My wife, Janis and I took our honeymoon in Bali in August-September, 1998. I'd never been to Asia & Janis had never been except for work. It was the adventure of a lifetime.

At the time, Asia was at the height of its economic crisis. Indonesia was one of the worst hit economies because it was so mismanaged and corruption was rampant. The ruppiah was worth next to nothing, which was good for the enterprising foreign visitor. On the other hand, the abject poverty and destitution left one feeling terribly sad for these wonderful, caring and enterprising people. If only their political and economic system could unleash their full potential.

Bali is one of the wealthiest regions of Indonesia because it is relatively uncorrupt and well-managed. Religious tolerance is the norm there, which makes the Kuta bombing--perpetrated by non-Balinese Muslims--all the more horrifying. In a sense, the Muslim terrorists were attacking Bali's tolerance as well as Western tourists.

The art, crafts and natural beauty of the place are endlessly inspiring (indeed they have been inspiring foreigners for decades, if not centuries.

We also visited the islands of Sumbawa, Lombok, Sunda and Komodo. You see images from all these places in this gallery.