Cinematic Bali field notes, camera kit and rice terraces

About Sean

This is my Bali Shortlist.

I am Sean Strecker, the creator of Bali Shortlist, based in Ubud with my wife Olivia and our young family. I built this guide because most Bali advice ignores the one thing that can make or break a trip: choosing the right area before you start filling the itinerary.

I have been travelling to Bali since 2001 and living here full-time since 2023. My recommendations come from returning over many years, staying in different places, driving the island, and learning what actually matters once you are on the ground.

Sean Strecker, creator of Bali Shortlist Built from Ubud

Drive less. Explore more.

I want the guide to feel personal because it is personal. I have been travelling to Bali since 2001 and living here full-time since 2023, so the advice comes from years of returning, driving, planning around real trade-offs, and raising a family on the island.

Cinematic Bali field notes and creative kit
On the ground

The guide is built from lived experience, not generic Bali content.

The point of view is practical, personal and tied to the real decisions travellers make here: where to stay, when to move, what to skip and how to avoid losing days to bad geography.

Why trust the guide

Not anonymous travel content. My lived filter.

Long-term Bali traveller

I have been travelling to Bali since 2001, which means my perspective comes from many different versions of the island, not one quick trip.

Ubud local

I live in Ubud with my wife Olivia and our young family. Bali is not a fly-in content project for me. It is where I am raising my kids.

Region-first planner

I care about bases, timing, access and trade-offs because those choices shape the whole trip before the itinerary even starts.

Personal filter

This site is written from my perspective. If I have not checked something properly, I will be clear about that. Trust matters more than pretending to know everything.

The point of view

I am building the guide I wish more travellers had before arriving.

Bali is not one destination. Ubud, Canggu, Uluwatu, Sanur, Amed and North Bali can feel like different trips entirely. If you pick the wrong base, you burn money and time in traffic before you even get to the good part.

With Bali Shortlist, I want to cut through the noise and help people plan around region, timing, access and real trade-offs. The content will keep getting more personal over time because that is where the trust comes from.