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BTB Chairman Wijaya Says Bali's Skies Need to Be More Open to Grown the Tourism Sector.
Bisnis Bali reports that the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ida Bagus Nurjaya has called on the government to "open wide the tap" and allow foreign airlines access to Bali if current plans to increase the size of the Island's tourism sector are to be successful.
According to Nurjaya, the continuing financial problems and safety issues confronting Garuda Indonesia, and the haphazard development of the domestic aviation sector are some of the main factors stunting the growth of national tourism.
The solution at hand, according to the BTB boss is to liberalize access to Bali for foreign airlines. He also cited the heavy demand from certain markets – such as China, Taiwan, South Korea and Russia, where demand often outstrips seat capacity to Bali.
Government Threatens to Close Illegal Bali Villas
August 29, 2008 Deadline Looms as Badung Regency Authorities Insist They Will Close Unlicensed Illegal Villas.
Nusa Bali reports that the "clean up" of hundreds of unlicensed villas operating as commercial ventures continues apace, with some 6 villas receiving visits my a multi-department inspection team each working day.
With the latest deadline of August 29, 2008 for finalization of permits looming ahead, the newspapers reports that hundreds of villas may soon face closure.
The Head of the Tourism Department for the Badung Regency, Drs. I made Subawa, told Nusa Bali that he has done all within his power to encourage villa registration as his team continues to facilitate the villa registration process.
Unfortunately, according to Subawa, on the nearly 300 unlicensed villas now on his office’s books, only 58 meet the basic licensing requirements with only 35 having actually obtained the required permits.
Not included in the Tourism Department's survey are another 182 villas used as private residences or unoccupied which therefore fall outside the licensing requirement.
Tourism officials freely admit they are encountering problems in the licensing and registration process. The number of villas involved and their locations means that the government team is only able to inspect six villas on any given day and the owners are often absent when the team comes to call.
Deadline Ahead
Subawa told the press that those who ignore the registration process and have not registered their commercial villa before August 29 deadline face the very real possibility that their villa will be shut down.
Villa In Bali's Badung regency
Avoiding Monkey Business in Bali
Recent Visitors to Bali Share a Story of Seeing Eye to Eye with the Monkeys of Uluwatu.
Mike and Linda, we tried to warn you!
Michael and Linda Collier, two regular visitors to Bali and former long-term residents in Jakarta, have just returned from their latest visit to Paradise with another story of adventure to share with friends back home in the U.S.A..
Loyal and much-loved customers of Balidiscovery.com's travel services, we caught up for dinner in Ubud on the penultimate day of their latest Bali holiday. Over a wonderful meal of Indonesian food at Mendez's, they recapped their re-discovery of Bali over the preceding week and revealed plans to wrap up their tour with a visit to the Uluwatu temple on the Ungasan peninisula – one of the Island's most sacred temples - a site that how somehow escaped their attention during their many past visits.
Endorsing their itinerary choice and suggesting some points-of-interest along the way, balidiscovery's President Director, Jack Daniels, recommended they try to time their visit to coincide with sundown to enjoy the magical kecak chorus that performs on the limestone cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Jack also offered Mike and Linda a note of practical caution; urging them to be extremely wary of the light-fingered band of macaque monkies who rule the roost at Uluwatu temple. The stories of monkies scampering off with pens, cameras, purses, jewelry and eyeglasses number only slightly less than the number of tourists who visit the magestic temple perched high atop an ocean-side cliff.
We Told You So!
Last week, Linda, now back home, sent an email acknowledging our precautionary advice and sharing the following tale:
"When we went to Uluwatu at sunset the last day in Bali, we were very careful about the monkeys. About 6:00 PM, all the monkeys seemed to disappear, so we let our guard down. A little later, I heard some commotion. A monkey had grabbed Michael's glasses (his only pair!) and climbed up on the roof of the building. Dewa got the guards, who tossed the monkey a sweet potato. The monkey dropped the glasses, which fortunately slid down the roof near where Michael was standing. So he got the glasses back with just minor damage! It was funny…after the fact!"
While we're delighted to hear that Michael got his glasses back, although slightly worse for the wear, we think Mike and Linda Collier's story offers practical lessons for Bali travelers that can be gleaned from their experience: a) always listen carefully when your travel agent provides words of caution b) generally expect the unexpected when on holiday anywhere in the world, and c) come to Bali armed with a sense of humor.
Coming soon – an article exploring the scientific link between nearsightedness in humans and obesity among Bali's monkey population, and an on-line guide containing useful tips on opening your own sweet-potato franchise in paradise.
Indonesian Government Revokes Domestic and International Route Permits for Adam Air.
Indonesia's Department of Civil Aviation has formally withdrawn all route authorizations for Adam Air effective April 9, 2008. The Minister of Transportation, Safeii Djamal explained that the airline has not flown for 21 days as the reason for the revocation while calling on the owners of Adman Air to meet any legal obligations to its employees.
Prior to the government's latest move, Adam Air held operating rights on 21 domestic air routes and 4 international routes.
Responding to the revocation of its air routes, the President Director of Adam Air, Suherman, said the decision was understandable in light of the system-wide grounding of the Airline.
Suherman is, however, fighting to retain his Airline's air operating certificate (AOC) while waiting for the next meeting of Adam Air's Board of Directors. Suherman said the Company's present cash position was only sufficient to continue to pay their employees, refund tickets and make installment payments on company debt. The funds needed to enhance safety standards and recommence flights, he insisted, can only be obtained through the injection of fresh funds from stockholders.
In a related development, Kompas reports that Adam Air has assured employees that Rp. 10 billion (US$1.1 million) is standing by to pay the April salaries of its 3,000 employees.
Fueling the Airline's employees fear that wages won't be paid is news of an internal rift in which Adam Air’s Financial Director, Gustiono Kustianto, has resigned leaving the company without anyone legally entitled to sign the payroll authorization.
Police Meet Local Business Owners to Address Risk that Political Temperatures May be on the Rise in Bali.
Tempo Interaktif reports that Bali's police precinct covering the capital of Denpasar are tightening security measures in the wake of the failure of the final judicial appeal by the Bali Bombers and on the run-up to the Island's gubernatorial election scheduled for July 9, 2008.
Outlining the police's concern for any potential threat ahead, the Second-in-Command at the Denpasar Police precinct, Setyo Dwiantoro, said problems "could originate from people not satisfied with the court's decision."
The latest appeal against the death sentence levied on the three Bali bombers collapsed last month when their legal team abandoned the legal process by walking out of the court.
Dwiantoro's comments were made on Friday, April 11th at a meeting of approximately 50 entertainment venues in Denpasar who were warned that incidents of unrest may increase as Bali's political temperatures increase before the election for governor on July 9th.
Commenting on recent violent incidents at evening entertainment venues, the police official blamed such altercations as resulting from simple misunderstandings between customers and security guards. To minimize the risk of such future reoccurrences, the police have now stipulated that all security personnel employed by entertainment venues must wear uniforms and must be unarmed, a prohibition covering both firearms and knives.
To strengthen local efforts to combat violence and crime, several night spot operators attending the meeting with the police called for the organization of "neighbor security teams" comprised of members drawn from the existing security personnel employed by area businesses.
Similar programs are already in operation in the Sanur and Nusa Dua areas of Bali.
Up on the Roof at the Anantara Resort
Government Issues 3rd Warning to Bali's Anantara Hotel for Violating Local Zoning Height Restrictions.
Bali Post reports that the new Anantara hotel/apartment complex on Jalan Camplung Tanduk in Kuta's Seminyak area is facing problems with local building authorities for ignoring local building codes.
According to the paper, zoning authorities delivered what is traditionally a third and final "warning" to the builders on February 12, 2008, for violating height requirements and deviating from the building plans submitted to and approved by the government for the project.
The head of the Building authority Cipta Karya, I Ketut Suwandi, confirmed to the Bali Post on April 11th that violations have occurred and that his office has asked that those sections of the new luxury apartment/hotel complex that violate the rules be removed. Explaining the violations, Suwandi said that on the drawings the uppermost part of the structure is depicted as a roofing structure when, in reality, this area is now a public area with its own roof effectively turning a four-storey building into a five-storey Structure.
Despite discussions with the building owners in which the owners pledged to remedy the top storey of the building, these discussion did not include a specific deadline for the modification to be completed.
A member of the regional house of representatives for Badung (DPRD-Badung), I Wayan Disel Astawa, told the Bali Post that local regulations are very clear on the point that no building should exceed 15 meters in height. Astawa called on the government not to be intimidated by any powerful backers of a new project and to strictly enforce the building code.
Pushing the Design Envelope?
The current conflict between the new Bali Resort and local building authorities give a sadly ironic twist to the property's boast contained in a press release of having "pushed the design envelope" in developing the new resort on Seminyak beach.
It's now unclear how investors who have purchased accommodation shares in the managed hotel complex or guests booked the property will be affected by the government's demand that the roof-top terrace bar be removed.
Current building codes permit local aurthorities to close and suspend the operations of business found to be in gross violationg of the rules.
Anantara
click image to enlarge
Grenade Found at Bali's Main Fuel Depot.
Police Express Concern at iscovery of Disused Hand Grenade in Waters near East Bali Fuel Depot.
The Bali Post reports that diving guides swimming in the waters near the Pertamina fuel depot at Manggis, Karangasem, recently discovered a live unexploded grenade.
The ordnance was quickly isolated and landed by marine police officials who continue to investigate the incident. Preliminary suspicions by the police, however, suggest the grenade may have accidentally fallen into the water following careless handling by a security detachment on past assignment near the area.
Heightened Security
The sector chief of police for Manggis told the press that in the wake of the discovery of the grenade security vigilance would be heightened at the port in coordination with the State Oil Company Pertamina, who operate the depot.
The fuel discharge port is the sole transit point for the island's critical fuel supplies.
When the grenade was discovered by to diving guides, Nikodemus Sumbage (26) and IGN Wijaya (30), they were leading a German tourist through local waters at a depth of 15 meters in an area directly in from of the Pertamina depot. Adding to official's concerns are reports that the grenade was discovered in waters less than 2 meters from where a ship was in the process of actively discharging fuel at the depot.
The discovery has served to underline the poor security measures in place at the sole landing point for Bali's fuel supply. Police officials are questioning how a grenade could be in such close proximity to the depot and remain undetected for an extended period of time. Moreover, the fact that recreational divers are permitted to recreate in areas so close to docked ships discharging fuel only underlines further the need for tighter security at the port.
Those who examined the grenade said they believed the weapon had been in the water near the depot for an extended period.
The Chairman of the Regional Parliament for Karangasem, I Wayan Sukadana, told the press that he was extremely disappointed with the entire incident. He said that the fact that a grenade was found in the area is already extremely dangerous and shows that security in the area is not good. What's more, complained the legislator, that the general public is allowed to scuba dive near the spot is incomprehensibe. Emphasizing his distress even further, Sukadana said: "This is a vital installation that must be made sterile from the general public. In the future, the security in such installations must be made a top priority."
Funds Now Flowing to Karangasem Epidemic Victims
700 Victims Stricken with Gastrointestinal Illness Now Blamed for at Least 7 Deaths in East Bali.
As reported on Balidiscovery.com a widespread epidemic of gastrointestinal illness has struck Bali's eastern regency of Karangasem causing more than 600 people to seek medical treatment and is now blamed for at least 7 deaths. [See: Gastrointestinal Epidemic Hits Bali's Eastern Province]
The ailment, known locally as "Muntaber," is characterized by vomiting, dehydration and acute diarrhea and was first noticed by health officials on March 19th when a steady stream of patients began reporting to area hospitals and community health clinics.
As the health crisis enters its third week, help is beginning to stream in with Rp. 1 billion (US$108,700) in cash being funded by the provincial government of Bali together with substantial other cash donations from banks, state-owned enterprises and private companies permitting the regional government of Krangasem to open "command posts" at various locations to help stem the spread of the disease.
A spokesman for the Karangsem government. Komang Agus Sukasena, told the press that special "Command Posts for the Control of Natural Disasters and Refugees (Satlak PBP)" could only be set up on the 20th day of the epidemic due to the earlier preoccupation of medical and public health officials in handling the sick.
The latest estimate of those affected by the disease as of Wednesday, March 19, 2008, is that the number of ill has increased to 700 with, depending on the source, between 6 and 7 deaths now linked to the outbreak. Officials admit more deaths may have occurred with families quickly burying their dead before health officials could examine the remains of the dead to determine a possible link with the epidemic.
Top Athletes Sign Up for MRA Bali International Triathlon
Luke McKenzie and Amanda Balding to Race in Bali on June 29, 2008.
Bali International Triathlon, LLC has confirmed that Ironman triathletes Luke McKenzie and Amanda Balding will participate in the 2nd Annual MRA Bali International Triathlon to be held on June 29, 2008 at Jimbaran Bay, Bali. McKenzie's agreement to participate in the Bali race comes immediately following his top-five finish in Ironman Australia. Garuda Airlines, a new sponsor of the Bali race, was instrumental in making the involvement of these professional triathletes in the MRA Bali International Triathlon possible.
Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay, one of the leading race sponsors, is offering a first prize package consisting of a seven day, six night stay in one of their world famous luxury villas to both the top male and female finishers. Awards will also be given to the first three finishers in each age group category. All athletes will be provided with high quality race T-shirts, entrance to a pre-race party, and unique finisher's award handcrafted in Bali.
McKenzie explained their decision to race in Bali, "the opportunity to race in 'paradise' was the clincher for us. We are lucky that our job as professional athletes takes us to some beautiful exotic destinations around the world, but a race set around the gardens of the Four Seasons resort in Bali would have to be the ultimate!
Balding, who lived for nine months in Bali when she was younger, is looking forward to her return. She commented, "We are excited to be traveling to Bali, and the added bonus is we both get to compete in a triathlon in an idyllic setting. We can't wait!"
Athletes participating in the race are expected to from all over the world to take advantage of this unique destination race. While in Bali, they can take advantage of the wide range of activities available, including scuba diving, elephant riding, white-water river rafting, parasailing, and jet skiing. Bali is famous for its spa properties, and athletes will be treated to post race massage by local Balinese therapists. Special hotel and tour packages for athletes and their families can be arranged by contacting Bali Discovery Tours.
Luke McKenzie
Luke is a professional triathlete from Australia’s Gold Coast. He lives and trains in the beautiful coastal town of Tweeds Head during the Australian Summer, and spends most of his triathlon season based in San Diego, California.
His record includes:
• 5th place Ironman Australia 2008
• 1st place Byron Bay Triathlon Australia 2007
• 3rd place Cancun Ironman 70.3 2007
• 19th place Ironman World Championships Kona 2007
• 1st place Colorado Springs Triathlon 2006
• 2nd place Desaru International Triathlon, Malaysia 2007
Amanda is a professional triathlete from Western Australia. She lives and trains both in Australia, and in San Diego, California. A relative newcomer to the sport, Amanda completed her first Ironman 70.3 race in 2005. In 2007, she competed in, and completed, the Ironman World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Hotel Said to Represent a US$75-US$100 Million Investment in Bali's Luxury Sector.
The Jakarta Post reports that the Regent hotel brand will make a new re-appearance in Indonesia via their management of a luxury hotel property on Bali's Sanur Beach.
The Bali Regent will reportedly be built on a four-hectare site in Sanur comprised of 150 rooms and 50 villas representing a total project investment of between US$75 million and US$100 million.
The hotel will be built by Grand Pacific Properties Ltd who have entered into a an agreement with Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific Pty - the owners of the Regent Brand. That agreements addresses hotel development services, hotel management and marketing trade licenses.
Grand Pacific Properties Ltd is reportedly owned by the Tahir family, the founders of the Mayapada Business Group in Indonesia. The Mayapada Group is a large and widely diversified congolmerate with interests in banking, Duty Free Shoppers, commercial real estate and hospitals.
The new Bali Regent will herald a return of the Regent brand to Indonesia following their withdrawal from a luxury hotel project in the Kuningan area of Jakarta several years ago. The former Regent of Jakarta is now operated by the Four Seasons brand.
We Beg Your Pardon, Mr. President?
Bali Bombers Last Hope of Salvation is a Presidential Reprieve.
The Indonesian Supreme Court has made a formal response to the sudden and abrupt withdrawal of the Bali Bomber's defense team last month during a final appeal before the Denpasar Court. Despite the "walk out" staged by the "Muslin Legal Team" who were angered at the refusal of the Court to change the venue of the hearing from Bali to Java and the judge's denial of the request to bring the three convicted men to Bali, the Supreme Court has ratified the decision of the Bali jurists.
A legal consensus is growing that the three bombers, Amrozi (43), Iman Samudra (37) and Ali Gufron (47) – now sitting on death row in Java for their role in the October 12, 2002, bombing of Bali nightspot that killed 202 people, are now left with the final legal option of seeking clemency from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in order to avoid a fateful appointment with an Indonesian firing squad.
While the option of seeking leniency from the President is open to both the convicted men and their families acting on their behalf, the Bali bombers have thus far been steadfast in insisting they have no interest in seeking any pardon.
Claiming an allegiance only to God with unconcealed disdains for the laws or sovereignty of the Indonesian nation, should the Bali Bombers now seek clemency from the President they would necessilarly be compelled to repudiate their fanatic religous militancy to make any request for mercy from the Indonesian leader tenable.
Four-Time-a-Week Service to Bali to End from May 31, 2008.
Royal Brunei Airways have announced plans to suspend it four-time-a-week service between Bandar Seri Begawan and Denpasar, Bali, effective May 31, 2008.
The curtailment of Bali service is part of a larger reshuffle of the Airline's schedule to improve the airlines overall services and operating efficiencies.
Also removed as a Royal Brunei's destination starting from May 31st is Sydney, Australia.
Chief Executive Officer of the Airline, Ray Sayer said, "Although leaving a destination is never an easy decision, as regional competition increases it is necessary for RBA to make these schedule changes that improve RBA's product and strengthen the airline's core network."
Passengers holding reservations between Bali and Brunei on the Airline after May 31, 2008, will be given full refunds or accommodated on other carriers.
Royal Brunei
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