Bali Tourism News

BALI, Indonesia — This island’s tropical charms are more affordable than they have been for years.

This Hindu-majority island and tourist destination near the center of Indonesia’s archipelago has always offered bargains. But a series of factors has made it even better, including the impact of the global recession and a 20 percent strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the Indonesian rupiah since 2006.
Many five-star hotels on the island offer rooms for under $200. Spas price hour-long massages at $10. Restaurants sell fresh seafood dinners for less than some fast-food meals in the United States. Local shops offer activities including scuba diving and horseback riding for a fraction of what they cost in the West. And airfare deals keep popping up that make getting here at least somewhat affordable — around $1,200 from New York.

TOP RESORTS

Many of the island’s top luxury resorts have begun to offer steep discounts to attract recession-wary travelers. The Westin Bali, a sprawling, family friendly hotel with a good beach and swimming pool, is offering guests staying three nights a fourth night free. The Oberoi, the Indian luxury resort chain known for top-drawer service, has cut its rates until the end of March and may reduce them further.

The Como Shambhala Estate, featuring private villas with attached swimming pools and a wellness program, is considering promoting its rooms with 25-percent discounts for couples or friends, said general manager John Halpin.

‘’Like every life, hotels have cycles and there are good years and bad years,'’ he said. “We’re always willing to negotiate based on supply and demand.'’

Other resorts priced below $150 a night provide rooms, grounds and service that would cost much more in the United States or Europe, said John Daniels, owner of Bali Discovery Tours, a company he founded in Bali after moving to the island in 1977.

Bali’s combination of tropical appeal and bargain prices has helped it grow from a surfers’ destination to a holiday retreat popular with backpackers, families and the ultra-rich. The number of foreign visitors to the Delaware-size island rose to 1.7 million in 2007 from 1.3 million in 1997.

The number of Americans visiting Bali plunged after a terrorist attack in Denpasar, its capital, killed 202 people in 2002. But last May, the U.S. Department of State lifted a travel warning, citing ‘’objective (security) improvements'’ and the number of American visitors rose to more than 62,000 for the year.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

Bali’s unique combination of attractions is certain to draw more travelers in coming years. Without much effort, visitors can hike on volcanoes, dive or snorkel over coral reefs, visit spas and boutique shops and eat at restaurants serving both traditional Indonesian fare and fine French cuisine.

My wife and I sampled that variety during a trip to the island over Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

We started on Bali’s south coast, which is best known for its beaches and temples. Our favorite site was Pura Luhur Uluwatu, a Hindu shrine with ornate eaves and entranceways perched on a cliff above the Indian Ocean. Locals and tourists gather at the site each evening to watch the sun set, and we arrived in time to see the ocean fade from blue to red and then, with nightfall, black.

We also took advantage of the stop to learn about Balinese Hinduism. The religion, which became firmly rooted in Bali in the 16th century, seeks to balance forces of good and evil.

Source: www.miamiherald.com