WHEN the Chinese community in Indonesia fled following the downfall of former president Suharto and subsequent violence, many flocked to one destination within their own country that they considered a safe haven - Bali.
The mainly Hindu community of peace-loving Balinese was inundated, back when the riots were at their peak, with waves of Chinese from Java, many buying homes on the island, according to local hoteliers who took the families in.
They also talk of Chinese manufacturers relocating from Java to Bali.
But despite Bali being an enclave for refugees it, too, suffered the ensuing backlash against a nation steeped in poverty, largely due to the corrupt and nepotistic regime of its former leader.
The result was a collapse of vital tourism to the island, already enduring the economic thumbscrews of a self- destructing rupiah.
For those looking for a cheap Asian holiday, at the moment Bali cannot be beaten.