In Reply to: going to Bali in a week, is it safe? posted by rizz on Tuesday, 14. June 2005 at 19:25 Bali Time:
My wife and I returned last Saturday from our first trip to Bali. While there we read about the warnings in the local papers, and even got a panic text message from our over-concerned older daughter about the warnings. We were never concerned one bit. Tourists on the ground include oodles there on their umpteenth trip, with no concern at all for what could develop. The Balinese remain cheerful, although occasionally express anxieties about what could happen. We never saw or heard anything to cause the faintest alarm, and have concluded that most is Ozzie media overkill. Moreover, local papers over the past fortnight seemed unanimous in indicating that the current Indo Govt is really serious about containing terrorism. Most of the hotels screen and search every vehicle entering their grounds using mirrors for underneath the vehicle, and taxi and other drivers automatically open the boot for them to look into. On leaving Denpasar airport to fly home, much care was taken to detect explosives in all luggage, and there were multiple screens to pass through, which we found very reassuring. In the streets and towns there is no "atmosphere" of anxiety anywhere that was noticeable to us, and virtually no military presence (certainly no heavy arms) to raise inner fears, unlike, say, Aden, which we visited in the 60's which bristled with defensive military measures and frightened the hell out of us, or London, during the same period, when the IRA were periodically bombing the underground metro. Once you get there, you will relax immediately, and not give it another thought. Bali is like that. It is wonderful, addictive and still a paradise. You only have to read the entries on this web site to understand what the devotees feel about the place. Go and enjoy!!!!!!