In Reply to: JBR or whatever it is. posted by scaredycat on Monday, 9. July 2007 at 22:46 Bali Time:
OK - thanks for your points. I think you are ..right..and wrong. But all comes down to opinion so can't argue with you.
My perspective: Our first visit to Bali 10 years ago. Stayed in a hotel in Kuta 3 days then in a timeshare on Bukit Peninsula for a week. The hotel in Kuta was poor and the atmosphere lousy. We shared the hotel with 5 rugby club groups who seemed to spend the day up to their necks in the pool drinking beer after beer (and probably peeing where they stood). I found Kuta interesting but my wife hated it. The pressure of street vendors etc she couldn't cope with. But I told her that she was handling it badly - her response to a guy selling watches asking ? 100,000 was "thats too expensive". Told her that she'd started bargaining so can't blame the guy for following up. Then in Bukit, nice place but remote and had to travel to Kuta to get anywhere. Also went to Nusa dua - I absolutely hated the place. But saw enough of the country to have the feeling that I wanted to go back but my wife was very anti.
After second bomb i said "we are going back" after a couple of minutes she agreed.
Stayed a week in Sanur then week in Candi dasa in January this year. Had a great time. My wife said she had never felt so relaxed. Loved the place, the people, the food etc. Based on what i had learned 10 years ago I was able to set things up so that we had a great stay.
We are going back for 3 weeks next january. we are being joined by good friends from UK.
Both my wife and I are looking forward to the holiday and showing our friends around the island.
Yes there is good and bad in Bali, but if you look for the good you will be rewarded.