Bali News / Island’s News Updates

The arrests last week of 10 suspected Islamic militants severely weakened Indonesia’s terrorist movement, the country’s foreign minister said Sunday. The police operation on northern Sumatra island sent suspected terrorists fleeing, reflecting the efficiency of Indonesia’s security forces, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told reporters on the sidelines of an Islamic economic meeting in Malaysia.

The arrests on Sumatra also highlighted the lingering threat in Indonesia, which has been hit by a string of suicide bombings in recent years, including the 2002 Bali nightclub attacks that thrust the world’s most populous Muslim nation onto the front lines in the war on terrorism.

Many of the 240 people killed in those blasts, blamed on regional militant network Jemaah Islamiyah, were foreign tourists. “The fact that we have uncovered terrorist activities and that we did not experience any terrorist incidents in the past two years means our security is working very well,” Wirayuda said. “We have uncovered various terrorist cells … meaning they are within our reach.” It is unclear whether the terrorist movement has been “crippled, but the fact is they are on the run,” he said. “We are encouraged and feel more secure.”

Indonesia has rounded up and tried hundreds of suspects since the Bali strikes — an action that has been widely praised by Washington and other allies in the fight against Islamic extremism.

Indonesian police arrested the suspects, including a Singaporean, last week and seized a cache of powerful bombs, many packed with bullets to maximize the impact of a planned attack on Western tourists at a cafe on Sumatra Island, police said. The attack was later abandoned amid concerns that too many Muslims would be killed and the group instead planned to choose a target in the capital, Jakarta, police said earlier.

The suspects allegedly had ties with Southeast Asia’s most wanted man, Noordin Top, a Malaysian fugitive believed to head a violent breakaway faction of Jemaah Islamiyah that is committed to al-Qaida-style attacks on Western civilians. Wirayuda said authorities are investigating whether Noordin is still in Indonesia.

News by Associated Press (AP) - ap.google.com

A prominent Adelaide philanthropist who admitted to possessing child pornography has been allowed to holiday in Bali while awaiting sentence. Ian Hugh Jenkinson, 61, was handed his passport and given the green light to leave Australia and spend eight days in the tropical paradise by a District Court judge. Jenkinson faces a possible jail term after being caught with images depicting children under the age of 14 in May of last year, following police raids on addresses in Burnside and Richmond. The former top stockbroker, who resigned from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation Board in February, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography in March.

But on June 13, Judge Kevin Nicholson varied his bail to allow him to travel to Bali on June 21 – a decision which has sparked fury from child protection advocates and Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith. And Attorney-General Michael Atkinson is examining the matter, with his office requesting the relevant court documents on Friday.

Jenkinson, who returned from Bali last weekend, defended the trip. “We’ve had some personal and some family problems,” he said. “We went with some friends who we’ve known for a long time and we took them on a holiday. This has been arranged for the last 18 months.”

Court documents state Jenkinson was “in possessionof child pornography, knowing of its pornographic nature”. “It is further alleged that the circumstances of that aggravation are that the children depicted were under the age of 14 years,” the documents said. His bail was adjusted after the court was provided with a copy of Jenkinson’s flight and accommodation details. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not oppose the application. “We would simply ask that the condition be imposed that Mr Jenkinson report to police on his return,” the prosecutor in the case told the court.

Jenkinson’s wife was named guarantor over the bail arrangements. Mr Hamilton-Smith said the case was an example of the State Government claiming to be tough on crime but “the reality of what criminals can get away with”. “It sends the wrong message when a man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography, but is then allowed bail to go on an overseas holiday,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

Anti-child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston said that the decision was “beyond comprehension”. “By pleading guilty, this guy has clearly put on the table that he has an attraction to children,” she said. Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive officer Joe Tucci said: “To be told that you can go on holidays after exploiting children, to me that’s sickening.” A spokeswoman for Mr Atkinson said his office was looking into the case.

News by Adelaide Now - adelaidenow.com.au

The Sales Mission, Bali and Beyond, Australia-New Zealand event launched with over 50 travel and hospitality industry professionals at the Novotel Rockford in Sydney’s Darling Harbor last week. Continuing their “Visit Indonesia Year 2008″ campaign, the sales mission aimed to promote new and current Indonesian products and services to entice Australian’s to visit the “Island of the Gods” shores.

The night started with flowing wine and canapés before the attendees gathered to watch a traditional Balinese dance and listen to the many reasons to visit Bali and beyond. Speakers included Mr Siuaji Raja, Consul for Economic Affairs and Dr I Gde Pitana, Director for International Promotion from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Pitana pointed out the strong tourist numbers that Indonesia had been experiencing over the past few years, with 2007 welcoming overall an increase of 43.4% of tourists compared to 2006. The first quarter of 2008 has already seen 101, 115 visitors arrive at the country, and the government has set an estimated target of 380,000 visitors already. It was found, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the republic of Indonesia, that Australian’s rank as the 4th highest numbers of visitors to hit Indonesian shores, with Singapore, Malaysia and Japan respectively taking the top three places.

Pitana urged attendees to make Australians aware of the diverse experiences Indonesia offers, with over 500 ethnicities, 473 dialects, endless shopping, over 100 festivals and 25 international standardized golf courses, Indonesia as a product is “suitable” for the Australian market.

In regards to the safety and security that many Australians have had concern over, Pitana assured that these “issues” were “only issues, they are not correct”. He referred to the fact that the US had removed the Travel Ban from Indonesia three weeks ago, and that terrorism is a worldwide problem.

The sales mission also featured a Table top session where over 10 suppliers of products and services in Indonesia sat down with a new group of buyers every 7 minutes to explain their innovative and hospitality-driven ideas. To further drive the sales mission home, 38 industry practitioners offered special deals only for Australian and New Zealand agents, which included package deals and discounts at luxury resorts and hotels.

The night ended with a lucky draw for attendees, the winner taking home a 7-night package at one of Bali’s luxury resorts.

News by e-Travel Blackboard - www.etravelblackboard.com

With more carriers adding additional services into Bali from Australia due to demand, it appears that Aussie travelers are once more heading back to the island, regardless of the travel warnings.

Government travel warnings to Indonesia haven’t lifted and they remain at the high level of “Reconsider your need to travel”. This has remained unchanged even though the US has recently lifted its warnings on Indonesia. And it appears that Australians aren’t listening anyway, with 2007 showing that 206,427 Australians traveled to Indonesia, against 126,595 who traveled there in 2006 – that’s an increase of over 60%.

Breaking down these figures the Eastern seaboard has seen slightly weaker growth, with Victoria/Tasmania growing by 44% and NSW/ACT by 49% for the year. The startling statistics come from the capital cities of Perth and Darwin, which in 2007 grew by 75% and 71% respectively.

Airlines have been increasing capacity between the two destinations, further showing that this market is not expected to slow anytime soon. Garuda will soon add more services, and Jetstar started Denpasar services in June.

News by e-Travel Blackboard - etravelblackboard.com

Traditional dancer I Gusti Ayu Raka Rasmi still remembers when she struggled to learn Balinese traditional dancing. Born in Peliatan, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, in 1939, Rasmi was introduced to traditional dancing from the early age of nine. “I was among the youngest dancers back then,” she recalled.

From I Ketut Marya, who was later known as Mario, the choreographer of the famous Oleg Tamulilingan traditional dance, Rasmi learned the basics of traditional Balinese and Oleg dance movements. Despite the international acknowledgement the Oleg Tamulilingan dance later brought her, Rasmi remains a down-to-earth person.

She has never failed in her obligations as a member of the Balinese traditional banjar (neighborhood organization) and desa pekraman (customary village) by regularly participating in events, such as performing sacred dances during religious ceremonies. The events are not a chore, she said, shaking her head. It is part of her Ngayah (voluntary work) and money is never the goal, she said.

“In 1953 I was trembling in cold weather while waiting for my turn to perform a sacred dance in a temple located on the slope of Agung Mountain. “But once the performance started, the cold disappeared, replaced with a warm sensation from seeing dozens of eyes looking at me with pride. It was worth the effort.” What stayed in her mind was that the performance was a response to villagers’ eager request to see Rasmi perform in their village.

Rasmi back then had just arrived home from a government-led cultural mission tour in Europe and the United States along with traditional dancing groups from other regions of Indonesia. “The villagers sent a letter to me asking me to perform the sacred dance there. I was very touched by their request,” she said.

In her heyday, Rasmi danced more than five times on Saturday and Sunday and three times a day on regular days. To this day Rasmi still dances — but only on special occasions. She spends most of her time training children to dance in the Arma museum in Ubud.

Rasmi has lived her life under the spotlight, unlike artist I Dewa Gede Negara, now 79, a Bangli-born traditional percussionist.

Negara was once acknowledged as one of the best percussionists in the region, but playing his music instrument, known as gender in the local language, was his Ngayah to his community. His talent never generated enough money to pay the bills. “More than 10 years ago, they paid me Rp 150,000 per week for a two-part show and that was the most money I could get from playing percussion in a group,” Negara, who quit playing percussion years ago, said.

Negara lives with his 11 children from his two marriages, and to meet their daily needs, he relies on his monthly Rp 700,000 pension as a veteran of Indonesia’s war of independence. The lack of fame was not a problem for Negara, who said he had never regretted his choice of profession. “To play well and just knowing that people might enjoy it is enough for me, the rest is just a bonus,” he said.

Both Rasmi and Negara are among nine Bali veteran artists recognized as the island’s artistic icons by the Bali Cultural Agency last Monday. Head of Bali Cultural Agency I Nyoman Nikanaya said the event was a a gesture by the government to show respect to all artists. Percussionists I Gusti Putu Gde Wedasmara and I Gde Deresta, traditional dancer Ni Wayan Kerthi, traditional poet Gede Karsa, puppeteers I Nyoman Swiji and I Ketut Wesen and traditional performance actor Wayan Tembau Kariasa were also noted as Bali icons.

Each artist received a lifetime achievement trophy, health insurance, a set of traditional attire and Rp 2,500,000 in cash during a presentation organized as part of the Bali Art Festival, which runs until July 12. Phone company Esia also gave the recipients Rp 5 million and a wireless fixed telephone set. The company has also published an autobiographic collection about all the artists.

Written by Dicky Christanto
Published on The Jakarta Post - thejakartapost.com

Barely three weeks after news of their wedding plans leaked, long-time Hong Kong showbiz couple Carina Lau Ka Ling and Tony Leung Chiu Wai are now said to be tying the knot even earlier. Earlier reports stated that the couple were planning to wed in October at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. Others, however, claimed that the wedding would take place in July after the filming of John Woo’s star-studded war epic Red Cliff in which Leung, 46, plays the legendary military strategist Zhou Yun.

Invitation cards from the two are said to have been sent out for a wedding in July. There is now the latest news that the wedding date is July 21 as reported by Nanyang Siang Pau and Guang Ming Daily. The celebrity couple will be taking their vows in Bali, Indonesia.

The pair, who have been together since 1989, had expressed their desire to wed in recent interviews but only decided on the wedding date not long ago. The couple are believed to have booked an entire hotel in Bali to accommodate their friends and relatives, with return air tickets thrown in. Lau, 42, who has been planning the wedding since January, is said to be intent on having a baby after getting married.

Taiwanese tycoon Terry Gou Tai Ming, whom Lau was recently linked with, will also be getting married and has set his wedding date on July 26, five days after Lau and Leung’s wedding. A Taiwanese fortune-teller Chai compared the wedding dates and advised that Gou’s celebration on July 26 is a better date than Lau’s. Chai said July 21 was only favorable for the bridegroom but July 26 is an auspicious date for both.

If you are thinking to get your own wedding in Bali and prefer a better privacy, wedding at private villas are advisable. A number of Bali villas with spacious lawn and breath taking views are quite popular as wedding venues. Book Bali wedding villas to get your memorable moment at its best.

News by The Star Online - thestar.com.my

Delicate, beautiful, hand-embroidered lace is the trademark of Balinese brand, Uluwatu. If you have been to Bali, you might have noticed a steady stream of shoppers in a boutique in Kuta that sells clothes trimmed with exquisite lace. Many Malaysian tourists – especially those who love fine lace – are familiar with the brand Uluwatu, and apparently, it near impossible for them to visit the Island of the Gods and not bring back something from the boutique for themselves and their friends.

Uluwatu sells handmade Balinese lace made into beautiful clothing and household items. The story goes that the founder, Made Jati, (who designs each item with her sister, Nyoman Suti) named the brand PT Uluwatu after an 11th century Balinese Hindu Temple. The brand has been around for 25 years and specializes in lace-work (krawang), a fast disappearing handmade skill. The krawang motif is then added onto beautiful collections of predominantly white handmade lace clothing, gorgeous bed linen and table linens that can be kept for generations to come.

The brand has been in Malaysia since 2006 and was brought in by local company Rias Homestores Sdn Bhd (RHSB). According to Ida Fazura Datuk Megat Muhaiyadin, one of the partners of the company, (the others being Azlin Ramli and managing director, Izard Azman), they came across the brand while on holiday in Bali and fell in love with the beautiful products. However, in Malaysia, Uluwatu seems to have fallen into the “specialized” product category, rather than retail. In fact, the label has come to be known mainly for its kebayas despite carrying a large selection of contemporary clothes.

“We’re still building the brand,” says Ida. “We’re trying to get people to understand and appreciate it. There is a slight difference in the handmade lace on each piece.”

Uluwatu uses fabrics such as cotton, linen and premium quality rayon, all manufactured in the Javanese town of Bandung. Their classic designs feature feminine cut work motifs like flowers and butterflies. The selection of clothes range from long-sleeved blouses, sleeveless tops, pants, dresses and linen shift dresses, while the products consist of white cotton bed covers, sheets and pillow cases, coasters, napkins and tablecloths.

According to Izard, while linen is mainly used in Bali, rayon is the material of choice in Malaysia. And for our market, there are also designs you may not find the original collections as RHSB works with the designers to create styles it feels will appeal more to locals. We’re also more modest it seems, so you will find some interesting differences. “In Bali, the clothes are more for tourists, pieces for the beach, so they don’t mind revealing some skin. But for our market, we had lining put in the dresses, and lining under the krawang to cover the holes,” says Ida. “We do have those who prefer to have the same collection as in Bali. For example, this year for Hari Raya, we’re bringing in the kebaya pendek, but we’re not modifying it as we found customers prefer it the that way. There are those who are more daring and don’t mind wearing the original designs.”

While the brand is known for its mainly white color theme, there is also cream and black and occasional seasonal colors. Ida says they’ve tried pastels, blues and browns, though the market still shows a preference for the more neutral colors and black. If you want to dress up the muted colors, there’s a range of accessories to go with the clothes, though these don’t come under the Uluwatu label. The collection includes a range of semi-precious accessories called Ilyana, in the form of dangling earrings and ethnic styled necklaces designed by local jeweler, Precious Inez.

Ida says the current summer trend – where lace and crochet look is all the rage – is an advantage for the brand: “What people have to appreciate is that our clothes are handmade. Take a look at the quality and the detailing, that’s what sets us apart.” Can’t you just hear that perfect summer dress calling your name?

The Uluwatu boutique is located at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor. Prices range from RM99.90 to RM359.90.

News by The Star Online - thestar.com.my

Bali is increasingly developing into a center of meetings and interaction among artists and culturalists from all parts of the world, a lecturer at the Denpasar-based Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI), Prof. Dr. I Wayan Dibia, MA, said here Friday.

At different times and in different contexts, artists and culture experts from various countries meet in Bali for inter-cultural dialogs in an effort to create art works of good quality, Dibia said.

They intentionally come to Bali to absorb new aesthetic inspirations and adopt Balinese art concepts and elements to produce new inventions, he said.

“In order to prevent Bali’s local arts and cultural heritage from experiencing unexpected things, they need to be protected by such things as copyrights,” he said.

Therefore, Bali’s artists should always produce original works and at the same time improve the quality of their creations, he said.

Balinese arts and culture are changing rapidly from traditional to recreational works as well as new inventions in various forms, he said.

The artistic tastes are dynamically changing and this was making the Balinese people proud, he said.

However, he said, there was no legal protection for Bali’s arts and culture which had been bequeathed to the Balinese people from one generation to the other, Dibia said.

News by Antara - antara.co.id

The regent of Karangasem, I Wayan Geredeg, has negotiated a deal with Korean investors to construct what is touted as the largest golf course in Bali, an investor representative said this week. The 18-hole course is being planned for the Bugbug and Perasi areas and is set to cost some Rp1.4 trillion (US$153 million), and will feature a luxury hotel, said representative Candrawa Gunawa.

Karangasem government spokesman Komang Agus told a news briefing that approximately 124 hectares of farmland would have to be bought to accommodate the megaproject, but would not violate any spatial development laws. Gunawa highlighted the positive effects of the development, saying that 85 percent of the employees would be Indonesian. The investors have also agreed to build a sewage treatment plant, in cooperation with local organizations, to recycle solid and liquid waste from the area.

The project is planned to start construction in April 2009 and be finished in September 2011. I Wayan Sukadana, speaker of the Karangasem House of Representatives, said the Korean developers were welcome. “We will support them, as long as they do not violate any regulations,” he said.

News by The Bali Times - thebalitimes.com

It is a well known fact that golf is one game which encourages its 50 million players worldwide to travel extensively in search of an endless variety of golf courses and playing conditions. And Indian golfers are very aware of the potential income from inbound golf tourism into our country.

Unlike a tennis court or soccer field, which is nearly same all over the globe, none of the approximately 40,000 golf courses worldwide can be identical to another. There are mountain courses and seaside courses which look particularly attractive based on scenery and elevation changes. Then there are desert courses and courses that have been carved out of dense forests. The constant change and challenge for players generates billions of dollars of golf travel dollars worldwide. Being an outdoor sport which last for 4-5 hours per 18 hole round, golfers also travel in search of ideal weather. In the winter they leave the cold northern climates in search of the sun which makes the northern winter the season of highest revenues for tropical courses.

Asian countries have been quick to capitalize on golfers’ search for the winter sun. Besides their sun kissed beaches, our ASEAN neighbors have also developed world class courses which complement top quality hotels, restaurants and shopping. Thailand and Malaysia have cashed in on this opportunity better than anyone else through extensive facility development and global marketing efforts.

Perhaps lesser known but in no way inferior is Indonesia and Bali in particular. On the island of Bali, the Nusa Dua area is an example of a government planned community fueled by private funding — an example of public private partnership and a perfect example of how a cluster of hotels, restaurants and shopping with a world class championship course and some savvy marketing has created a successful business model.

The Bali Golf & Country Club in Nusa Dua, built in 1990 is surrounded by five top class five star resort hotels which include well known chains like St Regis and Novotel. The famous Nusa Dua beach is close by. A well laid out gated complex controls access to this master-planned resort area. Within the master-planned area is a complex known simply as the Bali collection — an assortment of restaurants, boutique and a supermarket laid out in a picturesque open air plaza — the entrance reminds you of an amusement park.

When the complex was ready, the Bali government decided to market and advertise the course through a series of world class golf tournaments. In 1994, 1995 and 1996 they hosted the Alfred Dunhill Masters which attracted worldwide TV audiences through the participation of top stars Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie and others. This quickly established the region’s attraction to golfing tourists in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Since traveling golfers expect a choice of more than one golf course, the Nirwana Bali Resort, less than an hour drive away is another world class facility with three spectacular cliff top holes where golfers have to tee off across the surf. As developers in India examine business models and make revenue assumptions based on golf tourism revenues, successful cluster models such as this one in Nusa Dua, Bali should be considered strongly.

Today in India, only Gurgaon presents a cluster of three world class golf courses which could be complemented by the old world charm of the Delhi Golf Club and Greater Noida’s Jaypee Greens. With the new international airport and new Gurgaon hotels scheduled to be completed by 2010, winter season golf tourism in Delhi should be ready to go. Combined with day excursions to Agra and Jaipur and one day sightseeing of the capital, the package should be complete.

The next two cities which might offer a package are Kolkata and Bangalore. Kolkata because it offers the experience of playing Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the world outside the British Isles along with the quaint Tollygunge Club, if combined with the Victoria Memorial, old world ambience of Bengal Club, could be particularly attractive for British Tourists looking to connect with the days of the British Raj.

Bangalore might attract new age businessmen who could combine visits to offices of Microsoft, Genpact, SAP, Infosys and Wipro with golf at the Eagleton Golf Resort, the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) club and the 150 year old Bangalore Golf Club. This could be called “The World is Flat Golf Tour” because the opening line of that best-selling book (The World is Flat) mentions the first hole of KGA where shots are aimed at the IBM office building located behind the first green.

Golf Tourism is available to any destination with a clear marketing and differentiation strategy. In Bali, the courses overlook the beaches and oceans and are well marketed. In India we can come up with our own unique selling points. If India can get a complete package, we too can make golf tourism work in our favor.

News By The Economic Times - economictimes.indiatimes.com