BALI UPDATE #302 - 01 July 2002

President Opens Bali Art Festival

Controversy Overshadows Opening Ceremonies as Local Parliamentarian Boycott Event.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri presided over the opening ceremonies of the 24^th Bali Arts Festival on Monday, June 24, 2002, held during a gala opening parade involving cultural performing groups from across the island of Bali, Java, Papua, Japan and Korea.

Delays in the President's arrival caused the parade's start to be delayed from its originally scheduled time of 12.00 noon to 4.45 p.m.. As a result, many visitors left the site of the opening parade, unwilling to wait until after sunset when the parade eventually finished.

The President's remarks during the opening ceremony urging reconciliation among Indonesia's many ethnic groups and the fostering of a tourism industry that serves national culture, stood in ironic contrast to many grandstands seats left vacant by provincial government officials who boycotted the event as a protest at being seated on secondary grandstands instead of at main platform together with the President.

The organizing committee for the Bali Arts Festival defended their decision to build three VIP reviewing stands as a tactic to ensure that the parade participants presented their short cultural performances along the entire length of the parade route and not, as in year's past, only in front of the Presidential reviewing stand.

More information: Schedule for Bali Arts Festival

After a While, Crocodile

TV's Fabled Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, Pays A Visit to Bali's Elephant Safari Park

Viewed by a worldwide TV Audience of over 500 million people, Australia's daring-do "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin is a familiarly eccentric figure who regularly wrestles carnivorous reptiles and crawls through the underbrush in search of extremely venomous snakes in the course of his popular television series.

In May, Steve brought his wife, Terri, and their 4-year-old daughter, Bindi Sue, on a Bali Holiday. Steve, who is also the proprietor of the Australia Zoo in Queensland, included a visit to Bali's Elephant Safari Park, north of Ubud, in his holiday schedule.

Steve Irwin was so impressed with the care and attention lavished on the elephants by the Park's Owner, Nigel Mason, that he proclaimed the Park as best such facility he's ever seen and insisted on visiting the park on two separate occasions whilst in Bali. No small praise from a man who's arguably seen every major live animal exhibit on the planet!

The host of the popular wild-life series The Crocodile Hunter and the Director of the Australia Zoo, Steve inherited the Zoo and his love of animals from his famous naturalist parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin. Giving new meaning to "father and son outings," the senior Irwin taught his then nine-year-old son the finer points of catching a wild crocodile at night in a North Queensland river.

Surviving, and after a stint as a volunteer rogue crocodile hunter for the State Government, Steve eventually made a television pilot Crocodile Hunter documentary with a friend and television producer. 10 additional episode quickly followed of Crocodile Hunter, leading to a 52 episode series Croc File, and a soon-to-be-launched animated series based on the hair-raising exploits of Steve Irwin.

Kids, please don't try anything Steve does at home. Okay?

Steve Irwin's fundamental respect for all wild creatures is obvious to anyone who watches him on TV. For that reason, the praise he chose to extend to Bali's Elephant Park is reason enough to include this outstanding facility on your next Bali visit.

More information: Visit Bali's Elephant Park

A Meeting About Meetings

David Hall Speaks to the Bali MICE Initiative.

Mr. David Hall of David Hall & Associates traveled to Bali to address members and guests of the Bali MICE Initiative at a luncheon meeting held on Tuesday, June 25, 2002, at the Radisson Hotel Sanur.

Mr. Hall, an acknowledged leader in the meeting and conference industry, during a 30 year career has had the responsibility for establishing a number of international conventions and visitor bureaus around the world. He has also held senior positions with convention organization both in Bali and Jakarta.

More than 70 representatives of Bali's tourism sector listened to David Hall explain the decision-making process for meetings held by international associations and how a destination can tap into that market to stimulate visitor growth. He also spoke of the importance of data bases and the various resources available to those seeking association and major worldwide conferences.

Mr. Hall also pointed out how luring high-profile conferences and meetings can help governments bring leading international experts to their country who can contribute to national developmenet efforts.

While praising the work of the Bali MICE Initiative, including the publication of a comprehensive guide to meetings and conferences in Bali and the organization of Bali's representation at international trade shows, Mr. Hall emphasized that Bali will never be truly competitive in the meeting market until it establishes a professional convention bureau. Such a bureau is needed to represent a destination in the often lengthy process of securing major international conferences.

The luncheon with Mr. Hall was organized by the Bali MICE Initiative with the kind support of David Hall Associates, Radisson Hotels, Adi Convex and Bali Discovery Tours.

More information: The Bali MICE Guide 2002

We Get Mail - Visas

Leading Swiss Travel Operator Sounds Off on Proposed Changes to the Visa Policy.

Ms. Cheryl Gacic, ffdiffusion@swissonline.ch, The Owner and Manager of FF Diffusion Travel in Geneva, Switzerland, recently wrote to balidiscovery.com to share her concern over proposed visa fees and changes to the length of stay granted to arriving visitors:

A Message From Geneva

We are a tour operator based in Switzerland. We send many tourists to Asia, with a very big and special feeling for Indonesia. At the beginning of the year it was a great shock to suddenly see that the departure taxes from Indonesia had increased by DOUBLE! At a time when every country around the world was doing its best to regain confidence and persuade travelers to visit them this was the most inappropriate time to raise these taxes.

But now we are even more deeply worried when we hear about a visa changes and visa fees that could be introduced in Indonesia. Not only will there be a charge for the visa, but even a reduction in length of stays allowed in Indonesia, under changes now under consideration by your government.

What has happened? Do the authorities want to kill their country's tourism completely? Do they want to lose the foreign visitors and their investment of time and money they spend in so many sectors of the national economy to see this very beautiful country - with its great inhabitants, always smiling, always ready to help, to share. Do they want all this to stop?

If that is the case, then go ahead with the changes in policy now under consideration. Then, we, the professionals of tourism, with a broken heart, will have to send our customers elsewhere.

I apologize if I seem hard, but I feel very strongly that it is important to react before it is too late.

Please react and take this message into consideration. Please unite and continue to share your beautiful country with the rest of the world.

DON'T LET US TURN OUR BACK ON YOU.

GWK Worker Strike

Monument Staff Strike Over Cuts in Service Charge Payments.

A change in the policy on the service charge distributed to staff at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Monument has resulted in a strike by the monument park's some 350 workers, commencing Friday, June 28, 2002.

Changes in policies introduced by the new managers of the Park to increase working hours from the current 5 day week and cut the service charge from 10 to 5% scheduled to take effect from 01 July 2002, have been rejected by the employees.

Talks to resolve the issue still remained at an impasse on Saturday, June 29, 2002. Although the public continues to visit the popular tourist attraction, the Bali Post reports that striking staff have threatened to blockade the road leading into the Park.

Marsha' Mellow

Bali Dream Holiday Winner Marsha Browne Arrives in Bali.

A 432 word essay and many thousands of miles later, the Bali Dream Holiday Contest winner has arrived in Bali. As the winner of balidiscovery.com's 4-month-long contest, Marsha Browne, from Massachusetts in the U.S.A., was flown with her husband by Singapore Airlines to Bali from New York. Also included in her prize package, 7-nights in a 3-bedroom luxurious home in the Four Seasons Private Estate at Jimbaran Bay; cooking lessons from Heinz von Holzen at Bumbu Bali; a private helicopter tour of the island provided by Air Bali; spa treatments from Mandara Spa; bicycle tours and white water rafting expeditions from Sobek; and a complete tour and transportation program from Bali Discovery Tours.

As you might expect, our prize-winning essayist, Marsha, has been recording her first few days in Bali in her journal. She's kindly agreed to share her entry for June 29^th with balidiscovery.com.

Marsha's Bali Journal

29 June '02.

We went out last night after spending a whole day enjoying the villa and the hospitality of our hosts at Four Seasons. Here are some ways to enjoy time on Bali I never suspected:

Sit in the garden, listening to the birds call and sing, while the fountains in the pool burble and cascade.

Drink coffee in the sunken sitting area as the journal writes itself. Watch the dragonflies flit above the gleaming green lotus pond, and observe the frangipani and hibiscus blossoms float from the trees to the garden below, a gentle bed of flowers.

Watch the sunrise as Jimbaran Bay catches first pink, then red, and finally golden light. Count the blue-sailed prahu's as they set out to sea for the morning catch.

Have an hour long soak in the porcelain bathtub, deep and wide, settled up to the neck in more than five hundred floating frangipani flowers: while soaking meditate and read in peace. Leave the flowers in the bath as they release fragrance all day.

Apply crystal tattoos that look like diamonds and sapphires to the body in interesting and unexpected places, a treat for others to discover.

Listen to music on the stereo while wading in the pool up to the knees.

Walk down to the beach toward the village with the sand between your toes and a salty sea breeze ruffling your hair.

Practice rusty Bahasa Indonesian on the clever boy who serves icy Bintang Beer at one of the many beachfront cafes. Feel the words rise from memory, like clouds lifting on a sparkling ocean bay.

Tour the grounds in a golf cart with Sumardika, the Private Estate's manager. Visit the Spa, the gymnasium, the tennis court, the cooking school, the restaurant, and the shops. Stand under the center of the Meditation bale overlooking the beach, and wait patiently as great waves of crystal clear positive energy flows in and through me, and back again in the waiting world.

Stroll the beach after sunset, when everything slows down. Greet passersby with a smile a murmured "Selamat Malam" and dance in and out of the sea foam lapping the shore, a skipping lighthearted step choreographed by the Gods and the nearly full moon.

Feel the warmth of the candles when you enter the villa, the sight and smell inviting you to rest.

Fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and a young man strumming his guitar across the way, on the beach. Let his song soothe you like a lullaby.

And that's the way you can amuse yourself during a day in this remarkable spot on Bali.

More information: Read Marsha Browne’s Winning Entry

A House in Bali

balidiscovery.com Now Offers Villa Rentals To Bali Visitors.

While you may not be lucky enough to actually live in Bali, now balidiscovery.com makes it possible for you to feel like you really do live here during your next visit.

Villas From Bali Discovery Tours

With the launch of a new "villa section" on the popular Bali Discovery website, visitors now have the option of selecting from a constantly growing number of villas available for rent in outstanding locations across the island.

What is a Villa?

Because of the widespread use of the term "villa" in Bali to include everything from private residences to suites in luxury hotels, balidiscovery.com is limiting the properties listed in its new villa section to accommodation that provides not only multiple sleeping rooms, but also separate kitchen/pantry facilities and sitting rooms/common areas not otherwise used for sleeping. Thus, a suite in a hotel – even though advertised as a "villa" by a hotel, would not necessarily qualify for inclusion in the new villa section unless it provided a pantry/kitchen area.

Those types of accommodation, not providing the possibility of some degree of self-catering, would be found in balidiscovery.com’s hotel section.

The Advantages of Villa Living

Depending on the specific villa chosen from the extensive range on offer from balidiscovery.com, Villa accommodation can provide a greater degree of privacy and even represent financial savings for families or groups of friends seeking to stay a week or longer on the island. Having your own kitchen allows a degree of self-catering not possible in a traditional hotel setting; perfect for intimate family meals or for those wishing to entertain friends and colleagues while in Bali.

Remember, new villas are being added on a daily basis, so those seeking this idyllic of accommodation option are urged to become regular visitors to balidiscovery.com's new villa section.

More information: Pick Your Villa in Bali

Nirwana Resort Tries Rescheduling

Resort Owners Ask for More Lenience From Lenders

P T Bakrie Nirwana Resort the owners of the Le Meridien Nirwana Resort have formally requested the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN) to reschedule their restructured outstanding debt.

Although the resorts loans totaling US$ 172 million were already restructured by BPPN earlier this year, the owners of the Resort failed to make a US$ 680,000 loan repayment which fell due last March. In their defense, the owners point to the unexpected effects of the worldwide downturn in travel in the wake of the September 11^th tragedy.

The Resorts’ request for a rescheduling of payments on their restructured loan is still awaiting BPPN's approval.

Because the owners of the resort have managed to successfully restructure their borrowings, the Resorts is not on the current BPPN list of bad debitors scheduled to have their debt sold soon at public auction. (Bisnis Indonesia)

Fuel Prices To Be Reduced in July?

Predicted Drop of 3-5% in Prices Paid at the Fuel Pumps.

The combination of a strengthening Rupiah against the U.S. Dollar and lower crude oil prices on world markets are expected to result in a 3-5% drop in prices paid by Indonesian consumers for fuel starting in July 2002.

The Indonesian Government has recently ceased to subsidy domestic fuel prices, allowing fuel prices to follow developments in the global marketplace. As a result, May-June Indonesian fuel prices were predicated on a Rupiah trading at Rp.9,500 to the Greenback and benchmark crude oil prices of US$ 26.00 a barrel.

In the interim, however, the Rupiah has strengthened agaunst the dollar by almost Rp. 1,000, while Brent crude oil prices now stand under the $25.00 mark.

Any formal reduction in prices paid at the Indonesian pumps will be announced in the next week. Market observers predict that kerosene prices will drop 2 %, and diesel by 1%.

You're Never Washed Up on This Beach

Legian Beach School of Surf Guarantees They Can Teach Anyone to Surf.

Established in 1999, The Cheyne Horan School of Surf on Bali's fabled Legian beach, claims: "There are no restrictions to who can surf. It is for all to enjoy."

In fact, there so certain of this fact that they guarantee to have you up standing on a moving surf board during their half day lesson. If they fail, the next day's lesson is free-of-charge.

They must know what they're talking about. Since opening, the school has managed to "graduate" over 3,000 surfer boys and surfer girls. And according to the School's Manager, despite the guarantee of free lessons for failed students their rate of success is such that "we don't give away many free lessons!"

Cheyne Horan

Cheyne Horan is a living legend in surfing education circles. Teaching the sport since 1978, Cheyne has coached the Australian National Surfing Team, the U.S. National Team in Hawaii, and the Indonesian National team. He has also been actively involved in educating world champions in the sport, including Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, Wayne Page. Shane Powell, Pam Burridge, Todd Ingham, Mark Occhhiluppo, Nicky Wood, Damian Hardman, and world-champion Pauline Menzcer.

Learn to Surf in Bali

The Cheyne Horan School of Surf, located on Jalan Arjuna along Legian's Beachfront, offers a full range of surf programs including half day lessons, full day lessons, three day intensive programs, and private tutorial surf lessons.

A half Day Lessons from balidiscovery.com starts from just US$ 32.50 and include transfers and all the equipment necessary to safely master the sport.

This promises to be an offer too good to refuse.

Everybody's Gone Surfing?

Incidentally, if anyone sees an over-forty and overweight Caucasian gentleman in the Legian area wearing newly purchased surfing shorts (price tag still attached), sporting recently dyed white hair, and carrying an armful of Beachboys records - tell our editor, Jack, to please come back to the office.

More information: Learn to Surf

New Sales & Marketing Chief at Bali Hilton

James Sullivan-Tailyour Joins Hilton Team.

Bali Hilton International have appointed veteran tourism industry sales and marketing professional, James Sullivan-Tailyour to assume responsibility for marketing their 538 room property, located in Bali's Nusa Dua Complex.

Sullivan-Tailyour comes to the Bali property directly from a sales and marketing assignment at the Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand.

A British national, he has held senior management positions in the Middle East, East Africa, France, Thailand, and the U.S.A., as well as in his homeland, Great Britian.

More information: Send James Sullivan-Tailyour an E-mail