Ground Zero Monument in Legian, Kuta, Bali showing the names of all 202 people of various nationalities killed in the terrorist bombing.
The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia, killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals, and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.
The attack involved the detonation of three bombs: a backpack-mounted device carried by a suicide bomber; a large car bomb, both of which were detonated in or near popular nightclubs in Kuta; and a third much smaller device detonated outside the United States consulate in Denpasar, causing only minor damage.
Various members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a violent Islamic group, were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death. Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, was found guilty of conspiracy, and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. Riduan Isamuddin, generally known as Hambali and the suspected former operational leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, is in U.S. custody in an undisclosed location, and has not been charged in relation to the bombing or any other crime.
Photograph of myself & my elder sister holding a python snake taken at Turtle Island, Nusa Dua, Bali
Photograph of myself taken at Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park,
Situated on a limestone escarpment overlooking the South Bali tourist region, Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park showed the art and culture of the Island of the Gods amid dramatic natural backdrops and breathtaking panoramic vistas. Dominating the park was Wisnu, a bust of a Hindu deity constructed from giants slabs of copper and brass. Representing the divine force responsible for the protection of the universe, the 22 meter Wisnu figure was a modern rendering of an ancient cultural tradition. The companion piece, Garuda, represent the giant bird which transports Wisnu, a symbol of both freedom and selfless devotion.The two 25-meter natural limestone pillars comprising the Gapura Batu, at the entrance gate to the complex, were carved with images taken from the Ramayana, the Mythical cycle of stories forming the dramatic basis of most Balinese art forms. The base-relief carving on the gate depict scenes from the Wayang, the shadow puppet theatre unique to Bali and neighbouring Java.
Photograph of myself taken at the Tanah Lot Temple, Bali.
The temple was built on a small promontory which is only accessible at low tide. During high water the rock takes the appearance of a large boat at sea. Sunset is the best time to visit Tanah lot, when the golden red skies frame the temple and waves crash into the rocks.
Tanah Lot means "Land in the Middle of the sea" in Balinese. The temple sat on a huge offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide. Tanah Lot was said to be the work of the 15th century priest Nirartha. The story goes that during his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island's beautiful setting and rested there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.
The Tanah Lot temple has been an important part of Balinese mythological history for centuries. At the base of the rocky island, poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. It is said that one giant snake protects the temple. It is believed that this snake was created from Nirartha’s scarf when he established the island.
Photograph of myself, my elder sister, my younger sister & my younger brother taken at sunset, Tanah Lot Temple, Bali.
The beautiful landscapped garden of Matahari Bungalow, Legian, Kuta.
Photograph of the Malaysians wearing "Balinese Sarongs" attire taken at one of the Hindu Temples. - Myself, my elder sister, my nephew and his father (my younger brother).
Photograph taken at the scenic view of Mount Batur, Kintamani, Bali
Kintamani was one of the prime tourism destinations in Bali. It was an active volcano, Mount Batur with its crater, Lake Batur and its beautiful landscapes around it. The volcano was active with eruptions in 1917, another in 1926/27 and again in 1963. Nearby Kintamani were other attractions such as Penelokan Sightseeing and Toyabungkah, Jati Temple, and Batur Temple. The mountain area was really beautiful, exotic, romantic, tranquility and ... religious ! It has a height 1500 meters of the sea level with fresh and cool temperatures. We can have local food in one of the local restaurants.
We also visited the Sacred Baths and Holy Springs of Tirta Empul. Tirta Empul was a favoured pilgrimage site of Balinese Hindus as the source of it's waters were believed be of magical origin. Balinese folklore recalls countless examples of healing and miracles attributed to the 'Luids' like qualities of the water.
Photograph of myself taken at Kuta Beach, Bali.
Kuta with its daily spectacular sunsets was also the centre of nightlife activities in Southern Bali. It was also a shopping mecca, with its lines of shops, boutiques, and galleries. restaurants and pubs line up the streets as well as Beachfront hotels; both luxurious and budget and small inexpensive homestay to accomodate all tourists.
The beach of Kuta was one of the first favorite beaches discovered by tourists. Most visitors to Kuta come for leisure and pleasure drawn by Bali's laid-back atmosphere and the stretch of sandy beach which was sometimes dangerous for swimming because of strong undertow current. However the area was renowned for its surfing, the several mile long beach break between Kuta and Petitenget offering a range of waves. Scuba diving and game fishing excursions were also sought after and freely available. Kuta also offers bungy jumping on the beach, and boasts a beautifully landscaped waterpark full of thrilling rides and slides. Horse-riding along the beach at sunset was a popular pastime.
Our Travel
Our travel via Air Asia during the school holidays on 23rd - 27th November 2007 was a special "FOC" tickets - courtesy of Air Asia. Our all inclusive returned fare (excluding Bali Airport taxes) was RM 175/person. There were five of us, namely, my elder sister (Lai Meng), my younger sister (Lai Ling), my younger brother (Heng Wan) & his son (Wai Onn) and myself (Heng Kei).
We stayed at The Matahari Bungalow, Legian Kuta - about 15 minutes walk to Kuta Beach. Our accomodation was for double rooms @ USD 26/night and triple room @ USD 34/night for 4 nights and included two-ways airport pickup and breakfast. The Matahari Bungalow has a large landscaped garden with beautiful flowers, various fruit trees and a beautiful swimming pool with pool bar.
Our stay at Matahari Bungalow was quite and peaceful and we would strongly recommend you to stay here.
On 24 November 2007, we booked a Kijang Van for a full day tour of Bali to visit various tourism attractions beginning with Nusa Dua, Turtle Island, Uluwatu temple, Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, Besakih temple, Kintamani and finally the sunset at Tanah Lot Temple. We also visited a number of Balinese Hindu temples during the journey.
My elder sister will never forget the visit to Uluwatu temple. The moment we reached there, the tour guide advise us to be very careful with the monkeys as they will snatch your belongings especially optical glases. As it was extremely hot during midday, my sister rested under a tree and suddenly, a monkey appeared above and snatched her glasses. She managed to get it back from one of the local boys (believe to be the monkey's owner). The moral of the story was the monkeys were trained to snatch your belongings and to get it back, you need to reward them,
Posted by HK Wan - May 2008.
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