Well, we made it there and back! firstly thank you Albert for giving me the up to date security situation in Nusa Dua. it certainly helped in our decision to go.
it was our first visit to Bali, and so you can imagine we were anxiuous but felt very at ease once there. Securtiy was high at the airport but no differant than Perth. Our plane was less than half full, and when i booked a few months ago, we had the last two seats on the plane!
Our taxi transfer was waiting and he thanked us for coming to Bali, but apologised for the bombing! (he really didnt need to)
Security men are everywhere, but that didn't bother us, in fact i felt better for it.
Our hotel the Grand Mirage Resort,is very good. Appart from ourselves, there was only 3 others from Perth that we met, and they had transfered from there original hotel in Kuta to Nusa Dua. the Hotel itself was only 25% full, we were the only regulars in the bar at night.
I was surprised though, when my husband decided to go shopping into Kuta the next day, as he had said we would not be going anywhere near the place! before we knew it, we were stood opposite the bombed out restraunt. we couldn't believe our eyes. what once was a nice little place to eat in the middle of the shops - gone. we stood for a moment and remembered the loss of loved ones.
We also took a shopping trip into the Galleria, but we were the only two in the store. very weird.
We made a further trip into Kuta last week to shop. very quiet, mostly Europeans, and Japanese and the odd Aussie.
We will go back again, its a beautiful island and i can't think for the life of me why we haven't been before. the locals are very warm hearted people and always smiling. they asked us to bring more Australians with us next time. We tried to reasure them that aussies will return given time.
If you are thinking about going, please do. You will have a nice time.