Bali Tourism News

Russians Deported from Indonesia

Picture the scenario - you are enjoying your holiday and getting that nice suntan and downing lots of the amber fluid and it seems as though the cares of the world are far from your life. You even forget how many days you have been in the country.

Suddenly you realise that your visa is out of date and you have overstayed your permitted time. Besides panicking, stressing out, drinking more amber fluid until you chuck up from your stomach churning, and then you start praying to the nearest God you can think of for help. No worries. You scratch up a game plan and reckon you’ll plead ignorance when the Immigration officials come looking for you.

Nice try but it won’t work. You will find yourself dipping into your pocket or wallet to lay out the extra money before you are put on the plane. This scenario might not apply to the regular visitor to Indonesia but it does happen. Another problem is if you decide to do a little work whilst you are in Indonesia to boost the Bintang supply. Not a good idea if you are on a tourist visa though. Some Russians found this out.

Four Russian nationals were deported from the Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Banten province in Java on June 10 for breaking an Indonesia immigration law. The four Russians were expelled to their country after the Jayapura immigration office found last Thursday that their tourism visa expired on June 1. Not only that but they had been doing a bit of work on the side. Bad move in Indonesia without the proper visa.

Add comment June 14th, 2006

Rebuilding Tourism: Indonesia

How do you rebuild tourism after a number of devastating incidents and furthermore, how or what do you do to encourage tourists to return. Promotions and specials by airlines have yet to prove successful.

Bali being the gem of Indonesia’s tourism industry was just beginning to rebound after the first Bali bombings in 2002 when suicide bombers struck the island for a second time last year causing tourist numbers to drop again. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in the first four months of this year dropped 10.7 per cent to 1.2 million when compared to the same period last year, according to the Central Statistics Agency.

So, who do we blame for the lack of interest by cashed-up tourists visiting the many pristine islands in the archipelago?. Most certainly the tourism boards will instantaneously say that terrorism, SARS and the Avian Bird Flu were the causes. There are many other underlying factors such as crime and the manner in which these tourists are treated on their holidays.

We have all heard stories from our friends of the various bad incidents that have happened to them whilst enjoying a holiday, and no doubt, a majority of them are true. So how can the Indonesian tourism authorities overcome these hurdles?. Quite simply by cleaning up their act and improving services to those visitors.

Indonesia’s tourism industry was dealt another blow after the May 27 earthquake devastated parts of the Javanese cultural city of Yogyakarta, one of the country’s prime tourist destinations. The ancient and culturally rich city is second only to Bali for visits by overseas tourists.

Adding to the scare for tourists is Mount Merapi, which lies about 45 kilometres north of the epicentre of the quake and has been rumbling for weeks. Early reports this morning are quoted as saying the volcano is spewing out hot ash and lava is steadily flowing down the mountain. Yogyakarta had experienced a 60-per-cent drop in tourists.

All these factors in their own right affect the way those wishing to go on holiday select their destination. Admittedly a lot of these factors are of a ‘natural’ basis, but others are not. To increase tourism certain promises and improvements have to be made to ensure the safety of travellers and these must be effected.

Peter Geiling wrote an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune about how tourism in the city of Yogyakarta is suffering.

Add comment June 13th, 2006

Mystics in the Mountains: Bali

I was reading this fabulous article in the JP yesterday but the only problem was that the authors name did not appear on the article. I naturally assume it is Balinese writer Made Wijaya by the way the article is written and the content.

Entitled Mystics in the Mountains, the article explores the mysticism of the many peoples living in the mountains of Bali and in particular those of Danau Batur and the Bali Aga in an unusual manner.

The original inhabitants of Bali, the Bali Aga, live a reclusive life in the mountains to the east, the north and certain parts of central Bali.

It is believed there are several thousand Bali Aga people living in the mountainous regions and they speak their own dialect. The Bali Aga inhabited Bali well before the Majapahit invasion in 1343AD. The Balinese today are actually descendants of the Wong Majapahit who were 15thC migrants from East Java when finally the Majapahit empire fell. There is a distinct indifference between the two and the Bali Aga ensure it remains this way by their seclusion.

I have always found the Bali Aga to be a fascinating and beautiful people whenever I have visited the villages. Many travellers I have spoken to over the years have found them to be aggressive and indeed unwelcoming. If you ever visit Bali, I strongly suggest you take some time to visit one or two of the Bali Aga villages.

Here is the article from the Jakarta Post:
Mystics in the mountains

There is something about the mountain people of Indonesia — the Batak Karo, the Baduy, the Tenggerese and the Lake Batur Balinese. They are descendants of the first tribes of proto-Malays who came hopping down the Malay Peninsula from present day Yunan, South China, and eventually reached the Sunda archipelago.

These early tribes must have jumped from mountain lake to mountain lake with their pigs and dogs and wet-rice cultivation. Over hundreds of years they displaced the ancient Indonesians who were forced eastward, we are told, to Flores, Timor and Alor where they remain to this day.

The mountain folk of Bali have more purely Mongoloid features - like dollar signs visible on their eyeballs? - than their coastal cousins who have more hybrid features due to contact with Yemeni, Indian and ancient Malay traders, fishermen, merchants and priests.

Features aside the mountain Balinese and particularly in the lakeside villages of Songan, Terunyan and Kedisan are as “rough as nuts” (as anthropologist Margaret Mead politely put it) but unified with a mysticism that presents itself as an intensely spirit worshiping culture. They also possess a strong sense of tribal identity not really found in lowland areas.

They are strong and wilful, temperamental, but profound. They are the keepers of the ancient flames and guardians of the ancient deities - the gods of the mountains and all the important lakes.

Last Sunday I headed for the hills to make offerings at Pura Batur, Kintamani, a high temple perched on the caldera that overlooks Lake Batur and its attendant volcano, Mt. Batur. The god of Pura Batur is the patron saint of agriculture, horticulture and landscapers.

Like most Balinese offices our office also worships Dewi Saraswati, goddess of the arts and education and thus designers. Our holiday is both Saraswati Day and Tumpek Landep, the birthday for keris and knives and thus lawn-mowers.

It sounds complicated but it’s not. Everything just comes around in 210 day cycles and then you die. That is the way the Balinese think of it.

All you have to do is stay awake. And dress up. And be sincere when the occasion calls for it. In between, it’s tourism (lackey-duty), chatting up Japanese chicks (the cops and terrorists have scared the Australians away it seems) and McDee, as often as one can.
But this is a generalization.

Specifically the mountain Balinese also have their strong local culture and their gruff roguishness.
As I was saying…

I was heading off to Pura Batur, up the hill, straight up from Sanur, but got side-tracked at Sayan where I have a small cottage (pesantren pemedek bul‚).

I discovered that Sayan’s mother temple, the Pura Penataran, had had its odalan temple festival the night before, so as I was dressed for the occasion with incense to burn, I did a divine detour.

In the beautiful Pura Penataran I discovered my cook and my landlord and his son who never shows up for work as a relief driver but has very good legs.

I had forgotten that when they are not breaking my china or ambushing me with dental bills,they are extraordinary artists and trance-mediums. They can invoke the higher gods and make the elixir of life, even.

The temple was decorated with precision and skill. They had even affected the bouquet of tedung (temple umbrellas pinched at their base) invented by sculptor Ida Bagus Nyana at the nearby Pura Taman Pul in Mas. All the village’s Barong - Pig and Tiger varieties - and very spooky Rangda witch masks were aligned on high altars in the ravishing ceremonial pavilion.

I prayed with young ‘De’ Doot, the son of my old buddy painter Wayan Suji.

De Doot has a dreamy disposition like his dad and sat with grace on a pavilion base nursing an offering: He was like the young Princess Elizabeth in a formal portrait by Cecil Beaton.

From Sayan, we sped due north up the hill to Kintamani, via the still picturesque villages of Katung and Banua.
The temple was empty save for a sweet Denpasar-Chinese couple praying at the recently restored Taoist shrine.

They burned US$200,000 in paper money and 28 miniature paper Zen villas with swimming pools in the living room and 37 miniature paper pan technicians full of cotton interlock tank-tops.

We all then prayed together - the Australian, the two Chinese,, the Muslim-Jakartan and the Balinese - to the spirit of the crater lake.

On leaving the temple I bumped into my old buddy the dwarf mystic who sells lucky charms to dumb tourists. He has sprouted three new rings and a Kiwi necklace symbolizing the All-Blacks victory over Wales at the last “Super Sunday”.

I inquired after my dear friend Mangku Meme - star of this column since its original inception in 1979 (in the now defunct Sunday Bali Post) - who invokes the spirit of Bung Karno, the country’s Proklamator, in her Klinik Mistik on the lakes edge at Kedisan.

“She danced at the tenth full moon festival last month” he volunteered cheerily.

Mangku Meme is 90 years old if she is a day. The idea is mind boggling.

Mountain folk last longer than us.

That night I went back to my village to visit the ailing prince of Kepaon, I Gusti Lanang Oka.

(It seems I made a mistake in my last column: The name for a princely vassal is moncol, not mongol.)

I learned from the sweet prince that there are 32 moncol in South Bali all descended from the 32 children from the 500 wives of Cokorda Sakti” the founding father of the royal house of Pemecutan, a Majahpahit-era clan. Each has a palace, a petrol station, a blonde Californian daughter-in-law studying the Legong and a major temple to run.

For example: Jero Kuta Palace runs Uluwatu temple which had its glittering five day festival last week too!

We talked of the origins of Kampung Islam Kepaon whose inhabitants are descendants of the retainers of a Muslim Madurese prince who was gifted with a Hindu Pemecutan princess in the 18th century - a present for helping the Pemecutans put down insurgencies (the south Bali travel warning issued by Canberra).

We talked of the family of four banci (transsexual) brothers who had a warung we used to frequent located in front of the Kampung Islam Kepaon mosque, the islands first. One, Haji Ali, had been murdered the night before by rent boys.

“They found a condom in his bottom and all his gold was gone” my prince said in the droll way most Balinese deliver scandal-aceous news.

Poor Haji Ali: Bali’s first “out” Muslim transsexual, he was always kind and gentle.
What’s the matter with the world!

Add comment June 13th, 2006

Kuta Karnival Back on Again: Kuta, Bali

The 4th Kuta Karnival is back on again after it was cancelled in late February. Local businessmen have pushed for the Karnival to proceed despite recent incidents on the island that caused tourist numbers to drop.

It is hoped that the 4th Kuta Karnival will be a success and I have no doubt that it will. It is apparently set to be revived as part of island-wide efforts to revive Bali’s tourism fortunes. Organisers held a meeting recently and announced the dates for the Karnival. They will be from September 16-24, 2006 These dates coincide with peak holiday periods in major inbound markets for Indonesia including the domestic tourists.

As yet no theme for the 4th Kuta Karnival has been announced but they expect and are eager to make it one that is inclusive of the cultural and ethnic groups found in the Kuta and Legian areas as well as that of Seminyak.

The activities decided on so far for inclusion in the Kuta Karnival are skateboard and surfing competitions, a kite flying party, food festivals and cultural events, fashion shows and beach sports events. And naturally there will be an informal people’s street parade.

With all those events planned it will certainly be one helluva Time in Kuta!.

Add comment June 12th, 2006

Quake Resistant Houses: Indonesia

It would be perfect to have quake resistant buildings and houses throughout the archipelago of Indonesia and in doing so it would dramatically lessen the damage costs and loss of life.

With the recent earthquake in Yogyakarta decimating the area and a year ago the Tsunami in Sumatra, the insurance costs were unbelievably high and in Yogyakarta alone the bill is estimated at $10 billion. Now thanks to recent technology from the Public Works Ministry’s Resettlement Development Research Center in Bandung technical assistance in rebuilding at least 60,000 quake-resistant houses is in progress.

Quake-resistant houses being built now using this latest technology have made it so they are quick to build and are affordable. Each house measured 36 square meters and cost around Rp 36 million to build. The house models for Yogyakarta had been used for tsunami victims in Aceh and Nias island in North Sumatra. In Aceh, at least 4,500 such houses have been built from the 26,000 ordered by the International Organization for Migration.

The research center does not produce the houses which are said to be safe even in high-risk quake zones but will teach the technology to small and medium-scale business assigned to rebuild houses for quake survivors.

Such an advancement in technology is surely worth investing in and the Indonesian government should come to the fore and foot the bill for a great deal of these innovative houses. After all, it will pay off in the long run.

Add comment June 12th, 2006

New Bali Hai Cruise Addition: Bali

Confession time. I have never been on a Bali Hai Cruise in all my years in Bali. I have friends that have and they applaud the magnificence and enjoyment of these day and night cruises.

According to an article I was reading recently, the company has refurbished the luxury cruise vessel Bali High II with added delights. Of course there are still the Bali Hai Reef Cruise as well as Bali Hai Beach Club Cruise and the Bali Hai Sunset Dinner Cruise. But it is the Bali Hai II Cruise that has become the ‘pearl’ of the fleet.

Here is a section of the article from the Bali Discovery about the new Aristocratic Pearl Evening Cruise:

New Aristocrat Pearl Evening CruiseA new addition to Bali Ha’s range of cruise products is a new sophisticated “pearl themed” cruise onboard Bali Hai’s Sailing Catamaran Aristocrat.

Candika never has been one for the ocean and it will take a lot of convincing to get her on a boat. Heck, she gets seasick watching films of cruise ships going UP and then DOWN, UP and then DOWN…you get the picture. Admittedly the Bali Hai Cruises are not in this category as the waters off Bali make for pleasant cruising. She likes Whales and Dolphins. So I figure that if I could get her out on a Whale Watch Cruise then all she has to do is step up one to a Bali Hai Cruise. I’ll remember to take enough brown paper bags.

Add comment June 12th, 2006

Rebuilding Tourism: Indonesia

How do you rebuild tourism after a number of devastating incidents and furthermore, how or what do you do to encourage tourists to return. Promotions and specials by airlines have yet to prove successful.

Bali being the gem of Indonesia’s tourism industry was just beginning to rebound after the first Bali bombings in 2002 when suicide bombers struck the island for a second time last year causing tourist numbers to drop again. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in the first four months of this year dropped 10.7 per cent to 1.2 million when compared to the same period last year, according to the Central Statistics Agency.

So, who do we blame for the lack of interest by cashed-up tourists visiting the many pristine islands in the archipelago?. Most certainly the tourism boards will instantaneously say that terrorism, SARS and the Avian Bird Flu were the causes. There are many other underlying factors such as crime and the manner in which these tourists are treated on their holidays.

We have all heard stories from our friends of the various bad incidents that have happened to them whilst enjoying a holiday, and no doubt, a majority of them are true. So how can the Indonesian tourism authorities overcome these hurdles?. Quite simply by cleaning up their act and improving services to those visitors.

Indonesia’s tourism industry was dealt another blow after the May 27 earthquake devastated parts of the Javanese cultural city of Yogyakarta, one of the country’s prime tourist destinations. The ancient and culturally rich city is second only to Bali for visits by overseas tourists.

Adding to the scare for tourists is Mount Merapi, which lies about 45 kilometres north of the epicentre of the quake and has been rumbling for weeks. Early reports this morning are quoted as saying the volcano is spewing out hot ash and lava is steadily flowing down the mountain. Yogyakarta had experienced a 60-per-cent drop in tourists.

All these factors in their own right affect the way those wishing to go on holiday select their destination. Admittedly a lot of these factors are of a ‘natural’ basis, but others are not. To increase tourism certain promises and improvements have to be made to ensure the safety of travellers and these must be effected.

Peter Geiling wrote an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune about how tourism in the city of Yogyakarta is suffering.

Add comment June 9th, 2006

Bali Golf & Country Club

For more than a hundred years, golf has been played in Indonesia.

As a result, international standard courses have sprung up in several parts of the country, and Bali, too, has its share of courses that are just for pure enjoyment of the game.

Indeed, golf is a very popular sport with both tourists and the locals.

Bali Golf & Country Club
Voted “One of Asia’s 5 best golf courses” by an expert panel in Fortune Magazine U.S.A., Bali Golf & Country Club, ensconced in the deluxe resort of Nusa Dua, offers enthusiasts a unique golfing experience with world class breathtaking sights.

Designed by renowned golf course architects Rodney Wright and Robin Nelson of Hawaii, the 18-hole par 72 course hosted the 1994 Alfred Dunhill Master tournament, which featured several of the world’s top golfers, including Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomery and Vijay Singh.

The course has multiple tees, allowing for play by novice and professionals. Each hole is unique and the course has three definite settings for play. From hole 1-9, play extends up a hill through thick vegetation, giving players the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic scenes of the Indian Ocean and Nusa Dua.

They can also see the majestic Mt. Agung on a clear day. The first half of the course has several water spots, creeks, and waterfalls; and small, hand-built stone walls line the sides of the tees and fairways, resembling the rice field terraces of Bali.

Holes 10-1C are played through a coconut grove with some of the palms as high as 100 feet. Holes 17-18 are played along the beachside and back toward a 16 acre lake.

At the end of a round, golfers can indulge in a relaxing and exhilarating massage or spa treatment at The Spa at Bali Golf & Country Club. Trained caddies, golf carts, and all necessary equipment are available for hire at the pro-shop. The well appointed clubhouse has a swimming pool, two bars and an open-air restaurant.

A recent addition to the Bali Golf and Country Club has been the Wantilan Golf Villas. Set within the golf course, these three- and four-bedroom, self contained villas can be rented on a short-term basis. Guests will receive personalized service, attractive golf fees and priority tee times.

Bali Golf & Country Club
Nusa Dua
Tel. 771 793
Advance Reservations
Tel. 772 495

Wantilan Golf Villas
Nusa Dua, Bali.

Add comment June 8th, 2006

BIMC Goes Mobile on Two Wheels: Bali

The BIMC or Bali International Medical Centre has been an institution in Bali for as long as I can remember and for years it has assisted tourists with all manner of injuries that have occurred whilst on their holidays.

You know the situations I mean. Having skin ripped off your elbow when you fell off a bike or broken a bone or two. Getting stung by that delightful and colourful insect that your mother told you not to touch, and, even the dreaded Bali Belly - the curse of all travellers.

And now the Bali International Medical Centre (BIMC) has just improved its reputation for providing fast and sophisticated emergency medical response services with the introduction of an innovative addition to its fleet of state-of-the-art ambulances.

As you can imagine it is sometimes difficult to manoeuvre down narrow gangs with an ambulance or even in the heavy traffic that accumulates so often on Bali’s busy streets. So, they now have motor bikes, fully equipped to service your medical needs whether it be in downtown Kuta when you split your head open from a fall after a bender on the booze or, if you are hobbling along some dirt road in the back of the mountains.

I could have done with these guys a few years back when I was on a road trip with Nick. We were taking a leisurely night stroll along a small back road up at Gunung Batur. Pitch black as the night was, every time a vehicle zoomed by we had to step onto the side of the road. I misjudged the step in the darkness and twisted my foot or so I thought.

With the kind help of Nick,, Candika and Meli, we managed to somehow make it back to the small place we were staying. A bit of ice on my blue and swollen foot, a bandage wrap and all was well. On with the roadtrip. When I returned to my digs in Kuta the pain was increasing by the minute and my foot looked more like a hunk of two by four. A trip to the doctor confirmed I had broken a bone in my foot. Oh the joys of travel!

Add comment June 8th, 2006

Tropical Houses in Indonesia

Most of us would dearly adore living in the tropics and especially Bali. Getting your own house there or renting it, and generally enjoying life to the max. But, what kind of house would you choose?.

I have just finished reading the review by Chisato Hara of a new book on the market - 25 Tropical Houses in Indonesia - and published by Periplus Editions of Indonesia. Whether you want to live in Bali or some other exotic location throughout the archipelago, this book offers ideas on various architectural designs and ideas for your dream home.

Eventually, Candika and I will move permanently to Bali and I am looking forward to obtaining a copy of this book to get a few ideas!.

Here is Chisato Hara’s review of the book from the Jakarta Post:

 

‘Tropical Houses’ explores dream home designs
Chisato Hara

25 Tropical Houses in Indonesia Amir Sidharta photographs by Masano Kawana Periplus Editions, May 2006 224 pp.

Visually striking, the private residences featured in 25 Tropical Houses in Indonesia by Amir Sidharta depict dreams that startle and awe and their existence seems somewhat unbelievable against the typical urban sprawl of modern Indonesia.

Published by Periplus Editions and filled with images by award-winning photographer Masano Kawana, 25 Tropical Houses in Indonesia was launched on Monday evening at the Kemang Icon in South Jakarta.

Curator/director of the Pelita Harapan University Museum and head of Sidharta Auctioneers, Sidharta has degrees in art history and museology and is a trained architect himself. He has previously written several books on art including a recent title on his favorite artist Sardjono whom he considers a “father of modern Indonesian art” as well as on Balinese gardens and archeology and has also written on architecture and the arts for The Jakarta Post.

“Initially, I wanted to do a book on current Indonesian architecture because some current books on the subject only focus less than 20 percent of the book on Indonesian architects,” he told the Post on Monday underlining that this coffee-table book features 100 percent Indonesian architects.

“But in the process, it turned into a ‘house’ book instead of on architecture” he added.

While the final product might present page after glossy page of residences that look slightly out-of-this-world the accompanying text provides a detailed breakdown of each design from materials to structure and from layout to construction and from texture to color, and how all elements combine in defining the architectural esthetics of a particular house.

“I hope the book offers interesting ideas and designs not only to show what current Indonesian architecture has to offer” said Sidharta. And for general readers he hoped it would be a kind of guide on building materials and settings to be created through architecture.

Regarding public appreciation for architecture he commented: “There’s a totally different attitude now from the late 1980s… It was only in the mid 90s that people started to appreciate architecture although there was still a preference for prominent architects in established firms.

“People appreciate style now and architects today are more sophisticated in design and more knowledgeable about building materials.”

Of the 22 architects featured in 25 Tropical Gardens only five work at major architectural firms; the others are independent.

“The field has expanded a lot” said Sidharta.

Long a member of the Young Architects Association, established in the late 1990s by Yuri Antar and 17 founding members - Sidharta researched the residences through the “architects network” which includes the Indonesian Architects Association.

While the houses of 25 Tropical Houses in Indonesia obviously depict leading architectural designs they have a tendency to start blending into one another after repeated viewings. The current trend appears to be one that balances wood, stone, steel and glass with some visage of water on the site and all in a minimalist composition that reminds of abstract art with a touch of Zen - color accents against a white backdrop or black-on-white with spots of color.

So what makes for a uniquely Indonesian design?

A self-professed supporter of unique and interesting ideas Sidharta believes that creative development toward an Indonesian architectural identity is an ongoing process.

“What it is now I cannot define yet. It is my hope that the book will challenge Indonesian architects into thinking what that is without trying to establish a visual identity which happened from the ’50s to the ’80s.”
In particular he would like to see designs that address architectural issues particular to Indonesia such as climate and security, environment and culture.

Meanwhile the two main features of the designs incorporated in the book are that several address the climate issue while others are expressions of theoretical ideas. In speaking of design and architecture it may become easy to lose sight of the fact that these structures are not merely houses and are meant to be homes.

Asked about his ideal home design Sidharta - who lives with his parents in the house that was being built when he was born - replied: ‘I am a museum person so I most enjoy houses that develop and that have a history. Some projects have new designs that evoke a sense of historicism to create a lived-in house.

“But houses are not shells. It has a life of its own. Even in a completely new home you will be bringing your own history to it.”

Some of the designs he particularly likes in the book are: the Steel House for its compact design that met the clients desires and budgetary constraints; the Jane House which retained the brick wall of a neighbouring plot; and the cover hous, Budi House, for its sculptural design.

With the recent earthquake in Yogyakarta and the devastation wreaked upon poorly constructed houses Sidharta believes that traditional construction which typically uses joints and pegs in the frame needs to be rethought.
For all the achievements - esthetic and structural - of modern architecture however, one particular architect and his work stand out for Sidharta: that of the late Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya a Catholic priest who reconstructed a riverside slum area in Yogyakarta.

“He explored a lot of craftsmanship and developed individual methods of construction based on traditional local architecture. The kampong is not about style but about trying to develop an area.

“He used to say that houses need to be decorated so that people understood these were not just shacks or shanty houses but that people live here… To have pride for their environment.”

Add comment June 8th, 2006