Bali voted 'best island'

Bali voted 'best island'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Still reeling from the deadly terrorist attacks last October,
Bali, Indonesia's prime tourist destination, has been voted as
the world's best island by New York-based travel magazine Travel
+ Leisure.

The Great Barrier Reef islands in Australia and Santorini in
Greece were named second and third respectively behind Bali,
which won for a third straight year.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Jimbaran, Bali, was voted the second
best hotel in Asia, after the Hotel Peninsula in Bangkok, while
The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Bali won the best spa in the world.

The awards are expected to revive the tourism industry in
Bali, which is still struggling to recover from the deadly
terrorist attacks that killed at least 202 people and injured
about 350 others, mostly foreigners on Oct. 12, 2002.

The bombings, believed to be the biggest terrorist attack
since the September 11 attacks in the United States,
significantly reduced the number of foreign tourists visiting
Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general.

Travel + Leisure's editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod handed over
the award to Indonesian General Consulate representative in New
York Kristio Wahyono during the 8th Annual World's Best Awards in
New York last Thursday.

The award is a glamorous event attended by leading players in
the tourism industry, including hotels, airlines and restaurants.

The award was based on polling of the magazine's readers.

Travel + Leisure magazine focuses on international tourism and
serves as a "guide book" for international travelers and world
travel agents.

Sydney in Australia was named the best tourist destination
city in the world.

In the airline industry, Singapore Airlines maintained its
position as the favorite airline, followed by Cathay Pacific and
Virgin Atlantic.