Hello,
I've posted messages on this board about a trip we are taking with the family (3 young teenagers) to Bali in August.
We looked at the Bali Travel Forum and everyone is panicked (they are all Australians it seems) about the travel advisories. There is a U.S. Travel warning as well. How does everyone feel about this? I know the argument can be made that we are at risk in NYC just as much as in Bali and that's what we keep telling ourselves. But looking at that board shook us up a little. It is one thing to go ourselves, another to take our kids. Talk of 2 tourists being kidnapped, stay away from Indonesia altogether, etc etc. We already have our plane tickets, reservations and plans, etc and don't plan to go to Kuta!! But any thoughts on this???

I guess it all depends on how one looks at life. I was in Bali, but prior to 911, but I've been in other countries,years and decades ago, where frightening things have happened. I'm just one to look at it as one being as cautious as one can be. Plus, there are some things we just have no control over. I kind of feel like if one's number is up, it's up. But, if it's really going to drive you to worry, then maybe you should stay home. Bali is a fabulous place, though, and there have been lots of folks who have gone after 911 and have said that they felt safe.You just never really know about these things. Why not vacation in Singapore...maybe you would feel more at ease there. Happy travels!

I can tell you that Bali is flavour of the month again in Australia, despite our government's warnings. I am having trouble getting a flight up there before the end of July.

You can't take kids to Bali and NOT take them to Kuta!! Just keep away from large congregations of people, who might constitute a target - for instance a large, well-patronised hotel would NOT be the place to stay. There are plenty of small resort-style places with a pool and near the beach in the Kuta/Legian area, where a nice bungalow can be had for $20 - $25 a night. Try <www.baliblog.com>

Harzer

we are in bali at this moment and there is no problem here...forget what you read...take a look at the conrad hotel it is magnificent...there are many families here...

rhkmhk...hello! You are there now! Please tell me more, no fears or uneasiness at all? I just got an email from Puta I hear you are using him as a driver and we were hoping to do the same (providing I get over these nerves) Got his name from Craig as well. Got another email you are checking while away? I am [email protected]. THANKS

I haven't seen these new travel advisories, but based on three trips to Bali in recent years here are my thoughts:

Kuta is, my opinion, a rathole and cesspool of scantily-clad tourists looking for a cheap thrill. This is NOT the Bali you are seeking for your family and I do think this area is the ripest target for terrorism. You stated you're not going there and that's wise.

Seek instead the more rural and authentic experience by immediately heading for the hills of Ubud. There you will find many small hotels that are locally owned and much safer.

At present, I would avoid any foreign-owned hotel chains (American, French, British) in Asia. This would include all the large resorts and hotels in Bali.

Balitravelforum is a good general resource (especially for driver advice), but a lot of the postings are way off-the-mark. Read between the lines and discard the chaff.

A couple of other points:

* Please dress appropriately, this means no shorts and skin-baring tops. Honestly, capris for women and lightweight cotton pants for men plus cotton or wicking-type fabric tops are cooler. You will have a better experience everywhere if your family is nicely dressed.

* If you have young or any age teen daughters, keep them close to you at all times and be SURE they dress modestly. This just makes sense anywhere in Asia.

* Seek a local driver/guide who will take you to see and experience some of the local culture and fun activities like river rafting, the crafts villages, etc. For a family of 5 you will need a larger car, be sure you are clear on this with whomever you're hiring. Most transport is quite small in Bali, take minimal luggage or you will need two cars airport to hotel.

Go Go Go, Bali is as safe as any place on earth right now.. you can slip in the bath tub....

stockexchanger0---what more do you want to know...it seems just like any other place in se asia...perfectly safe and calm...i do not plan to hang out in any "western style" clubs while here but we are currently in the conrad hotel, which is new and fantastic, and move today to the bali hyatt in sanur when putu picks us up about 1PM...our intitial observations are that bali is much more orderly than is thailand, which seems to always be 75% finsished, except at the lux hotels and malls....

rate of exchange is over 9000 rp to the $ at the moment so everything is very cheap...food is good both inside and outside the hotel...we had a fabulous meal just up the road at bombu bali last nite...reasonable and fun...

look at the conrad...we are only payuing $70 per nite which is a start-up price...they only had their first guests about april 1...the manager is from australia and we know him from the marriott resort and spa where he was stationed previously...

ask any questions directly to my [email protected] and i will answer them in the next few days...

bob

we are from mass. where are you from?

We've been to Bali since their bombing and had a wonderful time. The locals are so happy to see Americans and very friendly.

Stay as far away from Kuta as possible and you will have a wonderfully safe and happy time. Stay away from the other highly touristed areas like Nusa Dua and you will have an even better time.

I recommend the smaller more out of the way resorts like the Amans. There are many others like them as well that are not as expensive if cost is a concern. CandiDasa is a lovely area and there are other parts of the north that I hear are quite nice. These areas will show you and your children the culture and true charm of Bali.

rhkkmk - how is Hyatt in Sanur?

I've booked a room from the Hyatt for two weeks for the end of this month. Glad to hear that it seems calm there. I read somewhere that there is a presidential election at the beginning of July, are they expecting some demonstrations etc during that time.

Marie, I'll be interested to hear what Bob thinks about the Bali Hyatt in Sanur. It's my favorite place to stay in Bali. I always stay in the Regency Club, which has wonderful service (as well as breakfasts and evening cocktails and canapes included in the room price). By the way, the manager at the Bali Hyatt headed a team to improve security at Bali hotels after the bombing in Kuta.

Bob, I will be following in your footsteps! After the Conrad, I go to Ananda Cottages is Ubud and then, on Monday, the Bali Hyatt. I hope you enjoy the Hyatt and let us know about it.

sorry to be brief but i only have a minute....putu the driver is absolutely fantastic in every way...

the conrad is also fabulous...extend your stay if you can...last week they were 96% full...the staff is friendly, eager and dedicated, plus young...they have growing pains but it is controllable...it is simply beautiful...

the hyatt is a disappointment...the staff is older, which i am too...but they just don't give a damn...service is slip-shaw and sometimes just lacking...the place seems very old...sorry to be so blunt...
i would not stay here again....sanur is quite nice and has good restaurants and shopping...we drove through kuta this evening and did not even stop...ubud for our first time is tomorrow...

i have to add that i am somewhat disappointed with bali for some reason which i can not identify...my wife is liking it however...

more after my return in june 20...sorry if it is too late for some..

Bob, are you staying in the Regency Club or in a regular room? I always stay in the Regency Club and have had great service. Sorry your stay is disappointing.

Bob,

I am glad that Putu is working out. Bali was disappointing to my wife at first (now she wants to go back) but when I explained to her that she was disappointed because she was comparing Bali with Thailand, she understood. I suspect you may be doing that too. We saw a difference in the smiles of the Balinese - you can almost see it in their eyes, a sadness - can't really describe it... we have wondered if it hadn't been brought about by the loss of innocence that occurred as a result of the bombing. The shopping is different too - it seems that in Thailand, everything is cheap - not so in Bali. Just my impressions...

In your footsteps, almost literally. When I got to fodors.com on this computer in the Conrad Bali, it said "Welcome rhkkmk". I will see if I can fix this.

I meant to sign that last post:

Happy Trails,
mrwunrfl

Just below the "Login" button is a checkbox, checked on by default, that says "save my username and password on this computer". You didn't see it because it was off the screen. I think I fixed it not be rhkkmk by default.

stockexchanger, I am an American (New Yorker) who has lived in Jakarta for 10 years. I vacation frequently in Bali -- as often as possible. In the past two years Indonesia has been hit by two devastating terrorist attacks. So have New York, Washington, Istanbul, Madrid etc, etc. The problem definitely exists but it is a worldwide problem. Before the Bali bomb the Balinese, and the Indonesians in general, were naive about terrorism. They had a "it can't happen here" attitude that caused them to disregard danger in their midst. Well, their eyes have been opened and both the Balinese and the Indonesian government have taken strong and aggressive measures to protect themselves and their critical tourist industry. Are you 100% safe in Bali? Are you 100% safe anywhere? I think you know that the answer is no. Bali and the rest of Indonesia is as friendly and welcoming a society as you can find anywhere in the world. The average person is horrified by terrorism, but without doubt there are crazy people here who can cause a lot of heartache. As a scientist friend of mine says, "you can count them in parts per million." This is a country of 220 million souls: the risk of terrorism is miniscual. I can honestly say that in 10 years neither I nor my family has ever been threatened or treated unkindly.

I would say that security overall is good in Bali. The hotels, restaurants and clubs have decent security check systems. Thus far the terrorists' MO has been car bombs which are fairly simple to prevent. The suicide bomber, thank God, is not a player in Indonesia and to my knowledge no Westerner has ever been kidnapped. The local community security apparatus has also become increasingly aware of outsiders and trouble makers. This is the best line of defense.

The potential for a repeat of the Bali bomb is low, but, again, it exists. Only you can decide what your own comfort level is. My family, our friends, our business associates pretty much ignore our countries' official travel warnings. It is just not practical to live in a vacuum. However, we do practice a high level of common sense security. Avoid large gatherings, don't get drawn into politics. August will most likely be the period between the first and runoff elections for the Indonesian president. This is a highly emotional topic; we expect some turbulence.

If you have teenagers (I seem to remember you do)it's hard to keep them away from Kuta. Our policy is daytime is okay, but at night we prefer they hangout in the Seminyak area instead. It's much cooler than Kuta now anyway.

Ubud is 100% safe. Don't give it a second thought.

Those same U.S. warnings were posted after 9/11 and we already had our tickets to go to Bali. I read all the posts on the forums and got really nervous. We decided to go ahead with our plans. We went to Bali, two weeks after 9/11. We even went on to Java.
Not one time did we feel unsafe.
We have also been back there after the Bali bombing.
As suggested, we do not stay in the Kuta area.
I would like to add that we think the east coast is a very nice place to spend some time.