Bali tourist's 'stupid' act at luxury hotel: 'Why would you do this?'

Bali has long been a popular tourist hotspot thanks to its tropical weather, laidback lifestyle and cheap beer. But as droves of foreigners, including Aussies, continue to visit the island, so too does the long list of "stupid" things some of them do — and one tourist's recent act has created quite the wave online.

The incident, which has since gone viral on social media, shows a man attempting to put his face into a large decorative water bowl filled with flower petals, believed to be at the Apurva Kempinski five-star hotel in Nusa Dua. But as he begins to lean in, with both hands resting firmly on the bowl, it gives way under his weight, resulting in the water pouring out onto the floor.

It's unclear exactly why he chose to dunk his head in it to start with, with the act deemed "inappropriate","disrespectful" and even "stupid" by online commentators. Why he did it is the first question many of the 25 million people who watched the video have had for him since.

"This is why we don’t touch things we’re not supposed to touch," one person said. "Now why would you do this," another question.

"Well that's just lovely isn't it, so careful and respectful and cultured," another sarcastically shared.

Others however couldn't look past the embarrassment with one admitting: "I would just lay on the floor like I passed out". While many others admitted they would be "mortified" if this happened to them at a luxury hotel.

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Balinese authorities crackdown on tourist's reckless behaviour

Millions of international tourists visit Bali every year and there's no shortage of stories about reckless or inappropriate behaviour. Whether dipping your face into a luxury hotel's water decoration, riding a motorbike while drunk or wearing swimwear in the supermarket, the high number of questionable behaviour from tourists has sparked a continued crackdown from Balinese authorities.

Since May last year, tourists have been handed a 'Dos and Don'ts' list the moment they arrive in Bali to outline the expected behaviour of travellers. The 'dos' include respecting the holy nature of temples and dressing modestly while visiting tourist attractions or sacred places.

Billboards have also been put up to build awareness among visitors on how to behave in cultural settings and in the broader community, with the instructions written in English.

"Now they're trying to make sure the tourists that are coming are behaving in the most appropriate way and culturally sensitive to Indonesian and Balinese cultural ways and more," travel expert Quentin Long told Yahoo News previously. "Bali has always had a reputation for being a relatively free place to go and have a great time and that rep has been around since the 70s."

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