TRAVEL LOG

Bali bomb shocks travel industry; tours canceled

The bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed scores of foreigners Oct. 12 caused aftershocks throughout the struggling travel industry last week, leading tour operators to cancel trips there.

On Monday, the State Department issued a warning that urged Americans to avoid travel to Indonesia. It noted that it ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave.

Club Med stopped accepting new guests at its Bali resort village after the bombing and was expected to continue the suspension until at least today, a spokeswoman said. It also canceled excursions for about 600 vacationers who were already there. It offered to send customers who had been scheduled to arrive last week to a different resort or to allow them to book a future trip.

Singapore Air, which added flights to Singapore for travelers leaving Bali, said it would waive airline-related fees for customers who are changing their travel plans to Bali.

The bombing also caused start-up Air Paradise International, which dubbed itself Bali’s first international airline, to cancel plans to start service Oct. 27. No new date was immediately set. The company said it refunded more than 10,000 tickets for flights between Bali and Australia.

Although the State Department had issued warnings on Indonesia at various times in the past, mostly Hindu Bali had been considered relatively safe from political violence until the Oct. 12 bombing.

From Times staff and wires

A heads-up on natural happenings

Globe-trotters curious about volcanoes, floods, storms, wildfires and other events at their destinations can find NASA satellite photographs and details at www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov. (Click on “natural hazards.”) The photos have useful keys that locate the natural features and explain what the colors mean. A world map spotlights the affected regions.

The information is updated frequently. “We can often achieve same-day images from nearly anywhere in the world,” says David Herring, the site’s chief editor, who works out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

For regular updates, you can subscribe to a free e-mail service. (See instructions on the Internet site.)

Shipyard fire delays debut of Princess vessel

Princess Cruises canceled sailings of its new Diamond Princess through Feb. 28, 2004, after a fire broke out on the ship in the Japanese shipyard where it is being built.

“We’re still assessing the damage,” spokeswoman Kelly McCarthy said last week.

The 2,670-passenger vessel was scheduled to make seven-day round-trip Alaska voyages starting June 15 and 10-day Mexico voyages starting Sept. 27, 2003.

Passengers were being offered refunds or rebooking on other ships, depending on the voyage, the line said.

Traveler’s notes

Aeromexico will begin nonstop service between San Diego and Loreto in Baja California on Nov. 14. Flights operate Thursdays and Sundays. Introductory round-trip fares start at $178.... Delta will begin seasonal daily nonstop service between Palm Springs and Atlanta on Dec. 1. The service runs through April 30.... US Airways, which previously announced that it would begin charging holders of nonrefundable tickets $100 to fly same-day standby starting Jan. 1, moved up the date and began charging the fee Oct. 10.... Zagat Survey’s Internet site, www.zagat.com, has stopped offering free access to restaurant ratings and reviews. Individual subscriptions cost $14.95 a year; businesses get a reduced rate. “We’d prefer not to give away what we spend a lot of money creating,” said Tim Zagat, chief executive. He added that as of last week about 30,000 individuals and 60,000 businesses had subscribed.... BritRail is discounting its Classic Passes and FlexiPasses by 25% for travel Nov. 1 to Feb. 28. The Classic Pass provides consecutive-day, unlimited travel for varying periods in Britain; the FlexiPass covers various numbers of nonconsecutive days within a two-month period. With the discount, adult Classic Passes start at $139 for four days, and adult FlexiPasses start at $176 for four days of off-peak travel. (877) 677-1066, www.britrail.net.

Free for the Asking: Chilling out in Chicago

Sure, it’s chilly, but it’s also festive. Chicago has more than 175 performances, special events and other attractions this month through Dec. 31. Some hotels and restaurants also have special rates and deals. The 48-page “Chicaglo” guide lists them. To order, call (877) 244-2246 or view an online version at www.877Chicago.com.