Many keepers I know use aspen or other particulate beddings because they can 'spot clean'. I use newspaper because I've seen a snake pee. There's no way you could get all the soiled bedding out just spot-cleaning.
A good tip-proof bowl (and you can find both expensive and cheap tip-proof bowls) helps prevent the waterbowl dumping scenario--if it does occur, you see it immediately, with newspaper. It's harder for the snakes to flip a bowl sitting on a flat surface, too.

An animal's health is always more important than appearances. If you can have both, great--if not, then you should just deal with the ugly. If, for some reason, you dislike aspen, then consider cypress bark. It's certainly not cheap, but it looks good, and it doesn't have quite the moisture retention problems of coconut fiber. Just be prepared to change it often. I can't imagine continuing to use the same bedding after an animal got a skin infection on it, even once--let alone twice. It's clearly not what is best for ball pythons.