Bali Villa Is Next to a Construction Site, Ruins Vacation

Sam, who goes by @curvysam on TikTok, is a body positivity influencer who took a trip to Bali in order to snag some video she can use to launch her new plus-size clothing company that specializes in comfy robes. I love this. I love a soft robe and I love an inclusive organization.

Unfortunately this project requires a relatively quiet space that Sam wasn’t afforded at her Bali villa. Not only is the noise an issue, but according to Sam “stuff has fallen into the pool” which makes this a safety concern as well.

Unfortunately the construction starts at 7:30 a.m. and doesn’t wrap up until 5:00 p.m. She came to Bali because it’s gorgeous but also, where Sam lives in Brisbane, Australia is “very loud and it’s very dark.”

Sam is like a lot of us who saved up for a vacation and can’t pivot when something like this happens. When I had to find a different place to stay in New Orleans, I had to borrow money from my mother. I write this without shame! Times are tough.

Believe it or not, Sam also took this trip so she could relax. As she’s saying this, so much hammering is heard in the background. It’s almost comical and is very much like that scene in Scrooged where Bill Murray keeps shouting at people to hold the goddamn hammering. When they do, the sets they are building fall one by one like so many enormous dominoes.

Sam must be one of those “make the best of it” type folks because in a followup TikTok, she’s eating a delicious bagel in the pool by her Bali villa while the madness rages on around her. She was able to squeeze in a moment’s peace in between drilling, until gravel fell on her head. By the way, it was one of the best bagels she’s ever had.

Sadly Sam mentioned possibly leaving and heading to her parents’s home in Melbourne to film, but she did drop a few more TikToks from Bali so hopefully things worked out. I’m particularly fond of the video where she visits a local grocery store. I love a supermarket and am obsessed with what’s available at stores outside of the U.S.

In the caption of the bagel video, Sam explains that she can’t actually leave because this trip is part vacation part work. “I have packages and samples being delivered throughout the day,” she writes. There are also two photoshoots on the books. For Sam, this is an investment.

The villa manager has apparently been really kind which shocked me to no end. He spoke to the construction workers about the debris falling into the pool and addressed the yelling and smoking. Most of her work will be done but the experience has been triggering for Sam. When asked in the comments who she booked the villa through, Sam said Airbnb. The owner took a video of the construction and sent it to Sam, who forwarded it to Airbnb. “They have seen the video and been in touch,” she said.