In Reply to: I guess what they trying to say posted by Hilton on Sunday, 15. February 2009 at 23:09 Bali Time:
time the good Wahine and I visited Bali was in 1978 and stayed at the Natour Kuta Beach hotel where the rate was USD 52.00 per night for a very average room - albeit beachfront.
Coming into the eighties all the better properties were listed in USD. And this was before Nusa Dua even existed.
Exactly the same thing applies to better properties in Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia.
Vietnam as just one example.
Internationally most things are traded using the USD as the base for pricing as it is understandable.
Because of SARs bombings and various other events beginning with the world trade centre, rates in Bali rose only marginally over 7 years and 2008 was the year of catch-up. Compare properties in Bali to Australian room rates and restaurant prices before pointing the finger.
It's also reasonable to remember that when you visited the value of the Australian dollar had shrunk from the heady highs of a few months earlier. In August the Aussie unit was almost on a par with the USD Bali had never been cheaper for most people.
You found the price of hotels and restaurants " way too high" Compared with what?
Australia or the last time you were in another part of Asia with a higher currency and what are their rates now? The same as when you last visited or have they gone up in the interim?
Where can you stay beachfront in Australia or elsewhere with A/C and hot water for AUD 30.00 and eat in restaurants where the most expensive thing on the menu is fillet steak at $10.00 and a beer is around $2.00?
You still can in Bali.
The worlds a tough place right now which will no doubt see special deals in Bali and elsewhere but remember it is personal choice to stay at a USD priced property as there are many thousands of Rupiah based rooms.
Believe you have made sweeping statements and generalisations.