In Reply to: Words of Wisdom needed posted by Indi on Sunday, 2. October 2005 at 07:33 Bali Time:
It's Sunday, 2nd October, 200 and I've just finished reading my morning paper and listening to the radio news reports of last nights bombings in Bali.
In the past I've written in our Bali pages and said to friends and acquaintance who have asked;
"Having just returned from our latest trip I can only repeat what I have had written here for some years now - I honestly believe that Bali is safe for tourists.
We have stayed in the southern tourist areas of Legian, Seminyak and Tuban and made day or longer trips to a Muslim school and orphanage in Denpasar, to Lovina and Singaraja, Pacung and Bedugul, to Ubud and out west to Negara which is a region with a higher than common Muslim population. Nowhere were we at all concerned."
What can I say now?
Obviously Bali is not safe, nor can I confidently say that these present terrorist attacks will make governments and government agencies such as customs and police suddenly find the will to do there work with sufficient enthusiasm and honesty to make the island safe.
We will still go to Bali because we have too many friends there whose life will return to a subsistence level or even the 'barely surviving' level and we could not desert them in what will be their hour (and days and months and even years maybe) of need. We will go, partly because we don't often frequent those night-owl places that attract crowds and attractive crowds for terrorists.
We will mainly go back because we just can't bear the thought of not going back to a place we love.
We will, however, be particular about taking reasonable precautions and about registering our travel plans with family and on the government web site designed for that purpose.
We will also be careful to behave peacefully and with and moderation, not to draw attention to ourselves or to offend others, and I have to say that we have seen some tourists who would do well to adopt the same outlook.
IF you decide to go then at least do those things too. Be alert and be cautious, but don't be paranoid and ruin what should be an enjoyable holiday.
If you don't feel that you can do this then perhaps you should not go.