"I would like to thank all at Bali Discovery Tours for providing such great service to Aurora and her passengers. The day was a real success - thanks to the detailed pre-planning from Jack and the team."
3 Talented Chefs from Three Kayumanis Properties Join Forces of August 19 & 20, 2006.
Combine the skills of three very talented chefs from three outstanding boutique resorts of Bali and a memorable dining experience is sure to await.
The Chefs of the Kayumanis Nusa Dua, Kayumanis Jimbaran and Kayumanis Ubud have begun a monthly tradition of collaborating in the kitchen, moving each feast to one of the sister properties.
After a brilliant debut at the Kayumanis Nusa Dua on July 12 & 13th, the next installment of this culinary sojourn will be held at the Kayumanis Jimbaran on Saturday and Sunday, August 19 & 20, 2006.
There, the three-man team will prepare a 5-course dinner with complementing fine wines based on Thai, Italian and Indonesian themes.
The Cast of Culinary Characters
Manning the grills and pots in preparing the feats are three of the Island's rising kitchen talents:
• Ketut Suisma - A Bali native whose experience in the kitchen spans 13 years and includes five years at Aman Resorts, Ketut has guided the culinary vision at the Kayumanis Nusa Dua from its opening in 2002. Committed to using only the highest quality and freshest ingredients, Ketut's creative and tasteful flare has helped earn Piasan at the Kayumanis Nusa Dua its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Bali.
• I Made Budartha - Beginning his cooking career in a seafood restaurant in Kuta in 1994, I Made Budartha or, Denny - as he is more popularly known, worked for 8 years at the remote and very exclusive Amanwana resort on Moyo Island before joining Kayumanis Ubud Private Villas in 2003. Although in possession of impeccable credentials in Western cuisine, Denny has a deep affection for Thai cuisine which plays a prominent role in the menu of the Dining Corner at his Ubud Resort.
• Made Partayasa - Hailing from Bali's east coast, "Chef Patra," or Made Partayasa, earned his stripes cooking at the Amandari, The Chedi and The Alila. Prior to joining the Kayumanis Jimbaran Private Estate, he worked at Bali's well known French seaside eatery - Ma Joly.
Join the Next Chef Collaboration August 19 & 20, 2006
The next Chefs' Collaboration is set for August 19 & 20, 2006 at the Kayumanis Jimbaran. Cost of the evening, including 5-course menu and fine wines, is Rp. 650.000 ++ (approximately US$85.50) per person.
For more information telephone ++62-(0)361-705111 or use the email link provided.
Bali Hilton International to Ditch Hilton Branding and Become the 'Ayodya Resort' Effective September 1, 2006.
After 16 years of operation The 538-room Bali Hilton International within Bali's Nusa Dua Complex will be re-branded as the Ayodya Resort effective September 1, 2006.
The re-branding of the Bali property was precipitated on July 21, 1999 when Hilton International withdrew its management and endorsement of all properties operated under the Hilton banner in Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali.
Owners of the Bali property have assured the public and the travel industry that the ownership, management and staff of the hotel will remain unchanged and the re-branding will take place without any interruption to the hotel’s operation or guests' comfort. All contracts and commitments made by the former Bali Hilton International will continue to be honored under the new trading name.
Touch me if you can!
Indonesia Touch Football Championships at Bali's Canggu Club Saturday, August 19, 2006.
Teams from across Indonesia will be represented in the Indonesian Touch Championships set to be held at the Canggu Club, Bali's first private member's sporting and recreational club, on Saturday August 19th.
Played in over 60 countries around the world, touch is a non-contact sport - played by both males and females and in mixed competition, in which the aim is to score as many touchdowns as possible.
Touch is an extremely popular sport in many areas of the world, especially in Australia and New Zealand, and is increasing in popularity in Asia.
For the social participant, it is a fun, healthy and invigorating activity while at an elite level, it is a fast paced competitive sport that attracts highly skilled athletes
Teams from Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Lombok and Sumbawa are expected to enter the competition, with junior games also planned as part of the event.
Bali by the Numbers: June Arrival Figures Suggest Bali Recovery has Stalled.
June foreign arrivals at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport totaled 109,651 – a number that lagged a full -19.58% behind the 136,369 visitors in June 2005.
As shown on balidiscovery.com, the June 2006 arrivals may indicate that Bali's tourism recovery has stalled, with the gap in month-on-month arrivals widening slightly after encouraging signs of gradual improvement during the period December 2005 – April 2006.
Unfortunately, while the gap in foreign arrivals month-on-month had narrowed to -10.65% in April 2006, that gap widened in the following month to -12.72% in May, worsening further to -19.59% in June 2006.
Twists and Turns in Bali's Trail to Recovery
Bali by the Numbers: An Updated Comparison of Arrivals to Bali in the Wake of Two Separate Terrorist Attacks in 2002 and 2005.
As reported on balidiscovery.com [ A Stalled Recovery], June 2006 arrivals to Bali have provided mixed signals regarding the resilience of Bali’s tourism recovery. Indications earlier in the year that business – as measured in foreign arrivals - was staging a fast comeback following the October 1, 2005 Bali terrorist bombing, have been tempered by arrival reports for the second quarter of 2006 (April – June) that show the Island's recovery has stalled and may even be backsliding.
Shown on balidiscovery.com are three graphic representations tracking recovery patterns following the October 12, 2002 and October 1, 2005 terrorist attacks on Bali.
Worth noting is that despite the backward slip in arrivals for June 2006, the recovery in arrivals following Bali’s most recent terror attack is taking place on a much higher plane than was the case following the 2002 attack. June foreign arrivals of 109,651 are 34.94% higher than the arrivals in June 2003 (81,256).
A coming installment of Bali by the Numbers will compare arrivals to Bali over the first six months of 2006 from major markets.
Say it Again and Again: Bali's the Best!
Bali as 'The Best Island" and Numerous Bali Hotels Named in 11th Annual World Best Awards from Travel + Leisure Magazine.
The August issue of Travel + Leisure Magazine has published its 11th annual ranking of their more than 1 million readers' favorite cities, islands, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, spas, and car-rental agencies. As in the past, Bali and its retinue of outstanding resort properties reigned prominently in the hearts of the discerning and sophisticated travelers who voted in the poll.
The World's Best Island
For the 5th time in the history of the rankings, Bali was again named the world's favorite island destination.
What can we say? Don't argue with the truth!
Top 100 Hotels Worldwide
More than any other single destination, Bali dominated Travel + Leisure's list of the top 100 hotels in the world, securing 3 of the slots among the top 10 hotels:
When Travel & Leisure readers went looking for affordable luxury, Bali again appears as one of the top 15 hotels in the world priced under US$250 per night.
Already ranked the 2nd best hotel and the world and the best hotel in Asia, the Four Seasons Hotel in Ubud's hills also ranked in the second positions among the best 15 small hotels anywhere.
Now that Travel + Leisure has lauded so much praise on Bali, you'll be pleased to learn that 6 of the top 10 international airlines named by their readers offer regular service to Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport:
• #1 - Singapore Airlines
• #3 - Cathay Pacific
• #5 - Thai International
• #6 - Japan Airlines
• #7 - Malaysian Airlines
• #8 - Qantas
New Appointments at Nikko Bali Resort & Spa
Promotions and New Appointments in Nikko Bali Resort & Spa’s Sales Department.
Bali's 390-room Nikko Bali Resort & Spa has recently announced new appointments in its sales team.
Iva Farida Aminaty – Director of Sales
Iva Farida Aminaty has been appointed Director of Sales effective July 2006.
A 1999 graduate in Business Administration from West Coast Institute of Management and Technology in Perth, Western, Australia, Ms. Aminaty has 22 years experience in the hospitality industry. Previous positions include Sales Manager of Papandayan Hotel Bandung, Sales Executive of Grand Hyatt Jakarta and Sales Manager at the Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta. Before her current appointment at Nikko Bali Resort & Spa she spent eight years working with the Paradiso Hotel Group as Director of Sales and Marketing.
Ana Nataly – Sales Executive
Effective June 2006 the Nikko Bali Resort & Spa appointed Ms. Ana Nataly as Sales Executive for the Japanese market.
After graduating from the International College of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Manly, Sydney, Australia, Ms. Ana Nataly Began her professional career at Olympic Park Hombush in Sydney. In September 2002 she joined Padma Bali in the Front Office and the Food & Beverage Departments before finally being promoted as a Sales Executive in December 2004 before joining Nikko Bali Resort & Spa.
Between Times – Photographs and Paintings
Photographs by John Stanmeyer and Paintings by Andrea Aliani at Exhibit Gallery in Kerobokan Through September 30, 2006.
"Between Times" - an exhibition of photographs by the internationally acclaimed photographer John Stanmeyer and Italian abstract artist Andrea Aliani will be held daily from 11:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. at the Exhibit Gallery in Kerobokan.
John Stanmeyer
A long time resident of Asia, John Stanmeyer has been an eyewitness to many of the region's major historical events. His work has won numerous awards, including a Robert Capa Gold Medal.
A co-founding member of Photo Agency VII, Stanmeyer is a photo journalist whose lens is equally at home in the presence of world leaders or exploring the nuances of life and culture in Asia.
Andrea Aliani
An abstract artists who describes his large format paintings as "labors" from a tukang (worker), Andrea Aliani work occupies a space between unbridled abstractionism and the careful discipline of an accomplished craftsman.
Between Times:
An Exhibition of Photographs by John Stanmeyer and Paintings by Andrea Aliani
Through September 30, 2006
Daily, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Exhibit Gallery – Jalan Petitenget No, 106 – Kerobokan, Bali
Leading Psychiatrist Calls for Suicide Crisis Centers in all Regencies in Bali to Curb an Alarming Increase in Suicide Rates.
A rapid increase in suicide rates in Bali have officials increasingly concerned and looking for means to address the desperation that precipitates the decision to take one's life.
According to a report in the Indonesian language tempointeraktif, Balinese psychiatrist Professor Dr. L.K. Suryani of Bali's Udayana University says that 101 Bali residents have taken their lives in the first half of 2006. "Because of this," according to Dr, Suryani, "we are pressuring the provincial government of Bali and the regional governments to take definitive steps to overcome this problem."
Suryani recommends that suicide crisis centers be established in every regency in Bali to permit potential suicide victims the opportunity to discuss their problems with trained professionals.
According to Bali's world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Suryani, the factors leading to suicide in Bali are poverty, poor communication within the family unit, and the erosion of traditional values within the Balinese community.
Tax Incentives for Indonesian Visitors
Indonesian Lawmakers Considering VAT Refunds for Tourist Visitors.
The authoritative e-newsletterIndonesian Digest from Ibu Wuryastuti Sunario reports that Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds may soon be available for visitors shopping during their Indonesian holidays:
"In a bid to boost tourist arrivals to Indonesia, visitors may soon be given refunds on VAT on purchases made in the country, said Director General for Taxations, Darmin Nasution. Its application now only awaits the enactment on the Revised Bill on Taxations that is now before Parliament, reports the Kompas daily.
The Law provides that VAT refunds will be given on minimum purchases of Rp. 500,000 (approximately US$ 55) upon departure from designated airports, after passengers have filled in the necessary forms, attached with the appropriate receipts. Shops where forms are available will be identified by special signs. When the Bill is passed by Parliament, then follow-up details on procedures will be stipulated in a Decision by the Minister of Finance, said Darmin Nasution.
In the latest development, Parliament has returned the Bill to the Government for failure to follow the correct procedure, since the Bill was submitted by the Minister of Finance and not by the President as Head of Government. Presumably once the correct procedure is followed, then debates on the articles may proceed."
Area Surrounding October 12 Bombing Memorial Earns Unwanted Scrutiny for Presence of Beggars, Touts and Commercial Sex Worker.
The Regional Government of Badung in Bali has promised to continue and intensify steps to improve security and quality of the local environment surrounding the monument commemorating the victims of the October 12, 2002 terrorist bombing in Kuta.
The promise from local government authorities follows formal complaints made by the Consulate General for Australia in Bali concerning parking problems, beggars, commercial sex workers, beggars, touts and timeshare salespeople surrounding the monument area.
Government officials promise that enhancements in the area surrounding the monument should be completed by the end of September 2006.
Meanwhile, local community leaders in Kuta have bemoaned the long-delayed promises of the regional government to improve the area, pointing to the still derelict state of the now empty lots once occupied sites of the Sari Club and Paddy's Café.
An Empty Message
Bali's Billboards Go Empty in Current Economic Downturn.
Bali’s current economic slump is also being felt in sectors outside the tourism sector, including those who "decorate" Bali's landscape with advertising billboards.
According to officials in Denpasar's local government office charged with issuing permits for outside advertising, there were no new requests for billboards advertisements during the first six months of 2006.
Bali Style Billboards
Local officials have introduced new rules governing new billboard installations in Bali stipulating that new outside advertisements must have a Balinese-style presentation. Existing billboards will be dismantled after 3 years and replaced with new signs that conform to the new "Bali style" requirement.
Tax revenues collected for outside advertising taxes through early April 2006 totaled Rp. 1.2 billion (approximately US$127,670). This represents only 28.1% of the Rp. 4.27 billion targeted for advertising tax revenues for the entire fiscal year of 2006. Officials point out that most of current advertising tax revenues are from past due tax bills and small banner advertisements posted around the regency.
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