Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak (YKPA) will host an evening art exhibition to raise funds to establish a shelter for Bali’s Street Children on Friday, September 16, 2011.

Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak, founded by Putu Etiartin, provides a caring home, education and health center for homeless children living on the streets of Bali. The center currently house 25 children and provides care for 70 more still living on the streets. Established in 2007, YKPA address the harsh realities faced by the street children such as AIDS, child abuse, human trafficking and sex abuse.

The September 16th exhibition, hosted at BIASA ArtSpace - a contemporary art gallery in Seminyak, Bali - will showcase painting and objects d’arts on sales to interested collectors.

A highlight of the evening will be a dance performance by the street children dance group.

Proceeds from the evening will go towards a fund managed by the YKPA to purchase a house to serve as the foundations headquarters and serve as a shelter for street children.

Guests attending the evening will enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres, provided by Alfred Cuisine, Gaya Gelato, Metis, Sasa, Trattorria, and Unico.

 Fund Raising Evening to a House to Shelter Bali’s Street Children
                                     Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak
                     BIASA ArtSpace, Jalan Raya Seminyak No. 34
                                                  Seminyak, Bali
                                  
                                     Friday, September 16, 2011

                                            Cocktails at 6:00 p.m.

For more information [YKPA Website]  or [Email] 

Telephone ++62-(0) 813 37411112 or ++62-(0) 361 8037322

It’s just become more difficult for the citizens of Bali’s capital city of Denpasar to litter or throw trash away in an unregulated manner. Newly appointed “Jumali” or “Environment Marshals” are now on patrol prepared to impose penalties on those who carelessly abandon trash in local neighborhoods.

The Jumali are under the command of Denpasar’s Hygiene and Parks Department.

According to Beritabali.com, the environmental marshals went on patrol on Jalan Nangka Selatan on Monday, September 5, 2011, under the direct supervision of Ida Bagus Alit Indra, the official coordinator for Jumali in Denpasar.

A team of 35 marshals covered the areas surrounding Jalan Nangka Selatan seeking to catch people in the act of throwing their trash onto local roads. Describing the moment when caught in the act of throwing trash away on the streets, “Gus” Indra said, “when we tell them they are making a mess by throwing their trash away on the streets, the guilty party can only grin.”

The environment marshals issue letters of warnings and the take the names and identities of the offending local citizens while also confiscating  the offending party’s identity card or driver’s license.

When the Jumali caught Jaman Dardiri who lives on Jalan Noja, the officials seized his KTP (identity card) in front of a large group of local bystanders. His case and ID will now be forwarded to the local community chief (Kelian banjar).

“This is done so the Kelian will also know that they still have citizens in their locale who are carelessly discarding trash, thereby opening the way for education of wrongdoers by their neighbors, who may impose even stiffer community sanctions, as necessary,” explained Gus Indra.

One day earlier, the environmental marshals visited the Jalan Hayam Wuruk area of Denpasar where tens of residents were caught in the act of throwing their trash on the side of the road, in total disregard for local rules.

The chief of the Hygiene and Parks Department for Denpasar, Dewa Anom Sayoga, said the Jumali program is aimed at educating the public; making people aware of the importance of keeping their natural environment clean.

Explained Sayoga: “Bearing in mind our limitations, hopefully this efforts will accelerate the creations of a cleaner, healthier and greener Denpasar. What's even more important, is the public’s participation in increasing awareness helping the government achieve its programs of a ‘Clean and Green Denpasar.’”

The tragic fatal accident on the road between Jakarta and Bandung that claimed the life Virginia Anggraini, the wife of national Dangdut performer, Saipul Jamil, bears closer examination for its possible implications on road safety in Bali.

In that accident, Anggraini was killed when she was thrown from a Toyota Avanza being driven on a toll-road by her celebrity husband. While police continue to investigate the case, it seems an inescapable conclusion that Jamil was in command of a car designed for only 6 passengers, but severely overloaded with 10 passengers. Carrying a weight load that exceeded the manufacturers recommendations for safe handling and with more people than seat belts, Jamil was breaking the law the very moment when he entered the public roadways, making him legally culpable in the death of his wife.

While Saipul Jamil has suffered a tragic loss in the demise of his wife, Article 310 of Law No. 22 of 2009 is clear that unintended negligence in operating a motor vehicle that results in the loss of life is punishable with a fine of up to Rp. 12 million (US$1,365) and 6 years in prison.

Was the accident unintentional? Clearly. And the law makes that distinction, doubling the penalty to 12 years when death and injury results from intentional reckless endangerment. 

Road Safety in Bali

At the risk of sounding uncaring at this  tragic juncture in the young singing star's life, we hope that Jamil is held legally accountable for the seeming reckless endangerment that caused the death of his wife. However of even greater importance, we hope that traffic officials in Bali would use a successful prosecution of Jamil for manslaughter as a starting point in a stricter application Law No. 22 of 2009 in order to improve road safety in Bali.

Bali is in danger of winning the unwanted distinction of becoming the deadliest holiday destination in Asia with between 100- 200 traffic fatalities on the island’s roads each month. While the madness and mayhem of driving in Bali make interesting fodder for dinnertime anecdotes, the bittter reality is that the insane antics on the island's roadways invariably brings those of us  who live on the island for any period of time to the graves and funeral pyres of  friends and colleagues who have died in traffic accidents.

Laws are written to remedy societal ills. A non-compromising enforcement of the traffic laws in Bali has the potential of bringing  about tidal change in the arrogant impunity on display everyday on Bali's roadwats. That impunity can be brought to a rapid end through the strict enforcement of Law No. 22 of 2009. Once this is done, the body count at local hospitals and morgues is almost certain to decline.

Imagine if injuries or loss of life caused through bad driving practice in Bali carried with it a "high certainty" of imprisonment. Would high profile stories in Bali media about bad drivers serving time in jail for killing or injuring people while texting SMS messages;  being intoxicated; carrying more than 2 people on a motorcycle; riding a motorcycle without a helmet; or going the wrong way down a one-way street actually deter people from such dangerous behavior?

We think it would.

In fact, it can be argued that the reckless disoplays that are so much a part of the Bali driving experience is the direct outcome of the pervasive feeling that there are few rules on Bali's road that can't be "sorted out" through the venality of a local officer of the law.

In the face of the growing carnage on Bali roads, it's high time the police do their job and adopt an uncompromising stance on enforcing traffic rules.

Our lives and the lives of our tourist visitors depend on it.

Related Articles

[Bali’s Deadly Love Affair with Motorcycles]

[The Long Arm of the Law]
 
[Counting Carnage in Paradise]

Customs and Excise officials at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport have blamed a broken piece of equipment as the reason why a 41-year-old Ugandan woman, Phoebe Annete, was able to escape detection with more than one kilogram of methamphetamines concealed within her gastro-intestinal tract. [See: When Death is Hard to Swallow] .

The dead body of the Ugandan was discovered at a Kuta hotel. A subsequent autopsy revealed the large stash of drugs carried within her intestinal organs believed to have been in situ when the woman landed in Bali on August 28, 2011.

Beritabali.com quoted the chief of Customs and Excise at Bali’s airport, I Made Wijaya, as saying he suspect Phoebe slipped through the inspections because of a strong network and the problems of detecting drugs concealed in such a manner.

Wijaya is nonetheless prepared to undertake a comprehensive internal investigation and review all his team members on duty at the time the woman landed at the airport. However, due to the fact that some of the officials were on holiday for the Moslem New Year, he admits some inspections were not being carried out due to a lack of manpower,

Said Wijaya: “We will undertake an inspection of officers working at the time she arrived. We promise that our officers in the field are working to the maximum.”

Wijaya was adamant in defending his cadres, dismissing the possibility that bribery may have been involved. He also noted that narcotic dogs on duty at the airport at the time of Annete’s arrivals also failed to detect the drugs.

“I suspect that the narcotics syndicate had already studied our work patterns and the capabilities of our detection equipment. The smuggling effort was successful because our detection system was negative,” explained Wijaya.

The police are interviewing officials on duty at the airport at the time of the woman’s arrival in the course of investigating the incident.

South African Woman Arrested

Also from Beritabali.com is the report that a South African woman, Nyolukana Nomakorinte Christabell (46), was arrested at Bali’s airport on Saturday, September 3, 2011, when more than one kilogram of methamphetamine were found concealed in her undergarments.

Police have also arrested a believed associate of the South African at the Vila Sari Uma Alas in Seminyak. The individual arrested is believed by police to be part of an international network of drug couriers.

Wijaya explained that Nomakontinte was a known target under surveillance by his officers based on intelligence reports.

Authorities have placed a street Value of Rp. 2.1 billion (US$239,000) on the drugs confiscated from Nonakontinte. The woman told police she has been ordered to take a taxi to Vila Uma Alas in Kerobokan where she was to be paid US$850 and a bonus of US$10,000.

Bali’s Badung region is targeting to be free of rabies by the end of December 2011. This target is one year faster than the provincial target to be "clean"  of rabies by December 2012.

According to Bertiabali.com, the ability of Badung to achieve early success in the war on rabies is based on evaluation conducted between January and August in which no new cases of the disease have been found in the most populous southern region of Bali.

The chief of the Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Seas Department of the Badung administration, Made Badra, said he was delighted with the results of no new cases of rabies and the diminishing number of reports of dog bites in his region. At the height of the crisis there were 100 dog bite cases reported each day, a number that now amounts to one or two daily incidents.

Badra added that a vaccination program has had positive results with nearly 86% of all dogs in Badung now inoculated against the disease.

The total dog population in Badung is estimated at 50,000 animals.

Bali will serve as destination for the The 24th ICDE World Conference which will be hosted by the Open University (Universitas Terbuka) in Indonesia on October 2-5, 2011.

Meant to serve as a worldwide forum on Open and Distance Learning (ODL), leaders in that field will gather in Bali to exchange ideas and strategies to promote new approaches to create a future in which environmental, societal and economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of personal and communal prosperity.

To be held at the Westin Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali, the two main days of the conference will feature a distinguished roster of scheduled speakers from the public, private and educational sectors:

• President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia

• Muhammad Nuh, Minister of Education, Republic of Indonesia

• Hal Plotkin, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education

• Duk Hoon Kwak, President and CEO, Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), South Korea

• Lawrence Lessig, Lawyer, Activist and Founder of Creative Commons, U.S.A.

• Rory McGreal, Associate Vice-President, Research, Athabasca University, Canada.

• Gráinne Conole, Professor of e-learning, the Open University, United Kingdom

Nearly 300 separate presentations will be conducted during main and parallel sessions. The conference discusses issues and challenges for ODL under the following sub-themes:

. ODL and human capacity building
. ODL in a changing world
. Quality and ODL – the way forward
. Management and strategic development of ODL
. Open Educational Resources (OER) in a global world
. International development and distance learning

ICDE

Founded in 1938 in Canada, ICDE is a non-governmental organization in formal consultative relations with UNESCO that seeks to promote lifelong, open and flexible learning. With membership drawn from 50 countries, ICDE provides support and strategic advice to members seeking to undertake collaboration projects and obtain funding.

For more information telephone ++62-(0)21-7401585

Related Website and Helpfu Links

[Email for Accommodation]

[24th ICDE World Conference on Open & Distance Learning]
 
[International Council for Open and Distance Education]
 

According to the Jakarta Post, the main lobby area of Bali’s iconic Bali Hyatt Hotel in Sanur has been closed following the collapse of a section of roofing.

The rest of the hotel, however, remains open for business with receptive services moved to the Hibiscus Room while repairs are performed

The unexpected and sudden collapse of ceiling took place at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2011, when the large lobby area was relatively quiet. Wood crossbeams gave way showering down the thatch roofing and bamboo frames.

According to a hotel spokesman, no one was injured in the incident.

The Bali Hyatt is one of Sanur’s oldest international hotels, opened 38 years ago. Experts and engineers are supervising the repairs while investigating the cause of the roof’s collapse.

Hotel spokesman report that business is running as usual with all services to guests uninterrupted.
 
[Book a Room at the Bali Hyatt - Sanur]

The Bali Red Cross (PMI) Blood Center at Bali Sanglah Hospital is in urgent need of a plasmapheresis machine capable of separating plasma from whole blood.

Plasma drawn from live donors can be stored for up to one year, while whole blood has a shelf life of only one month. Plasma is also an essential source of thrombocytes, which are a life-saving element always in short supply in Bali’s perennial battle against dengue fever.

A plasmapheresis machine can separate 300 cubic centimeters of blood platelets or thrombocytes from a single donor while manual means are more painstaking, requiring 10 donors to produce an equivalent amount.

The cost of a new machine is estimated at Rp. 1.3 billion (US$151,727) – an amount that has not been funded by provincial sources, despite pleas from the PMI.

The Bali Blood Center continues to hope that the central government, Provincial Government or a caring donor will come to the rescue and help the center meet an ever-urgent need for platelets.

Related Article

[You’re so Vein, I Bet You Think this is About You]

Tempo Interactive reports that the Garuda Pilots Association (APG) is preparing to go on strike sometime in September.

Unlike the one-day strike by a portion of the Airline’s pilots on July 28, 2011, the coming threatened industrial action will reportedly be joined by the Garuda Employees Union (Sekarga) and the Garuda Cabin Crew Association.

APG chairman, Stephanus Gerardus Rahardi, said, “unlike the last strike, in July, this one will be done by all Garuda employees.”

Exactly when the strike will commence has yet to be announced.

Initially based on a call for pay parity between Indonesian cockpit crew and contract foreign pilots, the labor discontent driving the strike has widened to embrace a longer list grievances by the airline’s employees against management.

Said Rahardi, 

“We are encountering the same problem. This action is the accumulated effect of Garuda’s mismanagement.”

Related Articles

[Garuda Strike Abandoned, Talks Continue]
 
[Strike Looming for Garuda Indonesia]

[Garuda Pilots Threaten Strike Action]
 

Indonesia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik insist that Bali as an international tourism destination is still lacking a sufficient number of international meeting venues. The Minister told Beritabali.com that because of this insufficiency, the government would go ahead with plans to support the building of the Bali International Park (BIP) convention facility to host the APEC Summit coming to Bali in 2013.

“In connection with APEC summit, we are still lacking sufficient meeting rooms. In Bali we have two (convention centers) in Nusa Dua, but they are insufficient. For 2015 this is (also) insufficient,” said Wacik in Denpasar on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.

“We have taken the initiative of creating a new complex like that at Nusa Dua (BTDC), such as the Bali International Park (BIP) in Jimbaran. This needs to be socialized, we have to be patient. In this era of democracy, there will never be a decision on which everyone will agree; there will always be dissent. Because of democracy, we must be patient, we must go slowly,” explained Wacik.

The Minister insisted that the Bali International Park (BIP) project must move ahead. Said Wacik: “This must proceed because it is good for Bali, in order to remain competitive with Singapore. At this time we still have a lack of convention centers.”

The government plans that the BIP project will provide accommodation for the national leaders expected to attend the APEC Summit in 2013. Effusing, Minister Wacik said: “We will give the international heads of state a memory in the place we are planning. This will become a memory for them for the rest of their lives.”

Minister Wacik underlined that there is a Presidential decree covering the construction of the BIP. “There is a presidential decree, let’s be more serious, let not obstruct the process. Without the presidential decree, the process will be even weaker. There’s a presidential decree, so let's be more serious about the future of Bali,” Wacik said.

Wacik admitted that there still remained several obstacles to the building of the BIP in connections with the APEC Summit in 2013. Said Wacik: “There are still one or two problems. For a big project like this in the democratic era things cannot go smoothly like when the Nusa Dua complex was built. In the past former president Soeharto would issue an order, and things would immediately happen. Now, in this democratic era, all must be discussed beforehand and there must be those who oppose. But slowly we will keep pushing for this to go ahead.”

The BIP Project will occupy a space of 250 hectares with plans including convention facilities for the coming APEC Summit and an integrated tourism complex for Bali. The park will also include a peace monument together with a meeting facility capable of accommodating 10,000 delegates, an arts market, an exhibition hall and luxury accommodation for the heads of 21 nations expected to attend the 2013 meeting.

According to Frans Bambang Siswanto, a businessman driving the BIP project told Beritabali.com that the entire project will cost 2.7 trillion (US$306.8 million) and, while the project is targeted to serve the APEC Summit in 2013, the entire project will take 20 years to complete.

The project will require no public funds, paid for by a consortium of investors

Related Articles

[Sky High Objections]

[Acting Up to Save Bali’s Environment ]
 
[BIP-A-Dee-Doo-Dah] 
 
[Can’t We Just Talk About it?]
 
[Obstacles Delaying Bali International Park]
 
[Problematic: Bali International Park Project]
 
[The Zone Defense]

Beritabali.com reports the Mother of Bali’s chief of police, Inspector General Totoy Herawan Indra, was injured on Monday, September 5, 2011, while using an escalator at the Matahari Square, Kuta, Bali.

The 60-year-old mother of Bali’s top cop suffered bruises and wounds to various parts of her body when she fell on a descending escalator at the mall. According to reports, she was shopping with a family group when the escalator suddenly stopped, causing the fall.

Reports indicate that the incident was due to the mall's management insistence that the escalator, still under repair, be returned to service before repairs were completed.

The relatively minor incident was reported to the police criminal division.

And while the Matahari Square’ s management has formally apologized to the family of General Totoy, the case remains an active criminal investigation by the Bali police.

An unnamed source told Beritabali.com, said five members of Matahari Squares management have been formally named as suspects.

The chief spokesman for the Bali Police, Hariadi, told the press he has yet to receive a report on the incident and was unable to comment.

Indonesia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, claims the construction of a new international airport in Buleleng, North Bali, is important to evenly distribute tourism visitors across the island. Wacik says that an airport in the north will split visitors across both the northern and southern regions of Bali.

Wacik also says that a new airport facility in Bali’s north will act as a stimulus for development in the areas surrounding the airfield.

Quoted in Beritabali.com, Wacik said: “If the infrastructure and facilities in Buleleng are good, the tourists spending time in Buleleng will increase. I am convinced that Buleleng tourists will not journey to Denpasar.”

Location for new Airport Still Not Clear

While public debate on the proposed airport for North Bali continues, an exact location for the proposed facility remains undecided.

30 engineers from India are reportedly performing site surveys, examining various options.

Minister Wacik told the press that the engineers are seeking a suitable location for the proposed airport. Among the criteria on the engineers checklist are selection of a location far from mountains and suitable from a development standpoint for 100 to 200 years into the future.

Officials are targeting that the new airport in Buleleng will be completed and operational by 2014. A candidate Indian investor from North Bali has been identified for a project estimate to cost between Rp. 1.5 to 2 trillion (US$170million to US$227 million).

Currently two possible locations are under review in Buleleng. One alternative is near the eastern border of the Buleleng regency while the second is in western Buleleng, near Bali's former capital of Singaraja.

Indonesia’s Ministry of State Owned Enterprises (BUMN) says it regrets that the Garuda Pilot Association (APG) have declared their intent to strike again in September 2011, following the Union's  failure to achieve an agreement with the Airline.

According to Bisnis.com, the Deputy Minister for infrastructure and logistics at BUMN, Sumaryanto Widayatin, has called on the APG to show professionalism and work to restore the synergy of the national flag carrier.

Sumaryanto said, “they (APG) has brought this problem to the industrial court without understanding that the strike action they will undertake is a criminal act.”

He went on to suggest that the image of Garuda will suffer and decline if the APG undertake a strike instead of achieving a compromise with management.

“A strike will only favor personal interests over company interests, which means they lack a sense of ‘ownership,’ Sumaryanto noted.

Sumaryanto said the BUMN is always open to play the role of a mediator in negotiations between the airline and its pilots, providing a quick resolution can be achieved to end the prolonged discord. ‘We have repeatedly mediated the dispute. That which has been done by the Minister for BUMN, Bapak Mustafa, has bee ‘too good.’ I hope the APG will soften its stance.”

The Deputy Minister prayed the APG will reconsider their plans to go on strike. He said it was the obligation of the APG to support Garuda and its current successful journey towards profitability.

He added: “Many of their complaints have no basis. One (complaint) is the contracts offered to foreign pilots which will soon come to an end.”

APG president, Stephanus Gerardus Rahadi, confirmed to the press that his union remains at an impasse with the airline after eight days of negotiations mediated by the BUMN Ministry.

Said Rahardi: “The management of Garuda is not being serious in handling our three main demands: communication, working contracts and contracts for foreign pilots.”

Related Article

[Garuda Crews Set to Go on Strike, Again]

While on-line polls are anything but scientific, Indonesia is taking no small amount of culinary pride in the results of a CNNgo.com survey of the “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods.”

That poll conducted via Facebook saw 35,000 people list their favorite cuisine with Indonesia Rendang winning top position, followed in second place by another Indonesia staple – Nasi Goreng.

Rendang

Rendang is a succulent dish originating from West Sumatra and involves chunks of beef simmered in coconut milk, galangal, garlic, ginger chilies and lemon grass. Cooked and stewed for hours on end, this dish only works with less-than-premium cuts of beef that can absorb all the spices while being tenderized in the prolonged cooking process. Some elegant hotels in Bali unsuccessfully try to break this rule but using imported tenderloin only to end up with goulash as the long cooking process decimates the more  expensive cuts of imported meat.

Nasi Goreng

Coming in second in the CNN poll was Nasi Goreng – the Indonesian take on fried rice.

Usually made with yesterday’s leftover rice, true nasi goreng is augmented by adding “leftover” bits of meat and vegetables fried together with garlic, soy sauce and chilies. As any Indonesian cook will confirm, the key to delicious nasi goreng is a healthy dollop of “terasi” – a fermented and very odiferous fish paste that's added to the base-sauce for nasi goreng.

Have a look at the results of the latest poll that show the top ten foods listed in the poll all originate from Asia [Bon Appétit!]

On your coming visit to Bali allow balidiscovery.com to show you our favorite haunts for rending and nasi goreng or, if you prefer, join one of our cooking school programs and we'll teach you how to make it yourself.

In apparent response to articles in Denpost and Balidiscovery.com [See Murder Mystery in Bali] listing a large number of open-ended and unsolved murder cases, the island’s Chief of Police, General Totoy Herawan Indra has issued an order that open cases be re-examined, reinvestigated and brought to court.

Citing unsolved cases as an obligation of the police to bring to completion, General Totoy told the press on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, that he is ordering all his section chiefs to seek additional evidence that will allow the many outstanding murders cases in Bali to be resolved.

The General specifically mentioned the brutal beating death of a security guard at the Red Room Bar in Seminyak, which was committed by street thugs in front of a room full of witnesses on July 14, 2010. Police claim to have identified the chief perpetrator who remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Australia.

Also mentioned was the poisoning of two employees of the Titile Sausage Factory in West Denpasar. Although police say they  are certain an employee of the company committed the crime, no arrest has yet been made and the case has apparently gone cold.

Also mentioned were the murders of Jefri Sihombing, Hartoyo, Jerry Fausi, Septiawan and Luciana Burgess

The spokesman for the Bali police, Hariadi, assured the public that the many murder cases have not been filed away and that investigations are ongoing.

July arrival figures for Bali are now in hand showing:

• 278,041 arrivals in July, an improvement of 12.21% over July 2010 (247,778).

• Total arrivals January – July 2011 of 1,549.511 – up 10.98% when compared to the same period 2010.

• Looking ahead, if Bali sustains its current 10,98% rate of growth through year’s end it will end the year with 2.76 million foreign visitors.

Arrivals by Main Markets

• Australia – Now the #1 source of foreign visitors with a 28.06% market share of all arrivals. The 83,988 Australian visitors in July 2011 represented a 32.15% improvement over July 2010. Year-on-year Australian arrivals are up 26.72% totaling 434,762. Look for Australia to end the year with 820,000 total arrivals.

• Peoples Republic of China - The 2nd biggest source of Bali arrivals with a cumulative 131,732 arrivals for January-July 2011, an improvement of 11.36% over 2010. July arrivals from the PRC hit 25,331 – that’s 28.25% more than July 2010 (19.750). Extrapolating, expect the PRC to end the year with 196,000 visitors.

• Japan – Once the undisputed dominant source of arrivals to Bali, Japan has sunk to #3 with 16,188 arrivals in July, down 26.46% when compared to July 2010 (22,015). Year-on-year Japan is lagging 26.13% behind last year with 105,678 Japanese arrivals for January-July 2010. Due to their troubled economy and issues of air access, Japan will continue to slide in the rankings with a projected year-end total of 180,000.

• Malaysia – Now #4 as a source of Bali visitors, there were 12,407 visitors from Malaysia in July 2011, improving 11.18% over July 2010. On a cumulative basis January-July 2011 there were 95,904 visitors, up 16.87% over the same period last year.

• Taiwan – The Taiwanese market staged a rally in July with 13,802 arrivals – a 10.6% increase over July 2010. January-July arrivals from Taiwan are flat,  totaling 79,166 – an increase of only 0.27% over the same seven months in 2010. Taiwan is now the 5th largest source of Bali foreign tourist arrivals.

• South Korea – Now the 6th largest source of visitors to Bali, there were 11,429 South Korean visitors to Bali in July, a 1.77% decrease as compared to July 2010. Cumulatively, South Korea is standing still with 71,704 visitors January-July, a total that is only 0.36% more than 2010 during the same period.

• United Kingdom – The 7th largest source of arrivals to Bali and now the largest European market for the island, the U.K. produced 11,116 visitors in July, a worrisome 14.78 decline as compared to July 2010. On an aggregate basis, U.K. arrivals for January-July are at 60,843 – an increase of 3.64%.

• France – The 8th largest source of Bali visitors is also the second largest source of European visitors. French visitors in July were up 5.58% month—on-month with 15,345 visitors. Year-on-year French visitors totaled 60,842 for January-July 2011 – an improvement of 19.43% over the first seven months of 2010.

• U.S.A. – Despite news of a troubled economy, U.S. arrivals to Bali are growing by leaps and bounds. The 9th biggest source of island visitors, the U.S.A. sent 8,686 visitors in July 2011 – that’s 32.2% ahead of July 2010 (6,570). Cumulatively, U.S. arrivals are up 20.46% with 50,561 U.S. visitors for the first 7 months of 2011. Look for the U.S.A. to end the year at 85,000 visitors.

• Germany – German arrivals are weakening to Bali. The 8,805 German visitors in July 2011 is a decline of 6.5% over the same month in 2010. Cumulatively, German arrivals are down 1.23% or the first seven months of 2011. Germany now ranks as the 10th largest source of Bali visitors and the 3rd largest source of European visitors to Bali.

• Russia – The 11th largest source of Bali visitors, Russians totaled 3,892 visitors for July, a dramatic 15.77% drop from the same month in 2010. Year-on-year Russian arrivals are up 15.59% with a total of 42,903 for the period January-July 2011.

• The Netherlands – The 12th largest source of visitors to Bali, the Dutch counted for 10.519 visitors in July 2011, a decline of 2.47% over July 2010. Year-on-year Dutch arrivals are down 13.45% on a cumulative basis for January-July 2010.

Arrivals by Geographical Area

All markets are demonstrating growth. The Asian-Pacific and ASEAN represent a combined market share of 70.84%. Europeans constitute 23.14% of all visitors to Bali, while the Americas represent 5.16%.
 

The State News Agency Antara reports that according to the Deputy for Drugs Eradication at the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Inspector General Tommy Sagiman, Bali has become a major international gateway for the illicit drug trade.

“In addition,” said Sagiman, “Bali is being used by smugglers as a transit point for narcotics.”

A leader in Indonesia’s war on drugs, Sagiman told a meeting in Bali on Tuesday, September 5, 2011, that drug syndicates are using couriers or "mules" to bring drugs onto the island. In his opinion, however, these efforts at drug smuggling have met effective resistance due to the professionalism and preparedness of Customs officials on duty at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport.

In order to improve the already high level of enforcement effectiveness in preventing couriers from bringing narcotics into Baii,  Sagiman says an improvement in identity recognition systems is needed.

“In addition to a good (identification) system, the quality of staffing needs to be improved and equipped with the latest equipment to detect drug smugglers,” he explained.

The BNN official said the gateways favored by narcotic traffickers in addition to Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport are the airports of Jakarta (Soekarno Hatta), Polonia Airport in Medan and the seaports of Pulau Bintan and Pulau Batam.

Sagiman said effective control against illegal drug smuggling is stronger at Indonesia’s airports as compared to seaports.

Underlining the pervasiveness of drug use in Indonesian society, BNN estimates nationally that there are a total of 3.6 million drugs users representing 1.9% of the country’s entire population.

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The September 6, 2011 edition of The Jakarta Post carries the article [Mary Northmore: Bringing Bali to Buckingham Palace] relating the story a June visit to London by long-time Bali resident Mary Northmore for her investiture as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Mary Northmore's honors were bestowed at Buckingham Palace by Charles, Prince of Wales, in a solemn ceremony on June 22, 2011, in acknowledgement of her role in the life-saving work with the Bali Smiles Foundation (Yayasan Senyum Bali), which provides surgical treatment Indonesians, primarily children, suffering from cranio-facial injuries or malformations.

Working with teams of dedicated medical specialists from Adelaide, South Australia and Indonesia, the Bali Smiles Foundation treats patients with disfiguring and often life-threatening medial conditions. To date more than 1,000 lives have been transformed by the medical miracles made possible by Mary Northmore and her team.

Displaying her characteristic charm and modesty, Mary describes her feelings during the awards ceremony, saying: “I was always conscious of all the people who were with me: doctors, donors, staff, volunteers and well-wishers of all kinds — a big organization. It was not Mary Northmore receiving the MBE, but all these people with me.”

Follow the link above to hear more about Mary’s visit to London and her chat about Bali with Prince Charles.

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[Yaysaan Senyum Bali]

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Bali’s first The Bukit Walk for a Sustainable Future fund raising event has been set for September 22-25, 2012. The 4-day walk will raise awareness and generate funds for underprivileged children in Indonesia, women’s literacy and vocational skills training programs and environmental restoration projects in South Bali.

The Bukit Walk for a Sustainable Future invites local businesses, hotels and individuals located in the Bukit area of South Bali to become involved by making cash donations, purchasing tickets for a raffle prize draw, act as sponsors for the event or to make a personal pledges rededicating themselves to create an environmentally sustainable world.

SoleMen Robert Epstone, Frenchman Daniel Chieppa with his Balinese wife 'Yatna, and Swissman Beat Schmid de Gruneck will walk barefoot a circuit that will take them around the entire Bukit peninsula.

Together with ROLE Foundation who are the organizers of The Bukit Walk for a Sustainable Future - local business and hotels along the route will be encouraged to make donations and pledges.

During the event visits will also be paid at the Bali Life Foundation an orphanage in the Bukit and Eco Surf Rescue Uluwatu - a non-profit waste management project dealing with trash collection and sewerage.

During the walk, ROLE Foundation hopes to attract new students. ROLE is inviting unskilled women from the Bukit area to sign-up to its free education program with courses in literacy and vocational skills training.

The Bukit Walk for a Sustainable Future will start from ROLE’s Town Leaning Center on Jalan Siligita in Nusa Dua on Thursday, September 22, 2011.

The route will pass through Ungasan, Pecatu, Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Dreamland and Jimbaran, and the final leg passing through Tanjung Benoa, Nusa Dua to Sawangan (see the map). The walk ends back at ROLE’s Eco-Learning Park, Sawangan with a celebratory Children’s Fun Day event at the park to be held on Sunday 25th September.

ROLE Foundation

ROLE Foundation believes that poverty and environmental degradation are inextricably linked. The programs seek effective ways to ensure a healthy environment and to eradicate poverty through environmental assistance projects, education, environmental awareness building, and the creation of eco-friendly job opportunities.

Founded by Michael O’Leary in 2007, ROLE Foundation is a registered charity in Indonesia, headquartered in Bali.

ROLE educates and provides employment assistance for 200 women, has welcomed over 2000 children and visitors to the Eco-Learning Center, and manages environmental restoration and waste management projects.

[ROLE Foundation Website] 

SoleMan Indonesia

SoleMen Indonesia is registered charity providing funds to support accredited agencies and projects for homeless and underprivileged children in Indonesia. The SoleMen are walking barefoot to support poor and homeless children in Indonesia.

[SoleMan Website] 

Walk the Bukit for a Sustainable Future  

For more information, to make cash donations, learn more about sponsorship or join this year’s event contact ROLE Foundation by [Email] or telephone ++62-(0)361-8078805 or ++62--(0)81 338 157924.

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa have launched ‘The Lobby’ - a chic lounge bar that stay open each evening until 2 a.m..

Renowned Indonesian architect and interiors by Hadiprana Design Consultants have lent their trademark authentic Balinese touches in a lounge bar and veranda setting. This lounge extends onto a visually striking elevated outside area where generous seating affords views of the resort and the Indian ocean.

“The idea behind The Lobby was to create an upscale venue where specially created beverages can be savoured in a comfortable and beautiful environment,” say Reto Torriani, general manager of the hotel. “In The Lobby, Balinese tradition gels with contemporary lounge ambience, and warm wooden design flourishes mix with quality art,” he added. “Vibrant colours and our own carefully crafted music and backdrops adapt to the different moods of the day, with the charm and soul of Bali surrounding visitors.”

Japanese-born DJ Cozy provided musical settings on Thursdays and Saturdays, while UK-based music stylist Axel Jennewein set the musical stage the rest of the week.

State of the art sound systems localize the music to the bar and lounge areas, ensuring that hotel guests remain undisturbed by the relaxed conviviality happening each evening just off the main lobby.

Fling International Bar Services have concocted a range of beverage options and services for ‘The Lobby’ that include a bespoke cocktail list focusing on homemade and fresh local ingredients.

[Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa]

Road Access to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport has been altered during the course of the ongoing expansion of the airport’s international terminal.

Jalan Kemayoran which connects the airport’s entrance to Kuta has been closed effective September 10, 2011.

The head of the redevelopment project says the closure of Jalan Kemayoran will not extend beyond March 2012.

The closure of Jalan Kemayoran will not affect access for those travelling from Nusa Dua, Sanur or Denpasr. Those travelling from Kuta and South Kuta will, however, not need to divert via Jalan Kediri to Jalan Raya Tuban and then to the main airport access road.

Visitors staying in South Kuta and Tuban are advised to add additional time to their travel itineraries for transfers between the hotel and the airport.

The renovations of the airport are intended to increase the annual carrying capacity of the airport from 8 million to 25 million and are targeted to be completed by 2013.