Archive for May 29th, 2006
Taking advantage of the pristine tropical waters surrounding Bali considered perfect for nurturing and production of South Sea Pearls, Bali’s near neighbour of Nusa Lembongan is now home to a fully operational pearl farm.
A joint venture between Bali Hai Cruises and Atlas Pacific - acknowledged leaders in the field of pearl cultivation, the pearl farm will allow passengers on board Bali Hai’s popular day cruise the chance to see first-hand how valuable pearls are produced by nature, all done with a little help from man.
The pearl experience tour begins with a cruise along the coral reef aboard Bali Hai’s Semi Submersible Coral Viewer. Guests can observe the long line nets from which developing oysters are suspended beneath the ocean’s surface in a process that takes up to four years.
Pearl Cultivation
Two years into the growth process, the oysters are momentarily removed from the sea and “starved” overnight, encouraging the shell to open naturally. Seeding involves an intricate procedure in which a tiny bead or nucleus, made from donated pearl shell, is introduced into the oyster around which a pearl should eventually form.
Guests on the new pearl experience tour will have the opportunity to watch technicians performing this surgery at the Visitors Center, located within Bali Hai’s Private Beach Club. In the often secretive and well guarded world of pearl cultivation, this will be a rare opportunity for the public to observe the seeding procedure.
Once seeded, the oysters are returned to their nets for an additional two years during which they “grow” a pearl. Also at the Visitor’s Center a nine minute movie illustrating the life of a pearl producing oyster this process. And, yes, pearls are available for purchase with helpful staff ready to impart how size, color, shape, surface and luster of a pearl determine its commercial value.
Pearl Evening Cruise
As part of Bali Hai Cruises new emphasis on the pearl industry, the Company has also launched a Pearl Evening Cruise onboard their sailing catamaran Aristocat. Evening departures from Benoa Harbor an evening cruise of fine dining and musical entertainment will also include an opportunity to taste pearl meat.
Source : www.balidiscovery.com Â
May 29th, 2006
15 Foreign Art Groups to Perform in Bali Arts Festival June 17 - July 15, 2006.
The Indonesian national press agency ANTARA reports that a record-setting 15 foreign performing groups are expected in Bali to participate in the 28th Annual Bali Arts Festival to be held June 17- July 15, 2006.
Organizers of the event, which showcases musical and performing groups from Bali and the rest of Indonesia, said the 15 foreign performing groups are scheduled to perform throughout the month-long event.
While 15 groups from abroad have formally confirmed their participation, it is not unusual for last-minute entries from abroad to contact the organizers and request performance slots.
The growing interest by foreign performers has outstripped past participation by international artists and reflects the widening reputation of the Bali Arts Festival and the confidence felt by participating musicians and dancers in Bali’s overall security situation.
Among the foreign groups registered to participate in the 2006 festival are from the U.S.A., Japan, South Korea, Germany, Canada, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the U.K..
Source : www.balidiscovery.com
May 29th, 2006
Details Emerge on 3rd Annual Ubud Writers & Readers Festival September 28 – October 3, 2006 in Ubud.
Last year’s wildly successful Ubud Writers & Readers Festival played host to a number of celebrated writers including Michael Ondaatje, Amitav Ghosh, Xanana Gusmao, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, Putu Wijaya and Shaun Tan – each exploring from their perspective the theme “Between Worlds.” This year’s Festival has adopted the theme “Desa-Kala-Patra: Place-Time-Identity” inviting another exciting line-up of authors from all over the world.
In 2006, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival will spotlight brave, new writers who have dared to challenge and expose the ways of the world in which we live. Invited writers include Orhan Pamuk - one of Turkey’s most notable literary figures, who will discuss the responsibility of the writer in today’s world. Su Tong, of Raise the Red Lantern fame, will turn the light on China, the world’s most populated country, and discuss his inspiration and challenges in writing and film-making. Ziauddin Sadar will discuss the Islamic identity and the new fundamentalists. William Dalrymple will share his stories of researching the White Moghuls and the days of the Raj in India. Foreign correspondent, Eric Campbell, will give you an Absurdistan account of how he’s been stoned by the Taliban, wounded by a suicide bomber, and arrested and drugged in some of the most dysfunctional places on earth.
Bali’s Indian neighbors are expected to steal the show with a line up of young stars. Suketu Mehta will take participants on an unforgettable journey through the crowded streets of Bombay with his award-winning Maximum City. Kunal Basu will reveal the secrets of a bizarre racial experiment on a remote African island, from his latest book, The Racists. Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka fame will wrap listeners up in the Alchemy of Desire and Rana Dasgupta will spin a tale of Tokyo, travel and undisputed fate. From across the seas in Canada, Shauna Singh Baldwin will pick up the threads with her story of identity and displacement and Indian-Fijian, Shalini Akhil, will add pepper and spice to the narrative.
Award-winning Sri Lankan writers, Romesh Gunesekara, Nihal de Silva and Elmo Jayawardena will shed light on the days of civil war and the rebuilding of Sri Lanka. The Festival’s line-up of intrepid travel writers will bring participants to the departure lounge of adventure and share their stories of discovery and the importance of place. Poets from all over the world will startle, sing, beat-box, recite, shout and add inspiration to four unforgettable days of literary wonder.
According to organizers, the new faces of Indonesia will be celebrated alongside Indonesia’s most exciting thinkers and writers. This year’s hot topics will include the censorship and pornography reform laws of Indonesia and the concept of “Islamaphobia.”
And, as with past festivals, days of discussion will drift into nights of hilarious entertainment – all part of the Balinese hospitality for which the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is becoming world famous.
Source : www.balidiscovery.com
May 29th, 2006
Bali Tourism Officials Make Plans to Undertake Domestic Road Shows Across Indonesia.
The Bali Tourism Authority (BTA) has announced its intention to begin an intensive program of domestic tourism promotion at major population centers across the Nation in order to increase tourism flows to Bali by both domestic travelers and the many expatriate foreign workers living Indonesia in areas such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Kalimantan and Bantam.
While accurate figures measuring the size of Bali’s domestic market are hard to come by, many estimate that domestic arrivals represent 50-60% of all visitors to the Island.
According to Mr. Gde Nurjaya, Chief of the BTA, plans are underway Bali to make a coordinated presence at the Gebyar Wisata Nusantara show to be held in Jakarta May 28, 2006; Majapahit Travel Fair in Surabaya on May 12, 2006; and a May road show to Jakarta, West Java, Kalimantan and Batam.
Source : www.balidiscovery.com
May 29th, 2006