His posting as Indonesia correspondent has now ended, but in a move which surprised friends and colleagues, he decided to return to Bali with his family for a short holiday.

For days we'd been living on our nerves and nicotine.

After broadcasting for hours amid the ruins of the popular nightclubs and bars in Kuta, the bleakness of such senseless mass murder had permeated those of us who had doubted it would ever happen in Indonesia.

A number of foreign journalists in Jakarta had been sceptical of the daily reports in the American press alleging there was a network of Islamic extremists in the country with links to al-Qaeda, and with plans to kill Westerners.

With the vast majority of tourists having fled the island, it was indeed a completely different place

But we were proved so wrong that Saturday night when the bombs exploded in the heart of Bali's most popular tourist area.

Back in Jakarta later that week, I finally walked out of the office the wrong side of midnight and wandered into a nearby bar to meet a colleague.

Grim scenarios

Other grey-eyed journalists were huddled around the tables, glasses in hand, discussing what might happen next. Our own conversation was also filled with foreboding.

The bomb shattered Bali's tranquillity

We mapped out a series of potential scenarios stemming from the catastrophe.

One of these was the possibility that the Hindu majority on the island would seek revenge on Muslims if it became clear that the bombings were the work of Islamic extremists.

Yet just two weeks later, I found myself once again on a plane bound for Bali. This time my wife and two-year-old son were sitting beside me. We were going there on holiday.

Despite initial misgivings, we both knew Bali was exactly where we should go. We did not want to feel we were fleeing Indonesia at the end of our posting.

We'd enjoyed too much time in Bali over the past three years to leave with our minds filled with the images of charred bodies being pulled from collapsed buildings.

Safest place

I was encouraged by a Western military official who had advised me that Bali was now the safest place in the country, if not the entire region.

The bombers, he said, would not return. Even so, it was strange to be back, especially in such a different capacity.

Local people are hoping that the tourists will return

I felt a deep sense of unease driving through the streets of Kuta as a holidaymaker so close to where so many young people had lost their lives and where many others had been gravely injured.

But soon we were immersed in a completely different current of emotion, one of great solidarity and determination amongst the local population whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian.

They would not allow those responsible for the attack to have a double victory by permanently scaring away the tourists. The starting point for all this, was something quite remarkable.

There was a recognition amongst the more spiritual Balinese that somehow they themselves should shoulder some of the blame for what had happened.

A reaction strikingly different from the Americans after 11 September, most of whom could not understand why anyone could be so angry with their government.

Harmony disturbed

The Balinese way of thinking was explained to us by Agung Prana, a member of the royal family which once ruled over the central region of the island.

As we sat drinking coffee in the courtyard of his villa, he described how before the bombing Bali had been like an overloaded boat.

Without the crowds, Bali is a different place

The island, he said, had been developed too quickly, particularly in the Kuta area. Harmony - so important for the local population - had been disturbed.

The bombing, he said, was therefore a warning from the gods to restore the natural balance between the environment and the people.

Now there was an opportunity to re-focus the tourism industry. With the vast majority of tourists having fled the island, it was indeed a completely different place.

It was much easier to sense the extraordinary lure of Bali which had eventually turned it into one of the world's top holiday destinations.

If anyone is planning a holiday there, now is without doubt the time to go before the tourists return.

Optimism and frustration

Hotel managers remain optimistic that the summer will be a turning-point in the revival of the industry. Despite a brief surge over the New Year, the numbers are still very low.

The warnings put out by various European governments and the United States advising their citizens to avoid Indonesia are a significant part of the problem.

The dramatic cut in the number of flights to Bali is also hampering a return to normality.

There is frustration that the international community is not doing more to help the Balinese rebuild the industry upon which two-thirds of the population depends.

But even if Western governments feel uneasy about changing their travel advice for Indonesia, others are now taking matters into their own hands.

In April there are ambitious plans for an open air concert in Bali featuring top international bands.

The point - to prove that Bali is as safe as New York and Washington after 11 September.