My Headlines
Friday, July 23, 2010
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore New Icons
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Hotel Ibis Slipi, Bar Relax It's in Slipi
HOTEL LUMIRE - Always There Surprises from Lumire
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Swiss-Belhotel Operate Hotel in Kendari
Number of Australia Tourists Rising
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bengkulu Museum collection 99 Old Money
Tourist in Coastal Lampung Rising
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Bakrieland Build Budget Hotels in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan
Accor To Develop Budget Hotels
Accor view, budget hotel trend is influenced by the increase of economic and political stability. Impact, low cost hotels were in great demand
Kuta Carnaval
There was no vacant hotel in Yogyakarta
Intiland Build Hotel Budget Whiz in 60 Locations
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Holiday season, in Anyer Hotel Occupancy Rate Rises
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Laguna, Nusa Dua, Bali makes Bali island greener by planting 2000 mangroves
The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali makes Bali Island greener by planting 2000 mangroves at Serangan Beach on Thursday, 29 April 2010. This Care for Community initiative involved more than 200 employees from various departments led by the General Manager, Mr David Cuddon, Executive Committee members, Department Heads and many staffs. All enthusiast participants departed from the resort at 14.00hours to Serangan Beach - Bali an hour's drive away.
Hotel upgrades rejuvenate Bali
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Bali airport renovation rejected by governor
Kompas.com reports that Bali's governor, Made Mangku Pastika, has rejected renovation plans advanced by Bali's airport managers, calling instead for a more Balinese design concept with greater emphasis on public as opposed to commercial spaces.
Tourism authorities to fix visa on arrival service at Bali airport
Tourism authorities have asked immigration officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali to improve their visa on arrival service following complaints from foreign visitors.
Jammed Bali looks for solutions
The popularity of Bali Island has for years translated into road congestion due not only to the multiplication of tourist busses but also the lack of parking facilities, of proper public transport, and the undisciplined behavior of most local drivers who park their vehicles at their convenience. All of these elements make circulation in Bali a nightmare.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
World Expo: Putting Indonesia on the map
If Phileas Fogg and Passepartout need 80 days to travel the globe in Verne's classic Around the World in 80 Days to win £20,270 (US$30,000), we need less than that and less traveling once we are inside the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, China.
Located on a 5.28-square-kilometer plot of land, the 53rd expo features dozens of pavilions from 189 participating countries after three countries withdrew from the event at the last minute as well as 50 international organizations.
Ten affordable places to stay in Ubud
Bali's cultural capital is enjoying a moment in the spotlight, having recently been voted Asia's best city destination. Here's our pick of the best-value homestays and hotels
Amandari Screens Heritage Films Of Classic Bali
Amandari will host a viewing of heritage films of Bali in conjunction with the French Cinémathèque of Dance and the Swedish Dance Museum. The films focus on the theme of dance, with rarely-seen screenings of Rolf de Maré, a Swede who compiled outstanding footage of dance from Indonesia in the 1930s.
Films will be screened in Kedewatan's village wantilan, or open-air meeting place, adjacent to Amandari. Each evening's showcase will feature two films with an intermission in between.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Celebrating Galungan in Bali, Balinese slaughter thousands of pigs
Galungan in Bali, Janur Vendors and Flower Harvest
Garuda Plans to Cover Gap After JAL Cuts Bali Routes
Kiyoshi Tanaka, a JAL representative in Bali, said on Monday that the bankrupt airline's massive restructuring had prompted it to cut less-profitable routes, including to Bali, which have already showed a decrease in passenger numbers. He said JAL's daily Tokyo-Denpasar and Osaka-Denpasar would be eliminated by Oct. 1, leaving Garuda the only carrier flying between Japan and the resort island.
Pujobroto, Garuda's corporate secretary, said on Monday after JAL's announcement that the Indonesian carrier would raise
Monday, May 10, 2010
Salacious film 'Koreana' bares Bali's all
After the recent release of the controversial documentary trailer of Cowboys in Paradise, another risque movie filmed in Kuta has been posted on the Internet.
Titled Koreana, the 22-minute film shows an uncensored oral sex scene between an Indonesian woman and a foreign man on a balcony of a hotel located on Jl. Pantai Kuta.
The film begins with shots of tourists strolling along Kuta Beach as well as a surfing competition.
The following scenes feature the woman drinking beer at the beach, before it moves to the hotel where the sexually explicit scene takes place.
Balinese pottery on show at Bentara Budaya
Cultural center Bentara Budaya Jakarta is showcasing an exhibition of pottery products from Bali's Pejaten craftsmen.
The exhibition, titled "Habis Genteng Terbitlah Kodok" (After Roof Tiles Comes the Frog) was opened Tuesday May 4. The exhibition of pottery made by craftsmen Wayan Kuturan, I Made Durya and I Putu Oka Mahendra, will run until the end of the week.
Pejaten is a village in Bali that has transformed from being a roof tile production center into a flourishing pottery factory, exporting its elegant products to Europe, Japan, Australia and the US. The title of the exhibition is a play on the title of Indonesian women's rights heroine Kartini, Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang (After Darkness Comes the Light).
In the exhibition, ceramic statues of frogs were lined up for show. Rows of coral green ceramic teapots and glazed mugs, vases, and plates were beautifully arranged.
Guiding Right
Krystyna Krassowska wants to take tourists and locals alike off Indonesia's well-tread tourist paths with her expedition guides. And do it safely and professionally. She talked to Bruce Emond.
Many of us have lost that loving feeling for the job at hand, if we ever had it in the first place. We envy the lucky individuals who get to do what they want in life, those who go it alone to forgo the usual home-work-home cycle to pursue what makes them happy.
Enchantment Sunset at Dreamland Bali
Sripo residing on the island of Bali, some time ago, 3-10 April 2010, the opportunity to visit some beaches and enjoy the eye sunset (sunset) among several beaches. Scenery as well as enjoyed by the Western and local.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Bali Want to Enhance Tourists from Australia
Friday, May 7, 2010
Enjoying sunset in 'heaven'
The Pan Pacific Bali Nirwana Resort (BNR), owned by the family of millionaire Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie, and which recently merged with international hotel chain Pan Pacific, was basking in a heavenly sunset near the Tanah Lot Temple, 25 kilometers from Kuta.
Hundreds of foreign and local visitors had patiently waited for the sun to go down behind the temple.
Some had spent a leisurely afternoon at the newly opened Cendana restaurant, one of the many attractions of this five-star resort.
"This is one of the best places to watch the beauty of the sunset. The sun usually goes down at the back of the temple creating a perfect scenery. Just now, the sky is very clear," said Dwi Lismiarni, marketing communication manager for the Pan Pacific Bali Nirwana Resort recently.
Nirwana means heaven in Sanskrit. The site is indeed a blissful place, with a fantastic view of the Bali Strait in the southern part of Bali and located near one of the holiest Hindu temples, Tanah Lot. The Cendana restaurant is part of the 103-hectare Bali BNR currently managed by the Pan Pacific Group.
PT Bali Nirwana Resort, a unit under PT Bakrieland Development Tbk, developed the resort twelve years ago.
"If you need a break from your busy schedule and the hustle and bustle of the glittering but noisy tourist destinations in Bali, Nirwana Resort is your best choice," Lismiarni said.
The resort has 278 rooms including 245 deluxe rooms, 20 executive suites, 12 villas and one presidential suite.
"We will gradually be renovating the interior of the rooms to adjust to Pan Pacific International Hotel standards and improving our services for our guests," said Hans G. Winsnes, the general manager of Pan Pacific BNR.
The Pan Pacific Group, he said, has been in Indonesia for many years, however, the group only manages one hotel, the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Jakarta.
"After long consideration, we decided to spread our wings to Bali by collaborating with PT BNR to manage this resort," Winsnes said.
He is sure that faithful guests of the Pan Pacific Group across the world will jump at the opportunity of spending their holidays here at its Bali resort.
"We have many guests from Australia, Japan and Korea, who keep coming back," added Lisminiarni.
Under the new management of the Pan Pacific Group, the resort feels confident it will draw many more visitors from different geographical zones.
Yudi Rizard Hakim, chief corporate affairs officer of PT Bakrieland, added that 85 percent of the 103-hectare resort area was "green and open" space, and included an 18-hole golf course as well as lush gardens.
"We have an international-standard golf course designed by the legendary Greg Norman. It was the recipient of the Best Golf Course in Indonesia and Asia award," Hakim said.
Hakim went on to say the company was proud to employ local residents and therefore contribute to the local economy.
"Around 60 percent of our 900 employees come from neighboring areas," Hakim said. The company's close relationship with the local community will remain the same, despite the change in the hotel's management. "Currently, we provide 15 hectares of land for local farmers," he added.
Bakrieland is currently focusing on developing hotels and resorts in Bali, Lampung and Bogor. The company plans to build a resort in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan too.
"We have other projects in Bali in addition to the Bali Nirwana Resort," he said.
Next June, the company will open the Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana, a four-star hotel and 300 apartment units in Legian, Kuta.
For those wanting a peaceful, relaxing holiday, the Bali Nirwana Resort could be considered an ideal choice. But people who prefer to be in the middle of the action are more likely to enjoy the planned Legian Nirwana in Kuta. Just one more month to wait. Have a nice holiday in Bali.
Trunyan: Where the dead lie
The island of Bali is generally thought of as an island full of life. When and where death does encroach, it often becomes a spectacle of cremations and elaborate ceremonies.
One small part of Bali however upholds an unusual and apparently quite ancient tradition pertaining to death.
Sitting at the edge of Lake Batur in Northern Bali is a small cemetery known as Trunyan, where people from the nearby village of Kuban "bring" their dead to rest on top of the ground.
This unusual practice has become something of a macabre tourist attraction. Perhaps it is not really an "attraction" but a place that pricks peoples' curiosity. The local people, though, have clearly become used to tourists coming to this site and so haggling and near constant pestering for "donations" has to be dealt with.
One can only reach this site by boat, a small fleet of which awaits visitors at the end of a wooden jetty where the stunning Mount Batur looks on.
Crossing the lake to Trunyan takes between 20 and 30 minutes and upon arrival a small huddle of men awaits any arriving boats.
The cemetery is small and there is little need or sign of maintenance. Although this is the final resting place for a number of people, a sense of respect for the dead does seem to be in short supply here.
Human skulls are lined up on stonewall shelves, which makes for a quite eerie sight to begin with but then the men here will invite visitors to pick a skull up and presumably pose for a photo; all of the visitors to this site on this occasion were quite quick to decline this invitation.
The views across the lake to Mount Batur are quite stunning and despite the annoying attendants, this is a peaceful place.
In this final resting place, the bodies of the deceased are just covered in cloth and rudimentary bamboo cages. These cages are flimsy and practically leave the body out in the open to the elements.
This creates an obvious concern; dead bodies left out in the open will of course decompose and the potential for unwelcome odors and even health concerns is real. However here, apparently, the presence of a banyan tree, described as holy, has warded off such concerns.
The huge banyan tree seems to stand as a guarding and protective figure of this cemetery. Its leafs carpet the ground around the gravesite and presumably this is part of the way in which the tree keeps the area free from unwelcome odors and so on.
Even with the hassle and haggling from the people that wait and wander about the cemetery, this is still a peaceful place that enjoys beautiful and powerful scenery. The lake dazzles in the Balinese sunlight and Mount Batur watches somewhat broodingly in the distance.
Returning across the lake local people are travelling by boat to the cemetery, it seems to pay their respects to the dead. They smile and wave as their boat glides on by; they seem to realize what a pleasant part of the world they live in and may rest in peace in one day.
Simon Marcus Gower, Contributor, Trunyan Jakarta Post
A quirky museum, a welcoming home
An impressive and imposing entranceway seems to stand guard as you approach the Antonio Blanco Museum located on a hill known as Campuan, in Ubud, Bali. Passing under this archway, the entrance road rises up steeply and there is a real sense of approaching something special but also a little reclusive.
It is said the King of Ubud gave the artist Antonio Blanco this land to build his home and which today stands as something of a monument to this renowned artist.
This land in Ubud is also said to sit at the confluence of two sacred rivers and so in a variety of ways is seen as an auspicious and special place.
It soon becomes clear that this is a place of restfulness and beauty: Gardens are beautifully kept, lawns are clipped and manicured, and statues are adorned with umbrellas and flowers.
The grounds of the museum immediately reflect this space is respected and worshipped. Signs over the entrance door into the grounds state that "Through these portals pass the most beautiful people in Bali".
Antonio Blanco was an artist of Spanish parentage born in Manila, The Philippines, in 1911. It is evident from the museum that the artist enjoyed a varied and truly international life. After his high school education in Manila, he went on to study art in New York and developed skills and a liking for figurative and portrait art.
While this sentiment was to prevail throughout his artistic life, his arrival in Bali in 1952 proved central to the rest of his life. He married a Balinese woman famed for her Balinese dancing, Ni Ronji. Her portraits kept in the museum add a very personal touch to the museum, almost making the visitor feel like being at home.
Perhaps first and foremost it is the home of Antonio Blanco. His spirit seems to linger throughout the mansion at the center of the place.
The mansion is large and ornate; perhaps a little too ornate and even gaudy for many a modern person's tastes, but it is important as it acts as a gallery space for so many of Blanco's paintings.
These are displayed in often highly decorated frames, some of which were also designed by the artist.
But it is in the artist's studio to the side of the mansion that visitors get a real sense of the artist's work.
Antonio Blanco passed away in 1999 but his spirit seems to linger on in his small but intimate studio, where numerous frames and paintings either line the walls or rest, stacked up against the walls. One feels like someone needs to finish the pieces or take up the brushes and use the paints left in the center of the room.
Today, visitors to the museum are invited to sit as the artist would have and have their photograph taken posing with artist's palette and brush in hand. Although this sounds almost terribly touristy, it is done in a fun way and the attendants are warm and welcoming.
This is, perhaps, one of the nicest aspects of this museum; although the mansion house is grandiose and imposing practically demanding attention there is still something of an intimacy and warmth about the place as a whole.
Antonio Blanco's son Mario also became an artist, very much in his father's tradition, and so his studio resides right next to that of his renowned father's.
Antonio Blanco was one of many foreign artists to come to Bali and feel at home. His memory is, though, kept alive more powerfully than most with this museum that combines studios and a large mansion house.
The artist may have passed away more than a decade ago now and, to some extent, the times that he represents have passed; perhaps they were more stylish and genteel times. But this museum seems to look back on them with a fondness and warmth that is both simultaneously interesting to the mind and calming to the spirit.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hotels and restaurants `dump waste into the sea'
KLUNGKUNG: A number of hotels and restaurants operating on Lembongan Island in Klungkung regency are suspected of dumping waste into Semarapura Beach.
Klungkung Regent Tjok Gede Agung expressed concern over these allegations.
"These acts would certainly threaten marine life," he was quoted as saying by the Bali Post daily on a visit to Nusa Penida and Lembongan islands.
Agung said he frequently pressed hotel and restaurant operators to abide by environmental regulations. - JP
Jakartapost
Trade agency proposes Bali-themed day for hotels
DENPASAR: The Bali Industry and Trade Agency has put forward plans to launch Bali-themed days in hotels in the province.
Agency head Gede Darmaja said the agency would ask hotel managers to promote Balinese culture, cuisine and fashion once a month.
"On the day, every hotel employee, for example, could wear traditional Balinese clothes and serve Balinese food," Darmaja said.
The campaign is aimed at encouraging small industries that supply local products.
"In the long run, the campaign will boost the island's economy," Darmaja said. - JP
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Badung Bali Tourism Promotion to South Korea and London
Promotion to London will carry an interest for European citizens to visit the island resort.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Within a month, 13 444 Taiwanese take a trip to Bali
South Korea amounted to 26.31 percent from 11 034 people to 8131 people and Malaysia, 13.99 per cent from 9385 people to 8072 people only, said Ida Komang Wisnu
Buleleng suffers as volcano forces Europeans to cancel holidays
Thousands of European tourists have cancelled their trips to Buleleng regency, North Bali, due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland that brought air traffic above Europe to a virtual standstill for almost a week.
Dewa Ketut Suardipa, chairman of the Buleleng chapter of the Hotels and Restaurants Association said the cancellations had badly affected occupancy rates at star hotels in the Lovina beach resort area, Pemuteran Beach and other tourist destinations in Buleleng regency.
Some hotels' occupancy rates dropped from 90 percent to 15 percent, Suardipa said. "Hotels with European markets really suffered heavy blows," he said.
Many hotels in Buleleng receive a large proportion of their guests from European destinations. Buleleng regency played a significant roles during the Dutch colonial period.
During that time, Singaraja was the island's largest port. Many European tourists come to the regency to visit the former Dutch landmarks.
Ayu Ardini, leisure manager of Puri Bagus at the Lovina Beach Resort Hotel, said the hotel's main market was European tourists.
"Our average occupancy rates are usually between 50 and 60 percent, but the Iceland's volcanic eruption has drastically dragged down our rates to only 15 percent in April," Ardani said.
However, many of the tourists who cancelled their trips have rescheduled to visit Lovina next year, he said.
Suardipa said he expected the cancellation to only temporarily effect tourism to the area. "Some hotels like Matahari Beach and Damai Hotel have almost 90 percent occupancy rates."
Non-star hotels have remained lucrative despite global travel problems. "We have numerous backpacking holiday makers staying at small hotels and villas in Lovina."
Suardipa said the political conflict in Thailand had not impacted tourism in Buleleng.
"Some tourists might have swapped their destination from Thailand to Bali, but we have felt no significant impact," he said.
Alit Kartarahardja, The Jakarta Post, Singaraja/North Bali
Cartoon Museum, Alternative Tourism in Bali
Monday, May 3, 2010
Violence Thailand, Bali Tourism Harvest
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Badung to revive hotel and restaurant association
BADUNG: Badung regency said it plans to revive its hotel and restaurant association, following a five-year absence.
Perry Markus, the secretary of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said Badung was a key tourist destination with hundreds of rated hotels, luxury restaurants and other tourist facilities.
PHRI's Badung branch is important to providing a forum for the regency's tourist industry, he added.
"Badung is undergoing rapid tourist development but many key people in the industry remain unaware of existing regulations, market shares and the real supply and demand of facilities," Perry said. - JP
thejakartapost.com
Badung gets new capital
BADUNG: Badung regency got a new capital on Thursday after Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi officially inaugurated the regency's sprawling new administrative center and named it Mangupura. The center will serve as the regency's new capital city.
The administrative center covers 46.6 hectares and cost Rp 470 billion to build. Its development was marred by controversy over the high cost as well as the fact that it was built on land designated as the regency's green belt.
"I thought I was going to inaugurate a small building. It turns out that the size *of the administration center* is 10 times the average size of other regency administration centers in Indonesia," the minister said.
However, he said, the owners of the administration center were the people of Badung as the regent only borrows it from the people during his tenure.
"Give the public the best service," he stressed.
Badung is one of the wealthiest regions in Bali with local revenue of Rp 858 billion and an annual budget of Rp. 1.3 trillion in 2010. - JP
thejakartapost.com
Foreign Tourist like the Legong Dance
Dance is very flexible, supple, with a dynamic motions brought by several women.
Controversy Bali gigolo movie "Kuta Tourism Growing Not because Gigolo"
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Gigolo Movie Not Affect Citra Bali
Alila receives ASEAN Green Hotel Award
UBUD: Alila Manggis in East Bali and Alila Ubud in Gianyar received the ASEAN Green Hotel Award for their commitment to supporting responsible tourism.
The ASEAN Green Hotel Award is one of six ASEAN Tourism Standards considered essential for supporting ASEAN to become a world-class destination.
The award is presented to hotels that measure up to 11 environmental and energy conservation criteria.
Among the criteria are environmental policies and actions for hotel operation, use of green and local products, collaboration with the local community on environmental protection, the hotel's steps to providing staff training programs on environmental management, as well as efficient management of water, energy, waste, air quality and noise pollution.
Organizers of the award said Alila Manggis and Alila Ubud fully embraced Alila's philosophy that commerce, conservation and community could and should be integrated. - JP
http://www.thejakartapost.com
Bali Cultural Center to be built in India
DENPASAR: Bali Hindu Center will be built on a 2-hectare plot near the Ganges River to allow visitors to learn more about the island's culture and religion.
Indra Udayana from Ashram Gandhi Puri said the center would serve as a cultural and religious bridge connecting Balinese and Indian people. The Ganges is considered a sacred river in Hinduism.
"Every year, millions of people visit the site for spiritual enlightenment," Udayana said.
"Therefore, it would be quite strategic to introduce Balinese culture to fellow Hindus from around the world," he said.
The development of the center was an initiative by Hindu leaders such as Pedanda (High Priest) Made Gunung, Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka and former Bali governors Ida Bagus Mantra and Dewa Made Beratha. JP
The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Friday, April 30, 2010
Cheap Bali Car Rental
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No place like home (except Bali)
CATCHYA later, Melbourne; get outta my face, Australia, I thought to myself as my plane took off from Tullamarine. It's not that I don't love Australia, because I do, I love her from the bottom of her quirky Great Australian Underbite to the top of her cute There's-Something-About-Mary flicky hair-thing around Cape York Peninsula.
But I just needed a bit of time-out from all the Aussieness, so I was heading off on a six-day Aussie-escape holiday to the one place where I could escape all things Aussie. Yeah, I was going to Bali, ha ha, I was off to Bali.
But when the plane took off, I hadn't escaped from Australia because I was with a load of Aussies all going to Bali, too. Hundreds of them all around me, going maaaaaate-this and y'reckon-that, and a honeymoon couple behind me whispering: ''Awww, go on, Nicole, pleeeeeez?/Rack off, Jace, I'm not doing that on a plane, now bugger off and lemme read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!'' And most of them were immersing themselves in Balinese culture by knocking down can after can of free Bintang beer. But it'd be okay, we'd be landing in Bali soon.
But when we landed in Bali I still wasn't gone from Australia because my hotel was packed with Aussies shuffling around the hotel grounds - blokes in VB singlets with Warnie sunglasses wrapped round their heads, looking like giant futuristic blowflies. Women in knock-off Crocs and tight denim mini-skirts with ROXY scrawled across the bum, so when they bent over it spelt POXY. And mocktail-swigging mums and dads sunburning in lounge-chairs, yelling: ''BRAYDON, BRENDAN, BRYDEN, GET OUTTA THE POOOOOL AND FINISH YOUR SNNNITZEL FROM THE BUFFFFET! AND YOU, TOO, TAYLAAAA!''
But that was OK, too, because I was going to get out of this hotel and visit the local street markets to get a taste of the real Bali.
But when I got to the street markets of Bali I still hadn't left Australia because the stalls were selling loads of Aussie stuff: Billabong boardies, Rip Curl T-shirts and souvenir boomerangs (traditional Balinese ones that said I HEART BALI in Aboriginal dot-painting). And the Balinese shopkeepers kept asking me: ''Where you from?'' Because they're the nicest, friendliest people on the planet who want me to buy things from them. And as soon as I said ''Australia'', they instantly, instinctively, pulled big happy ocker faces and drawled: ''Oiiiii maaaate, bluddy Aussie, good onya, mongrel.'' And when I walked away without buying anything, they pulled a less-happy ocker face and mumbled: ''Oiiiii maaaate, bluddy Aussie, good onya, mongrel.''
But that was OK because I was going to get out of town and visit the authentic Balinese villages of the highlands.
But when I got to the authentic Balinese villages I was still kind of in Australia because the main street was lined with Aussie sports bars hosting AFL nights, and restaurants done up in green and gold serving ''Auzzie roast, meetpies, french flies''. And in the courtyard of the local Hindu temple, a gamelan player played a haunting melody on his bamboo xylophone that invoked ancient spiritual rituals, which on a closer listen turned out to be Waltzing Matilda.
It was then that I realised I could never escape everything Aussie on my Aussie-escape holiday because this was Bali.
But that was OK, and on my last night I was enjoying a beautiful Balinese seafood meal on a sunsetting Jimbaran Beach, and a strolling troupe of musicians were going around to all the tables of Aussie tourists, playing Land Down Under over and over again. So when they stopped in front of me and said, ''Where you from?'', I couldn't take it any more. I said, ''Canada'' instead, and they said, ''We play Ca-na-da song for you?'' And I said, ''Yes please, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, that'd be great,'' but they didn't know who any of those people were and for the first time in my holiday I wished I could be Aussie again because I was stuck there, listening to 20 minutes of Bryan Adams's ungreatest hits.
Source: The Age
Strict regulations needed to preserve Balinese style
The rapid growth of contemporary-styled buildings in Denpasar and other cities in Bali has threatened the existence of traditional buildings, an expert says.
I Ketut Rana Wiarcha, chairperson of Bali chapter of the Indonesian Architects Association, explained Bali used to have strict regulations concerning the construction of buildings on the island.
"In the past, the local authority insisted that any building must be designed adopting traditional Balinese architectural elements to adjust to the island's cultural landscape," he said.
Nowadays, Denpasar is reportedly like an urban city without proper planning and regulation. I Gusti Putu Anindya Putra, head of the provincial planning agency, admitted that such a chaotic situation was due to a lack of proper city planning and regulation.
"Hundreds of buildings in Denpasar and surrounding areas do not refl ect Balinese culture. This might have happened because of a lack coordination between the authority, architects, developers and investors."
Denpasar Mayor I. B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra complained that those involved in the construction of buildings had ignored existing bylaw No. 5 issued in 2005.
"They *developers/architects* actually know that regulation. They were just pretending it did not exist," the mayor said.
Based on the bylaw, any building constructed in Bali province must bear Balinese traditional architectural elements.
The mushrooming contemporary buildings with minimalist architectural styles had changed the face of Denpasar, Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran, Canggu areas mostly in Badung regency.
"Most of the buildings were constructed without necessary permits," the mayor said.
The mayor also urged local architects to preserve local culture by not violating the regulation for the sake of projects.
"*The architects* must have their own code of ethics. They must be in the front-run in preservation and conservation of old-age Balinese traditional architectures," Mantra said.
Wiarcha commented that the existing bylaw No 5 only regulates the physical buildings and end products.
"There is no article in the by law that touches the roles of architects in properly implementing the rule."
The association has 500 members out of more than 2,000 architects in Bali. Not to mention, numerous architects from Jakarta and other cities even from other countries are also practicing and opening architectural bureaus here in Bali.
The flood of foreign investors had changed property business in Bali. Many have sourced architects from their home countries.
Wasti Atmodjo, THE JAKARTA POST, DENPASAR
Bali tourists trapped as flights halted
Hundreds of European holiday makers on Bali were unable to return home Sunday along with six million others around the globe due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The would-be travelers have been unable to fly home from Ngurah Rai Airport since Thursday because all European routes have been cancelled over fears planes could suffer catastrophic mechanical failures in contaminated skies over Europe.
Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted Wednesday sending tons of ash and debris into the atmosphere, with winds carrying the ash plume across Europe with airports in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, northern Italy and more halting all flights due to the flight hazard formed by the volcano.
"I can't say exactly how many people are stranded, but it's in the hundreds," said Ngurah Rai Airport duty manager Mujhadi.
"We expect some to start flying to Paris tomorrow, but we will not be sure until more information comes through on the situation in Europe. England is still closed and could remain that way for some days."
Reuters reported that most experts and officials expected the cloud of ash would linger over Europe for several days.
Travel and tourism accounts for around 5 percent of global gross domestic product some US$3 trillion with Europe accounting for a third of that, much of it accruing over the summer months. Not all of this will be lost, but experts estimated a prolonged shutdown could cost up to $5-10 billion dollars a week in the industry.
But the impact will likely be wider. Most of the world's goods by volume may move by sea and land, but transport analysts estimate 40 percent by value moves by air. Through Sunday, a clampdown held across much of Europe, posing a growing problem for businesses especially airlines, estimated to be losing $200 million a day and for thousands of travelers stranded worldwide.
The European aviation agency Eurocontrol said only 4,000 flights were expected in European airspace on Sunday, compared with 24,000 normally. It said a total of 63,000 flights had been cancelled in European airspace since Thursday.
But as air travel across much of Europe was paralyzed for a fourth day on Sunday by a huge cloud of volcanic ash, Reuters reported that Dutch and German test flights carried out without apparent damage seemed to offer some hope of respite.
Dutch airline KLM said inspection of an airliner after a test flight showed no damage to engines or evidence of dangerous ash concentrations. Germany's Lufthansa also reported problem-free test flights, while Italian and French carriers announced they would fly empty airliners on Sunday.
The Association of Dutch Pilots (VNV) said that along with sister organizations it believed a partial resumption of flights, with some restrictions, was possible despite the continuing eruption from an Icelandic volcano.
"The concentration of ash particles in the atmosphere is in all likelihood so little it poses no threat to air transport," said VNV chairman Evert van Zwol.
German air traffic control slightly loosened its ban on flights from the country Sunday, allowing some traffic at Frankfurt and airports in the north. However, British Airways and Irish Aer Lingus highlighted uncertainty over any resumption of flights in the immediate future by canceling all of their flights for Monday.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Camping Belitung Spectacular 3 Hari 2 Malam
DESTINASI :
TOUR PRODUCT :
PROGRAM : 3 HARI / 2 MALAM
TOUR CODE : HP - 006 T
KEGIATAN CAMPING ATAU BERKEMAH DI TEPI PANTAI DIATAS HAMPARAN PASIR YANG PUTIH BERSIH, DIBAWAH SINAR BULAN PURNAMA DENGAN PEMANDANGAN LAUT YANG BIRU, SELEPAS MAKAN MALAM, BERCENGKRAMA DISEKITAR API UNGGUN SAMBIL MENIKMATI TEH ATAU KOPI DENGAN DITEMANI OLEH SUARA DEBURAN OMBAK, TIDUR DIDALAM TENDA YANG DILENGKAPI DENGAN ALAS YANG LEMBUT AKAN MERUPAKAN SUATU PENGALAMAN YANG SANGAT INDAH DAN ROMANTIS.
DENGAN INOVASI YANG TERBARU MENAWARKAN KEPADA MEREKA YANG KHUSUS MENYENANGI PROGRAM " FEELS THE NATURE ", RASAKAN BEDANYA PROGRAM YANG SATU INI.
HARI 01 : JAKARTA TANJUNG PANDAN SJ. 050 Berangkat : 06.20 Tiba : 07.20
Berkumpul di Bandar Udara Soekarno Hatta, Jakarta, Terminal " 1 B ", penerbangan Sriwijaya Air, pada jam : 05.00 pagi, terbang menuju kota Tanjung Pandan, Belitung.
Setibanya di Bandar Udara H.AS. Hanandjoeddin, Belitung, dijemput oleh perwakilan kami dan diantar menuju ke Restoran Mabai didaerah Tanjung Tinggi, sebuah restoran di tepi pantai. Nikmati indahnya pemandangan laut sambil mereguk air kelapa muda, dilanjutkan dengan makan siang, menu masakan Ikan Laut khas Belitung, Udang, Cumi, Kepiting dan masakan Sayuran lokal. Selepas makan siang, anda berkesempatan untuk mengunjungi Pantai Tanjung Tinggi, Pantai Tanjung Kelayang dan Pantai Tanjung Binga. Sore hari, kembali ke Restoran Mabai, pembagian tenda dan perlengkapannya. Anda akan lebih merasakan nikmatnya berkemah jika anda turut serta mendirikan sendiri tenda anda atau pemasangan tenda bisa dibantu oleh petugas dari perwakilan kami. Selesai pemasangan tenda, anda bisa bersantai atau berenang, nikmati jernihnya air laut Pulau Belitung. Anda bisa memanfaatkan fasilitas untuk bilas, mandi dan berganti pakaian di Restoran Mabai. Makan malam di Restoran Mabai, acara api unggun di tepi pantai sambil menikmati teh atau kopi, acara bebas dan bermalam di tenda masing masing. ( Makan siang, makan malam )
HARI 02 : ISLAND TOUR
Makan pagi di Restoran Mabai, acara tour anda pagi ini akan mengunjungi Pasar Tradisional untuk berbelanja Oleh oleh, melewati Pelabuhan Laut Tanjung Pandan, melihat koleksi souvenir Batu Satam, melewati bangunan- bangunan tua dan baru Kota Tanjung Pandan serta diantar ke Dermaga di Tanjung Binga untuk mengikuti Island Tour, dengan menggunakan Perahu Tradisional anda akan dapat menikmati keindahan panorama laut serta formasi batu batuannya yang muncul ditengah lautan. Lunch box akan disediakan, anda akan singgah di beberapa pulau sebelum kembali ke Dermaga di Tanjung Binga. Kembali ke Restoran Mabai, anda bisa memanfaatkan fasilitas untuk bilas, mandi dan berganti pakaian di Restoran Mabai. Makan malam di Restoran Sari Laut, kembali ke Areal Perkemahan, acara api unggun di tepi pantai sambil menikmati teh atau kopi, acara bebas dan bermalam di tenda anda masing masing. ( Makan pagi, makan siang, makan malam )
HARI 03 : TANJUNG PANDAN JAKARTA SJ. 053 Berangkat : 15.00 Tiba : 16.00
Makan pagi di Restoran Mabai, tenda akan dibuka dan dirapikan kembali oleh petugas dari perwakilan kami, setelah makan siang, anda akan diantar ke Bandar Udara guna melanjutkan penerbangan kembali ke Jakarta. ( Makan Pagi, makan siang )
HARGA PAKET WISATA CAMPING PER PESERTA :
Peralatan Camping : CUYO CAMPING TENT, two doors front & back, MADE IN CHINA, SIZE : 200 X 250 X 140 CM | DUA PESERTA DI DALAM SATU TENDA | SATU PESERTA DI DALAM SATU TENDA |
Dilengkapi dengan : AGGA BON BON BED, ACE SLEEPING BAG. | Rp. 2.450.000.00 | Rp. 2.750.000.00 |
HARGA PAKET ANDA SUDAH TERMASUK :
· Tiket penerbangan Jakarta Tanjung Pandan Jakarta.
· Penjemputan di Bandar Udara, diantar ke areal perkemahan serta diantar ke Bandar Udara saat kembali ke Jakarta oleh Tour Escort dengan kendaraan Toyota Kijang ber A.C.
· Welcome drink air Kelapa Muda.
· 2 kali makan pagi, 3 kali makan siang dan 2 kali makan malam.
· Tour selama dua hari sesuai dengan program wisata.
· Mempergunakan fasilitas di Restoran Mabai untuk bilas, mandi dan berganti pakaian
· Acara api unggun, termasuk teh atau kopi sesuai program.
· Penyewaan kursi lipat untuk acara api unggun.
· 2 malam akomodasi didalam tenda di tepi pantai.
· Penyewaan Perahu Tradisional untuk Island Tour.
· Pengurusan bagasi di Bandar Udara dan di Areal Perkemahan.
· Sabun mandi, sikat gigi dan pasta gigi.
HARGA PAKET ANDA BELUM TERMASUK :
1. Airport tax : Jakarta Rp. 40.000,00 Biaya Kelebihan berat barang bawaan, jika anda membawa lebih dari 20 Kg.
2. Airport tax : Belitug Rp. 12.000,00 Biaya biaya yang sifatnya untuk keperluan pribadi yang anda mintakan sendiri
3. Asuransi perjalanan, jika diperlukan.
NOTE : · ROMBONGAN AKAN DIBERANGKATKAN, JIKA JUMLAH PESERTA MINIMAL : 10 ORANG
· PESERTA DIHARUSKAN MEMBAWA HANDUK UNTUK PERLENGKAPAN MANDI
· DISARANKAN AGAR MEMAKAI CELANA PANJANG ( BLUE JEANS )
· DISARANKAN AGAR TIDAK MEMBAWA BAGASI, HANYA TRAVELLING BAG SAJA
· DISARANKAN AGAR TIDAK MEMBAWA BARANG BARANG BERHARGA.
PEMESANAN PAKET WISATA CAMPING :
· Pemesanan Paket Wisata Camping yang telah diberikan konfirmasi, harus membayar uang muka ( tidak bisa dikembalikan / Non Refundable ) sebesar Rp. 1.000.000.00
· Pelunasan uang muka harus dilakukan dua hari setelah pemberian konfirmasi, pemesanan akan dibatalkan secara otomatis, jika tidak dipenuhinya ketentuan tersebut diatas.
PEMBAYARAN :
· Biaya paket wisata harus dilunasi seluruhnya 21 ( dua puluh satu ) hari sebelum keberangkatan, konfirmasi akan dibatalkan secara otomatis, jika tidak dipenuhinya ketentuan tersebut diatas.