Bali - is it really ok? Or should we go to Thailand?
Apr 15th, 2003, 09:28 AM
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Bali - is it really ok? Or should we go to Thailand?
Ok - here's the thing: which is worse?<BR><BR>SARS in Thailand<BR><BR>or<BR><BR>Terrorists in Bali?<BR><BR>Can't figure out which has more pros & cons.<BR><BR>Please help! We think Bali is really cool and found some great private villas to rent for only $200/night and that includes cook, maid, butler, gardener, chaffaeur, etc. But, what about the terrorists? I already saw the State Dept's recent warning last week - but we're planning for Nov/Dec.<BR><BR>Anyone travel to Bali recently and have better info?<BR><BR>Thanks!
Apr 15th, 2003, 10:20 AM
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SARS is not currently a problem in Thailand. Because of the bombing last October, tourism in Bali has dropped so much that there is noone left to terrorize. You can find a lot of information on Bali on www.balitravelforum.com including plenty of opinions on whether it is "safe" to go there. We plan to go in June but Thailand/Cambodia is our alternate plan in case something happens in Bali between now and then.
Apr 15th, 2003, 10:36 AM
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If you read the US State Dept warnings regularly, you wouldn't travel anywhere, so I would not rely too much on what they say. I don't think any of us has a crystal ball with regard to what will happen in the future. In general, both are safe places. The incidence of SARS in Thailand is much lower than Hong Kong, the PRC, and Singapore; and if SE Asia still has a SARS problem in November, then the whole world will have a problem�<BR><BR>One thing to consider is weather. November and December are the beginning of the rainy season in Bali, which can mean days of downpours. On the other hand Nov/Dec are the best months for Bangkok and Chiang Mai. December is a good month for Phuket and Hua Hin, although Nov is the tail-end of the rainy season in both places.<BR><BR>I love Bali and it is probably my favourite place in the world with Thailand a close second, but if you have a limited time for vacation and good weather is important to you, Thailand may be a better choice at that time of year. Check out worldclimate.com for historical rainfalls.<BR><BR>
Apr 15th, 2003, 10:43 AM
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Thanks for the replies. I just wasn't sure how much I should be concerned about terrorists in Bali.<BR><BR>We thought about the weather in Bali in November - and thought maybe the last 2 weeks of November would be ok.<BR><BR>If we do Thailand, it's good to know that we should do the first 2 weeks in December instead.
Apr 16th, 2003, 11:01 AM
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We were in Bali on last November, one month after the bombing. It was pretty safe but very quiet. Everytime you enter hotel, they do security check, and inspect your car. You can get a better deal around this time since their businesses are slow.<BR><BR>Just FYI, Indonesian government plan to change the immigration law that requires foreignet to have visa to enter the country after October 2003. This plan is still on debate, but most likely it will be implemented. I don't know what's your citizenship, but only 11 countries will have privillege to enter without visa for 30 days. They are: Brunai Darussalam, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, Macao, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Phillipines, Singapore, Thailand, and Turkey. Other countries such as USA or European nation might have option visa on arrival for 14 days, but they still have not decide it yet.
