December 2002 - Christmas in Bali

We spent Christmas 2002 in Bali Indonesia at the Bali Hyatt in Sanur  This was shortly after the tragic terrorist bombings which occurred in Bali on 12 October 2002 (see wikipedia entry here).  Due to the bombings the island was very quiet and devoid of many tourists.  This was nice from a tourist's perspective as the beaches weren't overly crowded and it was easy to get the best table at most local restaurants. Despite this it was sad as so many local businesses were seriously effected and many were forced to shutdown.  In addition there was an "air" of somber which seemed to overshadow this otherwise festive season.  Despite this we tried to carry on and enjoy ourselves as best we could. We've stayed at this hotel many times over the past 8 years and have always had a nice time.  The hotel is rather old (built in the early 1970's) but the location is ideal as there are many restaurants within walking distance, the hotel gardens are very mature and kept immaculate and the beach is a white powdery sand.  Unfortunately we did not take any photos during this trip but below are two short videos from this trip.  The first video (video to the left approximately 25 minutes/62 megabytes) includes scuba diving at Nusa Penida, the Tulamben wreck and Candi Dasa.  The highlight of these dives was spotting a Mola Mola fish (also known as an Ocean Sunfish) - see picture above.  The second video (video to the right approximately 3 minutes/8 megabytes) is Kimberly showing off her swimming skills in the hotel pool. Kimberly swimming in the hotel pool Trip Videos A few videos from our trip. Video of diving around Bali (25 minutes/62 megabytes), includes Nusa Penida, the Tulamben wreck and Candi Dasa.  The highlight of these dives was spotting a Mola Mola fish (also known as an Ocean Sunfish) Video of Kimberly showing off her swimming skills (3 minutes/8 megabytes) in the hotel pool