Desi Love Island: 70 Singles, 0 Romances, 22K HKD Noodles

KEY POINTS

•Aniqah Bhatnagar, aged 29, applied in February for a South Asian singles trip hosted by Dose of Travel Club in Bali.
•The eight-day retreat cost 22,000 HKD (approximately $2,800) and included a shared villa, meals, and activities such as quad-biking and rafting.
•Seventy participants from cities including London, Singapore, and Melbourne attended, forming fast friendships more than romantic connections.
•Though romance wasn’t found, Aniqah values the friendships lasting beyond Bali, enjoying the intimacy of noodle nights and group gossip.

Aniqah Bhatnagar, a 29-year-old Hong Kong business developer chasing a $2,800 South Asian singles retreat in Bali, swapped swiping ghosting woes for instant noodle gossip in Ubud. Inspired by Nabila Ismail’s 193K-strong Dose of Travel Club, Aniqah waited weeks after a February application to join the 8-day "Desi Love Island" reunion of 70 hopefuls from Singapore to Melbourne on a villa escapade with rafting, boat rides, and awkward flirty turmoil. Despite sparks and 1,300 Instagram likes for the idea, romance stayed on jet lag; friendships and noodle nights conquered the chaos, proving even paradise needs carbs and no-pressure vibes.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Signed up for a $2800 dating retreat, found best friends, ramen, and awkward vibes instead. Bali’s real romance is instant noodles and ghosted texts.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Who needs romance when you can pay thousands for a week of group text suspense and craft cocktails with your new besties?

138/280 charactersReady to post

Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

70 South Asian singles, zero matches, infinite noodle-fueled gossip sessions. Bali’s wildest love island belongs in a rom-com sequel no one asked for.

167/280 charactersReady to post