Indonesia is a beautiful country, blessed with some of the world’s most diverse forests and seas. Not for long, I hear some people saying. Pollution that we see in Bali and Indonesia includes trash floating down rivers and into the ocean, trash along the side of the road, and traffic emissions. These are bad enough, but the stuff we can’t see is even worse.
Antara reports that wetland destruction, is not only a hazard to wildlife, and takes away a valuable tsunami barrier, it also greatly increases the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.Recently in Indonesia, the haze has returned over parts of Kalimantan, due to the continued burning of fields and the lack of rain. Here in Bali skies are now partial cloudy, which means the wet season is trickling in.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 8th, 2006
Taking a lead from an Australian tourism campaign, the The ‘Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company’ has produced a site that is attempting to kick start Bali tourism. According to Brett Morgan, the co-founder of LBHRC, 20,000 unique visitors viewed the website since its launch, last thursday.
Mr. Morgan described the outside interest for the project as amazing, and states that at the end of the day, its all about promoting Bali and helping the local economy.Here’s more from eTravel Blackboard.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 8th, 2006
According to some sources, the internet has over 100 million sites and in the last year has doubled in size, due largley to blog sites, which use ‘personal publishing software’.
Real Travel is a site, written for travellers by travellers. It is a worldwide collection of ‘blogs’ (weblogs), that includes Bali. Recent I’m seeing more and more articles of theirs pop up in my email.Their
‘Bali Travel Guide for Vacations & Tourism‘ is nicely broken down and easy to navigate. It features hyperlinks to the destinations in Bali that are most frequently blogged about, a Quick Task section that includes getting an RSS feed, oe a free travel blog, Travel Deals, and other handy sections breaking down the nuts & bolts Bali info.
The internet allows us to leverage technology. Real Travel have gone a step further, in leveraging the internet, to leverage others people’s efforts, enabling them to build a good travel site spanning the world.
Real Travel started in 1997 and is based in California. A good one to bookmark for your next Bali trip.
source : www.baliblog.vom
November 8th, 2006
When tourists ask me were they can get a taste of Balinese food, I tell them ‘in a Balinese village’. When they if there is anywhere around the Kuta area, that specializes in Balinese food, I don’t hestitate to say ‘Glory Restaurant’.
Glory has been around since 1975 and its creative director, Neil from Australia told me anyone who came to Bali after 1975 was a ‘johnny come lately’ in his opinion. Neil is extremely knowledgeable about Bali, Balinese cuisine and culture and is also a former writer.I posted one of his pieces, that was sent to me, not realising it was more of a reply to something rather than an article. Anyway, the ‘article’ was enlightening and entertaining, when Neil gets the bit between his teeth, there’s no holding him back.
So here’s that piece again for anyone who missed it. Neil did mention that someone got upset because he said Poco Loco was closed, it was no big deal.
Ika and Jevon have been to Glory twice, once when Jevon was inside Ika, and once when he could actually smell the food. The sunday Balinese buffet is something bto look forward to, and I will probably pay another visit to Glory in the near future.
Glory - Bar & Restaurant
Jalan Legian Kaja No. 445, Legian - Bali
Tel (62.361) 751091 / Fax (62.361) 753219
Email : info@glorybali.com
Source : www.baliblog.com
November 8th, 2006
Most people have heard of Deepak Chopra, the Indian guy with the penetrating eyes, who parlayed Indian holistic healing into a million dollar fortune. ‘Chopes’ has some cool things to say, and before I went to India in 1995, I had read some things about Ayurveda.
Bali has a great selection of spas, and one could design a vacation, just around spa treatments. On the north coast of Bali, is a place called Zen Resort, with Ayurveda a main feature. Here’s what a recent press release says.Zen Resort Creating Bali’s First Integrated Holistic Wellness Resort
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Singaraja, Bueleleng, Indonesia, 11/07/2006 -
Zen Resort creating Bali’s first authentic and integrated Ayurveda, Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation resort in a serene and un-spoilt natural enviroment in North Bali. Experts from the College of Ayurveda in kerla, india training Balinese therapists.
Bali is renowned the world over by its cultural heritage, ceremonial traditions, art and architecture, the natural beauty and ecological diversity - serene beaches, unique and rich marine environment that is ideal for diving, snorkeling, dolphin watching and water sports, rice fields, vineyards and fragrant tropical plantations, volcanoes and waterfalls, natural hot springs and sacred temples, and most of all friendly and cultured people with genuine hospitality. There are not many places left in the world where culture and traditions, morals and values, spirituality and community solidarity have been preserved from generation to generation and are regularly practiced to this day.
Bali also has a long tradition of natural health care, be it the secrets of a Jamu drink or beauty enhancement with Mandi Lulur. The daily prayers and offerings as well as the ceremonies and rituals such as rice field prayers all encompass a way of life that is based community solidarity and caring as well as respect and living sustainably with nature.
Bali, as a tropical paradise island with easy access and a good transport infrastructure and services has an edge over the densely populated areas. Today there is a growing demand and great scope for small luxury boutique health and nature resorts and this in essence is the vision and goal of Zen Resort Bali.
Zen Resort: Bali’s first integrated holistic wellness and nature resort
Situated in the serene and un-spoilt environment, this boutique holiday and wellness resort is the first resort in Bali to offer authentic and integrated Ayurveda, Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation as well as Balinese traditional and modern beauty treatments. Experts from the famous College of Ayurveda in Kerala, India are training local therapists in the secrets and skills of Ayurveda and holistic health and harmony. Currently some 30 different Ayurveda treatments are offered, each targeted to particular aspects of health, beauty and well-being.
The moment you enter Zen Resort soft music begins to take away some of your cares and stress. Your villa room looks out onto verdant landscape down to the sea with sunsets and sunrise views. The mature landscaped garden and pool merging into the marine landscape are hypnotic in their tranquility.
A number of all inclusive Zen Resort wellness holiday packages are available:
• Zen Ayurveda Relaxation and Harmony (4 days / 3 nights)
• Zen Ayurveda Rejuvenation and de-stressing(5 days / 4 nights)
• Zen Ayurveda Purification and Slimming (6 days / 5 nights)
• Zen Spa Special (3 days / 2 nights)
• Zen Spa Retreat (4 days / 3 nights)
• Zen Romantic Indulgence (5 days / 4 nights)
• Zen-Blue Season Ayurveda and Diving (5 days / 4 nights)
• Zen Bali Discovery (4 days / 3 night)
At Zen Resort the focus is also on relaxing holiday activities, including rejuvenating bath and swim at the Banjar natural hot springs. meditation at and Vihara Buddhist Temple, sunrise sail with the dolphins, rice field trekking and visit to Munduk waterfalls, eco-forest walks, snorkeling at Puri Jati, scuba diving at Menjangan Island, Golf at Bedugal, painting and art classes, selected evening cultural shows, healthy cooking seminars, Balinese culture briefings and visit to local villages, lifestyle coaching etc.
Zen Resort offers the best of holistic health treatments for physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being and more then that it is truly a place ideal holiday place where people are friendly, cultured and naturally practice genuine and warm hospitality and a place with a wide range of holiday recreational activities.
We all dream of finding the perfect holiday destination. A place where hospitality and service are paramount. A place where the environment is beautiful and at one with nature. A place that offers a wide range of vacation recreational activities, and in this we exclude the bars and the discotheques. A place where good and nutritious food is served. A place where people can without pressures have the possibility of contemplating their personal spiritual values, norms, relationships and lifestyles. A place that offers the best of holistic health treatments for physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being. A place where people are friendly cultured and naturally practice genuine and warm hospitality. And importantly a place that is safe and secure. Zen Resort Bali offers all this and much more.
Getting to Singaraja from Kuta takes 3 hours driving. As the article mentions, you will be in easy reach of some other cool stuff, like volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs and temples.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 8th, 2006
Qatar Airways will start a service to Bali, extending its current route to Jakarta. As many people will know, Qatar is an emirate, located in the Persian Gulf. Its economy is based on oil and in recent years there has been a massive effort to modernize.
Why should we give a damn about Qatar and who flies there? For Europeans coming to Bali, it could make a nice stopover, or simply another routing option. My favourite airline is Gulf Air, also out of the Middle East. Why do I like them? Low fares, decent planes, great in-flight service, flight attendents from all over the Middle East and Asia, free drinks, no one is going to hijack an Arab plane. I’ve flown with them many times, and would try Qatar Airlines in a heartbeat.Many older people complain of not being able to handle long air flights. With Dubai also modernizing and Bahrein already a decent spot, a stopover in the Middle East may not be the chore it once was.
Source : www.baliblog.com
November 8th, 2006