Posts filed under 'Bali Tourism News'
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
Creative industry thinkers and practitioners creatively concluded at the end of a two-day seminar that there was a need to develop Bali as Indonesia’s global brand — in the creative sector.
Andi S. Boediman, a creative industry evangelist, titled his presentation, “What is Bali?”. His answer to the question paved the way for a discussion on the possibility of transforming the resort island into something more than just a tourist destination.
“Bali has such a strong cultural and religious heritage. People come here, love it and stay. But what we need is more than just Bali as a destination but Bali as a brand,” Andi said.
In his eyes, Bali has the potential to become the global brand for the country’s creative industry.
“In spite of its modernism, Bali has managed to maintain its rich, local heritage.”
With so many people staying access to foreign markets is another opportunity that should not be squandered, he added. “The more we export, the more we have to make it known from where the product actually came from.”
He then drew comparisons to Italy as the iconic brand that stood for quality leather shoes or Cannes in France that has became the embodiment of the global film industry.
Bali has cultural rituals such as fashion week, film festivals and similar events.
“They could be great opportunities to position Bali not only as a tourist destination but as the Southeast Asian Getaway for all sorts of interests,” Andi said.
The idea to set up the “Made in Bali” label as a way to develop the island into a global brand has became a hot topic in recent times but how to implement the idea has been subject to debate.
“We cannot instantly come up with a new brand that is called *Made in Bali*. We first must think about quality, uniqueness and character of Bali products. This is our responsibility,” initiator of Bali Creative Community, Arief Budiman said.
Arief and fellow local players are working on a brand study and a showcase model for the idea. The legal aspects of the Bali brand have yet to be discussed at a government level.
The recently founded Bali Creative Community, which also organized the Bali Creative Power 2008 gathering held at Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel on Nov. 29 to 30, would like to take over as advisors to the process.
Christian Fritz, founder of the Bali Export Development Organization (BEDO) is convinced of the idea.
“There could be nothing better than Bali’s own brand, I just hope that it can be accomplished on a national level,” he said.
A jewelry designer, Stephanie Vermaas, shared a similar sentiment.
“If tourism keeps growing as it did in 2007, people will be proud to purchase goods that are produced in Bali and even produce their own things on the island, which will be great for the economy,” she said.
Players from a broad spectrum of the creative industry, including architects, designers, musicians, builders and publishers attended the meeting which was aimed at empowering them to move forward as one, unified force.
“We want creative people living in Bali to look across the borders of their own industries and to exchange knowledge,” Arief said.
With its fast-growing tourism, expanding trade, people moving in and foreign nationals staying, Bali has become the center of global attention for many interests, he said. – JP/Claudia Sardi
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 3rd, 2008
Ni Komang Erviani , Contributor , Denpasar
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has ordered the Balinese people conduct a mass culling of stray dogs on the island to help the administration prevent a rabies outbreak.
The order was made Saturday in response to four deaths believed to be caused by rabies transmitted through dog bites in Ungasan village, Uluwatu.
As of Friday, 17 wild and domesticated dogs have been put down using lethal injection by the Yudhistira Swarga foundation for wild dog welfare, while 76 residents of Ungasan who were bitten by dogs, have been vaccinated by officers of the Badung Health Agency.
“The residents can just go ahead by taking the initiative to kill stray dogs. If the mass dog culling relied only on administration officers, it would take too long to get rid of,” said Pastika at an open house session with the Balinese people.
The existence of stray dogs along the streets, he said, had sped up the spread of the deadly rabies virus.
Laboratory tests showed the four — two elderly and two children — died because of dog bites, but it was still unclear whether they died because of rabies.
“But there is an indication, the four died because of bites by rabies-infected dogs. So we have to respond to it as quickly as possible to curb its spread,” Pastika said, adding rabies could only be controlled by killing the stray dogs.
The governor also urged dog owners to pay attention to the health of their pets and not to let them play with stray dogs.
“Domesticated dogs have also undergone health checks to detect whether they are healthy or are infected with rabies.”
Pastika ordered port officials to strengthen custom checks of goods entering Bali to prevent the illegal entrance of dogs from outer islands.
He said he believed the rabies infection was the result of dogs being smuggled into Bali from other islands.
Aside from dogs, Pastika also demanded the strict supervision of the entrance of other animals into Bali, like monkeys and cats, which transmit diseases to human beings.
Source: The Jakarta Post
December 2nd, 2008
By MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRO
There are few places on earth where you can find the strange-looking Mola mola, and exotic Bali is one of them.
Bali. The name conjures up visions of beautiful, golden beaches like Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, not to mention great bargains in art and craft items in laid-back Ubud.
Scuba divers, though, can think only of the Mola mola when in Bali.
The Mola mola, also known as the sunfish, is one of the ocean’s rare and amazing oddities. With its large oval body and ridiculously flimsy-looking flippers, the Mola mola looks like a science fiction-inspired cartoon creation.
Its eyes are as a big as soup bowls and, even better, this fish loves divers.
Bali is only one of two spots in the world where the Mola mola can be seen. The trouble is, these critters have a fussy time-schedule for appearing in shallow water. Also, they prefer certain temperatures — the colder the better!
The sunfish’s favourite rendezvous spot is off the small island of Nusa Penida, southeast of Bali.
From my villa in Seminyak, we took just 20 minutes to reach Sanur, where the dive operator Blue Season Bali is located. Here, the divers congregated, the usual paperwork was done, and then we were off on a short ride to the beach to the waiting boat.
Thankfully, the trip out took no more than 45 minutes. Our first dive site, Crystal Bay, was an unnerving experience.
I tolerated the cold water temperature to check out the corals, which seemed healthy and vibrant. There were plenty of fish around, including porcupinefish, pipefish and nudibranchs.
However, the current that we swam against became increasingly stronger, and it was soon apparent that we had been caught in the mother of all surges.
Kicking against the flow, we soon decided to hold on to ledges by the tips of our fingers and wait it out, hovering diagonally, looking like airborne superheroes with air tanks for capes.
Comically, as we found ourselves suspended in mid-surge, struggling to avoid being swept away, two feelers and a pair of beady eyes popped out from under the ledge I held on to. I pulled myself forward and came within inches of a mantis shrimp.
Looking startled, it scuttled back into its hole before comically peering out again. Some really big tunas zoomed ahead of our group, but not much else was happening so we cut our dive short and headed back to the surface.
The second dive at Tugu was a real coral fest. Tonnes of soft coral spread out before us like a landscaped royal backyard. It was also a much better improvement in terms of currents. We descended, following the steep slopes of Nusa Penida’s west coast.
Calmed by the gentle undertow, the fish life seemed to spring to life, with lionfish and other reef inhabitants out and about. The highlight was a pair of huge pipefish, which stumbled upon our group.
Almost 2m long, they stared wide-eyed at us (as we did them) before dashing off past us. We hardly finished shaking our heads in amazement when we chanced upon a lone cuttlefish. Flaring colours, it too made a beeline for the angled horizon behind us.
In between dives, I was quite surprised to see a number of dive instructors and divemasters in our group chatting away in different languages.
Blue Season Bali’s dive boat wasn’t exactly spacious, which made relaxing a bit difficult. The answer? Climb up to the roof which doubles as a sun-deck.
Lunch was duly provided, and the ample drinks kept us chatting. All of us were hoping to see those glorious Mola molas.
Finally we made our last dive at Sental, just further down. The drift remained as gentle as before.
With the sun warming our bodies through the shallower water, we got our most leisurely dive yet as we observed a flurry of fish life, including more lionfish, smaller pipefish and even a couple of triggerfish.
I didn’t get a chance to see the Mola mola, though, and that was a genuine disappointment. Perhaps the waters were just too warm.
The fact that divers a couple of days before us had seen a huge bunch made me envious. Then again, Bali underwater is a lot more than just the sunfish, popular though they are.
The healthy reefs and healthy fish population are apparent, even if they seem like any other dive site in Malaysia. If you’re looking for a holiday filled with excitement and discovery, you should now add Bali’s dive sites to your list.
Just pray that the water’s cold, for maybe then you could end up peering back at a Mola mola.
Getting there
AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines fly daily to Bali. Once there, travel by car for around 30 minutes (from Legian or Seminyak) to the dive centre office in Sanur. From there, it’s another 15 minutes to the boat.
IVING A three-tank diving trip with Blue Season Bali to Nusa Penida costs US$145 (RM507) per person, inclusive of lunch, drinks, transfer from centre to the boat and equipment.
INFO For enquiries, contact Blue Season Bali at Jalan Danau Poso, Gang Wanasari 3B, Sanur, 80228 Bali, Indonesia, call: +62 361 270852 /842, fax: +62 361 270842 or e-mail: info@baliocean.com. You can also visit www.baliocean.com
Source: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle
December 1st, 2008
The Indonesia Open, the annual co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour event held since 2005, moves to the tropical island of Bali with new dates of February 26-March 1, 2009.
The exciting new venue is the New Kuta Golf Resort, situated on the south western rim of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula which overlooks the stunning Balangan Beach and the Indian Ocean.
Located near what is renowned as one of the top surfing destinations in the region, the par 72 golf course measures over 7,500 yards and is designed by Golf Plan USA, consisting of Ronald Fream, David Dale and Kevin Ramsey. New Kuta Golf is also the first ‘links style’ golf course in the country.
Boasting Indonesia’s richest prize purse for a sporting event, the Indonesia Open immediately follows the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia, held in the preceding week, and a week before the Thailand Open, thus ensuring the participation of some of Europe’s and Asia’s best players. The total prize money on offer is US$1.25 million, increased from US$ 1.2 million of last year.
“Bali has always been a favorite destination for European golfers when they come through the region,” said Vicky Jones, The European Tour’s Client Services Director, Asia. “It will be exciting to play in a tropical paradise that is surrounded with such rich culture and traditions.”
“Our players are looking forward to the trip to Bali for the Indonesia Open in 2009,” said Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman, Asian Tour. “New Kuta Golf has received widespread praise as a championship venue and I believe the players will enjoy their first experience in Bali.”
“We are pleased that this world class event will once again be held in Indonesia,” said Jero Wacik, Head of the Indonesian Golf Association (PGI), himself a native Balinese.
“As Bali is home to a number of international class golf courses, we hope this event will help increase people’s awareness of golf as a sport and that this tournament will aid in finding the next generation of golfers in Indonesia. We will also help prepare our players for some of the most intense competition they will be facing.”
Mr Wacik, who is also the Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism, hopes the tournament will help raise Indonesia’s profile on the world stage.
He said: “We are beginning to see many international sporting events and tournaments being hosted in Indonesia. The Balinese people are known to be gracious hosts and I am sure they look forward to welcoming visitors to the Indonesia Open. The tournament will help showcase to tourists of the many promising leisurely activities they can enjoy while visiting our beautiful country.”
“We are excited to host this event in Bali, as many people in the world already know its legendary hospitality,” said John Eu, CEO of GlobalOne, the promoter of the Indonesia Open.
“We hope this new venue will continue to see Indonesia’s amazing performance in the sport as this year an unprecedented four national players made the cut. I am sure 2009 will see more Indonesian players working hard to compete against some of the very best in the sport, especially coming at the heels of the Johnnie Walker Classic.
“GlobalOne is very grateful for the commitment of our partners, from the Indonesian Golf Association, the European and Asian Tours, as well as our sponsors, to ensure this tournament continues its tradition.
“Although it is at a new venue, the Indonesia Open continues to be a benchmark for golf tournaments within the country. We hope to see many of you there in Bali to catch some exciting golf on the isle of the Gods.”
Since its inaugural event in 2005, the Indonesia Open has become a world class tournament thanks to the participation of international players such as Chile’s Felipe Aguilar (2008 Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open champion), Finland’s Mikko Ilonen (2007 champion), England’s Simon Dyson (2006 champion) and Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant (2005 champion).
Some of the world’s top players have participated in previous Indonesia Opens, including former Ryder Cup players Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley of Ireland, last year’s runner up Jeev Milka Singh of India, and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.
Source: http://www.asiagolfonline.com/
December 1st, 2008
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