RichyF

since the year 2000 ther have been consecutive bombs, mainly around the october period aimed at the highly populated tourism areas of indonesia.

i am heading to bali at the end of next month and must admit am a tad bit wary of the threat of terrorist attacks in kuta.

bombs have become a yearly event in the area now and according to most government travel advice websites are very likely to occur again.

should i be worried? is there any particular areas to avoid in october?

thanks

BKKROP

I think you should always be aware of your surroundings everywhere nowadays, but don't worry to the degree that it will ruin a perfectly good holiday. We all still go to the UK and travel on the tube and think about what happened. I do business in Indonesia and I rarely am concerned, especially in Bali which is so familly/town influenced. I guess if I saw a young person walk into an upmarket restaurant with a backpack on, I might take evasive action, but my experience in Bali has been that I cannot enter these sites without being searched and checked. These people always go for a soft target, so do what a lot of us do. If there is no security, we don't go in. If it's full of westeners and accessible, avoid. You would be aware coming from the UK what good security is all about, but I believe you have the right attitude, you know what could go wrong, you just adapt. Regards and pop up to UBUD, the best part of Bali

GibSpmuh

To be honest, I don't think it's the threat of bombing that should be your main reason to avoid Kuta, it has enough reasons all on its own for steering clear (depending on how much you enjoy the company of drunken Aussies I guess! ). As BKKROP said, Ubud's definitely worth a visit for a friendlier vibe (and better prices for shopping too). Seminyak has good dining and nightlife as well, and so far hasn't been targeted either.

sugaree1

Does anybody have any Ubud hotel recommendations? No chains and nothing extravagant...just a nice, local place with a pool.

Thanks in advance.

tedkarma

I would probably avoid crowded areas of Kuta - nightclubs, etc. But - as previously mentioned - there are some very nice areas away from Kuta.

Kuta - to me - is a bit too much like Patong on Phuket. There is so much more - and so many more nice areas - yet both islands are often judged by their junky main tourist towns.

GibSpmuh

I recently stayed at Santi Mandala Resort which was quite pleasant and serene. They have five complimentary daily shuttles into Ubud, which makes it easy enough to get in and out - or else it will cost you Rp50,000 at other times. Service was just average - everyone was friendly, but delivery was a bit hit or miss. But the rooms were quite pleasant and it was a relaxing place to unwind for a few days.

You can get some decent rates at http://www.asiatravel.com/indonesia/...ala/index.html - not sure how that compares to your budget, but for the price I was satisfied anyway.

mario33

Only by drunken Aussies

I didnt step foot onto Kuta until my third visit to Bali; and I didnt even step foot onto Patong during my last trip to Phuket.

hobarthoney

I highly recommend the Waka Di Ume! It is a fantastic little hotel in amongst the rice paddies, with a great two level pool. The staff are super friendly and the food is great. They offer a shuttle bus in and out of Ubud (although you can walk) and I also suggest you go one the rice field walks they offer. This is a little gem ^ ^ (One caution the rooms do not have TV�s)

http://wakadiume.com/

hobarthoney

It is a sad thing to say but I do not think any major "western" holiday destination is safe, but there is no way I am going to sit back and live my life in a shell! I would take percussions in Bali like steer clear of well known expat bars (In saying that the new paddies bar is a great place to visit and they have metal detectors at the door) and do not stay in hotels run by large multi nationals in the middle of Kuta. I would stay in a place like the Oberoi. I would hate people to stop going to Bali as it was an amazing place and the local people are so friendly!

fiona

we avoided Kuta and stayed at Sanur. I think it is as safe as anywhere as the resort is quite spread out. Bali is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. Get out of the resorts and hire a taxi. A local can give you a real insight into life in Bali.

Trajan

I really like Bali and Ubud, but its pretty slow and quiet compared to pre-first bombing.....its really sad for the local economy and people, but I continue to visit and its great...but no more visits to hi-density foreign patronized bars/restaurants......