Bali beats in the Aussie heart
2002-10-14 11:49
Sydney - A trip to Bali has long been a rite of passage for many young Australians, a safe first trip overseas for a people known for their penchant for globetrotting.
The trip to Bali, a 2½-hour airplane hop from northern
Australia, is especially popular with secondary-school graduates
ready to party at the end of their school life, and is always high on the travel list for football clubs celebrating the season's efforts.
Bali is also favoured by honeymooners and older holiday-makers, drawn by tropical beaches and an Aussie dollar that buys more there than many other places.
Amid the tales of horror from the weekend car bombing at the
packed Sari nightclub on Bali's Kuta Beach, bus-stop conversations here on Monday turned inevitably to commuters' last trip to the island, their unforgettable nights dancing at the thatch-roofed nightclub.
"Yeah, I went to the Sari, every Australian goes to the
Sari," said one man on hearing of the bombings.
Another recalled visiting there as a teenager on his first
overseas trip.
"Sari was a great place, we went there every night. They played all these games, it was very oriented towards you drinking a lot," he said.
At the heart of the nightlife
This Saturday night was no different, the Sari packed with
Australian football players, young Aussie tourists and some more
free-spirited members of the middle-aged set.
Of the 190 people confirmed killed as of Monday, it was feared
that scores were Australian. More than 200 Aussies were among those injured by the car bombing.
The nightclub was located at the heart of the nightlife and
shopping district on Kuta Beach, which pulsates day and night with foreign travellers.
For other Australians, memories of Bali reach beyond the
nightlife to days lazing on the golden sands and scooter tours of
the highlands and temples.
Sue Smith, managing director of student travel company STA, said Bali had been one of their top 10 destinations for several years.
"Bali, for the Australian public, is a cultural destination. It is one of the trips that they must do - they do Bali, they do
London," she said.
"Bali is close, it's an affordable, cultural experience, and the Balinese people are so friendly, gentle and easygoing." - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA