We spent two weeks in Bali, stayed in three different resorts and ate in simple, local restaurants most of the time. We did not eat in Kuta (the most popular tourist resort, and target for bomb attacks) or in the capital Denpasar. We ate once in Seminyak at a small, hole in the wall place, where you pointed at the food in the window and she piled it on your plate. Swift, cheap and delicious.

Most places offer quite a wide range, but since they all copy each other, you’re essentially choosing from the same menu every time. Often you’ll find the world has more than four corners: menus all have a Bali Corner, Indonesia Corner, Italian Corner, Japanese and European Corners, with the same few dishes, and the same spelling mistakes. Steak Gordon Blue usually features in the European section.

Unlike everywhere else I’ve been, in Bali they don’t give you a hot, wet towel after your meal, they give you a cold wet towel when you arrive, because even if you haven’t walked far, you’ll be hot and sticky. Whatever you’re eating, it’s best to avoid the wine – they do actually produce wine in Bali, and it tastes as if made from a home wine making kit, which essentially it is. They import the grapes because their climate is too hot to grow them.

I knew I had to try Nasi Goreng at least once. It’s yer Indonesian signature dish, innit ? It’s fried rice with vegetables, often chicken or other meat, often not, spices and some kind of omelette served as a garnish. I was taught to make it years ago by a woman who had lived in Java: she poured one beaten egg into a hot frying pan, making a very thin omelette, sliced it into half inch strips and stirred in into the Nasty Boring just before serving. The one I had at a beachfront restaurant in Sanur was as expected: competently cooked and boring. I do not blame the chef, it’s never an exciting dish.

Of course for some ignorant Europeans, the Far East is all one. A thousand miles north and a week earlier, we sat in the Siam City Hotel, enjoying wonderful Thai food, justifiably one of the world’s favourite cuisines. A loud French woman explained to her companion that Nasi Goreng was “the best thing to order here” She asked the waiter if he had it on the menu, but of course, he had never heard of it. “Nasi Goreng” she yelled “Of course you know it, fried rice, vegetables, and a fried egg” I don’t know what she ended up with, but I hope it was vile, don’t you ?

Satay was good, sometimes it comes in a little iron pot over a tea-light to keep it hot. But the best meals we had were grilled fish and salad. Things like “Seafood Cocktail” were beautifully presented but often featured tough and fibrous marlin and not much else.

In Sanur we ate grilled snapper, salad and Bintang beer at the Mango Garden and at the end of the meal, a charming young lady with better English than the staff, approached us to ask if we had enjoyed our meal. We said yes very much, and she asked if we would care to fill in a questionnaire about the meal and the service, to help them improve. We were happy to help. Next morning we were woken early by a phone call from an excited young man - we had won a competition! A two week holiday in a Bali Hotel – all we had to do was go and visit the hotel! We could hardly believe our luck. Next evening we tried the beach, and had a terrific Fisherman’s Set Menu – a huge platter of various seafood. The table was on the beach, and we ate looking out on the night sky over the Indian Ocean. As I leant back, replete, I noticed the name of the restaurant “Mango Café” and was just speculating on a connection with last night’s place when a delightful and familiar looking young lady sashayed up to our table and enquired if we had enjoyed our meal…

There are two main beers in Bali, and to me they tasted much the same. But L who knows about these things said Bintang is better than Bali Hai. Whichever you choose, you end up making daft jokes, either Goon or South Pacific related.

Three things which we always found good: yoghourt is usually natural, and home made from whole milk, don’t expect a tacky low fat fruit flavoured plastic carton. Fruit Plate: when we were there (September) we got watermelon, pineapple, papaya and bananas. The bananas were our favourite thing - the “lady fingers” variety, small, pinkish and dense. Sometimes we got snake fruit, a tart and crisp round fruit the size of a plum. With skin that looks like a snake. Native to Bali and not found anywhere else. Mango was out of season, unfortunately. Fruit Plate is something you can order anytime, anywhere, it’s presented elegantly, sliced and with a fork, and you get enough for a light meal. Bali coffee is also great, and far better than Nescafe or the filter coffee which has been on the hotplate sine the old queen died. It’s very like Turkish Coffee, a bit gritty, they make it fresh for you and it does the eye opening business a treat at breakfast.

But the best thing about Bali is the people. Service was invariably sweet and charming, not one jaded, ratty waiter, no impatience or rudeness, and if we were ever kept waiting, there were apologies. I don’t want to make the Balinese sound grovelling, they absolutely are not, but in the country districts they really are delighted and fascinated to see tourists. They are so pleased that you have come, despite the bombs. Yes, it does get a bit wearying sometimes with people saying “Hello, where you from?” all the time, and offering Transport, Massage or whatever, but nobody persists to the point of irritation. When you do get into conversation with someone, and realise how hard they have worked to regain what they lost after the Sari Club bomb, you cannot but admire them. The culture is so simple, gentle and amiable. On our last day we went to Kuta and I remember walking past Raja’s Noodle Bar, then down to the beach. A woman cut a mango up for us and gave us each a snake fruit as well. We ate the sticky mango as we walked along Kuta beach, and talked about returning to Bali.

The next morning we awoke in Melbourne to the terrible news – we had missed the second bombs by 24 hours. We feel so devastated for the Balinese people that we are determined to return to Bali as soon as we can. If you avoid the crowded tourist spots, you’re no more likely to be hurt than in London. If there is anyway you can get to Bali and spend your money, you won’t regret it. Daisy Middleton 2005.