or not, the incident made me realise that he was not the one. Also, I’m not worried about experiencing the Bali curse in the future because if my partner and I are meant to be together, I believe no “curse” can break us apart.”
– Gwen, 22
“Before my trip with my ex-boyfriend, I hadn’t heard of the Bali curse, and we chose Bali as a cheap getaway because I was a student, and he had just completed NS.
The funny thing was the fact that nothing happened during the trip, and I recall that we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. Yet, for some reason, we started being distant upon returning to Singapore.
Initially, I thought it could’ve been due to him transitioning into a new phase of life after NS, but in hindsight, it seemed as if it was Murphy’s Law. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong after my trip to Bali. And that was when I realised “Oh, so maybe the curse is real”.
However, I believe that there were also many other reasons that led to the breakup. Incompatibility, changing life phases, and differences in priorities… just to name a few, I didn’t think that the trip was the sole reason that led to our breakup.
As a superstitious person, I am still worried about travelling to Bali with my future partner. If possible, I would like to go with him and a group of friends instead.”
– Syuhada, 26
“I suggested going on a 3-day, 2-night trip to Bali with my ex-girlfriend because I thought we were losing the initial spark that we had. I imagined it would be nice to be away from the city bustle and enjoy the peace that Bali offered. While I knew about the Bali curse, I never expected it to happen to me because I was never a superstitious person.
We had an argument on the second day of our trip, and while I initiated conversations to resolve the argument, she didn’t appear keen on resolving it. It almost felt as if she had given up on trying to salvage our relationship. Instead of sticking to our plan to enjoy a spa session and try out water activities, both of us ended up sitting in different parts of the hotel room.
The “cold war” lasted till we were on the way back to Singapore, and by the time we touched down at Changi Airport, she told me that she wanted a break. I agreed, but after thinking about our relationship for a week, I contacted her and said that it would probably be better if we just broke up.
Interestingly, she didn’t question my decision, and it seemed as if she was already expecting it to happen.
While I don’t think our breakup was due to the Bali curse, it felt as if the trip was a sign from the universe that we were just not meant to be together.”
– Alvin, 30
Superstitious or not, the Bali curse seems to only affect certain people, and may not always happen to every couple. While the aforementioned stories suggest that the Bali curse is real, there are also many successful stories where couples have survived the curse.
As a piece of advice, take the Bali curse with a pinch of salt.
Cover: TheSmartLocal, Image courtesy of Gwen
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