Archive for September, 2008
John Borthwick rediscovers the laid-back alternative to Bali.
The Gili islands - Air, Meno and Trewangan - are an escape from an escape from an escape; they are three somnolent dots that drift just off Lombok, which in turn floats just east of Bali.
Lombok, a haven of calm compared to the hullabaloo of southern Bali, has relatively few tourists and no thumping party scene - although the dreaded karaoke virus is spreading. Its main tourism enclave, on the west coast around Senggigi beach, has a strip of international-standard resorts, plus a row of restaurants and bars. It is all low-key and tasteful but for some travellers even this is “too developed”. They escape to an even farther shore, the Gili islands.
Just a short ferry ride from Bangsal harbour on north-west Lombok, the three Gili islands are an escapologist’s dream. The first time I visited the Gilis 12 years ago, a simple room with bed and mozzie net cost $10 a night, including breakfast.
Bliss at a bargain price, even if the room was single, and the 25-watt light was so dim, I had to replace it with the 75-watt bulb I carried for just such occasions.
This time, we sample the decidedly more upmarket Vila Ombak on Gili Trewangan. At 10 times the price I paid in 1996, it also offers 10 times the facilities - pool, bar, honeymoon suites, air-conditioning and an absolute beachfront restaurant.
In the latter, needless to say, the menu has come a long way from those typical ’90s offerings of gado gado, jaffles and mango smoothies.
Beyond fresh seafood and deep cocktails, the Gili islands’ main promise is still simply the moon and stars, sandy beaches, plenty of snorkelling and good scuba diving.
Women travellers seem particularly comfortable on these islands. In two hours, you can walk right around the she-oak and coral-strewn shoreline of Trewangan - at 340 hectares, this is the “big island” of the trio.
Time your arrival on the western side to coincide with sunset across Lombok Strait, then sink a well-earned beer as Bali’s sacred volcano, Mount Gunung Agung, swallows the sun. Back on mainland Lombok, it’s worth hiring a car and driver to see this large, 80-kilometre-wide island.
There are white-sand and black-sand beaches, coconut plantations, tribes of roadside monkeys, village markets, densely forested ranges and the 3726-metre volcano, Mount Rinjani.
Paddy fields are everywhere, of course; one writer nicely likened Lombok’s brilliant, baize paddy terraces to “a flight of billiard tables”. Lombok differs markedly from Hindu Bali. Ninety percent of its of 2.7 million people are Muslim, with their own distinctive, easy-going Sasak culture. Many of them still travel by cidomo - a canopied cart pulled by a diminutive Timor pony.
“Very small, but very strong horse,” a driver assures me. No doubt, but either through compassion or impatience, I take the taxi.
We find a hotel within a hotel, the luxurious Pool Villa Club annexe of the Senggigi Beach hotel. Our two-storey villa, one of 16 linked by a beautiful blue, serpentine pool, is just metres from Senggigi beach. It has views across the strait to Gunung Agung and those flamboyant sunsets. What’s there to do here?
“Senggigi is the perfect place for reading books and making babies,” a hotel manager once observed.
Penujak village in central southern Lombok specialises in export-quality, wood-fired, earthenware pottery. As soon as I step from the car, a group of giggling schoolgirls ambushes me, each selling little bird-shaped clay whistles. Just what I don’t need - but how can one say yes to one child and no to five others? I buy six.
Nearby Sukarara village has a weaving centre specialising in traditional ikat and songkat weaves - all done on back looms by young women. The intricately woven Sasak motifs, usually of birds, flowers and granaries, are passed from mother to daughter.
According to tradition, if a girl does not learn to weave her matrilineal designs, she cannot marry.
Someone invites us to a wedding party. We are told it has been going on for a week already, with another week to go. We eat sticky rice and banana fritters, drink rich, strong Lombok coffee, listen to some exuberant local music and then wander off, never actually spotting the bride and groom.
Lombok’s far southern coastline is like a beautiful, convoluted computer graphic. The fractal curves of its beaches form a lace of headlands, coves and lagoons. Offshore, surf whitewashes an indigo sea.
The very best place to view all this is from the hilltop Ashtari restaurant, run by an Australian expatriate, Gaz, and his family. Delicious food, astonishing views.
Lombok’s second most famous shore shares its name with Bali’s most famous one but this Kuta beach has no bungy jumpers, pub-crawl buses and very few prowling watch wallahs - so far. Having been off the tourist map for much of this decade (following riots in Lombok’s capital, Mataram, in 2000), Lombok is now back in the frame.
Quality hotels are being built, construction has begun on an international airport south of Mataram, developers are flogging villa subdivisions to foreigners and a Dubai company has purchased 1250 hectares in the Kuta-Mandlika area for a large development, perhaps Lombok’s version of Bali’s Nusa Dua enclave. In short, the tsunami of change is about to hit these sleepy, Sasak shores.
Just south of Kuta at Mandalika beach, we spend a few days at the exotic Novotel Lombok resort. Crimson bougainvillea cascades over its ochre walls and beehive-shaped roofs. Our private-pool villa is a haven, after spending all day exploring the villages and beaches of the far south, including the luminous Tanjung Aan point and its azure bays.
Mataram is a low-rise, low-key place, with more cidomo carts than any particular virtues or vices. There are several Hindu temples (Bali once ruled western Lombok), including Pura Narmada (or Narmada Temple), built by a Balinese king about 1805, supposedly as a fountain of youth.
Lombok may lack the elaborate ritual culture of Bali but there are always surprises. A house may even run you off the road, as I once discovered. Deep in the interior, as we drove through a village, we were confronted by a “house moving” party, literally.
Forty men and boys had simply picked up the village’s communal meeting house and, chanting vigorously, were carrying the large wood-and-thatch building 150 metres up the road to its new site.
One of the best aspects of Lombok is its Sasak people. They are unobtrusive but friendly and mixing with them is always fun. I was once invited into an evening-school English class to say a few words. “Tell us about Australian culture, please,” asked the teacher. I attempted to describe our diverse origins and lifestyles. She summarised my ever-expanding answer with the prefect Lombok metaphor, “So Australia is a gado-gado culture?”
The writer travelled courtesy of Garuda Indonesia.
TRIP NOTES
Getting there: Garuda Indonesia flies five times a week from Sydney to Denpasar; http://www.garuda-indonesia.com. There are multiple daily connections from Bali to Mataram, Lombok. Or catch the fast, one-hour Gilicat boat from Padang Bai to Gili Trewangan and Telok Kode, Lombok; http://www.gilicat.com.
Getting around: To tour Lombok,hire a car with a driver-guide; this makes far better sense (and less stress) than driving yourself. Satriaivi Tours, http://www.aerowisata.com.
Staying there: The Pool Villa Club, Sengiggi Beach and Lombok Novotel Mandalika are recommended, as is Vila Ombak, Gili Trewangan. These are in Garuda Orient Holidays’ brochure “Bali On ANY Budget” and at http://www.BalionANYbudget.com.au.
Further information: For Australian government travel advice, see www.smartraveller.gov.au.
Source: The Sun-Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news
September 30th, 2008
AKARTA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Indonesia and Finland will discuss forestry issues in Bali Island in November, a statement from the Indonesian forestry ministry said here Monday.
During the bilateral meeting, both sides are expected to sign a deal on a bilateral community-based forestry project.
In an earlier meeting held in Finland, the two countries agreed to work in capacity building, research and development of technology.
Indonesia and Finland also agreed to develop a community-based forestry project.
Indonesia, which is losing its forests at the world’s fastest rate, is struggling to save its rain-forest from deforestation by replanting millions of trees and enforcing strict laws on forest destruction.
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com
September 30th, 2008
Most hotels in Bali are fully booked for the holiday period in late September-early October, including during the Idul Fitri celebration on Oct. 1 and 2, a hotel executive said Wednesday.
IB Gede Sidharta Putra, who manages Griya Santrian Hotel in Sanur, said a number of locals had expressed disappointment as they could not get rooms at his hotel at short notice.
Sidharta Putra, popularly known as Gusde, said his hotel, which has 100 rooms, was fully booked until the end of October. Other hotels have reported similar occupancy rates.
Gusde said the substantial rise in the number of guests in Bali hotels had been observed since last year, and that in the Sanur beach resort area the hotel occupancy rate had been relatively stable since January this year.
The number of tourists to Bali is expected to fall slightly in November, but bounce back in the second week of December and hold in January next year, he said.
Gusde, who is also head of the Sanur Development Foundation, said most of those staying in his Santrian hotels are returning guests from Europe.
“About 50 percent to 60 percent of our guests are from Europe, who mostly stay here for an average of two weeks. But at the moment we are being flooded by tourists from Australia,” he said.
Head of the Bali Tourism Office I Gede Nurjaya confirmed Gusde’s remarks, saying other hotels in Kuta, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua areas, the preferred destinations for both foreign and domestic tourists, have also experienced overbooking.
As of September, the number of domestic tourists to Bali this year had reached 3 million, which is an average of 6,300 per day, an increase of about 35 percent from the corresponding period
last year.
by Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post , Denpasar
Source: The Jakarta Post
September 29th, 2008
The Bali Police will deploy 3,000 officers over the extremely busy Idul Fitri holidays expected to fill Bali hotels and roads with domestic visitors from approximately September 27, 2008 through October 05, 2008.
The beefing up of the number of uniformed and non-uniformed officers was announced by Bali’s Chief of Police, Inspector General T. Ashikin Husein in Denpasar on September 19, 2008. Bali’s top policeman said his officers would be concentrated at Bali’s sea port gateways, airport and public places to help guarantee the peace.
Ashikin told the press that while there is no indication of a specific threat of terrorism over the coming holidays, his department is always on guard to handle any situation that threatens public security.
© Bali Discovery Tours
Articles and images are copyright of Bali Discovery Tours
Source: http://www.balidiscovery.com
September 29th, 2008
Club Med’s Bali Resort in Nusa Dua is set to re-open December 18 this year after extensive renovations.
Families and couples staying at the resort will now be able to experience modern designs infused with Balinese architecture, all in the surroundings of the slopes of Batur Volcano.
There is also a new All-Inclusive Holiday Package on offer at Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua, that includes airfares, twin share Superior Accomodation, three buffet meals per day, sports and activities and spa treatments.
For more information visit www.clubmed.com.au
Source: http://www.etravelblackboard.com/
September 26th, 2008
(9/20/2008) Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. formally opened the doors of its latest resort - The St. Regis Bali Resort located in the Nusa Dua Complex, an elite beach enclave on the Southern tip of Bali. The St. Regis Bali Resort features 79 luxurious, oversized suites, 42 private villas and two exclusive residences – all complemented by world-class restaurants and bars, a signature Remède Spa, a wedding chapel, ballroom and state-of-the-art meeting space. Owned by PT Pacific Resorts Buana Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Rajawali Corporation, Bali’s newest resort occupies a beachfront location offering views of the Indian Ocean and adjoining Bali Golf & Country Club.
Azure waters, calm man-made lagoons and sandy beaches create a tranquil and exclusive setting for this exotic island oasis. The St. Regis Bali Resort’s extraordinary landscape architecture by Bensley Design Studios weaves together art, traditional Balinese design and natural influences. Interiors by Manny Samson and Associates combine rich imported fabrics with indigenous materials and cultural artifacts that reflect the island’s rich heritage. Exquisite furnishings and amenities in the resort’s guest rooms and suites create a soothing yet luxurious setting for discerning global travelers.
Wining and Dining at the St. Regis
Dining at The St. Regis Bali Resort indulges the senses with a diverse menu of sophisticated island-inspired cuisine. Kayuputi, a dazzling beachfront restaurant with stylish “white wood” interior reflecting its Indonesian name, features an exotic menu of caviar, Wagyu beef and the location option of seafood al fresco enjoyed in a private cabana against an ocean backdrop. At the resort’s second restaurant, Boneka, guests are invited to savor authentic Asian-style dishes in a sophisticated and relaxing setting. The King Cole Bar honors the legacy of the Astors and the brand’s flagship property in New York, the birthplace of the famous St. Regis creation, the Bloody Mary. Home-made delicacies and imported culinary delight are available at Gourmand Deli. The St. Regis Butler Service is available to prepare a private, in room-barbecue prepared by a personal chef with wines offered by a persona; sommelier.
The Remède Spa
A range of pampering services are available at The St. Regis Bali Resort’s Remède Spa is set in a serene corner of the resort, surrounded by Koi Carp pond. Featuring twelve treatment rooms, the spa offers both traditional treatments and modern Remède therapies to create the ultimate spa experience. The signature Lulur Experience is an Indonesian exfoliation using a paste of sandalwood, turmeric, ground nuts and rice. Other facilities include an Aqua Vitale Pool providing a full body underwater massage, two phenomenal spa suites and a yoga center.
Weddings by the Sea
For guests seeking an exclusive and romantic wedding destination, The St. Regis Bali Resort offers an unparalleled wedding venue. Located directly on the resort’s private beach, the Cloud Nine Chapel is both intimate and elegant, complemented by the Cloud Nine Honeymoon Villa offers a majestic setting for an unforgettable wedding experience.
Meetings at the St. Regis
An ideal choice for meetings on Asia’s leading resort island, The St. Regis Bali Resort offers an exclusive beachfront location for social and corporate gatherings, featuring two boardrooms, state-of-the-art meeting and function space.
“The strength of the St. Regis brand with its rich history and timeless innovation is an essential component for our partnership and we believe The St. Regis Bali Resort is set to raise the bar for the hospitality industry within the resort island,” said Erhard Hotter, CEO Hotel Operations, PT Rajawali Corporation.
The Butler Can Do It!
Following in the tradition of the legendary St. Regis Hotel New York, The St. Regis Bali Resort will feature the same brand hallmarks including the iconic St. Regis Butler Service, bespoke guest experiences and luxury accommodations tailored to meet global travelers’ needs. Trained in the English tradition, the butlers provide ever-present, yet unobtrusive, service while anticipating guests needs and customizing each guest’s stay according to his or her specific tastes and preferences. The resort offers guests 12-hour and 24-hour personalized butler service, as well as separate butler quarters, complete with a private entrance, for each villa.
Book a Stay at [The St. Regis Resort Bali]
Articles and images are copyright of Bali Discovery Tours
Source: http://www.balidiscovery.com
September 26th, 2008
By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ
ART has always been a big part of Huang Fong’s life. The 72-year-old self-taught artist has been linked to art even as he started off at a bicyle repair shop in his early days.
The Indonesian Chinese was then infusing colours into black-and-white photographs that were common in those days.
Later, he realised that the earnings from his part-time job were better than his full-time income derived from repairing bicycles.
So, it was only natural that he switched to do what he liked and knew best.
Specialising in water colours on canvas, which is a technique hard to master, Huang Fong said he had spent a few years researching and perfecting the technique.
He said the secret was in managing the oil that was found on the canvas before putting the colour in.
“Normally, water colour on canvas does not last long and is hard to distribute evenly due to the oil on the canvas but a lot of research and hard work helped me master it,” he said while he was in Kuala Lumpur for his first solo exhibition in Malaysia at the Metro Fine Art Gallery, Legend Hotel.
His motifs are based on what he sees around him in Bali, particularly women.
His subjects amplifies or focuses on the women of Bali clad in their intricate sarongs while at a chore or dance.
“Familiarity with my surroundings help me picture my scenes well and I work on that basis,” Huang Fong added.
Some of these paintings also feature nude women or semi-nude women, focusing on the delicate feminine curves.
“Why would I want to paint women? It’s simply because they are beautiful and there is no better option than beauty as a subject,” said the artist.
Each of Huang Fong’s paintings also feature a smoky effect on the background, lending them a mystical and mysterious feel.
“The smoke is a reference to incense smoke that is common in Bali,” he added.
There are 35 big and small art pieces for sale at the exhibition with prices ranging from RM6,000 and RM49,000.
The exhibition is open till Sept 27 and viewing time is from 11.30am to 5.30pm.
The artworks can also be viewed online at www.metro3gallery.com.
For details, call 03-4042 2224.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro
September 25th, 2008
The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company has roundly applauded the advent of Pacific Blue services and resumption of Garuda Indonesia flights ex-Brisbane to ‘rediscovered’ Bali in the first half of December.
LBHRC Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Cutler said the news from both airlines was a fantastic and a long overdue boost for Bali’s return to prominence in the market.
“I could question why GA chose to reinstate its services after closing its Brisbane offices in June 2007 – they had the perfect opportunity to establish themselves in a demand filled marketplace,” he said.
“But it’s all good and the news is certainly a real leg-up for Bali’s hoteliers and Bali’s long suffering tourism industry in general.
“It will be interesting to see how things will develop from here.
“These new services will place even heavier demand on a destination that readily admits it has been severely under-rated, room rate wise, for quite some time.
“But now instead of the traditional ‘rate war’ that many hoteliers have had to fight, especially in low season when times are really tight, it will be interesting to see what the airlines come up with in the long-term from the perspective of fares even before the accommodation buying begins.
“This may give the Balinese industry the opportunity to bring their room rates back to the more realistic levels the destination deserves to have as a truly established, globally-popular tourism destination.
“Bali continues to strengthen in popularity. We have already seen a 54.8 per cent increase in business from Australia from January to July of this year compared to the same period 2007.*
The company’s Bali-based Senior Product Consultant Katrina Simorangkir said she knew of many Gold Coast and Brisbane Bali regulars who would be extremely happy with the news.
“The journey many of them have to undertake to reach Bali either via Sydney or Darwin becomes so lengthy as to render it ridiculous for many, with long waits along the way,” she said.
“As a result only the true Bali fans have bothered.”
Cutler said the LBHRC would be watching closely to see how the increased Brisbane-Fiji services impact on the South east Queensland marketplace,” he said alluding to the announcement this week that Air Pacific will commence a twice-weekly Coolangatta - Nadi service from 01 December.
This is addition to the carrier’s already existing daily Brisbane – Nadi services.
“South east Queensland is certainly growing at a rate of knots but I wonder just how deep this market is?
:”Is all this current extra capacity sustainable in current times? “
Visit the LBHRC website at www.thelittlebalihotelresortcompany.com.
A version of the original ‘Where the Bali hell are you’ video clip can still be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkH2DzSEiFM.
*Figures released by the Indonesian government indicate Australian visitor arrivals to Bali for the period January to July 2008 totalled 164.641 compared to the 106.367 total recorded for the same period in 2007, an increase of 54.8 per cent.
Source: http://www.etravelblackboard.com/
September 24th, 2008
Garuda Indonesia will honour its commitment to the Queensland market by resuming services to Bali, three times a week, in time for the commencement of the Queensland state school summer holidays.
Effective 14 December, GA713 will depart Brisbane every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning, arriving in Bali early afternoon. GA712 leaves Bali just before midnight arriving early morning in Brisbane.
Since suspending direct Brisbane Bali flights early last year Garuda has continued to be proactive in restoring the leisure market to Bali including offering user friendly through fares with Virgin Blue.
“It seems that Garuda Indonesia’s decision to continue supporting the Queensland market has proven worthwhile as, along with other Australian markets to Bali, it has grown significantly in the last twelve months”, said Mr. Poerwoko Soeparyono, Senior General Manager Australia/SWP.
“Bali is well and truly back on the map and we are delighted that, in less than two years, we are able to resume direct services to this popular holiday destination and thus honour our commitment made to Queenslanders in 2007.
As the only full service carrier flying this route, Garuda Indonesia will offer a total of 869 seats per week nonstop to Bali utilising the wide bodied Airbus A330 aircraft.
An announcement will be made shortly regarding Garuda fares and arrangements for passengers, currently booked and ticketed on Garuda flights via Sydney. As usual, Garuda will remain competitive.
The new Brisbane Bali schedules are expected to be accessible in reservations systems within the next few days and are subject to confirmation of slot times.
Reservation enquiries for Garuda Indonesia can be directed to 1300 365 330 or (02) 9334 9944.
Source: http://www.etravelblackboard.com/
September 23rd, 2008
The Canadian-born jewelry designer John Hardy and his American wife, Cynthia, opened Bambu Indah — or “beautiful bamboo” in Balinese — after selling their company, John Hardy, in 2007. The longtime Bali residents turned four transplanted Java houses (each the former residence of a Javanese nobleman and each more than 100 years old) into a rustic retreat on land adjacent to their own ironwood treehouse along the Sayan Ridge in Bali’s bucolic center.
Minutes downriver from Ubud’s most decadent resorts, Bambu Indah’s riverfront compound looks out at the stunning cascades of the Ayung River, rice fields, a Hindu temple called Pura Dalem Gede Bongkasa and, beyond, the multiple volcanic ridges surrounding Mount Batu Kau.
THE LOOK
Eco-luxe. Stone paths lead from the bamboo-encased reception area through rice paddies at various stages of growth and past a soaring black bamboo multipurpose structure reminiscent of an ancient ship.
Bambu Indah’s natural swimming pool is virtually indistinguishable from an indigenous pond, thanks to a recyclable black rubber membrane and tiny river fish.
THE ROOMS
Casually roped off from other recycled structures that house the Hardys’ own houseguests, the four one-room cottages are made of hand-carved teak. Named Padi (rice), Kuno (antique), Kuning (yellow) and Afrika by 12-year-old Carina Hardy, they are filled with various treasures collected on the family’s travels, including Tibetan vegetable-dye carpets, Kalimantan shields and Ethiopian rawhide benches.
Mosquito-netted four-poster beds would benefit from some pillow top fluffing, but each room’s movement-sensitive night lighting is a nice touch. The rustic ambience of the interiors is complemented by other modern add-ons like air-conditioning, wireless Internet access and bathrooms with hand-hammered copper sinks, plush towels and open-air rainfall showers.
AMENITIES
Pressure-point massages ($40 an hour) are available by appointment, as are private sessions with the yogi Therese Poulsen, formerly of YogaWorks in New York ($100 an hour).
Guests are given a two-page food questionnaire to help personalize menus. Breakfasts of local fruits like mangosteen and rambutan, plus homemade bread and Indonesia’s strong Toraja coffee, are served on porches, while a picnic lunch ($15 a person) by the river may consist of grilled peppers, mushrooms and cauliflower in a chicken stew. Dinner ($25 a person) might consist of organic greens followed by local grilled fish.
For an excursion, the Hardys’ most recent undertaking, the just-opened Green School (www.greenschool.org), is an eco-engineering feat worth visiting. Built of sustainable natural materials such as bamboo and alang-alang grass, the school is for students of preschool age through year eight.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Bambu Indah is a good stopover for eco-travelers looking for unfussy accommodations and a chance to trek through rice paddies or skinny-dip under the stars. But more pampered campers with aversions to mud or mosquitoes should bunk elsewhere.
The Kuning house costs $200 a night; Kuno is $250; Padi is $395 and the largest, Afrika, is $495. The rates do not include tax and service charge.
Bambu Indah, Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali; (62-361) 975-124; (1-718) 874-8419 from the United States; www.bambuindah.com.
Source: http://travel.nytimes.com/
September 22nd, 2008
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