Archive for November, 2008
It appears some travellers in the Northern Territory have decided against going to Bali because of safety fears.
Others, however, are not so fazed about the possibility of retaliatory attacks after the execution of the Bali bombers.
Some backpackers relaxing by the pool at a hostel in Darwin said they would still consider travelling to Bali.
“I was there before and it’s a lovely place. And I will go back yep,” a backpacker said.
“You have security issues in every country and no matter where you go there’s always that risk.”
But, a worker at the hostel says others are concerned.
“A lot of people have changed, a lot of people have cancelled without refunds, you know, they just don’t want to go.”
The General Manager of Garuda Airline in the NT, Syahrul Tahir says some people have cancelled their flights from Darwin to Bali, but not a big number.
“I think it is not as significant as what I was expecting. Not so many people are cancelling,” he said.
Mr Tahir says the number of seats booked this month is on par with previous years.
There were mixed feelings among passengers preparing to fly out of Darwin for Bali last night at the Darwin International Airport.
Traveller, Allira Williams was feeling a bit nervous about her holiday.
“We tried to get out of it and change our flights to go to Thailand but it wasn’t so easy so we’re still going to head over and maybe just stay out of the high tourist spots,” Ms Williams said.
A Perth man said he did not intend to change his plans to fly to Bali next week.
“I’ve been to other countries where they’ve been hit by terrorist bombs and it didn’t stop me going to them,” he said.
Caroline Tetlie was intent on returning to study in Bali.
“If it happens, it happens you can’t go around being afraid,” Ms Tetlie said.
Wayan Arya Sutatnata was not worried about returning home.
“I feel safe enough to go to Bali right now,” he said.
Mr Suratnata welcomed the execution of the bombers, saying they had hurt tourism in his home town.
RDH response
The Royal Darwin Hospital’s general manager says the execution of the Bali bombers reminds staff of the horror and sadness of the attacks.
Len Notaras oversaw the city’s medical response to the Bali bombings six years ago.
“These individuals weren’t contrite individuals who regretted their behaviour, but as far as I’m concerned monsters who revelled in the pain and suffering wreaked on those occasions,” Mr Notaras said.
He says the hospital is prepared to help if called on again.
“Royal Darwin Hospital was recognised following the first and indeed the second Bali bombing and then the shooting of President Ramos Horta, as a national critical care and trauma centre.
“When Kevin Rudd said to the people of Timor that President Ramos Horta would get the best treatment Australia could provide, he was talking about Royal Darwin Hospital. We are prepared,” he said.
Source: www.abc.net.au/news
November 10th, 2008
There are few more inner emotions felt than when you are privileged to see the sunset over Bali By: John Nielsen Bali is widely regarded by many visitors as the “ultimate” island and is regularly voted by major travel magazines as the most enchanting travel and holiday destination in the world. My second visit confirmed why Bali is now also one of the best luxury destinations to visit, anywhere.
The Indonesian island is located between the large island of Java and Lombok. Bali - www.balitourismboard.org - is one of the smaller islands in Indonesia’s amazing archipelago. Stretching 140 km from east to west 80 km north to south, the island is just 8 degrees south of the Equator and boast year round average temperatures of 28 Celsius or 83 Fahrenheit, all in all just perfect!
The rugged coastline is home to sweeping views and clear blue warm waters, where fish frolic to the delight of divers and snorkelers. The wide and gently sloping southern region play host to Bali famed rice terraces, in the hilly northern coastal regions the spectacular terraces are host to coffee, spices and a plethora of vegetables.
It is the wonderful people that make this place so special, their warm personality, friendliness and always wanting to help the gives a very different meaning to personal service. Through out the island and it’s excellent hotels that superb service is felt. As you arrive and are escorted to your car smiles all around you greet you to make you feel welcome. The driver happily chats away in English and offers you his services should you wish to explore the island and its many wonders.
We ventured off to Amankila located one hours drive from the airport. We arrived to a remote part of the south east coast to the wonderful boutique resort of Amankila, www.amanresorts.com. Tracey Atherton, the General Manager of Amankila, greets us at the entrance. Her big smile and warm welcome says it all, we have arrived at a very unique resort, where 250 staff await to serve you in the 33-stunning villas. The lobby looks out on the stunning coastline with three infinity pools that all seamlessly integrate in to one beautiful picture. The pool suite villa has its own 10 meter lap pool and the natural stone colors are blended in with cooling whites and cream. The resort’s peaceful cliff-side setting, beneath the towering Mount Agung, is surrounded by the tropical spoils of the region, the volcanic beach and even a 41 meter lap pool set in lush gardens with an open dining venue creates quite a unique setting. My family boggy board in the warm waters and feel the thrills of the almost perfect waves, as I sit back and look on with a big smile. We cool off with a few laps in the pool and test the food… very nice!
Tracy has arranged for us to tour the coastline and we board the Amankila 16. The stylish outrigger designed after the “jukung”, a traditional Balinese fishing craft boat is decked out with white lush towels and we gently sail along the spectacular coastline, seeing Amankila from the sea. The resort is almost hidden in the hills and is beautifully integrated with the coastline. We stop at the blue lagoon and begin to snorkel around the area, admiring the many tropical fish and the coral. As we snorkel my wife asks me to dive down and collect a plastic bag on the seafloor. I am reminded how sad that in these tropical waters we encounter human rubbish that will kill the natural wonders of the sea. This frail eco system must be protected at all costs to save the sheer beauty below. As I arrive back to the boat, I have amounted a handful of rubbish that I throw out. Over a perfectly served healthy lunch we ponder how this can be stopped, Tracey remarks with sadness that the Indonesian government must educate the population in order to stop this disaster from escalating and ruining the eco system.
As we arrive back to Amankila we relax under the bale by the pools, few sounds are heard, apart from playful children in the pool and the soft Balinese music that welcomes sunset. Candles are being lit on the stairs to create a perfect setting for one couple that will dine alone by the sea and soak in the ultimate romantic atmosphere with dinner for two!
We wave goodbye and set out for Nusa Dua, an area that was established in the early eighties, with a vision to offer tourism a complete destination. Over the years the influx of top hotel chains have opened up and created an ideal venue.
Nusa Dua is not the only tourism destination in Bali, but with the newly developed coastline towns of Legian and Seminyak to compliment the more traditional areas of Jimbaran, Kuta and Sanur the island is now offering a great selection for any traveler. Eat street in Legian is the perfect venue for all types of modern dining and shopping. The two towns of Legian and Seminyak are linked and seamless integrate with each other. At nighttime the candle lit café’s and restaurants along the beachside open up and create a wonderful atmosphere. It has to be said that this once rice paddy fields has been developed slightly too fast and without much infrastructure so the streets don’t quite match the stylish boutiques and dining venues, but as with all things in Bali, this is all part of the charm.
The beach of Jimbaran Bay is a favorite of many for a night of dining on the beach. Watch the sun set as you feast on local seafood and see locals play in the warm waters. As dark descends, lantern lights light up the beach and the music begins to fill the area with the local disco’s dance floors filling up. The sunset is a magical setting to also watch the planes arrive into Bali’s international airport, whose runway separate the two beaches of Jimbaran and Seminyak.
The local food scene is an array with such excellent Indonesian specialties as Nasi Goring, Satays etc, but for those just wanting international food, simply walk down any of the main street and you will find a cuisine to tempt you (I have to admit that the Balinese make brilliant flat-based pizzas and are very innovative with their toppings).
The wonderful part about Bali is that the island offers so much more then just an island vacation on a beach. As the jet takes off and heads south towards Australia the family are all smiles and ask when can we return to Bali? There seems little doubt that Bali is back to its best and now a new and re-invigorated destination for all luxury travelers.
Source: http://www.kiwicollection.com/
November 7th, 2008
Djody Trisusanto, Consultant
Bali will achieve a second consecutive record in international tourist arrivals this year, with January to September 2008 arrivals already at 1.5 million, a near 20 percent growth year-on-year.
This has been fueled by increased arrivals from Bali’s traditional source markets, including Australia, the United States, France and the U.K. as well as solid growth in relatively new markets, including Russia, China and India. Despite being a slow-growing target source, Japan still represents the biggest market for Bali with about 20 percent of the total share.
The growth so far in 2008 has been partly due to an increase in the number of carriers authorized to land in Bali, and increased flight frequency. The lifting of the recent U.S. travel warning on Indonesia has also raised travel confidence and increased visitor growth from international markets.
Future growth is made possible with the potential resumption of Garuda services to Europe, the proposed expansion of Ngurah Rai Airport and the scheduled opening of a new international airport in Lombok in 2010.
Since 1998, Bali has managed to enjoy a positive compounded annual average growth of about 6 percent, weathering setbacks from the Asian financial crisis in 1998, terrorist attacks in 2002 and 2005 and the SARS epidemic in 2003.
The key to Bali’s market resiliency is its uniqueness. It offers the beauty and harmony of endless cultural attractions, beaches and mountain resorts, culinary experiences, shopping and a wide choice of hospitality services, including luxury villa hotels.
The latter concept, which was pioneered by the Oberoi, Amanresorts and the Four Seasons in the early 1990s, has expanded significantly.
Bali has since become internationally recognized as the launching pad in Asia for many international luxury brands that include the Ritz Carlton, Bvlgari, Oriental Express, Como Shambhala and more recently the St. Regis.
The list grows longer with more luxury brands, such as W Retreat and Spa, Raffles, Banyan Tree and Alila set to open in the near future.
These luxury villa hotels offer privacy, luxury, views and personal services featuring detached villas with detailed architectural design, private pools, spacious indoor and outdoor living areas and lavish bathroom facilities.
With their superior attributes, luxury villa hotels are able to command significant rates, with an average daily rate (ADR) in the first six months of 2008 of about US$602, up by 20 percent from a year ago.
Occupancy, however, has grown at a more moderate pace — about 56.7 percent during the same review period against 53.2 percent in 2007. This is attributable to the proliferation of private and independent villa developments in Bali over the last two years, which have shared demand segments with luxury villas.
Overall, the growth of both ADR and occupancy has lifted the revenue per available room (RevPAR) of the luxury villa hotel market by more than 28 percent on year to $341 in the January to June 2008 period. Despite declines in RevPAR in 2002, 2004 and 2006, over the past ten years, RevPAR has grown positively at more than 7 percent, showing the resilience of this market.
The rising number of private and independent villas is not seen as a serious threat to the luxury villa hotel market. Most of these establishments appeal to different market segments, with most looking for a bargain as most branded luxury villa hotels in Bali have continued to increase their rates over the last few years.
Adding to this is the intention of the Bali provincial government to increase control over the developments of these private villas.
Evidence of improved compliance between the state and developers has come in the force of the new governor’s decision to enforce regulations, particularly those affecting Bali’s aesthetics and environment.
Performance in the remainder of 2008 is likely to remain strong in view of normal cancellation levels and anticipated demand growth during the seasonal year-end holidays. We expect luxury villa hotels to see a record performance in 2008.
However, performance in early 2009 may curb as global economies slow and currencies of countries that are traditionally feeders for Bali weaken against the U.S. dollar.
The Bali tourism industry has experienced ups and downs and the luxury villa hotel market, similar to property markets, is cyclical.
In light of the tighter liquidity and competitive market environment, supply growth over the next few years will likely slow as developers and financiers review the size of their proposed projects, the target markets and the timing/staging of their developments.
Estimates of demand for luxury villa hotels will change with new demographics and segments.
The cycle will continue, and over the years with improved development regulations, security and infrastructure, we believe this luxury villa market will enjoy long term growth and continue to be resilient.
The writer is head of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels division
Source: The Jakarta Post
November 7th, 2008
Retno K. Djojo, Contributor, Denpasar
The keepers of the forest have their hands full, feeding and caring for roughly 600 macaques who make their home in Sangeh monkey forest, located about 20 kilometers north of Denpasar, Bali’s capital.
Tourist arrivals coincide with feeding time, which is around noon or early evening and has become a major attraction for visitors from home and abroad.
Close contact with these human-friendly animals is an experience to be cherished while staying in Bali. The macaques, in turn, have become accustomed to these visits and do not hesitate to sit on tourists’ shoulders, munching peanuts, a banana or whatever else is given to them.
Accompanied by guides, visitors enjoy walking in the 10 hectares of monkey forest, canopied by a thick foliage of pule trees (Diterocorpus sinervis).
The trip offers an opportunity to see how the macaque colony has enjoyed an undisturbed life in their natural habitat since the 17th century.
While in other areas this species has been hunted and harassed to near extinction, it’s quite comforting to know that at Sangeh they are at ease in their own environment.
These monkeys can be seen gathering in groups while they groom each other. Some female monkeys are breast-feeding their babies under the shade of the pule. And it’s heartening to see a family of monkeys gather in a leisurely atmosphere and allow visitors to approach them.
Despite having inhabited the area for centuries, guides said they have never found a corpse of a dead monkey. It’s a puzzle even the guides cannot explain.
“But a sick monkey will indicate so by quietly sitting on the pathway, waiting to be picked up and taken to the vet,” said one guide.
With this health service, it’s little wonder that their population has grown into the hundreds.
The monkey forest, managed by the local government of Badung regency, has been upgraded for the convenience of the tourists.
The entrance gate has been relocated for better access to a wide parking area for buses, allowing visitors to proceed straight into the monkey sanctuary.
The colony of macaques has become familiar with the guards and humans. As if understanding what is expected of them, they patiently wait for their guests near the forest’s entrance gate instead of venturing into the parking area or front office.
The colony is divided into three large groups, one each inhabiting the eastern, western and central parts of the forest. It is common among these groups to each have a leader, whose strength and authority has been tested.
Legend has it that the Sangeh monkeys were once guardians of a princess. Their legendary status is still upheld by the residents, allowing the macaques to live an undisturbed life in their protected natural habitat. The forest is also home to several temples, the oldest one being Pura Bukit Sari, dating back to the 17th century.
An impressive statue of Kumbakarna at the entrance gate reminds visitors of the role monkeys play in the Ramayana Hindu epic.
Source: The Jakarta Post
November 6th, 2008
21 Honorary Consuls representing Indonesia around the world visited Bali in late October to view first-hand the wide range of tourist attractions and supporting infrastructure available on the island.
On Monday, October 27, 2008, the business people who provide diplomatic representation for the Republic in their respective home towns met with Governor Made Pastika. Governor Pastika praised the visit as being very beneficial to the people of Bali, explaining that such a visit “indirectly becomes of part of the unpaid promotion of Bali tourism,” representing an efficient way to promote the island to the world.
In his remarks to the 21 honorary consuls, Pastika described Bali’s current condition as conducive to tourism. Adding, that despite the effects of two terrorist attacks, Bali is slowly re-establishing its security situation. It is the Governor’s hope that the current security situation can be maintained and continually improved, preserving Bali’s reputation as a favorite tourism destination.
As proof of the restoration of Bali’s good name in tourism circles the Governor pointed to the recently completed Asian Beach Games, world marksmanship tournament, Kuta Karnival and the Readers & Writers Festival just held in Ubud.
Calling on the consuls to help promote Bali tourism in their respective home locales, Pastika said Bali had much more to offer than just the well known destinations of Kuta Beach, Nusa Dua and Ubud. Pastika said: “Bali has many other tourism object that are unique and interesting to visit. Almost every village in Bali possesses its own unique charm.”
Leading the group of visiting counsels was Handriyono Kusumo Priyo who said that the “Honorary Consul Tour” was being conducted for the first time as a means of thanking the consuls, most of whom are entrepreneurs in their home countries, for their loyal service to Indonesia and increase their knowledge of Indonesia’s vibrant tourism industry.
One member of the group, Nalan Rimer, the honorary consul for Indonesia in Turkey, said he was proud to represent Indonesia and would do everything in his power to raise the visibility of Bali and Indonesia.
In addition to Bali, the 21 visiting honorary consuls also visited Central Java and Yogyakarta during their national tour.
© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright protected.
Source: http://www.balidiscovery.com
November 5th, 2008
Western Australia Becomes Important International Gateway to Low-Cost Qantas Offshoot.
On Monday, October 27, 2008, the low-cost Australian carrier
Jetstar commenced its new service between Perth and Denpasar (Bali).
The Chief Executive Office of Jetstar, Bruce Buchanan, lauded the opening of Perth as the seventh international port for the airline, saying Western Australia was destined to make a major contribution to his airline’s plans for overall expansion in Asia.
Jetstar will initially operate three times a week between Perth and Bali flying Airbus A320 aircraft carrying 177 passengers; increasing to four times a week on December 17, 2008. Jetstar has also launched a thrice-weekly service between Perth and Jakarta and a daily service between Perth and Singapore commencing on December 2, 2008. The Jakarta and Singapore services will also utilize Airbus A320 equipment.
Bruce explained to the press how Jetstar is assuming routes formerly operated by its full-fare affiliate Qantas.
Source: http://www.balidiscovery.com
November 3rd, 2008
Jakarta Withdraws it Support for the Sanur-Serangan-Tanjung Benoa Toll Road.
Efforts to construct a toll bridge connecting Sanur and Nusa Dua via Serangan Island have just been complicated further by the withdrawal of financial support by the central government, leaving the people of Bali to find their own funding for a project estimated to eventually cost US$151 million.
According to NusaBali, an initial commitment of Rp. 5 billion (US$500,00) from Jakarta to help pay for initial infrastructure support prior to the main construction phase, has now been withdrawn, leaving Bali to shoulder alone the entire financial burden of constructing Sanur-Serangan-Tanjung Benoa tollway.
Complicating Bali’s situation even further is that, in anticipation of Jakarta’s support, funds have already been spent to secure land from local property owners and begin the groundwork for feeder roads. Replacement funds must now be found from other sources to pay for expenditures already in progress.
According to NusaBali, no allocation for the toll way was included in the 2009 provincial budget, despite recommendations that Rp. 50 billion (US$5.1 million) be allocated in each year’s budget to allow the project to proceed on an installment basis. The lack of funding, on both a local and national level, places the Serangan bridge toll way project increasingly in doubt.
Source: http://www.balidiscovery.com/
November 3rd, 2008
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