Yet in the midst of this village lives a man who has dedicated his life to a higher vision for the people of Ubud. He has found a way to educate the females and give some self-sufficiency to those who would otherwise be unable to help themselves. And his help all centers on the building of a kite. I Made Budiasa, or simply Made as he is known, manufactures and sells kites that have been handcrafted by those he helps. He has created a school for girls at his home, and to help keep the school running, the girls paint the kites after their studies. (more…)

The original Nammos Beach Club was damaged by fire in April and following extensive consultations with international fire safety experts, re-imagined by the original designers, with numerous added features to enhance the visitor experience. The air of tropical languor at the new Nammos Beach Club is matched only by the service guests receive, whether sipping signature cocktails, partaking of the Mediterranean inspired menu or enjoying water sports in the lagoon.

The raised bamboo decking houses a dedicated kitchen, complete with traditional wood-fired pizza oven, and a bar stocked with top shelf liquors, champagne and not to forget, ice-cold beer. Guests can lounge on daybeds or perch on stools at the bar. New to Nammos are two manicured lawns set with sun lounges, on little bluffs above the sand.

And what would a beach club be without freshly caught fish and seafood? To this end, Nammos will be offering guests the ultimate in authentic just-caught flavor. Seafood selections like lobster, shrimp and other shellfish will be farmed in the lagoon - upon a guest making their selection the waiter will don flippers and mask and head out into the lagoon to collect lunch…unless the guest prefers to make a personal selection in which case they can go too.

Nammos Beach Club’s re-opening was marked by a Full Moon Party on 18 July featuring the mixology skills of famed cocktail aficionado Grant Collins, with beats by WHO. A choice series of sophisticated gatherings and parties is planned over the coming months featuring the finest cuisine, drinks and of course entertainment.

Perched upon a cliff top, 100 meters above Bali’s pristine southern beaches and rolling surf, Karma Kandara is blessed with an eye-boggling, unobstructed view of the Indian Ocean. All of the estate’s 46, stand-alone Villas are luxuriously appointed to maximize the breathtaking Indian Ocean view. Each has been meticulously planned to offer the absolute in privacy, and each features a private walled garden complete with an infinity edge swimming pool bordered by a timber sun deck. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, while the living rooms are open plan, comprising fully equipped kitchens, lounge and dining areas.

News by e-Travel Blackboard - etravelblackboard.com

Andrew Yell, general manager, sales, marketing and product, Creative Holidays said, “Bali is an incredibly diverse, great value destination which, with the continued support of the travel industry and consumers, will remain a favorite holiday destination for Australians. This offer is great for everyone – our agent partners are rewarded for their hard work and loyalty and clients make fantastic savings.”

Creative Holiday’s Bali Bonanza is fantastic value and agents should ensure their clients do not miss out on this incredible opportunity, as well as earn themselves bonus World Reward points.

Creative Holidays’ is offering to stay a minimum of seven nights at the Hard Rock Hotel Bali and earn 500 bonus points per booking. Valid for all room types. Valid for sale until 31 August 2008. Valid for travel from the 1 - 27 September 2008, or stay a minimum of five nights at Novotel Nusa Dua Hotel and Residences and earn 500 bonus points per booking. Valid for two and three Bedroom Residences. Valid for sale and travel until 31 October 2008.

World Rewards is the Australian Travel Industry’s longest operating incentive program for travel consultants. World Rewards offers an expansive range of rewards to choose from ranging from movie passes, to electrical items and holidays. Creative Holidays is Australia’s leading independent holiday company with a range of holidays to suit everyone, especially those who enjoy the independence and flexibility of planning their own holiday.

A massage is extremely beneficial to your health. When muscles are stressed they block oxygen and nutrients leading to inflammation that builds up toxins in the muscle tissue. A massage will help loosen this tissue, release toxins and get blood and oxygen circulating properly.

Balinese massage uses a combination of gentle stretches, acupressure and aromatherapy oils to stimulate the flow of blood, oxygen and ‘qi’ (energy) around your body, and bring deep relaxation and wellness. Balinese massage is related to the Ayurveda, the Indian holistic medical system. A relaxation massage with attitude, this treatment will boost your circulation and also give you a deep tissue and muscular massage.

Four nights accommodation at Febris Hotel Tuban in a Superior Room is now available from $146pp share twin, including two hour Head to Toes Spa Treatment, Head & Scalp Massage, Hand & Shoulder Massage, Foot Refresh, Hair Wash & Blow dry. For four nights in ultimate luxury, stay at The Villas in Seminyak from $644 pp share twin includes 10min Prana Foot Ritual, 50min Balinese Massage, 30min Refreshing Facial, 20min Exfoliating Coffee Scrub, 10min Vanilla Bath, set meal at Prana Restaurant with a glass of wine, 1hr Reflexology Treatment at Chill. These, and more, spa packages are available when purchasing a return, economy class Garuda Indonesia airfare from $1127* ex Sydney, $1116* ex Melbourne and $856* ex Perth, including taxes & fuel surcharges.

A huge range of spa specials can be found in Garuda Indonesia’s Spa Heaven flyer which can be downloaded from www.balionanybudget.com.au

News by e-Travel Blackboard - etravelblackboard.com

Prevent further traffic congestion by imposing heavy taxes on big cars. Don’t allow huge trucks and buses to operate on small roads during rush hours and don’t allow parking in restricted areas.
ROBERT
Seminyak, Bali

Bali is rich in cultures and arts that attract tourists. The new governor should focus on security to ensure safety of tourists and residents.
DEDE LESMANA ELO
Tangerang, Banten

His priority should be on equality and justice to raise awareness on law and order. The improvement of the economy through the development of infrastructure, healthcare and education is important to escalate the standard of living of the Balinese. Mangku Pastika should make the people of Bali happy hosting tourists.
JANPIE SIAHAASN
Jakarta

He should strengthen security in Bali. And he should extend visas to two months or more. He should also have a better security system at ferry docks to prevent the smuggling of illegal goods.
YOS WOWOR
Denpasar

I believe that Pastika, with his capacity and integrity, can lead Bali to be not only a famous tourist destination but also a more prosperous region. However, he should not be a hesitant leader. He should focus on social welfare.
ABDUL MUIS MADKHAN
Kudus, Central Java

Congratulations, Bali and the new governor. What should he do? When he looks at Bali from the eyes of tourists, he will see that many are harassed by taxi drivers and locals just hanging around.

Undisciplined driving often causes unnecessary deaths on the roads. Secure Bali, not only from terrorists, but also from the gangs operating on streets who are creating an atmosphere of violence.

Bali needs many police officers to assist residents to enforce the law and to lecture Balinese with more discipline in traffic. I wish the governor good luck and wisdom.
JOHANNES
Nusa Dua, Bali

I am from western Australia. I have regularly returned to Bali since 1975. First, I have to say that it is a better experience every time I return.

I believe that if foreigners could own land in Bali many, many wealthy people would like to own holiday villas there. This would mean that many millions of dollars would enter the economy both to build the homes and then to operate them.

It would help to pay for the improvement of roads needed to open further parts of Bali such as Medowi, which is good for surfing.
JOHN SIMPSON

News by The Jakarta Post - thejakartapost.com

In May, Greenpeace activists had intercepted the ship illegally fishing with long lines in the Pacific. Police are trying to find the boat’s Indonesian crew and Taiwanese captain, Tsai Wen-chen. Taiwanese authorities sought Indonesia’s help to find the boat several weeks ago, after it failed to return from fishing off Papua.

Three weeks ago another Taiwanese fishing boat saw the Ho Tsai Fa No. 18, but it sped away when approached, prompting concern it was controlled by a mutinous crew. Fishery officials said the vessel’s monitoring system had been turned off since May 13 and it had ignored radio contact. Several Balinese claimed the dozen Indonesian crewmen had thrown their captain overboard and attempted to return home, but had lost control approaching Bali and fled after the vessel ran aground.

Police commissioner Sutrisna, head of the Central Java coast guard, said it was searching for crew members. He would not comment on claims the captain had been killed. “We have just found the ship, we cannot say or conclude anything till we investigate further,” Mr Sutrisna said. Bali coast guard chief Oka Eswara said attempts to re-float the vessel had been foiled by the weather and tides. “We have notified the Taiwanese embassy to assist, but we simply have to wait till the weather permits,” he said.

The men’s world surfing tour was due to return to Bali, after an 11-year absence, at the end of the month. Organizers had not officially announced the venue of the sixth leg of the world championship for security reasons. The shipwreck is already disrupting the Rip Curl Cup, the Indonesian championship, due to be held at Padang Padang this week. Rip Curl South Asia chief executive Jeff Anderson also raised environmental concerns.

“We are in touch with the local authorities, pushing for the vessel to be removed before it turns into a potential disaster zone when the next big swell hits on Friday,” he said.

News by The Age - theage.com.au

The hill town of Ubud, the cultural capital of mainly Hindu Bali, came to life before dawn with women wearing sarongs and traditional blouses carrying offerings of fruit on their heads to the royal palace. Neighborhood chiefs exhorted people over loudspeakers to wake up and get ready for the service, as men gathered at the palace to carry the huge pyre that will be paraded through town around midday.

“Each person has their job. For me, it’s making coffee for people coming in. For the men, it’s making the cremation towers,” domestic worker Ni Made Rinun told AFP. “Everyone works, no one is lazy,” she added. For months, the bodies of the dead royals have been waited on by relatives with offerings of food and coffee in bedrooms of the palace.

Most Revered Royal Family

The royal family of Ubud, a hillside town famous as the heartland of traditional Balinese arts, is one of the most revered royal families on the island. It is descended from royalty from the neighboring island of Java who fled the fall of the Hindu Majapahit Empire in the 15th century.

At the start of the funeral procession, the bodies will be brought from the main temple where they have been lying in state since Saturday. The bodies of 68 commoners, many also dead for months, were dug out of graves on the weekend and cremated in preparation to be included in the procession. The royal remains will be loaded via bamboo and wood gangways into colorful paper-made towers called “bade”. The multi-tiered, demon-covered towers symbolize the three levels of the Balinese Hindu universe.

More than 200 men in traditional dress will heave each tower — the tallest of which is 28 meters (92 feet) high — onto their shoulders with bamboo slats, spinning the structures around to ensure the spirits of the dead are too disoriented to return home. Also winding through the streets will be the Naga Banda, a seven-meters long “dragon” reserved for the highest royals and symbolizing the wisdom of the royal family.

Lying symbolically between heaven and earth in the bade, the royals are paraded to the sound of traditional gamelan orchestras, a percussion instrument resembling a cross between a xylophone and a bell. Then they are loaded into sarcophagi representing black bulls bedecked with gold foil, which are then wrapped in the Naga Banda. The priest pours holy water on the bulls before they and the towers are set alight. Finally, the ashes are taken to Bali’s eastern Sanur beach to be cast into the sea.

The cremation is intended to return the body to the fundamental elements of fire, air, water, earth and void. Smaller ceremonies then release the soul to reach oneness with God before, after a time, it is reincarnated. “(The soul) doesn’t stay in the body, it’s probably around the body,” explained Tjokorda Dge Raka Kerthyasa, the successor as Ubud’s royal head. “The process of cremation separates the attachment of the soul to the physical being, the world. I think… I haven’t died yet so I don’t know.”

Tjokorda Raka Swastika, nephew of the late Ubud royal family head, said “only the blue bloods” were honored with a cremation featuring the Naga Banda. “(The family) is not only respected in Bali, we are related to the royal families in Java, South Sumatra, all over Indonesia … Our family is respected by great people all over the world,” he said.

News by Antara - antara.co.id

The guys lounging behind the next counter are giggling away. “If it’s dollars,” advises one, “take it!” But my man hands the money back and stamps my passport with an impressively large seal. Two minutes later, I’m whisked away to my hotel.
You’ve heard about Bali. It’s a tropical paradise with impossibly white beaches, surfing waves, gorgeous temples and a rich culture. It’s had some ups and downs in recent years, and plenty of competition from other hot spots, but today Bali is booming.

Bali has the reputation of being a trend setter. Think iconic spa resorts and beach parties. Now the island has a new groove: the private villa experience.

Imagine this: you’re lounging around your own swimming pool set on a beautifully manicured lawn in a private garden filled with tropical plants and sweet-scented blooms. Your butler is cooking your garlic–crusted, pan-fried snapper while you munch on avocado and seared tuna canapés. It’s not an unattainable dream either. Private villa holidays are the latest fad.

“I love Bali so I built a villa for myself as a holiday home,” says Steve Michie, the New Zealand-born owner of Serene Villas in Seminyak . “But you know how it is. I lent it to a few friends who talked to some of their friends, and before I knew it I couldn’t get any time to myself there. So I built a second one, a third and suddenly we had eight.”

Steve’s two decades of hospitality experience from working with groups such as Hard Rock Hotel and Club Med paid off in spades. Serene Villas is the epitome of quiet luxury.

“It starts with space,” says villa manager Wayan Gawe. “When you stay at a hotel, you have one room, or maybe two if you have kids, and you share amenities like the pool, restaurant and housekeeping. With the villa experience, you have your own chef, garden and pool.”

Indoor/outdoor bathrooms combine modern conveniences like hairdryers and electric shaver outlets with the traditional huge fluffy bath towels — and outside spa-like showers and baths. If it weren’t for the pool, this could be the prime attraction all by itself.

What’s interesting is that the cost for a two-bedroom villa is pretty much the same as staying in a quality resort hotel. A two–bedroom Serene Villa with private pool, chef, gardener and maid starts at about US$250. While hotels in busy Kuta charge around US$60. Four-star hotels in nearby Nusa Dua and Ubud charge about US$120. Five–star hotels cost more, some charging US$280 a night for one room.

Honeymoon couples may choose to nest for the duration, coming up for air only when the Serenity dream dinner is served. If shopping, temple–hopping, and partying at the local clubs isn’t your scene, there’s the beach, surfing, and paragliding, just a stone throw away. Travel half an hour and you’re in white water rafting and elephant–ride country.

“If you’ve got older kids who want to do their own thing, they can stay behind and swim, play games and watch TV or DVDs while the parents go shopping or for a spa treatment,” says Steve. “We’ve got cable, wireless access, and film libraries. If they’re small ones, we’ve got babysitting services too.”

The villa experience is particularly suited to private bathing and family parties. Halal food is provided by Chef Muhammad Dicky.

Six new Moroccan-style, three–bedroom pavilions with stretch pools can comfortably fit a family water polo contest. “They’re fabulous for parties,” Steve enthuses. “Your chef will prepare a seafood barbecue, steamboat banquet, traditional Bali feast with lamb sate, baked chicken and fish with sambal or whatever strikes your fancy. All you have to do is enjoy yourself.”

And when you’re skinny dipping at midnight in your own pool under a black velvet sky dotted with stars, the exhortation isn’t hard to follow.

Written by Ellen Whyte
Published on The Star Online - thestar.com.my