Why should I go to Bali?
SARS. The Sari Club bombing. Trouble in other parts of Indonesia. War in the Middle East. Unrest in Israel and Palestine. There are concerns in the world. There are times when travel can seem scary. Fair enough. But Bali, Indonesia, is still a great destination for you to visit. Here's why.
Why should I go to Bali?
Because Bali is a little island that won’t have many tourists on it. Set in the Indian Ocean’s Bali Sea between the Indonesian islands of Java and Lombok, you’re taking great tropical climate, fresh fish, cold drinks, and amazing surf. A lot of people won’t be enjoying these things this summer. More for you. There’s much to be said for getting to a place and not having to dodge all the tourists.
Also enjoy lower prices and airfares, as the Balinese seek to draw tourists and travelers back to the island. Deals are all over the place, from the hotel packages you’ll find here, to air/hotel combos we’ve seen for as low as $500 – that’s foreign travel, from the US, across the Pacific, during summer. Monthly gas for the average suburban Hummer probably costs more.
Go because the Balinese themselves are friendly and kind, full of smiles and helpfulness, and you’re going to have a good and comfy time hanging out with them. Nick has been living in Bali since January 2003, and over and over he has commented on the spirit of these folks. We’re not touting that guidebook “kind, helpful locals/natives” rot; we’re talking about the sort of people you’d want to have as neighbors. The smile and return smiles, and are always willing to hang out and chat with visitors, and that’s not for show. Why not have that spirit and good will about you, where you’re traveling or vacationing?
Despite unrest in the world or in Indonesia, Bali is a safe place for travelers. 9/11 has not stopped people living in or traveling to New York City – and we’ll gladly bet a few Bintangs that you’re far safer at night on Jalan Legian (Kuta’s main drag) than the average Manhattan street. Unrest in other parts of Indonesia also tends to stay isolated to those other parts. Bali even has its own airport, so you don’t even have to go anywhere else in the archipelago. Just Bali. And that’s just fine.
But what about bombings, SARS, war…?
This summer in Bali may be a little different from past summers on the island. And that’s a bloody shame.
Expect to see a lot of empty tables at restaurants. Expect hoteliers, who will probably still be smiling, to nonetheless be concerned about empty beds. Expect to hear a lot of people in your home country say that they won’t go to Indonesia, or won’t go anywhere else in the world, for that matter.
Again: that’s a bloody shame.
Granted, there have been a lot of scares in the world, from SARS in Asia to war in the Middle East. Bali itself has felt the wrath of terrorists, when the Sari Club in Kuta Beach was bombed in October 2002.
But Bali’s much more than the headline hype – that’s there to sell papers. Isolated events do not define a people or a country, and the kindness, hospitality and serenity of Bali and its people are the norms of the island, not the exceptions.
Despite concerns in the press about the world, despite the events that go on day after day, Bali remains a good place to travel. And we ain’t saying that just because we’re trying to make a buck. We live, work and travel in Bali ourselves.
Since January 2003 we’ve had an office in Kuta Beach. Our man there, Travel Nutter Nick O’Neill, has done nothing but make loads of friends, have a great time, and remark again and again on the safety of the island, the friendliness of the Balinese, and the determination of their spirit. The Balinese are working hard to rebuild their livelihoods and their economy. They’re redeveloping the Sari Club site, and helping travelers feel safe and secure when returning to Bali.
The Kuta bombing? The most violent episode in Bali’s history, just as 9/11 was the most violent in New York’s. Thousands still live and travel, in complete safety, in Bali. And you can be one of them.
SARS? Not in Bali. There have been no documented cases of SARS in Bali (as of May 2003). Despite the screams in the headlines, SARS while a genuine health concern has caused less than 700 deaths around the world (as of May 2003). To put that in perspective, in influenza kills about 36,000 per year in the US alone.
