Archive for December, 2008
Claudia Sardi , The Jakarta Post , Kuta
Bali may well be the nation’s last bastion of Hinduism but that has not stopped the islanders, known for their natural hospitality and religious tolerance, from offering their guests a special tropical Christmas.
Visitors from all over the world who have chosen to spend the holy day away from snow and freshly cut Christmas trees may catch a glimpse of Balinese in and around Kuta decorating the streets, hotels and other public areas to lend the beachside resort a joyful Christmas feel.
“We appreciate the effort to give us some Christmas feeling, although it is a bit odd to see all those decorations and local servers wearing the Santa Claus caps,” Wendy Cummings, an Australian visitor, said near Kuta beach.
On Tuesday night, the palm-lined streets were ablaze with flashing green and red lights.
Almost every restaurant and shop seemed to have its own Christmas tree, some small and attracting no further attention, others unusual enough to stop passersby in their tracks.
The Hard Rock Hotel decorates its artificial 5-meter-high tree in a different “rocky” way each year.
“This year we chose to decorate it with 20 real guitars. It took some effort as they are pretty heavy,” said Franziscus Danang, the hotel’s food and beverage manager.
He added they always used a decorative theme related to music.
It turns out that Christmas trees do not necessarily have to be green and decorated with red. Many places chose a more modern interpretation such as that seen outside the Bounty Club.
Long metal branches, all in white — the color of peace — form the shape of a tree and create a special cool ambiance lit up with small blue lights.
The Sofitel Hotel in Seminyak is adding an exotic flavor to its Christmas dinner on Dec. 25.
“We stick dried chilies into a shape that will finally look like a Christmas tree,” said Harumi, Sofitel’s food and beverage supervisor.
It gets cuter and cozier at Carrefour hypermarket, where dozens of pink teddy bears form a Christmas tree, brightening the eyes of children enduring boring shopping sessions with their parents.
The cold breeze of the rainy season cooled down the streets for a while, letting domestic tourists enjoy some calm far away from their daily duties.
“We love to spend Christmas here on the beach because this is hardly possible to have in crowded Jakarta,” Jakartan Elisabeth Damayanti said after posing for a photo in front of a huge “surfing Santa Claus” in Kuta.
“We spend a lot of time with our family and will go to church together. Bali is so nicely decorated,” she added.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 24th, 2008
The story of Bali in the last six years is one of miraculous comebacks.
In the face of Islamic extremism, natural disasters, outbreaks of disease and an airline industry beset by lax safety standards, the tiny island paradise has managed to surpass all its foreign tourist arrival records for the second year in a row.
Even fresh challenges like the global financial crisis and the solemn reminder from Mumbai of the persistent threat of terrorist attacks have not yet thwarted Bali’s resurgence.
The numbers are clear: In October, which marked the sixth anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people including 88 Australians, foreign arrivals leaped 20 percent from the previous year.
The Island of the Gods, as it is affectionately known, is on track to receive almost 2 million foreign tourists by the end of 2008, the most in its history.
The thousands of hotels, which only several years ago were left eerily vacant, are reporting capacity of more than 90 percent. Throngs of tourists, led by Japan, Australia and the United States, now flood the streets and the shops.
“There are many more customers than before,” says Suzie, who goes by only one name and offers massages on one of Bali’s high-end beaches for about $3.
“Life has been a little bit easier for me and my family lately,” she says. “I still worry though that something will happen and the visitors will stop coming again.”
Immediately after the 2002 bombings, tourism to the island plummeted, forcing the millions of Balinese who depend on the tourism industry into dire straights. At least two-thirds of the more than 3 million people living in Bali rely on tourism, while the rest survive mostly from agriculture.
The island had just begun to recover from the 2002 bombings in 2005 when three suicide bombers launched coordinated attacks on tourist hot spots, killing more than 20 people, again crushing the tourist industry. Since 2005, Bali has sometimes struggled to convince potential tourists that it remains a safe destination.
A string of plane crashes throughout the Indonesian archipelago and the decision by the European Union to ban any Indonesian airlines, including state carrier Garuda, from its airspace pending improved safety standards furthered challenged the Bali tourism industry.
Deadly outbreaks of Bird Flu and a myriad of natural disasters only worsened the outlook. Then, in November, the three men charged with carrying out the first Bali bombings were executed, igniting fears of a possible retaliatory attack just as Australian university students embarked on their school breaks.
No such attacks have so far materialized, though Indonesian counterterrorism police foiled several potential plots leading up to the executions.
Indonesia has been, by all accounts, widely successful in combating terrorism since the 2002 bombings. Police have arrested or killed most of the leaders connected to the southeast Asian terror network, Jemaah Islamiyah, which seeks to establish an Islamic state here and has claimed responsibility for most of the major bombings in Indonesia.
The United States rewarded the country’s success by revoking a long-standing travel warning earlier this year, which led to increased tourism, especially from U.S. corporations looking to hold large events on the island.
Australia, meanwhile, has maintained its travel warning, citing credible intelligence that indicates another terrorist attack in Indonesia is likely. As a result, very few Australian government or corporate events are held in Bali, though individuals continue coming in record numbers.
Having learned from past mistakes, the island’s provincial government has dramatically increased security around major tourist areas and has established a central office to help prevent and respond to disasters, whether they be natural or man-made.
A year ago, the United Nations held a major conference on climate change, which brought hundreds of foreign ministers and heads of state, non-governmental organizations and environmental activists to the island. The week-long conference finished with no serious security problems.
“We have learned from the past,” said Gede Nurjaya, head of tourism for the Bali provincial government. “We are now more aware of our surroundings and possible threats. The Balinese have worked together to make this a safe place once again.”
The latest potential calamity, however, might be beyond Bali’s control.
Already, tour operators have recorded cancellations and postponements from countries such as the United States where the global economic crisis has taken root. Officials are already beginning to write off 2009 and instead are focusing on 2010 and 2011.
“2009 is a real concern for everyone, it could be yet another disaster,” said Ida Bagus Lolec, who runs a major tour operator in Bali. “But just like everything else, the Balinese will come together and recover from this as well.”
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
December 23rd, 2008
By Imogen Haddon
It’s hard to think of anywhere in the world that, mile for mile, has more luxury spas and resorts than Bali. Nor anywhere where they are more prolific than in Nusa Dua, a gated beach development on the southern tip of the island, built in the 1970s. So any new addition to such a glut would have to be pretty impressive to earn its keep.
The St Regis Bali Resort, which opened in September, is certainly impressive. As part of Starwood Hotels’ most prestigious brand – which also comprises the Lanesborough in London – you wouldn’t expect anything less. The colonnaded driveway and vast marble lobby are almost daunting.
The main pool isn’t referred to simply as a pool but as a lagoon, which is apt given its size. Water pumped around a network of fountains provides a constant background tinkle throughout the grounds. Golf buggies weave around the complex, ferrying guests from one prone position in the spa to their next on the beach.
But gargantuan pools and elaborate water features aside, the resort is modest when compared to some of its sprawling neighbours, with 123 luxury rooms and two residences. The details are no less impressive in the sleeping quarters. Impressive touches include a traditional Balinese wedding crown hanging on the wall of each room, and many of the suites and villas have their own private landscaped gardens and pools. But if you don’t have the luxury of your own pool, you can wallow back at the vast lagoon, stopping for shade under a thatched straw bale (Balinese pavilion).
The Remède spa is set in a quiet corner, surrounded by a Koi Carp pool. The range of treatments takes a Balinese theme, while other facilities include a yoga centre. After my soporific massage, I was revived with a pot of chocolate tea.
More culinary treats await at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Kayuputi, which serves modern Asian fusion cuisine, overlooks the beach and is surrounded by a pool on two sides. White day beds with billowing white curtains are staggered on descending tiers down to the pool. The striking white and glass décor (Kayuputi means white wood) still looks pristine, but it is early days.
Breakfast, which is served in the main restaurant Boneka, is a buffet without end. A stream of staff approaches with offerings, from dim sum, pancakes and pistachio Danish pastries, to “Egg Nouvelle” (a lobster ragout-filled egg shell with parsley cream and salmon roe).
The only fault I could find is that the St Regis was clearly conceived and designed pre-credit crunch. The whole concept, with its extravagance and emphasis on luxury, now seems, well, just a little unfashionable. And when I visited, admittedly in the late November low-season, occupancy was far from full.
LOCATION
St Regis Bali Resort, Kawasan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (00 62 361 8478 111; stregis.com/bali). The resort is situated towards the southern end of Nusa Dua, next to the Bali Golf and Country Club. If you make one excursion from Nusa Dua, try to take the 20-minute cab ride across to Ulu Watu (100,000 Rupiah /£7) one of the world’s most hallowed surfing spots and site of the 11th-century temple Pura Luhur Ulu Watu (although see Warning of the Week, page 9).
Time from international airport: The resort is a 20-minute ride from Denpasar airport; a taxi costs around 95,000 Rupiah (£6). There are few public transport links from the airport.
COMFORTABLE?
The style of the rooms is an Asian-Balinese hybrid, more “eclectic traveller” than minimalist. Dark wood furniture and floors contrast with a colour palette of lime green and burnt orange. Various artefacts and books are scattered throughout the rooms, including a Balinese-inspired carved wood piece which hangs above the bed. All rooms have a writing desk and spacious private balcony.
Freebies: Remède spa toiletries, daily newspaper, coffee and tea-making facilities and slippers.
Keeping in touch: Wi-Fi and high speed internet access is available for a fee in all the rooms and there is a business centre if needed. Each room has a 42-inch flat-screen TV with DVD player and a Bose iPod docking station. There’s also a flat-screen TV in each of the marble bathrooms.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The standard St Regis suite is US $858 (£572) a night, including breakfast. Rates dip slightly during low season, to around $514 (£343).
I’m not paying that: Accommodation in Nusa Dua is more expensive than other parts of Bali, but many of the big resorts offer special packages. The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua (00 62 361 771908; starwoodhotels.com) is currently offering doubles from $194 (£129) a night.
Source:www.independent.co.uk/travel
December 22nd, 2008
Frolicking on the beach of a small secluded island might be the holiday dream of most work-drenched men and women.
Away from the noisy, clogged and polluted city streets, one can warm their tired feet on sun-baked sand, swim above coral reefs and laze in a bale bengong (stilted open-air wooden hut) with a good book while feeling the delicious sea breeze against their skin. Looking up, instead of a hazy gray sky, one can see the blue of the sky during the day or the twinkling stars at night.
It is definitely my kind of holiday.
So, when I had the chance to escape the capital, I grabbed it and without hesitation I headed to Lombok’s Gili Meno.
Some 30 kilometers east of the tourist island of Bali, Gili Meno is the smallest of the three small sand islands northwest of Lombok, in West Nusa Tenggara.
The bigger Gili Trawangan is more famous and has been dubbed the party island by visitors for its lively night life. Gili Air is the biggest and most populated.
All three islands have no motor vehicles roaming the streets. Horse drawn carts called Cidomo and bicycles are the only means of transportation around.
My companion and I took the night flight from Jakarta to Bali on a Friday night and continued to Trawangan on a fast boat, Saturday morning. From there, we hopped on a chartered boat and arrived at Meno around 11 a.m.
When we arrived, little did we know that apart from the expected relaxation time in that tranquil spot, we would be inspired by our environmentally conscious host.
Based on a friend’s recommendation, we looked for a place called Sunset Gecko. Our boatman pointed out the resort, which had no signboard but a big, wooden gecko on the wall of the dining place.
Situated on the beach, the resort has a number of small cottages and a main building for dining and the kitchen. The small resort boasts a beautiful garden, with blossoming plants and banana trees. Four comfy bale bengong look over the sea and Gili Trawangan with its tall telecommunications tower.
A Japanese man in his early 40s Hiro Tanaka, who we later found out was the owner of the place, greeted us. After we checked in, we made ourselves comfortable in the shady huts looking out to the sea.
Always intrigued by cool Japanese people, we speculated about Tanaka’s story. Looking at the beautiful and tidy resort, I guessed he had a degree in hotel management. My travel partner disagreed, guessing that Tanaka was a well-traveled and highly educated person, who for one reason or another decided to open a resort in a small island in Indonesia.
The latter guess was closer to the truth. In one conversation, I found out that he was one of the few idealists who wanted to save the earth, but was obstructed by the politics of the world.
Tanaka is a businessman who set up an alternative energy conversion company with his business partner in Canada. Their product was a patented pyrolysis machine that can transform plastic waste into its former form: oil.
After two years of lobbying city administrations to use the technology without giving money under table, he decided to quit and start making change on a smaller scale.
He grew up in the arid desert of Quwait, while his father worked for a Japanese oil company, Tanaka says that he always dreamed of having a place to share with people.
Three years ago, with friends from different parts of the world, he opened Sunset Gecko, which adheres to eco-friendly practices.
More than often, tourists looking for unspoiled nature to escape the city’s pollution end up damaging the environment of their holiday destination. Beautiful spots in Bali have become testament of this, with overdevelopment resulting in beach erosion.
Tanaka witnessed environmental degradation in Northern Thailand, when six years ago he visited a pristine beach with only two hotels. Three years later, 30 new ones have mushroomed, with mounting piles of garbage.
He says that as he got older he realized that he was part of the problem as he too created garbage. “We always say ‘this shouldn’t be like this. Oh, you shouldn’t burn the plastics’ dadadada.
“But when you become an adult, you start to think ‘Hey, whose responsibility is this?’. It’s easy to say (for an example), *This is the Balinese government’s problem’. But then the government doesn’t do (anything) and we just keep doing the same troublesome things,” he says.
“We just keep messing, creating more garbage, buying chocolate (and throwing away the wrappers), smoking cigarettes and throwing the ash on the street. No, it shouldn’t be like this,” he says.
So, he opened Sunset Gecko with the hope that he can make a difference.
The resort recycles the water from the dishwashing, laundry, and showers to water the plants. Hiro says that they used a three-step filtration system he learned from reading books and internet sites. He mixed the organic solid residue and organic waste from the kitchen to make compost.
Sunset gecko also makes natural soap in the kitchen. This too he learned from books and the internet. He uses palm and coconut oils for the soap and leaves it to harden as soap bars for six weeks. The soap was one of the highlights of the resort for me. It didn’t leave the skin dry and was even great when I used it to wash my hair.
Apparently, the news of the natural soap from Sunset Gecko has traveled around. Two Japanese women that stayed at Gili Trawangan traveled to Gili Meno to purchase the soap.
Tanaka says that it was not for sale as it was for guests to use. Eventually, the women left with two soap bars each.
Another impressive part of Gecko was the beautiful garden, with various plants. Hiro says that once local island residents came to the resort and marveled at the banana trees.
“They were really surprised. *A banana tree on the beach? How come?’ they asked. I told them that we make compost for the soil and villagers have started to copy that,” Tanaka says.
In Gili Meno, where fresh water is shipped from Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an option. It is a necessity.
While Sunset Gecko is alive and kicking, walking around Gili Meno I found a number of accommodations seemed to be out of business. I passed an abandoned desolate place with an overturned table which seemed to had been a restaurant. Another resort looked closed an empty.
Sunset Gecko has a friendly atmosphere with guests greeting each other and sharing their latest experience in the water. Just dipping to waters in front of the beach of the resort will lead you to nice coral reef and sightings of beautiful sea creatures.
Sea turtles with their ancient look swim around the sea. One guests says that he went snorkeling and saw a Manta ray.
As the sun sets, the sky turns into a purplish color. Guests would hang around the open air dining room with drinks chatting, while sounds of geckos joining the chatter.
As the night grows late, the sight of Trawangan with its colorful lights looked like a big ship. A staff commented that it looked like the Titanic ship.
The best part was lying in a wooden beach chair and looking up to the sky. The stars twinkling and I started to fall asleep.
On the Net:
www.thesunsetgecko.com
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 22nd, 2008
Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Construction activities to broaden Bali`s international Ngurah Rai Airport will be conducted beginning 2009 in a bid to improve its services to passengers, an official said.
The construction design of the airport has been made available, said Heru Legowo, general manager of PT Angkasa Pura, as operator of I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport here on Thursday, adding that his office should make a coordination with the related institutions regarding the design.
“Coordination with Badung regent is aimed at getting inputs before carrying out the construction projects,” he said.
The present airport facilities can no longer accommodate the growing number of passengers, he said, noting that the Bali airport was expected to be able to cater about 70 thousand passengers daily, compared with its current accommodation capacity of about 13 thousand passengers.
According to him, development of the airport terminal with total of constructing budget of Rp900 billion was expected to be completed in 2012.
“Special passenger flyover will be constructed starting from the eastern gate, so there will be two street levels of entry heading to the airport terminal as that of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport,” Heru said. (*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 19th, 2008
Wayan Juniartha , The Jakarta Post , Kuta, Bali
Two of the country’s most popular cartoonists decided one day to travel to Bali and get themselves lost in the resort island for about a week.
It was a simple plan with hilarious results.
“It was kind of being lost in a productive way,” Benny Rachmadi said.
The results were a cartoon book on Bali, an exhibition featuring the cartoons inspired by the brief sojourn and, Rachmadi gleefully admitted, an expanded understanding about Bali.
“Things that are considered inappropriate in other regions in Indonesia turn out to be appropriate and acceptable here in Bali,” he said.
Funny as he was, Rachmadi was certainly not referring to anything particularly profound or significant with that statement.
“Here, in Legian and Kuta, a Western woman can ride a motorbike wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini. This scene does not trigger a public outcry. Imagine if she did that in Jakarta,” he said.
Things that are not particularly profound but are definitely hilarious form the primary theme in the cartoon book Benny and Mice: Lost in Bali and exhibition of the same name that opened last Saturday at the Indonesia Cartoon Museum in Kuta.
The book was written, well, drawn by Rachmadi and his equally funny albeit slightly smaller colleague Muhammad Misrad. The two cartoonists gained nationwide popularity after their collective creation — a comic strip featuring Benny and Mice — became a permanent feature in the Sunday edition of the country’s largest daily Kompas.
The comic strip features two main characters Benny and Mice, who are surprisingly more the alter egos of the two cartoonists than fictitious characters. Benny is tall, slender, soft-spoken and a bit shy, not unlike Rachmadi, whereas Mice has straight hair and an infectious smile and laughter, and is adventurous and quite friendly, a true projection of Misrad.
“We want to make fun of others through ourselves. Benny and Mice are the medium through which we manifest various attitudes, behaviors, trends and situations that should be laughed at,” Misrad said.
Prominent Balinese art connoisseur Agung Rai, who launched the book and opened the exhibition, praised the two cartoonists for their ability to capture the funny side of Bali, the Balinese and foreign tourists.
“Bali is the melting pot of various world cultures. It is an island of multiculturalism. Benny and Mice have been able to capture the unique character of this island and its people. Sometimes their treatment is a bit cynical, but their work never fails to trigger a wide smile or spontaneous laughter,” he said.
Rai wasn’t exaggerating. As he inspected the 38 cartoons on display in the exhibition, he repeatedly burst into laughter.
The materials for the book, Rachmadi said, were compiled during their weeklong vacation in Bali in October.
“We have published many cartoon books on various aspects of Jakarta and its residents. Some of our fans asked us to send Benny and Mice to other regions in the country. Our publisher agreed with that idea, so they dispatched us to the Island of the Gods,” Rachmadi said.
It was their fourth visit to Bali but both agreed to treat it as their first.
“Our approach was very simple. We visited the island as if we were both newcomers. We deliberately positioned ourselves as a couple of naive, unrefined rural folks who were visiting the metropolis for the first time. By doing so, we could experience the culture shocks that Bali, Balinese people and the gigantic tourism industry deal to newcomers,” Misrad said.
The two employed a similar approach in their previous projects focusing on Jakarta and its different brand of modernity, the kind of modernity that, in the words of Rachmadi, “could purchase a state-of-the art cellular phone but hasn’t the faintest idea how to operate it”.
This approach bears traces of Lat (Mohamed Nor Khalid) influences. The prominent Malaysian cartoonist, whose book Kampung Boy sold more than 100,000 copies, is Rachmadi’s and Misrad’s favorite cartoonist.
To make the approach more authentic, they arrived in Bali with a very low budget, although both refused to reveal the exact amount of money they set aside for the trip.
“Our budget was so low that we couldn’t afford to have that mouth-watering seafood dinner in Jimbaran,” Rachmadi said.
“We couldn’t even afford the grilled corn on the cob sold by a street vendor on Jimbaran beach, let alone the soft lobster offered by beachside seafood restaurants,” Misrad added.
That bitter experience apparently left a deep scar on their aesthetic subconscious, shown through the exorbitant prices for food in Jimbaran that feature prominently in their book.
During that seven-day tour de Bali, Rachmadi and Misrad visited several famous spots in the island, from Uluwatu in the south to Bedugul in the north, from the crowded Kuta beach and Legian streets to the less crowded but no longer tranquil Ubud.
Along the way, they acquainted themselves with foreign tourists, Balinese, the monkey tribes of Uluwatu and Alas Kedaton, a seller of the cheap nasi jango in Denpasar and attendants at a Kuta souvenir shop who were friendlier toward foreigners than to their fellow Indonesians.
Yet they also had a chance to experience true Balinese hospitality offered by their drivers, Putu and Ketut, from whom Rachmadi and Misrad learned various mundane and mystical aspects of Balinese Hinduism.
After the end of the vacation, Rachmadi and Misrad spent five weeks creating the book. They shared ideas, discussed angles and argued over the focus of each page of the book. Yet never did an argument escalate into an emotional and abusive burst of outrage.
“We have never been mad at each other. We have been friends for 20 years so I think we have gone beyond the point of intending to hurt each other. To be honest, I am fed up with him,” Misrad said.
“The feeling is mutual here,” Rachmadi retorted.
The two cartoonists, like their alter egos Benny and Mice, have reached the stage where they can operate as a single entity. Rachmadi produced half of the book and Misrad worked on the rest. Both created drawings that were perfectly similar in every respect.
“Even Benny’s wife couldn’t differentiate which page was drawn by Benny and which one was by me,” Misrad said.
Benny and Mice: Lost in Bali is the duo’s 13th cartoon book and will definitely not be their last.
“Lost in Bali is an ongoing project. There are still many ideas swirling around in our heads, hopefully Lost in Bali Part Two will be published soon,” Misrad added.
The work in Benny and Mice: Lost in Bali is clearly a collection of fragmented events, anecdotal conclusions and, to some extent, overgeneralizations that barely scratch the surface of the island’s sociological and cultural dynamics.
The work is not as deep or poignant as the work of some of the island’s best cartoonists, such as the work of Jango Paramartha that captures the ongoing battle between the island’s frail culture and values against the onslaught of modern tourism and the machinery of global capital.
Yet, given the brief observation period and the very low “research” budget, Rachmadi and Misrad have produced an outstanding piece of humor about the island that more often than not has been taken far too seriously by the outside world, and by the Balinese themselves.
Benny and Mice: Lost in Bali
Cartoon Exhibition
Dec. 13-31, 2008
Indonesia Cartoon Museum
Jl. Sunset Road, Kuta
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 19th, 2008
Few have heard of Tarakan, an island located off East Kalimantan’s north, but developers there are confident it will one day be known as Indonesia’s “Little Singapore” and are looking to Bali’s success story to realize their dream.
The Bali Tourism Board (BTB) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tarakan municipality administration to increase awareness of the island as a tourist destination, including by advertising the location in Bali’s promotional forays, such as websites, road shows and in brochures.
“The potential for tourism in Tarakan may well complement Bali’s tourism industry and other tourism spots in Indonesia,” BTB spokesperson Sang Putu Subaya told The Jakarta Post during a visit to Tarakan.
“The more varied and numerous our offers, the more interested tourists become in visiting Indonesia,” he said.
Tarakan is approximately a third the size of Singapore and is home to 180,000 year rounders.
The slogan “Little Singapore”, which was pushed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his visit to Tarakan, derives from the island’s original function as a transit point for people entering and exiting Indonesia.
Tarakan’s municipal administration has imposed some of Singapore’s stringent hygiene regulations, including a strict waste-disposal system that requires that residents separate organic from inorganic garbage.
The island last year won the Adipura award for excellence in environmental management.
To support a surge in tourist numbers, the administration has built a 45-kilometer road that recalls Jakarta’s famous Thamrin boulevard as well as the newly completed Juwata International Airport.
The Bali Tourism Board has said it will promote Tarakan in international events such as the annual Bali Arts Festival, which runs from June to July every year, and assist in developing the island’s tourism workforce by training tourist guides and restaurant staff.
I Gede Putu Erawati of the Bali chapter of the Association of Indonesian Travel Agencies (ASITA), said Tarakan was similar to Bali in terms of cultural attraction.
She listed a number of potential tourist attractions on the island, including the Round House — a defensive structure built by the Australian armed forces; the Japanese Crematory Monument, Loghraf (an air-raid bunker) and the Tidung tribe traditional home.
“The promotions must be as inviting as possible, including prices, because Tarakan is a relatively new destination despite its legacy of being a transit port to the Kalimantan region,” Erawati said.
She said Tarakan was also like Bali in that it had beautiful sand beaches — including Amal Lama and Amal Baru, adding that they were a crucial element in the tourism development plan, and could be incorporated into projects such as the planned Waterboom park.
Furthermore, the island’s mangrove forests, its resident bekantan (a species of monkey) and the Karungan waterfall could be developed into major attractions for tourists seeking natural surroundings.
And if Tarakan is not enough, she said, tourists can visit the Derawan islands — a world class diving destination home to 347 known species of marine wildlife and 222 types of coral, which is a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride from Tarakan.
“The sightseeing is incredible, the cleanliness is impeccable, the seafood is amazing and the accommodation is ready. Now all they need is proper packaging for all these tourist attractions,” Erawati said.
She said Tarakan could become an alternative destination when Bali was overcrowded during peak season.
“Most tourists who cannot find accommodation in Bali get re-routed to Yogyakarta or Lombok. Tarakan in this sense can become a new destination partner for Bali,” she said.
She said for the island to succeed as a tourist destination, airlines must launch new direct routes linking the island to Bali.
Currently, passengers traveling between the islands must connect in Balikpapan and Surabaya.
Mandala Airlines Public Relations officer, Luna Margareth, said her airline was already in talks to launch a direct service.
Tarakan Mayor Jusuf S.K. said he hoped his administration’s cooperation with BTB would help navigate Tarakan into the international spotlight.
“I hope this will become more than just a cooperation in promotions, but also a lesson in how we can manage this city and improve ourselves by providing world class services,” he said.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 18th, 2008
Australia’s low fares airline Jetstar has boosted its Perth-Denpasar (Bali) service to four times per week following its successful launch in October.
From today, Jetstar will fly between Perth and Denpasar (Bali) each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with fares from as low as $259 one-way (JetSaver Light) fare at Jetstar.com.
Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said Western Australians had embraced its new A320 services to the popular holiday destination, taking advantage of the airline’s every day low fares since the commencement of services two months ago.
“This additional Perth-Bali service reinforces Jetstar’s position as the largest Australian airline serving Bali with our flights growing to 17 weekly return services via multiple capital city points,” Mr Buchanan said
“Since we announced our decision to operate on the Perth-Denpasar (Bali) route earlier this year, Jetstar has offered fares from as low as $179 one-way,” Mr Buchanan said.
“Visitation trends continue to show Bali as a high demand destination, experiencing strong double digit growth in Australian visitor numbers this year. Jetstar’s expanding services to Bali has the airline well placed to serve growing traveller demand.”
Jetstar’s additional weekly international service expands its overall Perth operations, serving the existing markets of Melbourne (14 times weekly), Singapore (daily), Bali (4 times weekly) and Jakarta (3 times weekly).
The value based carrier’s operations from Perth will be further bolstered with the commencement of new daily direct flights to Adelaide from 2 February 2009 and three times weekly to Cairns from 6 February 2009.
Jetstar’s international inflight service to Bali includes choice of portable video on demand units for hire offering latest movie releases, TV programs, music videos and audio tracks and a range of hot food, snacks and beverages including alcoholic drinks available for purchase.
Passengers can also choose an Extra Leg Room option upgrade when available when booking JetSaver Light and JetSaver fares for $60 AUD on international services, offering 20 per cent more seat pitch compared to a regular economy seat. Visit Jetstar.com for more details.
Jetstar also recently launched a Jetstar Price Beat Guarantee. If a passenger finds a lower fare with another carrier at a comparable date and time, Jetstar will beat the fare by 10 per cent. Visit Jetstar.com.
The airline also serves Bali from Australia via Brisbane/Darwin (7 times weekly), Sydney (4 times weekly) and Melbourne (twice weekly).
Jetstar’s Perth-Denpasar (Bali) services
(Departure times shown, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)
Perth – Denpasar (Bali) Denpasar (Bali) – Perth
JQ 116 11.05am JQ 117 14.45pm
Source: www.etravelblackboard.com/
December 17th, 2008
Ni Komang Erviani , Contributor , Denpasar
The tourism industry in Bali has criticized the provincial administration’s decision to cut the tourism promotion fund in a bid to free up more money for health and poverty eradication programs.
Head of the Balinese Tourism Agency I Gede Nurjaya said Saturday the administration had allocated Rp 4 billion, Rp 1 billion less than this year, to the tourism budget for 2009.
Aloysius Purwa, chairman of the Balinese branch of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA), said the decision was unwise.
He argued that in the face of a crisis the administration should increase the tourism promotion budget, not reduce it.
“Promotions are a necessity regardless of the given economic conditions. In a time of financial crisis, we must strengthen promotional efforts, not weaken them,” he said.
Purwa feared the island’s tourism industry could suffer a significant blow in 2009 due to the budget cut.
“We have already experienced the first signs of the crisis in the tourism sector, with cancellations and low reservation levels,” he said.
Promotions could play a major role sustaining the tourism industry in 2009, which almost undoubtedly will experience a downturn.
Nurjana, however, said Bali’s tourism community had to see the wider picture.
“Given the ongoing global financial crisis right now, the main priorities of the administration are health services and poverty eradication,” he said.
The agency is responsible for the distribution and supervision of the tourism promotion fund and an additional Rp 2 billion in funding for daily operations.
Despite the budget cut, Nurjaya was still optimistic about the future for the Balinese tourism industry. He said the province would meet its 2009 target of bringing in 2.1 million foreign visitors.
“The budget cut will not reduce our activities. We will intensify tourism efforts by inviting foreign officials, journalists and tour operators to Bali,” he said.
He said in organizing events, his office would cooperate with airline companies.
“Through sponsorship, we will have less costs to shoulder.”
He said his agency would cope with the crisis and the budget cut by shifting its focus to markets in neighboring countries, especially Singapore.
“We will be more selective in organizing promotional campaigns in foreign countries. We will focus on the Asian countries,” he said.
The global crisis has pushed the price of airline tickets upward, making travel to Bali considerably more expensive for European and American tourists.
The agency aimed to intensify promotional campaigns at countries whose contribution was historically significant, such as Australia, Japan, China and India.
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s Director of Overseas Promotion I Gde Pitana said the ministry would primarily target countries in South-East Asia for 2009.
The country’s tourism promotion fund for 2009, Pitana said, would be Rp 135 billion.
“Singapore is the most promising market since there are around 600,000 expatriates and three million Malaysians living there.”
By November 2008, 1.75 million foreigners had visited Bali. With the 2008 target at 1.9 millions, Nurjaya was optimistic that figure would be met.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 16th, 2008
Discover the luxury of one of Bali’s newest resorts, Breezes Resort & Spa. Opened in November this year, this is a beautiful property recently relaunched as part of the Red Carnation collection hotel group, perfect for couples, groups, families, romantic and relaxing getaways.
The resort, situated in the heart of Seminyak on the South Coast of Bali, is set in a lush private garden that creates an oasis of tranquility, just 25 minutes from the airport. The resort boasts over 100 pool facing rooms and nine family rooms each with amenities to ensure the comfort of all guests including 24-hour room service, en-suite marble bathrooms, cable TV, wireless internet connection, luxury toiletries, 200 thread-count linen sheets and cotton kimonos.
The resort facilities are second to none and include a luxurious day spa offering a selection of traditional and Balinese treatments, Breezes gym with glorious panoramic views of the resort, Breezes boutique packed with all the Balinese gift essentials, a fully air-conditioned 30-seat private cinema open for guests to bring their own DVD’s, activity desk, internet café, guest laundry service and a kids corner offering a variety of fun-filled entertainment and activities to keep the younger guests amused.
In true Balinese style the resorts main features include an expansive four-tiered lagoon pool with its own private beach open 24-hours, swim up pool bar where guests can order their favourite cocktail and large flat screen TV so guests don’t have to leave the pool or miss out on major sporting events. The resort is also home to the popular Buddha Bar and Restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner offering a mix of vibrant and trendy beats and a mix of Balinese style food and wood fired pizza.
Creative Holidays has fantastic air and land deals available for travel to Bali and the Breezes Resort and Spa. Creative Holidays Breezes Seminyak Resort and Spa package is priced from $1619 per person, twin share (ex Perth), $1879 per person, twin share (ex Sydney), $1969 per person, twin share (ex Melbourne), $2079 per person, twin share (ex Brisbane) and $2165 per person, twin share (ex Adelaide) including return economy class airfare flying Garuda Indonesia, ten nights accommodation, free upgrade to a pool view room, breakfast daily and return seat in coach.
This package is available for travel until 23 June, 2009 ex Perth, 30 June, 2009 ex Sydney, 20 June, 2009 ex Melbourne and Adelaide and 17 June, 2009 ex Brisbane. Seasonal surcharges apply. For all other travel dates see your travel agent.
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Source: www.etravelblackboard.com
December 15th, 2008
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