In historical first direct election of an Indonesian President and Vice-President the Nation went to the polls on Monday, July 5, 2004.

While no candidate managed to garner the 51% share of votes necessary to be declared the outright winner, the field was instantly narrowed from 5 sets of candidates to just the 2 sets who will contest the run-off elections scheduled for Monday, September 20, 2004.

While official results won't be announced until later in July, it now appears a virtual certainty that the pairing of Susilo Bambang Yudyoyono – Jusuf Kala, who came in as top vote-getters, will face off against their nearest contender, President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running-mate Hasyim Muzadi.

Bali Votes for Megawati

Although the President and her Vice-Presidential pairing only managed to come in second-place nation-wide, Bali, which has long been a Megawati stronghold, continue to champion the President giving her nearly 56% of all the votes cast on the island.

Dates to Watch

In the run up to the election of Indonesia's next president, here's the dates to watch:

• 26 July 2004 - Nation-wide announcement of the results of the first round of Presidential/Vice-Presidential Election Process.

• 30 July 2004 – 05 August 2004 Nation-wide formal announcement of 2 sets of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates for the Second and final-round vote.

• 20 September 2004 - Second round of Voting in the Presidential/Vice-Presidential Elections.

• 05 October 2004 - Formal nation-wide announcement of the winners of the Presidential/Vice-Presidential Election.

• 20 October 2004 - The inauguration of the President and Vice-President.

The U.K. Foreign Office have finally lifted travel advisories recommending against "non-essential travel" to Bali and Indonesia put in place since the tragic October 12, 2002, bombing of a Bali night spot that killed 202 people, 23 of whom were British.

The new announcement is part of a world-wide review of the U.K.'s Travel Advisory System recently announced by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who concluded, based on a Whitehall White Paper, that over-cautious travel advisories cause economic disruption and further suffering to the victims of terrorism, while indirectly serving the goals of terrorist actors.

"The public will be better served if such warnings are used more sparingly, when intelligence-based terrorist threats pose extreme and imminent danger," said Mr. Straw.

British travelers to Bali totaling 116,323 in 2001 represented the fourth largest inbound market to the Island. By 2003, British visitors had diminished to only 50,043 (down 57%) in the face of an official travel warning that advised against non-essential visits to Indonesia. As a result of that warning, U.K. travel agents were unable to secure travel insurance for their Indonesian-bound clients.

Robert Kelsall, Chairman of Bali Hotels Association representing 56 starred hotels and resorts in Bali, said that "with the lifting of the U.K. travel advisory, we now hope other countries with similar advisories will follow suite; namely Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.A."

The Ritz Carlton, Bali Resort & Spa will host a one-night gastronomic extravaganza prepared by celebrated Michelin Star Restaurateur and Gault Millau Chef of the Year 2004, Sven Elverfeld, for one night only at Padi Restaurant on Saturday, July 24, 2004.

Presenting a lavish eight-course degustation menu, the critically acclaimed Sven Elverfeld will create a menu inspired by his signature dishes from award-winning Aqua Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton, Wolfsburg in Germany. The 35-year-old Sven has cooked for the King of Spain Juan Carlos and the Spanish Royal Family; won numerous culinary awards including the Michelin Star; was named Chef of the Year and has earned 3 Chef's Hats presented by the authoritative Gault Millau; earned 4 Chef's Hats from The Bertelsmann Guide; saw his work-place named Restaurant of the Year by Gourmet Magazine; and earned a Gold Award for Best Chef from Gault Millau.

In bestowing his honors on the young kitchen star, Gault Milau said, "without striking exotic attitudes or straining for effect, Sven always ignites artistic, but never artificial, fireworks." Not surprisingly, Sven Elverfeld is also the exclusive subject of Kitchen of the Senses, a stunning 196-page celebration of food published in October 2003.

One Night Only at Bali's Ritz Carlton

An exclusive evening of world class dining will take place on Saturday, July 24, 2004, with a Chef's Cocktail Reception at the Damar Terrace at 7:00 p.m., followed by an eight-course dinner accompanied by five premium wines. Limited seating is available at Rp. 950,000 (approximately US$ 105) per person, including 21% tax and service.

For bookings contact Ms Retno Rianti at telephone +62-(0)361-702222 (extension 7165).

More information: Book a Stay at The Ritz Carlton Bali Resort & Spa

Five premium signature wines presented by Geoff Merrill and Terry Beckman from South Australia's Beckman Estates will form the centerpiece of a pre-dinner wine tasting followed by a special four-course dinner at Bali's The Legian.

Limited seating is available for the event on Friday, July 16, 2004, that will cost Rp. 400,000 (approximately US$ 44.50), which covers tasting, dinner, wines, and government tax and service.

Introducing Chef Nam Nguyen

The evening will also permit The Legian the opportunity to showcase their talented Executive Chef, Nam Nguyen. Born in Vietnam and raised in Denmark, he first ventured into the kitchen during an assignment as an UN Peacekeeper serving in the Danish Army in Yugoslavia. Culinary school followed by assignments at the Grand Hotel and Le Canard in Oslo, Singapore's Lighthouse Restaurant, London's The Howard, and New York's Aquavit have earned this young chef rave reviews and his current position in charge of The Legian's kitchen.

THE MENU

TASTING WINES - IN THE GARDEN

Hedge Lane Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2003

Geoff Merrill Chardonnay 2001

Geoff Merrill Merlot 2000

Geoff Merrill Shiraz 2000

Geoff Merrill Cabernet Sauvignon 2000



MENU DEGUSTATION- THE MAIN DINING ROOM

Amuse-Bouche -Chestnut Mushroom Cappuccino Scented with Truffle

Mud Crab Salad with Apple-Celery Gelee - Served with Hedge Lane Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2003

Fried Duck Egg with Grilled Asparagus - Served with Geoff Merrill Chardonnay 2001

Lamb Loin Sautéed in Olive Oil, Eggplant with Orange, Cardamom Yogurt Sauce, Jus with Hint of Curry - Served with Geoff Merrill Merlot 2000

Selection of Australian Cheeses - Served with Geoff Merrill Shiraz 2000

A garden wine tasting will commence at 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner in the Hotel's Dining Room.

For more information or reservations contact Mr. Dinno Lokollo at telephone ++62-(0)361-730622 (extension #768).

More information: E-mail Link for Reservations

Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, I Gde Ardika, used the inauguration of international health facilities at Bali's General Hospital on July 2, 2004, to call attention to the growing confidence that foreign tourists feel regarding Bali's security situation.

As reported in the Indonesian-language Bisnis Indonesia, the Minister said, "they (the tourists) feel safer and more secure holidaying here because of the international standard of health facilities now available in Bali." Minister Ardika was accompanying President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the official opening of a number of new health facilities at Bali's main general hospital.

Minister Ardika pointed to the assistance of the Australian Government in upgrading health facilities in Bali as concrete proof of the increasingly strong bond existing between the people of Indonesia and Australia.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Chris Gallus, attending the ceremonies at the General Hospital quipped that many of his fellow Australian forget to bring their passports when traveling to Bali, feeling that Bali is a part of their own country. These confused tourists later explain their failure to bring their passports as due to the fact that Bali feels very much like their own backyard and the Balinese people are viewed like good neighbors.

12 October Australian Memorial Center

The Burn Unit at the 12 October Australian Memorial Center, donated by the Australian Government to help complete the medical facilities available at Bali's General Hospital, is a living symbol of the affection of the Australian people for the Balinese. Approximately 2 million Australians or 10% of the Australian population have taken a holiday in Bali.

During the July 2, 2004, ceremony the Australian Government's donation of a burn unit worth AU$ 4.5 million was symbolically handed over to President Megawati by Parliamentarian Chris Gallus.

Bali Discovery Tour's President Director, J.M. Daniels, was recently invited by Swisscontact to travel to Ende on the Island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara to address the heads of the provincial and regional tourism offices.

Asked to speak on ways to develop tourism in the outlaying regions of Indonesia, Daniels made the following practical observations in support of his suggestion that the most cost effective way of promoting Indonesian regional tourism is for provincial governments to open tourism promotion offices in Bali.

Here's why Daniels thinks this is an idea whose "time has come":

• Bali continues to serve as the gateway to tourism for Indonesia. The majority of tourists visiting remote regions of the Country pass through Bali first.

• Major overseas travel wholesalers who feature Bali in their brochures and catalogues make at least one annual visits to Bali each year. This creates ready opportunities to promote "Bali & Beyond" packages to the major travel players, the people most able to drive tourism to the provinces.

• Bali-based provincial tourism promotion offices could also promote "Bali & Beyond" travel programs through link-ups with the various Indonesian tour companies operating in Bali. There is a definite market for last-minute extensions to other regions to be sold to tourists already vacationing in Bali.

• A Bali-based tourism office could create cost effective destination awareness programs for a province by creating a series of themed cultural and food shows in cooperation with major hotels in Bali. These events would showcase their destinations to the large travel industry resident in Bali as well as to visiting tourists.

• Working together with local incentive and event organizers, a provincial tourism office in Bali could support professional event organizers wishing to have themed evenings of entertainment in Bali using musicians and dancers from the provinces.

• To be truly effective, those appointed to head a Bali-based provincial tourism representative office should be drawn from the private sector and answerable to all the tourism stakeholders from the province they represent. Budgets and work programs would need to be put in place to prevent representatives from becoming the handmaidens of visiting delegations from the province passing through Bali.

Daniels went on to suggest to the tourism officials that an offfice in Bali promoting Flores tourism, for instance, could very quickly become cost justified in terms of the awareness of the destination and increased tourism flows such an office was almost certain to produce.

Swisscontact is a foundation from Switzerland dedicated to assisting the development of local communities and small and medium sized enterprises in developing countries around the world. Daniels' visit to the island is part of a larger project by Swisscontact to create awareness of tourism's potential for economic growth to the people of Flores and held small and medium-sized tourism companies promote their products to the outside world.

More information: Swisscontact's Web Site

Fresh off a year's sabbatical during which he completed a Master's Degree in Sustainable Tourism from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, British Hotelier Matthew Taverner has been appointed as the General Manager of Bali's ultra-luxurious Begawan Giri Estate, north of Ubud.

Designated to manage the 22 suite resort and spa preferred by many of the world's rich and famous seeking pampering and privacy during a Bali holiday, Taverner's nearly two decades of hotel management experience include periods running luxury tented-safaris in Africa, resorts in the Seychelles and Fiji, and hotels in the U.K.

The first General Manager appointed to the Begawan Giri Estate under its new management regime with Como Hotels and Resorts, Taverner has moved to Bali with his wife, Sara, and their infant son, Rubin.

More information: Book a Stay at the Begawan Giri Estate

In June 2004 Queen Noor of Jordan presented the prestigious World Legacy Award in a ceremony held at the National Geographic Society's Headquarters in Washington D.C.. The award, jointly sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Conservation International, is given to international businesses and organizations selected for their dedication to protecting the local environment and culture in sustainable ways that provide income to the local community.

Lombok Cited for Destination Stewardship

The Rinjani Trek, on Bali's nearest neighboring island to the east, was lauded in the award citation as "a place doing superb work in protecting its overall natural and cultural heritage, the volcanic heart of the island of Lombok, Indonesia. Visitors to this tropical island enjoy long jungle treks to the awe-inspiring crater valley, waterfalls and hot springs, and emerge from the forest canopy to enjoy an amazing panoramic ocean view. The Rinjani program is exemplary for its strong partnership among local community groups, tourism industry and national park, and has successfully withstood the recent deep dip in Indonesia's tourism."

At 3,726m, Mount Rinjani is the second highest volcanic peak in Indonesia and is a part of the celebrated "Ring of Fire." Gunung Rinjani National Park lies within a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallaceae), where the flora and fauna of South East Asia meets that of Australasia. The National Park, one of over 40 throughout Indonesia, was established in 1997. For the people of Lombok, Sasak and Balinese alike, Mount Rinjani is revered as a sacred place and abode of deities. The crater lake is a pilgrimage destination for tens of thousands each year. For tourists, the three-day Rinjani Trek route from Senaru to the crater rim, down to the crater lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. More adventurous trekkers aim for the summit; best reached from Sembalun Lawang returning after four days to Senaru.

The Rinjani Trek Ecotourism Program has been developed since 1999 with assistance from New Zealand's International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID). To strengthen conservation and ensure that communities on the boundary of the National Park benefit from tourism revenues, community-run co-operatives coordinate the trek at the Rinjani Trek Centre in Senaru and the Rinjani Information Centre in Sembalun Lawang. Each has roster systems for guides and porters, village tour activities and handicraft sales. Revenue from tourism activities and entry fees is used for conservation, training, management and assisting the National Park with maintenance of the Rinjani Trek, thus ensuring sustainability. Overseeing and supporting these activities is the Rinjani Trek Management Board, combining the authority of the central government and local government, with the voices of Lombok tourism's private sector and boundary communities. This institutional model is unique in Indonesia and has now been recognized in the World Legacy Awards as a global example for practical implementation of the ideals of ecotourism.

Drs Tjokorda Suthenda Rai head of West Lombok Tourism and Ir. Tedi Sutedi Msc Director of Gunung Rinjani National Park, traveled to Washington D.C. to receive the Destination Stewardship Award from Queen Noor.

Winners in the other three World Legacy Award categories were Al Maha Desert Resort in United Arab Emirates for Nature Travel, Anangu Tours in Australia's Northern Territory for Heritage Tourism, and Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados for General Purpose Hotels.

On July 4, 2004 a Bali office for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) was formally opened in Bali.

In a ceremony attended by Australia's Minister of Justice and Customs, Mr. Chris Ellison, and the Chief Commissioner of the AFP, Mr. Mick Keelty, Bali's Chief of Police General Made Mangku Pastika emphasized that the opening of the AFP office in Bali should not be interpreted to mean foreign police offers were now operating in Bali.

Chief Pastika's explained that the presence of representatives of the Australian police in Bali will provide a sense of security for Australian tourists visiting Bali while at the same time increasing transnational police cooperation in the areas of combating terrorism, narcotics, pedophilia, sex tourism and slavery. Australian police assigned to Bali would not, however, be involved in active police investigations or interfere in the enforcement of the law by the Indonesian police force.

Australia's Minister of Justice and Customs, Chris Ellison, applauded the opening of the office saying it would strengthen Australia's role in fighting international crime and was a natural result of the strong bonds established between the Indonesian police and the AFP in the wake of the Bali bombing of October 2002. The Minister heaped praise on General Pastika's role for the key role he played in arresting the Bali bombers.

The opening of the AFP representative office in Bali brings to a total of 66 Australian police officers working overseas stationed in 32 posts in 26 countries around the world.

The Times of London reports that U.S. mega-star Pink recently took a rest from her hectic touring and recording schedule to relax at Bali's Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay.

Reported to be wearing a large sun-hat to conceal her identity and make sure she didn't become too pink sunbathing in the tropical sun, the Grammy Award-winning recording and stage artists relaxed in one of the resort's 147 thatched roofed pavilions and spent quality-time soaking in her own private plunge pool.

The American singing star who was born in Pennsylvania began a meteoric rise to stardom in 2000 when the then only 18 year-old recorded her first album "Can't Take Me Home", which contained 3 Top-Ten Hits and lasted for 59 weeks on Billboards Top 100 list of the best-selling albums.

More information: Book a Stay at the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay

U.S. national Philip "Phil" Randolph Hill has returned to Bali after an 18-month hiatus during which he work as General Manager of the Hotel Grand Maya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His latest appointment is as General Manager of The Ramada Benoa in Tanjung Benoa.

With more than 10 years experience in hotel and property management in Indonesia, Hill's last assignment in Bali was as General Manager at the Grand Istana Rama Hotel in Kuta. Other Indonesian employments include stints with the Melia Sol Hotel, Plaza Indonesia Realty and with the Raddin Ancol Jakarta.

A graduate of the University of the Pacific, California, with a Master's Degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Mr. Hill began his professional career with Sheraton, working as Sales & Marketing Director at Al Jubali International Hotels in Saudi Arabia. Other professional assignments have seen Mr. Hill working in China, the U.S.A., and Singapore.

Delighted to be "back home" in Bali, Phil Hill's 195-room property is located just outside Nusa Dua in the Tanjung Benoa area of South Bali.

More information: Book a Stay at The Ramada Benoa

Great Britian's Honorary Consul for Bali, Mark Wilson, and his brother Philip, are flying on Monday, July 12, 2004, to London for some much deserved rest and recreation and to attend a special investiture ceremony marking their induction into the Order of the British Empire.

On July 16, 2004, Philip and Mark will present themselves adorned in morning suits at Buckingham Palace where they will be handed their rank of office either by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, or another senior member of the Royal Family.

The two brothers are formally receiving their award for "sterling, grueling and tireless service to help victims and their relatives after the Bali bombing atrocity" in October of 2002.

Mark Wilson, the Honorary British Consul in Bali, and his Brother Philip, opened their Sanur area restaurant as the nerve center for the coordination of British volunteers after the bombing that claimed 202 lives, 23 of whom were U.K. nationals.

After attending the investiture ceremonies, both Mark and Philip will be off to Cardiff, Wales to help support Bali's bid to host Interhash 2006 by running and voting for Bali at this year's Interhash in Wales. Shortly thereafter they'll be back "home" in Bali working at the British Consulate during the day and tending to their customers at the popular British Pub The Cat and the Fiddle, opposite the Sanur Beach Hotel.

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