Archive for December, 2008
Bill Brubaker
Special to The Washington Post
Bali, Indonesia- We knew Bali wasn’t only about dreamy beaches, late-night bars and cheesy T-shirt shops. So on our first visit here, in 1991, my wife and I left our beachfront hotel to explore a culture-rich region in the countryside, known for its galleries and artisan workshops.
“First, I’ll take you to the best mask maker in Bali,” our taxi driver announced as our day trip began. His “best” label made us uneasy; surely, we thought, we were headed to a place that sold gaudy, mass-produced masks, perhaps made by the driver’s favorite uncle.
Oh, how wrong we were.
Freddi and I have been collecting folk art for about 30 years, and our house is decorated with some 2,000 objects from holidays in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. We never cared much for masks, though, until that summer morning when we met Ida Bagus Anom in a village near Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital.
Ushering us into his studio, Anom strapped on a mask that depicted a witch with long fangs and a menacing scowl. Then he danced, playfully flailing his arms and making scary noises, demonstrating how the mask was used in the traditional Barong dance, which tells a popular Balinese story about a mythological character who is king of the spirits.
Anom’s masks were exquisite, finely carved and carefully painted with flourishes that included horsehair mustaches and mother-of-pearl teeth. We bought six (each costing about $100) and suddenly had a new obsession.
Seventeen years and 250 masks later, we returned this summer with our 15-year-old daughter, Gabriela, checking into Ubud’s Hotel Tjampuhan & Spa, a sprawling compound that manages to be intimate, with traditional Balinese bungalows nestled into lush, tropical gardens.
After breakfast that first morning, we hired a car and driver (a terrific bargain at $6 an hour) to take us to Mas, the woodcarvers’ village where we had met Anom.
We asked our driver to take us straight to Ida Bagus Anom’s studio. He nodded, then took us instead to the workshop of another mask maker, Ida Bagus Padang Rata. (Warning to collectors trying to track down Balinese artists: Pay close attention to their names, which are often similar.)
Ida Bagus Padang Rata (no relation to Ida Bagus Anom) showed us a fearsome Barong mask. It was well done, but it didn’t move us. After 17 years of sizing up masks, we’ve become mighty picky.
Right where we left him
We found Anom in the same spot where we had encountered him in 1991, sitting on a covered patio near a pile of wood shavings, quietly carving and chatting with several of his assistants.
We told him how thoroughly we enjoyed our masks. Breaking into a huge smile, he took us back to his studio, where the walls were covered with masks, all for sale.
“You’ll see that some of the styles and designs have changed since you were here last,” Anom told us in fluent English.
Yes, I had noticed; Anom had fewer traditional masks, depicting characters such as kings and queens and prime ministers, who play key roles in some Balinese dances.
He explained that while he still produces a full range of traditional masks for local dance troupes, his focus now is on characters who have greater appeal to foreigners.
“Like this one,” Anom said, strapping on a mask that depicts a yawning clown. “And this one,” he said, suddenly turning himself into a green, bug-eyed frog.
“Masks are like psychotherapy,” Anom said. “You put them on and you feel different. A psychiatrist I know from the United States has bought masks from me to put on her patients. She said it transforms them.”
Our collection includes many kinds of masks, including some, like Anom’s frog, that were made to hang on collectors’ walls and others that have been “danced” - collector-speak for masks that actually have been worn by local people in rituals.
Too powerful to leave out
Masks have been essential elements of Balinese rituals for centuries. In his 1937 book “Island of Bali,” renowned Mexican painter and frequent Bali visitor Miguel Covarrubias wrote that masks used in the Barong dance, for example, “have great power in themselves and are kept out of sight in a special shed in the death temple of the village. They are put away in a basket, wrapped in magic cloth that insulates their evil vibrations, and are uncovered only when actually in use, when the performer-medium is in a trance and under the control of a priest.”
In Bali, like everywhere else, master craftsmen such as Anom could disappear if new generations don’t embrace their work. I asked Anom about the future of mask-making on the island.
“We’ll be OK,” he said. “There are many younger people in Bali who are carving. And there is demand. We have so many dance troupes here. And there’s also demand from tourists. The tourist industry here is doing well.”
A picturesque town built around rivers, valleys and rice paddies, Ubud was indeed buzzing the week we visited in August. Traditional masked dance performances were playing to standing-room-only audiences, and reservations were necessary at many restaurants.
Like the rest of Bali, Ubud seems to have recovered from the tourism meltdown that followed terrorist attacks on the island’s beach communities in 2002 and 2005.
We left Anom’s studio with seven masks, averaging about $90 apiece. We visited several other mask makers that week, but none had the style of Anom. Just as the cabbie told us that long-ago summer morning, he’s the best that Bali has to offer.
Source: www.cleveland.com/travel/
December 15th, 2008
Balinese dancers performed a new choreography combining modern and Balinese traditional dance elements at Singaraja’s city park Tuesday afternoon. I You was choreographed by Ilona Bito, a U.S. student taking part in the School for International Training (SIT) Study Abroad program.
“The performance is my final assignment based on the field research I did here in Buleleng,” Ilona said.
Ilona is a student at New York’s Sarah Lawrence College, where she studies ballet and contemporary dance. She admitted combining modern dance with Balinese traditional forms was quite a challenge for her.
“I’ve been really happy to work together with the Balinese artists. I’m very lucky to have found friends who truly understand me and are willing to help me in this project,” she said.
Her father, John Bito, attended the performance. Ilona came up with the basic idea for her choreography after she met and talked with several Buleleng artists. It was a collaborative project, Ilona pointed out, as the dance’s double-meaning title indicates.
“If you say “I You” it sounds like ayu in Indonesian, which means “beautiful” and, indeed, all the female dancers involved in this project are beautiful women,” she said. The dancers all belong to the Santhi Budaya performing arts troupe.
The accompanying music also showed a clear effort to amalgamate modern with traditional elements. Rhythms beat out on Papuan drums interlocked with modern instrument patterns.
The result was a refreshing performance that crossed cultural borders.
The dance will be performed at SIT Study Abroad’s home base in Gianyar and at Ilona’s college in the United States.
SIT Study Abroad offers undergraduate study abroad programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; and the Middle East. Its programs focus on a field-based, experiential approach that redefines the classroom as students learn from academics, policy makers and other professionals in the real-world settings of communities, workplaces, organizations, and natural environments.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 12th, 2008
Nusa Dua (ANTARA News) - Overseas Promotion Director of the Tourism and Culture Ministry I Gede Pitana said that tourism promotion is now more focused on the Asian market.
“The effort is to change the paradigm that tourism promotion has been focused on Europe and America,” Pitana said on the sidelines of the 16th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT) here Thursday.
Pitana said that the market in Asia was very potential and he pointed to Singapore which was projected to have 1.8 million visitors until the end of 2008 and up to now had 1.3 million tourists.
“In Singapore the tourists including 600 expatriates, locals and visitors, will have a call at that country,” he said.
However, the promotion still has to be done in the middle of the financial crisis to tourist destinations such as Europe, the Middle East and America.
“Bali is well-known internationally for its culture and beautiful nature,” he said.
Besides, the locals continue to preserve and develop the culture and arts from one generation to another. (*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Source: ANTARA News
December 12th, 2008
Denpasar, Bali Island, (ANTARA News) - Bali, as one of the world`s most famous tourist destinations, must preserve its marine diversity, apart from its culture and traditions, a local official said.
Bali does not have natural resources such as gold, silver or coal mines, as it only has a tourism industry that is expected to help improve the local people`s welfare, said I Gde Nurjaya, head of Bali`s provincial tourism office, said here on Tuesday.
He said the arts, traditions, and cultural potentials of the Balinese people must be maintained to support the tourism, he said.
In developing tourism, the government must not overexploit the country`s natural resources, he said. Tourism should be developed based on a sustainable development principle which could guarantee the welfare of the current and future generations, he said.
During January-August 2008, Bali, which is known for its beautiful beaches, received a total of 1.2 million foreign tourists, an increase of 20 percent from around one million visitors last year.
The Indonesian culture and tourism ministry has set the country`s optimistic 2009 foreign tourist attraction target at 6.7 million, or 6.2 percent above the figure achieved in 2008 (6.4 to 6.5 million).(*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008
Source: ANTARA News
December 11th, 2008
A LIVE squirrel sent in the mail from Bali has sparked raids on two Sydney homes.
Customs and Quarantine officers raided two homes in Harbord on Sydney’s northern beaches after they intercepted a live squirrel in a mail package sent from the Indonesian island.
The rodent was found secreted in a sock inside a package marked DVDs by customs officers on December 2.
It died a short time later, Customs national manager of investigation Richard Janeczko said.
“On this occasion, the squirrel had suffered during its journey in captivity and died shortly after being freed, highlighting the cruel aspect of such smuggling attempts,” he said.
“Any smuggling of animals into Australia is also a concern for health reasons as it poses a high quarantine risk with the real possibility of introducing deadly diseases into the environment,” he said.
The maximum penalty for offences under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act is 10 years jail, a fine of $110,000 or both.
Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story
December 11th, 2008
Fundraiser supports adoption center in country
By Amy Bounds (Contact)
Boulder photographer Robert Troup was visiting Bali when a small dog shelter snared his attention.
A self described “dog fanatic” who owns three border collies, he said he was won over by the sweet faces of dogs rescued from a harsh life on the streets.
“There are so many issues and problems in the world, but this kind of struck my heart,” he said. “These people are doing such good work. For a little amount of money, you can really make a difference.”
He took portraits of the shelter dogs and teamed up with Pennyweights Jewelry Store owner Geoff Sigg to raise money for the Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center near the town of Ubud. Eleven of his street dog portraits are on display at the Pearl Street store, where there’s a collection box for donations.
Sigg also has pledged to donate a percentage of his sales through Christmas to the cause.
“We’re trying to get the word out for a good cause,” Sigg said.
Sigg and Troup were visiting Bali on one of Sigg’s jewelry buying trips when they discovered the shelter, started by Australian painter Linda Buller.
An estimated 500,000 dogs live on the streets in Bali, an Indonesian island. Because dog abandonment is common — and spaying and neutering isn’t — controlling the homeless dog population has proved difficult.
“They’re just all over theplace, scrapping in garbage cans or dead on the side of the road,” Troup said. “It’s a pretty overwhelming presence.”
Almost all of the dogs suffer from various ailments, including skin parasites, internal parasites, parvo virus, distemper, malnutrition, maggot infestation and broken limbs.
Bali residents occasionally will alert the shelter to a stack of crates in the road — typically containing dogs to be shipped to another Indonesian island as food, Troup said.
The Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Center provides medical care, food “and just some love” for the dogs on a shoestring budget, Troup said. Along with strays from the streets, the shelter workers also occasionally rescue dogs in crates stacked in the roads that otherwise are destined to become food on other islands.
Once the rescued dogs are healthy, they’re offered for adoption.
“They’re such sweet creatures,” Troup said.
Source: www.dailycamera.com/news/
December 9th, 2008
Claudia Sardi , The Jakarta Post , Benoa
The landscape of spas on Bali seems to change almost hourly given the recent rapid establishment of new spas and hotels.
The Bali Spa and Wellness Association therefore chose the theme “Nurture, knowledge and network” for its annual seminar on Thursday, where experts discussed various issues catching the attention of the spa industry, such as how spas can become more environmentally friendly.
“Do you know where your water flows to after the spa treatment? Do you know how much money you could save only by putting a timer onto your hot stone and water heaters?” Amanda Pummer from the Green Asia Group asked.
Hesitant answers came from the mostly female group.
Thirty percent of the energy in Bali is consumed by hotels, most of which have luxurious spa areas. Independent spas have not been included in the calculations.
Amanda said she believed the Bali spa industry could lead the way in “green” spas in Asia by starting with small actions.
“If we start to measure, we can start to manage. Take your chief engineer with you and start measuring all the outputs of the spa, be it water, gas or electricity.”
The former hotelier encouraged participants by saying that precious groundwater and luxurious water treatments could be eco-friendly if the usage, design and treatment were considered.
Everybody in the room agreed that Bali must be protected from the environmental impacts of the tourism industry — but where exactly environmental thinking begins is still hard to say.
“Once hoteliers and spa managers have raised their awareness, we can design smart spas that in the long term save energy and money by having a look at things like lighting and air conditioning systems,” spa designer Fabrice Garrigues said.
Not all members put the environment at the top of their list.
“Taking a closer look into hotel investment trends, hotels become the objects of short-term calculations,” The Pullman Legian manager Robin Deb said.
“There is a reduced interest of the hotel developer to increase investment such as in a green spa when there is no long-term economic value following from the hotel’s operation.”
Maya Ubud Hotel, which is surrounded by a green jungle, takes a proactive role in supporting the island.
“We don*t use any plastic bottles and our water is reused for gardening after being treated. The whole team is encouraged by management to think a little greener,” spa manager Rini said during the seminar.
Bali is suffering from the effects of improper disposal of nonorganic waste with an increasing amount of plastics, paper and — especially in spas — oil, which continues to be a serious issue.
“Education in schools but also in hotels needs to be one of our priorities,” said Paola Cannucciari from eco-Bali.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 9th, 2008
The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali has once again been acknowledged for its high standard of services and facilities by winning the Signature MICE Hotel category in the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (HAPA) 2008-2010 Regional Series. The announcement was made during a Gala Charity Dinner Awards Ceremony held by the publication in Kuala Lumpur on Friday 28th November 2008. The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali was also honored to be listed amongst the top 10 for HAPA Resorts of The Year and HAPA Service Excellence as well as a top 5 listing for HAPA Exceptional Hotel Security.
Established in 2002, the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards has been held consecutively between Singapore and Malaysia on a bi-annual basis with the vision to support and recognize excellence within Asia’s evolving hospitality industry. The awards were judged by a distinguished panel of professionals selected exclusively from participating countries. The panel consisted of respected individuals with expertise from different hospitality and culinary associations.
“I would like to congratulate my team for their hard work and commitment in delivering exceptional service to our clients. Our endeavor to provide renewing experiences for our guests is not just about accommodation, it continues through to our meeting services and facilities. We inspire our guests with our ideas and refreshing meeting environments as well as offering healthier choices of Food and Beverages through our SuperFood Rx initiative,” said the General Manager of The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, Mr. Bipan Kapur upon receiving the award.
Being the only Westin branded property in Indonesia since December 2003, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali enjoys a prime beachfront location in the exclusive Nusa Dua enclave on Bali’s southern tip with 346 cozy rooms; a place where you can be at your best and experience total renewal.
Adjacent to the Resort is The Bali International Convention Centre, the largest meeting resource on the island consisting of Ballroom, exhibition space, auditorium and 17 meeting rooms and sufficient space to cater for up to 10,000 participants. Both facilities make a successful mix of business and leisure possible.
Source: www.etbmice.com/article
December 5th, 2008
The multi-award winning Grand Hyatt Bali has now completed its extensive US$35-million renovation programme, which included a total facelift of its rooms and suites, the Grand Clubâ, the Lobby and three restaurants, and the addition of stunning new facilities, including the Kriya Spa and a second Grand Ballroom.
Set within 41 acres of beachfront and exotic tropical gardens in the prestigious Nusa Dua area of Bali, this crown jewel of Hyatt International’s resorts in Asia Pacific has been revitalised to surpass the original glory evident when it opened in 1991.
Designers of the renovations included Diana Simpson, one of Australia’s and South East Asia’s vanguard interior designers, and Japan’s Super Potato, which is renowned as one of the world’s most cutting-edge restaurant designers.
“While introducing contemporary features to refresh and revitalise Grand Hyatt Bali, we also took special care to preserve its unique Balinese water palace concept, which has brought so much pleasure to travellers looking for an exotic luxury experience,” said Director of Marketing, Mr. Ron Nomura.
“We have had excellent feedback from both new and returning guests concerning the new look and facilities, and are delighted to have retained our competitive edge in the marketplace, even 17 years after the hotel opened.”
Rooms & Suites
An organic theme using local natural materials and an earthy colour palette was adopted to enhance the airy ambience of the resort’s new sun-streaked rooms, with fabrics and artworks by local artisans reflecting the rich culture of Bali. Each of the contemporary Balinese-inspired rooms has its own private balcony with ocean, lagoon or garden views. A unique feature is an alcove area with a day bed for lounging, or which can be converted into a sleeping bay for children.
The luxurious marble and teak bathrooms have been fitted with removable shutters that can open up to the bedroom to bring natural daylight into this area.
While the rooms and the resort’s magical setting provide a personal sanctuary where guest can rest and relax, they also give guests the choice of staying connected via the Internet, international direct-dial telephones and cable TV.
Grand Clubâ
Accommodations in the Grand Club wing offer oversized rooms, some split-level, extra spacious bathrooms with glorious sea or garden views, a private swimming pool and a Grand Club Lounge where guests can enjoy daily complimentary breakfast, all-day beverages, and evening cocktails and canapés.
The Grand Club Lounge has also been completely redecorated in the contemporary natural theme. A new extension was added to the Lounge leading out to a grassy lawn, perfect for children to play without disturbing the serenity for other guests.
Kriya Spa
Adding immeasurably to the resort’s extensive relaxation and activity facilities, Kriya Spa is a ‘wellness sanctuary’ nestled within the lush tropical gardens, offering an authentic Balinese healing experience with 24 luxurious Spa Villas for treatments and full-day spa programmes.
Reflecting its name (“kriya” means “ritual” in Sanskrit), this unique spa celebrates authentic Balinese healing forms with treatments based on ‘wellness rituals’ to promote positive health and anti-ageing through the use of natural herbs, roots and essences.
Inspired by the magnificent architecture of an ancient Balinese water palace, each Spa Villa is designed with exceptional attention to detail, and offers twin indoor treatment facilities, a private outdoor wet treatment area, a traditional relaxation bale, and a custom-designed soaking tub and plunge pool, all set in a tranquil courtyard with water features.
The contemporary villas, featuring a hint of Balinese tradition, have been designed to create a harmonious union between the spatial design, flow and overall ambience. Understated elegance, fine textures, materials and artefacts representing herbs and natural elements, together with the infinite attention paid to mood-enhancing lighting, scents, relaxing sounds and temperature, provide a truly indulgent and total sensory experience.
Each villa has been designed so that guests need never leave the inner sanctuary of their private lifestyle suite, appointed to deliver all the services offered at Kriya Spa.
Grand Ballroom
The addition of a second Grand Ballroom has created for Grand Hyatt Bali the largest hotel convention facility on the island. The stunning second Grand Ballroom is a contemporary version of the traditional “Wantilan Pavilions”, Bali’s native communal meeting halls, enhanced with a degree of timelessness with warm timber tones, textural stone vertical wall panels, rich ethnic fabrics, glass that provides natural daylight, and unique lighting features.
This impressive 1,200 sq m space, with lofty 10 m high ceilings and a 6 m deep in-built stage with dressing rooms, can be sub-divided into three separate sound-proofed function spaces, each with individual controls for lighting, A/V and entrances.
State-of-the-art comprehensive audiovisual facilities, including a fibre optic backbone for Internet and Wi-Fi connectivity, a cutting-edge sound system and a flexible lighting system, have been fully integrated into the design to meet the needs of any event, whether an intimate dinner, a fashion show, an exhibition or a theatrical performance.
There is also a large pre-function area that opens onto an expanse of tropical gardens and lawns featuring custom-built stone buffet/service counters that further facilitate catering requirements.
In addition to the new Grand Ballroom facilities, the impressive convention complex offers 14 other function rooms, four boardrooms, an auditorium and the Karangasem Ballroom, all designed for maximum flexibility and multi-functional uses, catering for groups up to 1,420 people.
The strategic location of the new Grand Ballroom within the hotel’s entrance and the dedicated porte cochère that has been added for ease of arrival and departure further enhances Grand Hyatt Bali’s competitive edge in attracting MICE groups that may otherwise be using a number of hotels within the Nusa Dua area for accommodation
Garden Café
Surrounded by lush tropical bougainvillea gardens and lagoons, the original colonial Bali-inspired Garden Café has been re-designed with a contemporary residential-style café ambience. The restaurant’s stylish tropical look is enhanced by an organic theme, with accents of local culture evident in the use of natural teak and stone from central Java and rich fabrics specially commissioned from Balinese artisans
The Garden Café is located close to the lobby, and serves classic dishes from Asia and Europe for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Pasar Senggol
In the heart of the resort and adjacent to the historic Taman Temple is the extensively renovated Pasar Senggol, Grand Hyatt Bali’s unique open-air Balinese and Indonesian Night Market.
Conceptualised by Super Potato of Japan, Pasar Senggol features a Balinese gate stage backdrop and local river-stone walls and floors, giving visitors the sense of being in a local temple. It serves as the resort’s primary dinner buffet venue and its central evening activity area, featuring a Balinese handicraft exhibition and market.
Evenings are highlighted by an extravaganza of Balinese culture, with performances ranging from the hypnotic “Kecak” dance to the legendary “Ramayana” ballet that entertain the guests as they dine.
The pathways leading to the restaurant’s entry feature local artisans, who create and sell their wares in true market “bazaar” style to hotel guests and Pasar Senggol diners.
Pasar Senggol is surrounded by permanent food stalls, each with its own specialised kitchen, in which Indonesian and Balinese delicacies are prepared, bringing the unique experience of visiting a local market and temple right into the hotel.
Lobby
The hotel’s Lobby and Lounge areas have been renovated to provide a fresher feeling of modern Bali, with cleaner design lines to enhance the spectacular entrance view across the gardens to a stunning full ocean view.
About Grand Hyatt Bali
Located in Nusa Dua, Bali’s luxury resort development, Grand Hyatt Bali was patterned after an ancient Balinese water palace, and is set in 41 acres of cascading waterfalls, ponds, lakes, landscaped gardens and carp-filled lagoons. Its 648 luxurious rooms are located in low-rise Balinese style buildings set within four villages discreetly interspersed throughout the tropical grounds.
The resort’s extensive choice of five restaurants offer Italian, Japanese, Balinese and international cuisine, with two bars serving sensational cocktails, plus a night market with cultural shows in the Pasar Senggol amphitheatre.
Leisure facilities include a 650 m tree-lined beachfront, five swimming pools (one with thrilling water slides), myriad land and water sports, extensive fitness and spa facilities, three tennis courts, a putting green within the grounds and a championship golf course just minutes away.
Source: www.etravelblackboard.com
December 5th, 2008
DANIEL BOURCHIER
THE first Jetstar flight from Darwin to Bali left last night.
The new service will also connect to Brisbane and the budget airline says it is the next step in Darwin becoming an international hub.
The Denpasar-bound flight had the first Territory-trained flight attendants on board.
Jetstar customer service manager Casey Lahiff was among the Darwin-based graduate class to crew the new international flight.
She told the Northern Territory News she was looking forward to the flights.
“I’ve always wanted to be a flight attendant, ever since I can remember,” she said.
“Three years ago I was a domestic flight attendant - when Jetstar extended their Darwin services, they offered me this opportunity.”
Darwin to Denpasar is the third international flight Jetstar operates from the NT capital.
Flights to Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City have been running for some time.
Jetstar chief executive officer Bruce Buchanan said the new service demonstrated the airline’s commitment to the development of Darwin as an international and domestic flying hub.
Source: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article
December 4th, 2008
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