Archive for March, 2008
It’s situated in a country which has world’s largest Muslim population. But Bali, the green island of Indonesia is actually an abode of Hindu Gods!
Bali (Indonesia): Wherever an Indian goes in this island of the gods, the first question is: “Are you a Hindu? I am.” From taxi drivers to tour guides to policemen, the question in this crowded little island of 2.5 million people does not vary.
Over 90 percent of the population is Hindu, and you see signs of that everywhere. Every few steps on the pavement, there is a small leaf-plate, with a few flowers and an incense stick in a corner. It is an offering to the family deity, the locals tell you, and you have to watch your step.
Sounds of worship float out of every neighbourhood temple in the evenings - the gongs, the small drums and the singing where you can pick out a few words of Sanskrit here and there if you listen carefully.
Rabindranath Tagore in his famous poem “Sagarika”, about ancient India’s maritime glory, wrote thus during a visit to Bali around 80 years ago:
“You were sitting on a rocky shore when I first came here as a foreigner. You welcomed me. We picked flowers together. You were at home when I came again as a merchant prince. You welcomed me again. We worshipped the gods together.
Then my fortunes declined. Today I have come to you only with my veena. I can see a lot of myself in you. Can you recognise me?”
Today, the Balinese have a ready answer, as is evident from the fact that Indians are recognised and greeted here.
Of course, the majority of the four million tourists who flocked to Indonesia by September this year - most of them to Bali - came more for the beaches than for the culture. But there are lots of things for the minority too, especially in Ubud, a village on the slopes of a volcano that is famous for its traditional crafts.
Travel and Leisure Magazine calls Bali the best island destination in the Bali: The Island of gods!
It’s situated in a country which has world’s largest Muslim population. But Bali, the green island of Indonesia is actually an abode of Gods, or so believe the local people
Source: Indo Asian News Service
March 11th, 2008
Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, Bali, should look forward to the continued expansion of InterContinental Hotels Group over the next two years.
Joining the award-winning InterContinental Bali Resort at Jimbaran Bay is the sister property InterContinental Bali Sanur Beach Resort, as well as the introduction of the Holiday Inn brand to Bali in Tuban.
Jan Smits, CEO, Southern Asia and Korea, IHG Asia Pacific, notes that “Bali is one of Asia’s most popular destinations, attracting high-spending leisure travellers, corporate meeting attendees as well as families.â€
Scheduled to open in late 2009, the InterContinental Bali Sanur Beach Resort will develop seven seaside hectares of Sanur, a serene village in Bali. The resort has been designed by the award-winning firm eco-id, interior design by Hadiprana and managed on behalf of PT Restu Maharani.
The resort places 104 rooms and suites within low rise cluster pavilions, as well as 54 private villas that are the height of decadence, boasting private pools, outdoor showers and private courtyards.
The unsurpassed luxury continues with the range of facilities that the resort offers, through the lavish Spa InterContinental and beachfront dining.
Three hectares of lush Balinese Gardens surround the Holiday Inn Resort on Tuban that is expected to re-open later this year. This 200 room property, managed by IHG for PT Menara Perdana, is undergoing a myriad of renovation in order to parallel Holiday Inn Resort standards, and will feature a Tea Tree Spa, direct beach access and a kids club.
Smits continued, noting that “IHG already manages a successful InterContinental resort on Jimbaran Bay and with these two new hotels, our guests can look forward to more choice of accommodations across two brands in three unique locations.â€
Source: http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/
March 10th, 2008
Erwida Maulia , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta  | Thu, 03/06/2008 12:02 PM | National
Indonesia’s Bali Island is set to host next week the seventh E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting on Education for All (EFA), which will focus on the improvement of education and training for teachers in countries where illiteracy is a national problem.
The program is run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is aimed at decreasing the world’s illiterate population.
The nine countries scheduled to attend the meeting include Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia.
A 1993 report by UNESCO said these nine countries were home to 70 percent of the world’s illiterate population and 40 percent of global school dropouts.
UNESCO said it aimed to cut 50 percent of the world’s illiterate population by 2015 through the EFA program, with a particular focus on the nine countries.
The EFA program is focused on six themes including early childhood education, compulsory education, gender equity, life skill education, quality of education and illiteracy.
Director general for higher education at Indonesia’s Education Ministry, Fasli Jalal, said on Wednesday, “Failures in tackling education problems in these nine countries will result in a failure to reach the EFA target”.
Fasli said the condition of education in the nine countries had been improving since the first EFA summit in New Delhi in 1993.
China was the country that had shown most improvement because it had managed to cut its illiterate population by 80 percent and had provided nine-year’s worth of compulsory education for its citizens.
Fasli said Indonesia was in second place in terms of improvement. He said the country’s illiteracy rate had declined to less than 10 percent of its 240 million population.
Illiteracy rates of most other countries stood at around 40 percent, he said.
“Besides that, we have no problem with gender equity in education.
“We have left the six-year compulsory education (phase) and we are now entering the nine-year compulsory education (phase), which is equal to China,” he said.
But Indonesia still had problems with its quality of education and Fasli said lessons around life skills were not properly provided.
The biennial meeting would also be attended by delegates from other countries concerned with education, including donor countries and observers.
The meeting is scheduled to hear reports on the progress of EFA achievements in the nine countries, as well as globally, and should serve as a forum for sharing experiences and benchmarking best practice among participants.
Fasli said Indonesia had adopted the results of the previous EFA meetings in its amendment of the Constitution, as well as the 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers and the National Education Ministry’s strategic plans.
Source: The Jakarta Post
March 10th, 2008
Berlin (ANTARA News) - Indonesian stand in International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany, put on display a replica of the “Garuda Wisnu Kencana” statue symbol of environmental rescue in the event which will last until March 9 and participated in by several Asian countries.
Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Makmur Widodo and Marketing Director General of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Thamrin Bhiwana Bachri in Berlin on Wednesday dedicated the pavilion covering 500 square meters of land.
Participants which are promoting their products in the Indonesian pavilion comprised 65 tourism industries, among others hotels, and representatives of the provincial government of Bali, East Java, Central Java, West Lombok district administration and Jayapura administration.
Jayapura district administration will promote Lake Sentanu in a festival in June this year.
The dedication of the Indonesian pavilion was also attended by Hazarin Pohan, Indonesian Ambassador in Warsaw.
In a bid to support Indonesian participation in the Berlin ITB which is followed by 10,923 participants from 180 countries, the Indonesian Embassy unfurled a Visit Indonesia Year 2008 banner in one of the fly-overs and on the buses in the city for two months.
Meanwhile, Thamrin Bhiwana Bachri said, in connection with the Visit Indonesia Year (VIY) 2008, the government has set a target of seven million tourists to the country compared to 5.5 million visitors in 2007.
According to him, in 2007 some 116,000 German tourists visited Indonesia and in 2008, which is expected to increase to 159,000.(*)
Source: ANTARA News
March 6th, 2008
Cliffside Bali Resort Features Spa, Golf, Fashionistas and Extremely Private Grounds
By MARGARET CONLEY
March 4, 2008
The glam Bulgari Resort in Bali perches cliffside, overlooking the Indian Ocean.
The sublime setting on the peninsula of Bali, or Island of the Gods, was once the former hunting grounds of Balinese royals.
Today the jet-setting elite are escorted by a fleet of golf carts and whisked to the private beach below in a glass elevator tram.
Blink and you’ll miss the people.
In this extremely private setting, there really isn’t much to do, especially if you aren’t there on your honeymoon, as it appears everyone else — 70 percent occupancy — is.
In fact, without a date to distract, especially for the Blackberry-toting, Manolo-clicking clientele the resort attracts, the silence can be deafening.
At least at first.
But staying in, in this breathtaking Zen-like setting, just seems wrong.
First stop is the spa. The private pavilions have large open-air windows with wispy white curtains and breathtaking views of the ocean below.
Therapies suit every high-life taste and need — balancing or replenishing, herbal or fruity, restorative or detoxifying.
The sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt water air mixed with natural ESPA oils fills each room.
There’s the Single Massage With Volcanic Hot Stones, the Unforgettable Double Bulgari Royal Lulur, the Balinese Four-Hand Massage, the Jet-Lag Recovery Ritual.
Outside the pavilions, the pampering continues in plunge pools overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Barefoot staff serve hot serenity tea and delicate duck spring rolls cooked in banana slips.
The staff, and Banjar butlers, are everywhere, anticipating each guest’s every need, returning everything back to its proper place without anyone’s noticing.
They also offer factoids about the entrance to the spa area. It’s a Joglo House, an intricately hand-carved structure, once used only by royal families and other wealthy people on the island of Java.
The brainchild of Italian architect Antonio Citterio, Bulgari’s second hotel after Milan was built using primarily a mahogany wood from Java called Bangkiray, with large glass windows and open-air rooms to take in the breeze.
The resort’s clean-lined furniture and unique accessories are handmade in Bali, inspired by local culture, history and nature, and designed by Indonesian artists and Citterio’s team.
Each of the 59 villas, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 a night, oozes intimacy, with its own secluded garden, al fresco living room, and plunge pool to escape the tropical humidity and rinse away the mozzie spray.
Inside, the free-standing villas capture the essence of Bulgari, resort-style, combining dark and modern furnishings with Balinese thatched roofs.
Luxuries include his and her closets, Bang & Olufsen speakers for the flat-screen TV and an elegantly hip bathroom with floor-to-ceiling glass, a stand-alone tub and an outdoor shower made of natural green subakumi stone.
A Balinese silk songket, or textile, drapes the bed with color. Handwoven with gold and silver thread, these ceremonial symbols of wealth can take many months to perfect.
Each night villa guests are gifted with Balinese turndown amenities, chosen to indulge the senses — including wind-makers, traditional chimes, incense and tokens from the spa.
Other souvenirs are available for purchase at the arts and crafts boutique.
Advanced shoppers can hit the Bulgari store, which recently sold more than $100,000 in a single purchase from its latest jewelry line, Elisia. A limited edition Bulgari Bali watch is also exclusively available there.
For a break from seclusion, guests can lounge at the infinity pool along the cliff’s edge or take a dip in the outdoor Jacuzzi.
To get to the beach, guests are whisked cliffside by elevator tram four minutes, or 174 yards, down.
The specially designed funicular track and cabin was built in New Zealand and has glass windows so as not to miss a shade of the ocean’s breathtaking blues.
Just before descending a final flight of stairs to the beach, the Beach Club is a resting spot for chilled cocktails, fresh seafood and a moment of life appreciation.
The final flight of stairs down to the beach can set the stage for a bride’s dramatic entrance. The Beach Wedding is the latest of four wedding package offerings by Bulgari Bali. So far only one lucky couple has tied the knot in the sand.
In the evening, as the sun goes down and the sky swirls pinks and purples, candles and lanterns flicker throughout the resort.
Well-coiffed couples emerge from their villas to dine at Sangkar or Il Ristorante for authentic Indonesian or Italian flavors. Glasses clink at the cliff-top bar, whispers carry in foreign accents.
Even in the dark of night, when the ocean below is out of sight, the Bulgari Resort in Bali proves worthy of the Island of the Gods.
Source: http://www.abcnews.go.com/
March 5th, 2008
(balidiscovery) According to the Department of Culture and Tourism, Bali’s southern seaport of Benoa is being prioritized for development as an international standard turn-around port for cruise vessels.
In a report carried in Bisnis Indonesia, the government is reportedly seeking to equip the Benoa Port facility with hotels and amusement centers seen as necessary supports to a passenger port facility. The report also says that the provincial government of Bali has been asked to undertake dredging in various parts of the current harbor to allow visits by larger vessels.
The Secretary General of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Sapta Nirwandar, told a meeting of sea-tourism operators: “We want Benoa to become a cruise ship terminal with the dimensions of an entertainment area in accordance with the dynamics exhibited by other international turn-around-ports. Benoa has become a priority for us.”
Sapta went on to explain that Benoa has become a top priority nationally for development as a turn-around-port out of consideration of the local potential for sea tourism. The leading tourism official also justified the decision of his department by pointing to the growing number of cruise passengers calling on the port of Benoa every year.
Sapta said: “Last year alone some 1.7 million (foreign) tourists visited Bali. The number of visits by cruise ships to Bali is also large. We are targeting that by 2009 that a turn-around port is in operation, creating a an international cruise destination that is equal to Singapore.”
By developing Benoa as a cruise port Sapta is certain that the number of cruise ship visits to Bali will increase and this, in turn, will act as a stimulus to developing cruise tourism in eastern Indonesia.
Didien Junaedy, the Secretary General of the Association of Sea Tourism Operators (Gahawisri) welcomed Sapta’s comment, describing this as positive development in national sea tourism.
At the same time, Junaedy cautioned the government not to focus only on Benoa, as there were many other ports in the rest of Indonesia worthy of their attention.
In response, Sapta said the government has plans for development and upgrading of port facilities in other areas, such as Batam, Bintan, Maksassar and North Sulawesi.
Source: http://my-indonesia.info/
March 4th, 2008
JAKARTA, March 2, (Xinhua) — Five countries have confirmed participation in the ethnic musical festival for Southeast Asia (ASEAN) region during the 30th Bali Arts Festival in June-July, Indonesian Antara News Agency reported on Sunday.
    The five countries are Thailand, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and host Indonesia, I Made Santha, head of the cultural section of the Bali culture and tourism office said on Sunday.
    The schedule has been made for the musical performance during the Bali Arts Festival, he said, Indonesia would perform ethnic music from Java and Bali.
    It was also reported that an international puppet festival will be held during the festival, and New Zealand, the United States, Japan, Britain and host Indonesia had confirmed their participation in the puppet festival.
    Indonesia launched “Visit Indonesia 2008″ campaign to promote tourism industry. Bali as the most famous tourist destination will hold some big events in 2008 to attract more international tourists. 　
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
March 3rd, 2008
Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Television stations in the United States, Korea and Taiwan have expressed interest in covering Nyepi (the Day of Silence) in Bali, which falls on March 7 this year, an official said Thursday.
“I received proposals from three foreign TV stations — CNN from the United States, one from Taiwan and the other one from South Korea, to cover the ritual of Nyepi next week,” head of the Bali Tourism Agency, I Gede Nurjaya, told The Jakarta Post here.
He said he had sent official replies to the requests two days ago, saying the agency did not mind if they covered Nyepi, but under certain conditions.
“They are allowed to cover a series of rituals for Nyepi, starting from the melasti (self-purification) ceremony to the ogoh-ogoh (effigy) parade, but on Nyepi Day they will be allowed to cover it only from their hotels. We don’t want them to disturb the devotion of the people during Nyepi Day,” he said.
He said that even though they were journalists covering Nyepi, they would not be allowed onto the streets or to travel around the island on Nyepi Day, when activities are severely curtailed.
Hindu Balinese will mark Nyepi on March 7 to commemorate Hindu’s Saka New Year.
Nurjaya said he also suggested they get recommendations from Indonesian embassies stating they are members of the media in their respective countries.
“I also asked them to present a list of their equipment so that we can expedite the process at the airport,” he said.
However, he said it was not certain the TV stations would end up sending reporters to Bali.
“They sent me the letters at the last minute. I just received them five days ago, while Nyepi is only seven days away,” he said.
During Nyepi, 90 percent of the island’s 3.5 million inhabitants will practice catur berata penyepian, or the four abstinences: refraining from lighting fires and using lights, refraining from working, refraining from traveling outside the house and refraining from indulging in leisure activities for 24 hours, starting at 6 a.m. on March 7 to 6 a.m. the next day.
This ritual has inspired some non-governmental organizations that focus on environmental issues to promote the moment of Nyepi throughout the world as a campaign to reduce carbon emissions.
Ni Nyoman Sri Widhiyanti of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said she had not heard about the journalists that would go to Bali to cover Nyepi.
However, she urged the regional administration to help facilitate any journalists in carrying out their jobs.
“As long as they do not disturb the ritual it is all right for them to cover the situation of Nyepi in Bali,” she said
Besides, she added, it would be a good promotion for Bali in general and for the world silence day campaign in particular.
Source: The Jakarta Post
March 3rd, 2008
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