What Is The Safety Situation In Bali?

Since the late 1990`s, Bali has been reeling from a string of devastating economic events including the devaluation of the Indonesian Rupiah in the late 1990`s, the devastating events of 9/11, SARS, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bali bomb blast in October 2002, bird flu and the second bomb blasts in Jimbaran Bay and Kuta in October 2005.

Thankfully, Bali was spared the earthquake and tsunami of December 2004 that devastated many parts of Sumatra, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Much has changed in Bali as a result of these events. Prior to the bomb blast of October 2002, security in Bali was not given a high priority. Things have now changed.

Through this litany of economic devastation that would have brought many other countries to their knees, the response of the people of Bali has been extraordinary. Instead of getting angry and blaming others, they interpret these events as a signal that something is wrong in their relationship with the Gods.

In the weeks following the bomb blasts, the entire Hindu population, which accounts for about 95% of the total population of Bali, took part in massive purification ceremonies in an attempt to redress this balance.

There`s no denying that things are difficult in Bali at the moment, but their Hindu religion gives them the ability to handle hardship with considerable grace and dignity.

People often think of Bali as a tropical paradise of palm-fringed shores and volcanic peaks jutting through the clouds - the "Island of the Gods" where people lead an idyllic lifestyle in blissful ignorance of the worries and tensions plaguing the Western World.

The people of Bali have certainly created a remarkable spiritual and mystical culture based upon their Hindu religion that is incredibly invigorating and stimulating to visitors from the West.

An unfortunate after-effect of this long sequence of tragic events is that, whilst incidents of serious crime remain extremely rare as compared to the West, there has been a noticeable increase in the incidence of petty crime. Most of this comes from people driven by desperation into stealing a chicken or pig in order to feed their families. There has also been an increase in muggings in areas frequented by tourists, mostly by drug addicts seeking money to support their habit.

Seminyak

After the October 2002 bombing, occupancy rates at most hotels in Seminyak, as in most other parts of Bali, plunged. All of the staff at The Bali Mystique Hotel think of the hotels Australian owners as "family" and, in order to keep the family together, the hotel had to rearrange duties and put their staff on half pay.

By 2004, tourism gradually returned to pre-bomb levels before taking another body blow after the second bomb blasts, although the effects were not as bad with many tourists choosing to continue their vacations undeterred.

It`s very encouraging to see the emergence of an attitude that people are no longer willing to change their travel plans and let the threat of terrorism dictate how they lead their lives. People are realising that if they do, terrorism will win.

So Is It Safe ?

Sadly, nowhere in the world is guaranteed as being safe these days and the events of 9/11 have added a new set of issues for us to consider. But if we allow our lives to be governed by fear, then surely that is no life at all.

The commitment of the Indonesian Police in tracking down the terrorists is tangible evidence that terrorism will not be tolerated.

Whilst travel warnings issued by foreign governments to many countries are now a sad fact of life, these warnings seem to be instigated more as a precaution in the event of an incident, rather than actual knowledge of planned attacks and should therefore be considered in the right context.

The tourist areas of Bali will probably need to see a few bomb-free years before a return to normal conditions could realistically be expected. But the foreign visitor can always expect to receive a genuinely warm welcome wherever you go.

Living as they do in such a spiritual and mystically charged island, the people of Bali consider it their privilege and duty to welcome visitors to share it with them. So if you`re considering a visit to Bali, I strongly urge you to do so. The spiritual and mystically invigorating effects of being here could last you a lifetime.

After all, there`s nowhere on earth quite like Bali. !!!

• Why I am Still Going to Bali (12 February 2008)
• Bali Renaissance (12 February 2008)