Full marathon racing returns to Indonesia after an absence of two decades with the Bank International Indonesia Bali Marathon to be held on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

The start and finish are at the Bali Safari and Marine Park - a zoo and recreation center in a seaside location some 12 kilometers northeast of Bali’s capital of Denpasar.

Centered on Bali’s new Ida Magus Mantra Highway, the course passes through scenic Balinese countryside, traditional villages and includes a combination of flat roads and rolling hills.

As an added enticement, the race will feature iconic landmarks and Balinese traditional music with traditionally dressed marshals urging the runners on.

The race is being run in three categories of a full marathon (42 kilometer), half marathon (21 kilometer) and a 10-kilometer race.

Registration, which has just opened, has recorded a rush of registrants from around the world, including members of [Marathon Maniac]  - an organization of frequent runners who qualify for membership by participating in multiple events each year. An international grouping, “maniacs” from the U.S.A. and Singapore are traveling to Bali in April with the Singapore member having more than 147 marathons to his credit.

Underlining the enthusiasm for the Bali event, a Singapore Blade Runner will run in Bali on April 22nd, just one week after competing in the Boston Marathon on April 15th.

The race will also welcome a number of top marathoners, including:

Full Marathon

• Alex Melly (Kenya) whose best time was a second place time of 2:22:46 in the Penang Bridge Marathon on November 21, 2010. Alex's best time tp date 2:20:40.
• Joseph Mwangi Ngare (Kenya) finished 4th place in the Penang Bridge Marathon with a time of 2:26:26. His personal best was in February at the Hong Kong Marathon with a time of 2:17:30.
• Margaret Wangui Njuguna (Kenya) won the woman’s division at 3:06:38 in the Penang Bridge Marathon (1st Place) She has a personal best of 2:42 at the Melbourne Marathon.
• Kari Elliot (Canada) placed 2nd at the Penang Bridge Marathon in November with a time of 3:18:48. Kari is now resident in Indonesia.

Half Marathon

• Stanley Kirwa (Kenya) placed 1st overall at the Penang Half Marathon in his first outing with a time of1:07:17.
• Josphat Kiptanui (Kenya) whose best time was 1:06:56 at the Khon Kaen Half Marathon in Thailand. His best time is 1:04:00
• Alice Kabura Njoroge (Kenya) placed 3rd at the Penang Bridge Half Marathon with a time of 1:25:12.

10 Kilometer

• Paul Kimani Wambui (Kenya) personal best is 30:40

Early-bird registration with substantial savings closes on January 22, 2010 at [Balimarathon.com] .

[Accommodation and travel arrangements in Bali] 

Bali’s Benoa harbor is scheduled to be visited by 38 ships cruise ships in 2012, including the Legend of the Sea measuring 264 meters.

Beritabali.com reports that Iwan Sabatini, General Manager of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (PELINDO), the port managers for Benoa, explained that the “large” Legend of the Sea will be able to use the port due to a widening of the port basin by an additional 150 meters and dredging to a depth of 9.5 meters.

According to Iwan, Benoa is much in demand by cruise operators due to its proximity to the main tourism areas of Bali’s south.

Iwan continued: “In the future, cruise ships that come to Indonesia will increase in number and be of 200 to 300 meters in length. This will demand that we create piers and ports of sufficient capacity and berths with up to 12 meters of depth.”

In 2011, the Benoa port recorded 35 cruise ship visits, exceeding by 25% a target set by the port of 28 ships.

[Cruise Ship Handling in Bali] 

Durians. Pungent smelling fruit encompassed by lethal, sharp spikes – the [Durian]  fruit is ubiquitous in Bali at this time of year, sold from the back of pick-ups parked along the side of major roads.

Heavy and hard to carry without doing injury to your hand, if the durian could be secured on the end of a strong rope or chain, it could form a handy replacement for the ancient [flail].

The lethal qualities of the durian was discovered by a 51-year-old Payangan man on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, when he was struck on the head by a falling durian.

As reported by NusaBali, cut and unconscious after his encounter with the durian, I Wayan Geningan was rushed to the Sanjiwani Gianyar Hospital where he was hospitalized for concussive injuries to his head.

There’s a moral to this story: don’t sleep under a durian tree in season.

The chief of the Bali Manpower and Transmigration Office, I Wayan Wiratha, has accused foreign workers in Bali of “raping” the rights and opportunities of local workers.

Quotes in Bisnis Bali, Wiratha said, “Foreign workers clearly 'rape' the opportunities of local workers.”

Wiratha says that important positions in companies should be filled by local people, increasing employment opportunities for Indonesians. Citing hotels and companies for their use of foreign workers, Wiratha explained, “this is more of a business calculation for the safeguarding of foreign investment.”

Admitting that the use of foreign personnel cannot be eliminated, Wiratha said the use of foreign workers can be controlled. “We can’t stop foreign workers from coming to Bali in this free market era. Work permits for foreigners are in the hands of the central government.”

In order to reduce the number of foreign workers in Bali the Governor has written to the Minister of Manpower and Transmigration to control the issuance of permits to foreign workers and consider the recommendations of provincial administrators in such matters.

Wiratha underlined that when positions can be filled by local workers it is better that those jobs be filled by Indonesians. At the same time, he accepted that the use of foreign labor – especially by foreign-investment companies – cannot be outlawed.

The tourism economy in Bali is predicted to remain bright, providing the three main pillars of the tourism industry – infrastructure, safety and service are nurtured. This is the view of a Badung regency lawmaker and member of Commission C of the Badung House of Representatives (DPRD-Badung), Wayan Puspa Negara.

As reported by Bisnis Bali, Puspa Negara says facilities include infrastructure items such as roadway, floodways, drains, parks, and pedestrian walkways.

Meanwhile, he views safety as security for visitors on several levels, making Bali a “zero crime” zone.

“I hope that officials and the technical units involved in providing service to foreign visitors improve service quality levels. This will give a positive impression to foreign tourism and help make them repeat visitors,” he explained.

By safeguarding these three pillars of tourism – infrastructure, safety and service – Puspa Negara is certain that the regional budget (APBD Badung) of Rp. 2.2 trillion (US$244.4 million) supported by regional hotel and restaurant tax revenues of Rp. 1.3 trillion (US$144.4 million) can be achieved. “With specifications such as these,” the legislator explained, “the Badung regency must focus on developing tourism in order that the three pillars can be further strengthened.”

These three pillars, he believes, must be a prioritized while at the same time strengthening cultural values and conservation as an integral part of tourism development.

Puspa Negara said that as Bali closes 2011, daily tourism arrivals at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport are reaching 11,000 foreign tourists and 12,000 domestic visitors.

In the days just following Christmas Puspa Negara predicted that these numbers would continue to grow through January 1, 2012. He said hotels in the regency were fully booked for the period December 30, 2011 until January 2, 2012.

He was certain that Bali would surpass the targeted 2.6 million foreign tourists in 2011 once final arrivals through the end of the year are counted.
 

Kompas.com report that from January-November 2011, 6,820 people were victims of road accident in Bali. This figure represents a substantial increase from 2010 when the number of casualties was 4,500.

The most significant increase was in the area of serious injuries, which doubled in 2011. Bali recorded 3,268 traffic personal-injury accidentsone year before (2010) when the total was 1,370.

Fatalities at the scene of the accident reduced in 2011 by 72 people, a decline of 11%. In 2010, there were 606 people who died at the scene of an accident as compared to 534 in the current year.

The causes cited by police for accidents were varied and included  poor road conditions and a lack of warning signage, according to the Director of Traffic for the Bali Police, Grand Commissioner M. Arkan K. Hamzah.

Bali police calculate the quantity of criminal cases is on the decline in Bali, counting only 5,280 cases through the end of November 2011, as compared to 5,867 cases for all of 2010.

But, while the quantity of crime may be on the decline, the quality of criminal acts is showing the reverse trend. In 2011, larceny cases with elements of violence increased 40%. In 2011 police recorded 186 cases of violent theft .

The Provincial Chief of Police for Bali, General Totoy Herawan Indra, said: “Yes, indeed in terms of quantity the number of criminal cases has declined, but the quality of crime has become more brazen. The criminals who formerly only snatched purses or wallets, now bring physical violence into play.” As a result, General Totoy recommends that the public be cautious.

Meanwhile, a separate repost in The Jakarta Globe quoted General Totoy as saying the number of crimes committed by foreign visitors is also on the increase with 88 such cases recorded in 2011 as compared to 82 in 2010.

Most crimes committed by foreigners are narcotics-related with 23 drug-related arrests in 2011, lower than the 30 arrests made for drug offenses among foreigners in 2010.

In 2011, a total of 41 foreigners died in Bali, mostly due to illness or suicide.

General Totoy also says that Bali needs more police officers, claiming the 12,000-man police force was inadequate to address the needs of Bal'si large population and huge number of tourist visitors.

Beritabali.com reports that the change of year has brought large piles of trash to Kuta’s beaches, washed ashore by seasonal wind patterns.

Large piles of flotsam, jetsam and general trash washing onto Kuta’s beaches have compelled officers from the Hygiene and Parks Department in cooperation with beach workers, lifeguards and beach traders to join forces clean the long stretch of beach in Kuta.

“During the season of westerly winds rubbish is blown ashore, we have deployed 12 cleaning staff who continually gather the accumulating debris. We are concentrating our efforts beginning from the border bewtween Legian and Kuta down to the Bali Garden Hotel,” explained the chief of the Quick Response Team from the Hygiene and Park Service Department of Badung, Gusti Keut Atawa on December 30, 2011.

Observations of the beach conducted in front of the Hard Rock Hotel revealed two green garbage trucks and two front-loaders permanently assigned to collect and remove beach debris. The clean up activities has also caught the attention of foreign tourists walking along the beach.

“The piles of trash along the beach are removed to an accumulation point near the Chinese Cemetery in Tuban. From there, another fleet of trucks brings the rubbish to the Suwung rubbish dump,” explained Astawa,

In a single day, the trash, largely comprised of wooden debris mixed with plastic, fills 20 trucks.

“The fast response team’s main goal is to accumulate and remove the debris washing ashore; we do not want piles of rubbish to become a source of complaints from Bali’s tourist visitors,” said Astawa.

Separately, the Chairman of the Local Security Force of Kuta Beach, I Gusti Ngurah Tresna said: “The trash that has washed ashore was brought to Bali by westerly winds. This is a yearly phenomenon. We always experience this invasion of debris.”

He added: “Tourists are certainly upset, moreover, several tourists have actually joined in to help collect the rubbish. Because this is a natural occurrence, we worked together with all components of the community. What’s important is the handling (of the rubbish) by us in our capacity as the joint management of the Hygeine and Park Services for Badung. If there’s no rain or westerly winds, the beach will be clean tomorrow."

Bali has enjoyed many praiseful accolades: Island of the Gods, Island Heaven, Island Paradise, the Island of Love, Dawn of the World and Magical Island. Now, added to the list of is “Island of Peace” – recently bestowed on Bali by World Peace Committee (WPC).
tabali.com receive its latest honorific title on December 27, 2011, in a ceremony held at Nusa Dua in Bali.

The WPC cited nine reasons for declaring Bali is the “Island of Peace,” including the strength of traditional law among the Balinese; the universal respect for concept of Tri Hita Karana which mandates harmony between Man, Nature and God; and the spirit of the Balinese people who voice peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss – embodied in the word "Shanti" – in all their daily activities.

The President of the World Peace Committee, Djuyoto Suntani, said Bali was entitled to the honor of being declared the “Island of Peace” given the island’s commitment to working for peace. In addition, several peace-committed organization and world peace leaders make their home or frequently visit Bali in the pursuit of peace.”

“People from all over the world stream to Bali to find peace on this beautiful island. This is the name bestowed by Nature. People ‘come home’ to Bali from all nations. Bali is where they gather; where they seek peace – all nations, all religions,” Explained Suntani.

Suntani said further proof of Bali’s position, as the “Island of Peace” is the building of a giant peace gong located in Nusa Dua near The Bali Collection.

The “Peace Gong” measures 5 meters across and is adorned with symbols from nations around the globe.

Standing in close proximity to the Peace Gong at Nusa Dua are a collection of statues depicting world leaders who have received the Nobel Peace Prize, including: Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela.

Grey lines is an art exchange experience combining drawings from dance, emotions and life, made by Noella Roos together with a dance, video performing by Ida Ayu Indah Tejapratami
oos, born in 1969 in Amsterdam, is a Dutch artist. Born into a family of artists, her talent was nourished and stimulated from early childhood. In this artistic environment, Noella was given every opportunity to develop her artistic qualities. As a result, her paintings and drawings betray a classical and technical competency that is seldom found in the current generation of artists

As a result, her drawings are inspired by Michelangelo, Käthe Kollwitz, Andrea del Sarto and Dooijenwaard.

Noella lets dancers dance to music in her studio in Bali while she draws them in motion with compressed chalk on white paper. She prefers chalk because it is, to her view, an ‘honest’ medium; the resulting drawings are either good or bad - you cannot change or erase parts. When she works, the movement of the body inspires Noella. ”Everyone has their own ‘language’ when they dance, influenced and shaped by cultural backgrounds, but primarily it is an expression of the emotional involvement with the music”.

Her fascination for moving figures eventually led to the development of a technique that convincingly captures movement, Her interest is focused on the muscle movements and on the light that reflects on the moving body. She continues drawing a dancing model until she can fully fathom the movement of the model. That is why Noella prefers to work with only one dancer for a long period. In the end, she and the model become as one. At the same time , her drawings follows the rhythm of the dance. Then, it is no longer a matter of hard work as thinking and doing have merged together.

At the current exhibition, drawings depicting modern dancers from Europe and drawings of a beautiful traditional Balinese dancer, Dayu Indah from Peliatan, will be exhibited. The Balinese dancer, however, dances to modern music from Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt. Noella Roos tells of how she is amazed to see a traditional Legong dancer perform to contemporary music. An accomplished dancer can dance out of feelings and emotions with the music, regardless of whether the dancer is from Indonesia or Europe.

Noella Roos draws inspiration from traditional Balinese dance because of its use of architectonic lines. Balinese dance has a lot of Golden Mean ratios in its composition, as in architecture. This Golden Mean, also known the Divine Proportion, is evident everywhere in the works of Noella Roos and is also similar to the proportions of the Balinese cosmos guarded by equations of scale that set out lengths, breadths and widths relative to the human body measurements.

Balinese dance is sometimes accused of being ‘sweet’. However, most of the dances drawn by Noella are strong and expressive. She likes to make drawings where she visualizes the expressions from the dance, and not necessarily the character or pose of the dancing girl or boy. Noella draws dancers as dancing lines and does not draw the traditional costumes. This, she says, attracts too much attention away from the emotions and expression of the dance itself.

Noella Roos tries to capture that one moment of sublime connection between the dancer, the artist and the music. Only that sublime one moment capture in time can result in a satisfying drawing. Her lines are free open, grey, not too black. Drawing for her is akin to joining the dancer in order to obtains a better understanding of dance in Bali.

The artistic connections between Asia and Europe are as old as history. Noella Roos, with her respect for classical education, both from the West as well as of the East, manages to visualize traditional Asian dance in a modern way.

GREY LINES
Drawings by Noella Roos
Dance and Video Performance by Ida Ayu Indah Tejapratami

February 4, 2012 - March 4, 2012

Gaya Art Space
Jalan Raya Sayan, Ubud 80572, Bali

For more information telephone + 62 361 979252 / 979253
[Email] 
 

Andrew Khoo, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Bali, presented a check of Rp 150.000.000, (US$16,600) on December 22, 2011. Shown on Balidiscovery.com is (left to right) Andrew Khoo, General Manager, Hard Rock Hotel Bali and Patrick Van Kampen, President of Rotary Club of Bali Seminyak.
y was raised by the hotel via “Rock & Run” an annual charity event organized by Hard Rock Hotel Bali as part of the hotel’s mantra “Take Time To Be Kind."

The current funds raised were raised at the Rock ‘n Run - The 11th Chapter Charity Run that took place on November 27, 2011. More than 550 runners from Indonesia, Australia, Japan and New Zealand participated in this charity run with another 550 people making donations of support.

The money will be given to the Rotary Club of Bali – Seminyak to assist the Rumah Senyum “Smile House” Foundation which helps children in need of cleft palate surgery.

Since the inception of the annual Rock n’ Run – Charity Run – the funds raised have helped 150 children.

Revenues earned by visas-on-arrival (VOA) at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport declined slightly over the last month, but on a cumulative basis January – September 2011 generated a record US$42 million.

Visitors from a large number of countries are allowed to purchase a 30-day visa upon arrival in Indonesian [Visa-on-arrival policy]  

Bisnis Bali quotes Sunarto, an economist from the Denpasar office of Bank Indonesia, as saying that revenues from tourists to Bali declined over the last three-month.

In a statistical analysis prepared for Bali, Sunarto said tourism revenues declined in accordance with a reduced number of foreign visitors to Bali. The VOA receipts for July 2011, for example, totaled US$5.8 million, reducing to US$5.4 million in August and to US$5.1 million in September.

He said that VOA receipts during first three quarters of 2011 were paid by 1,685,112 tourists from nations subject to visa fees.

Tourists from ASEAN countries and selected other nations are exempt from purchasing a VOA. Based on the total of 2,052,083 foreign tourists visiting Bali January-September 2011, nearly 18% of Bali’s foreign visitors hailed from countries exempt from paying the VOA fees.

 

A grim tale retold each year in Bali after New Year’s celebrations records scores of residents have again fallen to wounds suffered in the handling of fireworks, traffic mishaps and inter-village rivalries.

The State News Agency Antara quotes an attendant on duty at an emergency room at one of Bali’s main hospitals reporting a steady stream of ambulances bringing the wounded and injured to their door over the New Year’s Eve period.

“Since before midnight, patients came in a steady flow. There were those injured by fireworks but even more injured due to traffic accidents,” he explained.

Data collected through 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day showed 37 casualties were treated at the unnamed hospital.

“There are already 37 people recorded as traffic casualties, but there are a few more not yet on the list, perhaps because of the busy rush of patients were not recorded on the list,” admitted the hospital staff member.

Meanwhile, a number of people have been treated in Bali's hospitals after mishandling fireworks. The hospital staffer said one of the victims had sustained injuries to his genitals due to poor handling of fireworks. However, the more common site of the injuries from poor firework handling affected the eyes and hands of victims who were overwhelmingly young people.

“Patients with fireworks wounds came to around 20, but again the data is not complete as some were still waiting for treatment at the time of the count,” shared the unnamed hospital worker.

Another  hospital in Kuta said several patients suffering severe injuries were brought to their emergency room, including one man who lost several fingers when explosives ignited in his hands.

In Gianyar, celebrations with fireworks are blamed for the death of a 60-year-old man living on Lebih beach who was startled by the sound of a nearby firecracker before suffering a fatal heart attack.

The Jakarta Globe reports a teenager in Bali died after hitting a tree while driving his motorcycle. Smoke from fireworks is thought to have hindered his vision, contributing to the cause of the crash.

Also in Lebih, three teenage boys required emergency care after suffering wounds inflicted by firecrackers

Also In the Balinese region of Gianyar, Antara reports that brawls among area youth, disputing the borders between Banjar Wangbung in the village of Gawang and Banjar Tangkan in the village Ketewel, resulted in injuries to at least three people and the burning of a motorcycle by an angry mob.

Police were reportedly standing by in the affected areas of Sukawati to ensure simmering tensions did not reignite and result in further clashes.
 

A leading professor at Bali’s Udayana University, Dr. Ir. Dewa Ngurah Suprapta, blames the rapid rise of tourism in Bali, particularly that which has occurred since the 1990s, as causing a dilution of Bali’s traditional cultural-tourism image.

“Many foreign cultures and foreign cultural products have displaced Bali’s unique culture,” explained Suprapta in on December 31, 2011.

Suprapta describe the tourism business as an industry that places service and treating the tourist visitor like a king at center stage.

“Café businesses, karaoke joints, discos and various other forms of entertainment that formerly did not exist in Bali are now very commonplace, while traditional Balinese warungs are becoming rarer,” said Suprapta.

He emphasized that if the current situation was allowed to continue unabated, Bali will eventually lose its unique character and, in turn, its ability to attract tourist visitors.

“If Bali is no longer is attractive to visitors, the island will be abandoned by the same tourists who today represent the mainstay of hope for the Balinese people and tourism will no longer be able support the local Balinese economy ,” he explained.

Suprapta also sees a condition in which the farmers in Bali are economically poorer than their counterparts in other parts of Indonesia. He says that many parties in Bali are forgetting to calculate the negative impact of tourism on Bali’s agricultural sector.

The arrival of large number of tourists in numbers that exceed the population of Bali will make the price of many basic commodities in life increase sharply.

Suprapta warned that farmers, who are already living a hand-to-mouth existence, would be compelled to compete with tourist visitors and those employed in the tourism sector to try to buy daily necessities. The farmers, with little buying power, will be the net losers in such a scenario.

Bali Governor Made Pastika has asked that the polemic over the exploration and exploitation of geothermal energy in the hills of Bedugul be brought to an end.

As reported by Kompas.com, Pastika has rejected requests for a new review of the geothermal energy project in Bali, despite urgings to do so from fellow-Balinese, Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Jero Wacik. Governor Pastika has said that revisiting the controversy over geothermal energy in Bali will only serve to foster conflicts on social, economic and cultural levels.

Pastika implored: “So please, lets’ stop the polemic. O.K.?”

ESDM Minister Jero Wacik has promoted geothermal energy in Bali for its ability to generate at least 165 megawatts of additional power supply. For this reason, his ministry continues to lobby for geothermal exploration.

Efforts to establish a geothermal energy production facility in Bedugal have been the focus on many protests since its initiation several years ago. The initial rejection of the idea for geothermal power came from the Bali House of Representatives (DPRD-Bali), followed by a formal rejection by the then governor Dewa Made Beratha.

When power changed hands to Bali’s current governor, Made Mangku Pastika, in 2008, the rejection of the project in the hills of Batukaru was reiterated by the island’s new chief executive. This put an end to developer’s efforts to bore three holes in the hillside in order to tap subterranean geothermal heat sources.

Governor Pastika explained: “It is rather difficult for us to allow our already limited forest areas to be sacrificed for geothermal projects. Nobody has been able to certify exactly where the best area is to drill, the area with the most geothermal potential. These are technical issues.”

Balinese religious belief holds that the island’s mountains are sacred and must be preserved. Because of this, many Balinese are concerned that any geothermal drilling will violate the sanctity of Bali’s mountain-lake district.

Bali’s current lack of electrical power is being addressed by the construction of “Bali Crossing” – the world highest electrical pylon system that will bring power from Java to Bali. When completed in 2013, “Bali Crossing” has the potential of delivering 3,200 megawatts of power to the island.

According to Governor Pastika, “so, with 3,200 megawatts of power and the construction of new power plants in Bali, we will have enough power to meet Bali’s needs until 2025.”

The Wrap of 2011 by Balieats.com

2011 was no different to those of recent years. An unbelievable number of new restaurants were opened. Many were instant successes, some will take time and many will never work, in fact ,a few have not even lasted the year out, and have already gone.

Do you remember Bali of the 90’s? It is a cause for constant amazement at the ever-increasing range of quality restaurants, in almost every area,
covering so many different cuisines, and at all levels of the pricing yardstick.

The north of Bali is fairly stagnant, only two newcomers took the gamble in 2011. Seyu replaced the old Bali Apik in central Lovina, and after a full
refit re-opened as the area’s ‘1st Japanese restaurant’, that is if you
overlook Octopus Garden years ago. Seyu offers a full range of sushi
[traditional, modern and Americanized], sashimi, snacks, mains and even a fusion special looking like Nasi Goreng but called Teppanyaki Garlic Rice.

The other newbie of note is Le Jeanzan, opened by the long time local chef at Damai. I recall an incredible Balinese Snail Soup he produced when he was there, it was quite amazing.

The coastal strip south of Amed sees constant development. Every visit I
discover new small hotels and warungs, mostly locally owned, some with
foreign involvement. This year, however, not one overtook the previously
established favourite eateries.

There is much excitement about this area’s first ever up-market development - The Griya, which is due to open early in 2012, luxury pool villas, high on the hill with views across to Gili Trawangan, within the complex will be Maku a fine dining restaurant, an open terrace for more casual dining and an underground [no noise pollution] Lounge Bar with live music. This experienced management team, has long operated the very successful Santai in Amed and Rio in Seminyak, so the resultant quality is not in question.

On the hill above Amlapura is found Bali Asli, the brainchild of that bundle
of energy from England via Australia, Penny Williams [ex exec chef at Alila
Manggis and currently consulting chef at Lovina’s Damai]. Penny learnt her trade in the kitchens of London’s famous Savoy Hotel, subsequently working with some great chefs in Sydney before discovering Bali. Bali Asli presents totally original East Balinese cuisine, and is100% organic.

Candi Dasa has slowly been waking up and 2011 saw a host of new restaurants, some even with daring concepts, such as The Dining Room offering something from every cuisine around the Mediterranean Sea. Highlights for me were their Turkish dish, Beyaz Peynir Haydari, is a thick slice of grilled feta that had been sprinkled with paprika and served with Haydari, a yoghurt-based sauce with dill, mint and garlic, and a dish from Malta, Zalza Pikkanti, green bell peppers stuffed with a spicy mix of finely ground beef with tomato, garlic, mint, marjoram and olives, baked in a beef and tomato broth.

The Dining Room started its life as La Sala da Pranzo which resulted in a
number of existing restaurants changing their names [but nothing else] to real or bogus French to compete, rather childish I thought! So, sensibly,
now it is back to just The Dining Room. They have since added a giant
wood-fired pizza oven at front and a separate restaurant on the side is
called Pizza Express, offering a range of tempting pizzas.

Joglo was one of the better new restaurants to open, immaculately clean and offering pure Indonesian food such as Gudeg Jogja, boiled young jackfruit, Beef Empal, sweet fried beef and Telur Pindang, boiled eggs in guava leaves. Although the secret newcomer is found at The BayShore Hotel’s Oceanside Terrace Restaurant. The owner is a retired chef from Perth, Australia, who was ‘never going to cook again’ but could not resist the temptation in this wonderful location.

Ubud retains its fame as being different from the rest. Highlight of the
year was the opening of the perfectly renovated Bridges with outside terrace overlooking the rapids below. Their young Australian chef came up with one of my best dishes of the year, although, for me, poorly named as a Goat Cheese Brulee, it is a hollowed out beetroot filled with thyme-infused goat cheese cream, roasted and served hot with very crisp prosciutto, crunchily good, and roasted garlic on the side, wonderful contrasts in taste.

In a quiet corner above a small river is the quaint Taksu, a perfect spot to
relax and enjoy organic food. An amazing variety of breakfast dishes [for
Ubud], some of which are available all day. They include Eggs Florentine and Benedict [even on real English muffins], Frittatas, Pancakes and Belgian Waffles. Set menus include American, Indonesian, Japanese and Mexican breakfasts.

Ryoshi made a temporary move from its long established position to a back water location in Padang Tegal and was surprisingly busy, the garden setting at front proving very popular. They are now nearing completion of the all new Ryoshi [next door between the temporary Ryoshi and Bebek Bengil] that may even see the live Jazz nights that have proved so successful at their Seminyak restaurant. In the same area Kakiang also rebuilt and re-opened to a full house, still making the best croissants in Bali.

Many new cuisines arrived in Ubud, The Melting Wok with its fresh produce stir-fries with a touch of Laos, Ramen Boy serving those Chinese style wheat noodles cooked in a meat or seafood broth, Delicious Onion from Singapore, Istanbul Café became Ada to back up its change of management, great Turkish food. Il Giardino is Italian at the Han Snel Bungalows, operated by the Three Monkeys clan. Ubud Green is a new villa complex with rice paddy views and a few well-known faces. Their Firefly Café offers Mediterranean snacks and meals [an all day tapas menu to start early in 2012], a rotunda with 270 degree views of mountains and paddies. The late night sports bar The Melting Pot offers tasty Mexican finger food, great quesadillas.

Ubud got itself a steak house, replacing Casa Pasta and Bebek II, the CP
Royal Steakhouse, offering different beef cuts, venison and an unusual Tuna Steak, first marinated with miso. In the back streets of Ubud new small places appeared, Warung Sopa is vegetarian [curried lentils, seaweed lumpia and potato/okara samosas]. Up amongst the rice paddies of Katik Lantang, near Pennestenan, is Warung Om Namaste, a large two-level bamboo structure, serving a full range of Indian food including all the regular dishes and some tasty Biryanis.

On the hill between Tjampuhan and Sayan many local warungs and restaurants opened but the only one to make its mark was Pulau Kelapa, serving traditional non-Balinese Indonesian food from Java and other islands, all at very reasonable prices. In the same area Dijon Café arrived, fresh and clean, with a similar menu to the popular Kuta original. 2012 will see a larger evening hot meal menu.

In Sanur very few changes, the best newcomer was All Spice Café on The
ByPass. Subtle spices for a small but interesting range of dishes at modest
prices. Moroccan Chicken, Balinese Duck, Javanese Rawon Beef and a great Chilli con Carne with yellow rice. Other than that Starry House replaced Triana, now Cantonese instead of Spanish. Doner Kebabs day and night from a warung of that name and a few more new places about to open.

The Renon area of Denpasar is virtually a constant line of warungs and
restaurants, mostly local but some internationally appealing. Virgin Duck
led the way with duck done many different ways, even in pizza, but mainly Betutu, or deep-fried or grilled and that wonderful Yogyakarta Kalasan, braised in turmeric and coconut milk, the resultant flesh is soft and tender falling off the bone with fork alone.

In Denpasar central Imperial Xi-Fu offers Cantonese and Bejing specials.
Their dim sum menu is small but very interesting particularly their pastry
Char Siew of diced BBQ pork. Here they are superb, the pastry light, the
surface shiny from the egg wash, dotted with sesame seeds, the filling
piping hot.

Canggu is one of Bali’s new dining areas. A natural follow on from the
hundreds of villas being built in the area. At the super luxurious villa
complex Ametis is the Eternal restaurant. No tourist menu of many cuisines here but just traditional Indonesian, the chef many years at Four Seasons Jimbaran, the place simple and relaxing. The quality is obvious. Not far away is Deus Café. Everyone knows about their custom bikes but the wonderful food is yet to be discovered. Simple Thai Malee Yum Pla, fresh fish tossed in mint, coriander and lemongrass and the sensational Sri Lankan Chicken, a biryani of rice and chicken studded with leaves, berries and spices, another great dish of the year!

Umalas was Bali’s first area for private villas for rent. No restaurants
just villas. Now they have Crazy Cow. So popular when it opened that it had to close down so it could expand next door and use a larger kitchen. My favourite dish there is their Chorizo Chicken, thinly sliced breast rolled
around a chorizo sausage and roasted in the oven. The chorizo is totally
unlike those you buy from the deli. This one is soft, luscious and strongly
flavoured, the perfect match for the outer layer of chicken meat. The
sausage is prepared on the premises by their Spanish Master Butcher David. Unique!

Kerobokan as usual was the centre of restaurant openings in 2012. The much delayed W Hotel joined the fray with two up-market restaurants Fire and Starfish Bloo. Semara opened their Atrium with an exotic breakfast menu, a rarity for the area, but is already doing a major upgrade to include The Deck. Potato Head opened on the beach, literally, to take on the established trendsetters. Bali finally has a high quality Turkish restaurant, Tulip. Their Mezze tray is the real thing presented with all combinations described for your choice, served with that wonderful Turkish bread, baked in the wood-fired oven at front. Many Kebabs and slow cooked meats, very
traditional.

EVO replaced Blossom at Sentosa Villas. A revelation with its basic simple
Italian fare but all prepared with an attention to detail rare in Indonesia.
Tomatoes from San Marzano, Cured meats from Spain and Italy, homemade salami [pigs specially raised, fat ones for the salami, not so fat for the bacon and hams]. Their Claypot of Meatballs, slow cooked with all red ingredients; Chianti wine, red onions and tomatoes is the original grandmothers recipe, handed down and faithfully reproduced. The Chicken Cotoletta is perhaps the best example of how 'simple' food can be so perfect. A thin slab of chicken breast is coated in bread crumbs combined with a dash of balsamico.

And then there was Mama San. Everybody knew it was coming, and since opening everyone has visited, reservations are now essential for prime evening dining. From the Sarong team, the cuisine is what was originally intended for Sarong, street food of Asia via a modern hygienic kitchen. The dumplings are Beijing style stuffed with snapper, chili and black beans, steamed and full of surprise, they really pack a wallop! From Vietnam Grilled Pork Belly encased in betel leaves. Indian Chicken with betel leaves, ginger, mustard seeds, pickles, lime and coriander. Peking Duck rolled in what are commonly referred to as Mandarin pancakes, with hoi sin, fresh cucumber sticks andngreen shallots. Mama San has it all!

Smaller good value places opened as well. Thai Corner on Petitenget, Bistro Batu Kali on Eat Street, Bar Bie Q inside the centre is a giant German beer garden [from the owner of popular Extrablatt] another beer garden is Little Bavaria where Loloan used to be. Also on Eat Street Khaima re-opened with a modern renovation and next-door L’entrecote opened with Bali’s first Prix Fixee, salad, beef and dessert.

Seminyak saw more openings on Sunset Road, none yet to set the world on fire. An up-market version of Sip, same menu and chef as the original, and many Indonesian variations along the busy road. More are opening but most of the car parks are empty. Sushi Hana was one of the few exceptions, modern sushi, pleasant service and good value.

Gado Gado used to be one of the islands top nightspots, now after a high
quality renovation Chez Gado Gado is a romantic beachfront restaurant, its tree-lined terrace tables in high demand. Amongst their exotics is Pork
Neck, first braised then grilled and stuffed with sage and lemon, served
with white beans, roasted onion and peppers.

Legian is family holiday area and Pavone is just what they want.
Char-grilled Lamb Cutlets [3 of them], all the way from OZ, are with a
coulis of mint and lemon and Cajun potato wedges, many other BBQ and pan fried meats and seafood and all at budget prices. Malo’s appeared opposite old Aussie favourite hotel Rumah Manis just before it was demolished. Chef Marcus is in his 4th Bali restaurant, same Swiss menu, same great food.

Closer to the beach is Sang Ria from the owners of long time favourite
Waroeng Asia. Again simple food, BBQ’s [wonderful ribs], oven and stir fries in a most pleasant garden setting. Some evenings non-intrusive live music an added bonus. Shisha Café added to the choice for mid east cuisine, a shisha bar with water pipes and scented tobacco, the food extremely good. Bil Sanayeh a good example, spicy potato and crushed kofta balls between thin slices of unleavened bread.

The Bukit [comprising Uluwatu, Ungasan and Pecatu] is an unusual area. Once not much more than a mountain of dry rock, it is rapidly developing as a budding metropolis of 5 star and boutique hotels, villa complexes and
private villas. Yet the area is still thin on the ground for standalone
restaurants of quality and value. However whilst the locals are always
complaining about their lack of choice when one does open that offers
something different [last year with the small great value Vietnamese My
Kitchen] they do not support them, so closure is inevitably just months
away. A problem they seem to share with the residents of Sanur. Best new openings this year was El Kabron with its Spanish chef ex Barcelona’s famous San Pau restaurant. Atop the cliffs at Pecatu, a place to relax with food and drink. In the hotel/villa scene Finn’s Beach Club opened at the Semara, snacks and pizzas on the beach.

Jimbaran also offers little outside of the hotels and this year no change
with the only newcomer of note Topeng, in the new Kupu-Kupu Barong hotel. Their young Belgian chef does it the European way with Salad of Artichokes, Calf Liver in raspberry vinaigrette and the very Flemish Beef in Black Beer.

Nusa Dua has many standalone restaurants but most have a distinct tourist flavour, with many menus almost identical, almost all of which these days have a Russian translation. Along the peninsula at Tandjung Benoa was more action with the opening of Queens of India with the same menu as their Kartika Plaza one. Further along towards the point Sakala is a serious attempt at fine dining. French restaurateur and Maitre d’ Herve Hedbert and French Canadian Chef Frederic Bouley combine to present one of Bali’s best dining experiences, food and service both exemplary. The Carpaccio of Butterfish and Duck Foie Gras [imported from the Lande region of France, coming as two perfect small discs, prepared Torchon style, sitting on rounds of thin warm brioche] are just two examples of their attention to detail, using relatively simple ingredients to produce incredible dishes.

Ubud’s iconic Bebek Bengil has just opened in Nusa Dua, in a restaurant
complex next to The Grand Hyatt. Others at that site are due to open soon. In Ubud BetelNut opened under the trees on Raya Ubud, from Art’s Warung.

What happens in 2012? There will be even more activity than 2011 if all the plans and rumours come about. The Mozaic team to open an ocean front restaurant [different name and style] at Batu Belig, Kerobokan. Bali Deli to open in Sanur and Ubud, Café Moka to open on the Bypass in Sanur. That man Marinos will be back with his Mediterranean MY Café behind Ultimo in Kerobokan. Warren Mead returns to Bali [for a short time he was at Karma Jimbaran] with his simple but effective style of presenting fish so you can actually taste the fish; fresh fish filleted on the premises, dipped in an egg wash to seal the flavour in, then pan fried with olive oil and a dash of butter, with a drizzle of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt. Perfect! Ubud to get a Swedish restaurant, but no one knows where?

The Sea Sentosa project at Echo Beach supposedly will have 5 restaurants, some beachfront. First restaurant due to open early 2012. New Sheraton, Intercontinental, Marrriot, Regent and Westin Hotels and hundreds of new villa complexes.

Bali, a gastronomic holiday, every day!

Best New Restaurants – 2011

Best Fine Dining - Sakala – Tandjung Benoa
Fine dining but still with that Balinese touch, poolside and overlooking
beach and ocean. French Maitre d’ and French-Canadian chef produce
gastronomic masterpieces turning simple things into food that amazes!

Best Restaurant - EVO – Kerobokan
Simple Italian, but with incredible attention to detail. Even the salamis
are made on the premises from specially fed pigs raised on a controlled
diet. Grandma’s recipes like you have never tasted before.

Best Value - Mama San – Kerobokan
Best this year and best every year. Following on from their success at
Sarong, Mama San present the street food of Asia. All original with nothing
toned down for the tourist masses! Reservations essential.

Best Cafe All Spice Café – Sanur
small neat air-conditioned café offering a variety of local and
International dishes, all with a subtle variety of spices.

Best Cheapie - Virgin Duck – Denpasar
Located in that area of Renon that features 50 other warungs and restaurants but uniquely different to the rest. Duck many different ways even shredded with pineapple and cheese in their thin crisp Hawaiian Pizza…for $3.

[www.balieats.com] 

East Java artist Setyo Mulyo is holding his first solo exhibition at Adi’s Gallery in Ubud Bali January 7-28, 2012.

Born in 1979 in Sidoarjo, East Java, he began painting in 1998 and is currently studying at the Fine Art Institute of Surabaya – (STKW) in East Java.

In his debut exhibition, Setyo will present 39 painting – all measuring a uniform 40 x 50 centimeters.
d by the artist as depictions of his fantasies on the universe, global issues and his private life -  the compositions are angular in their approach with many founded on triangles – a symbol the artists sees as having the ability to connect human nature with the universe.

Also included in the current exhibition are eight large canvasses depicting futuristic cities. These paintings measure 150 x 200 centimeters and show the artist’s idealized vision of life and modern society.

Inside Out
Paintings by Setyo Mulyo

January 7 – 28, 2012

Adi’s Gallery
Jl. Bisma 27
Ubud, Bali

Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information telephone ++62-(0)361-977104 and ++62(0)81558644014
 

Bali Update editor J.M. Daniels spent his New Year holiday as a patient at BIMC Hospital in Bali, undergoing surgery for a broken leg. That stay allowed Jack the opportunity to experience first hand the services and accommodation offered by Bali’s leading medical facility.

Now back at work and on the mend, here are Jack’s recollection of his recent stay at BIMC Hospital, information he hopes is useful for visitors to Bali in need of surgical treatment.

Carry on Komang

I’m blaming my mishap on architecture. And, since I took a major hand in the original design of my home in Bali; there’s no one to blame but myself.

I have traversed the stepping-stones over the decorative fishpond marking the entrance to my bedroom thousands of time without incident. But, that all changed on the last Friday of 2011 when, carrying a box of paperwork to my car, I inadvertently dropped my foot between two of the stepping-stones. My foot, twisted at a 45-degree angle as it  became firmly lodged betwen the steps as my body continued its forward path. The box of papers flew helter-skelter into the air and my eyeglasses sailed across the garden as my body tumbled forward down a final step. The tumble forward would have been largely unremarkable except for the fact that my ankle remained anchored upright at an obtuse angle to my body and the direction of my fall.

Snap, Snap, Crack, Crack

The resulting sense of impending personal disaster was overwhelming. With a growing appreciation of how the early moments of a medieval quartering must have felt, I found myself laying spread eagle on my steps with my foot still firmly stuck in a between the steps, immoveable at right angles to my body and still pointing skyward.

My panic stricken gardener, who witnessed my fall from grace, frantically helped me slowly and painfully regain the top step and extract my still-jammed leg.

I instantly knew I done my leg serious damage, a fact confirmed 45-minutes later by x-rays at the BIMC Hospital showing a complete fracture of my left ankle requiring the surgical installation of a plate that could hold the two parts of my ankle together during a 2-3 month healing process.

With insurance that allowed me to choose medical treatment in Bali or Singapore, I chose to have the surgical procedure done at BIMC Hospital in Bali. The straight-forward nature of what is a fairly common orthopedic procedure, the generally excellent reputation of the BIMC hospital, and the chance to complete in two days what could have taken five days (including post-operative recovery time) in Singapore made me opt for treatment “at home” in Bali.

A busy schedule of more urgent surgeries meant that my operation was scheduled for around 10:30 p.m. that night. While waiting for surgery, the doctors and nurses kept me comfortable while undertaking a very thorough range of pre-operative tests and medical interviews to ensure the coming surgery went smoothly.

When I was finally wheeled into the immaculate operating theatre, where even the air is micro-filtered to prevent possible infection, a team of 8 doctors and medical technicians set about their work in a well-coordinated and highly professional manner.

Remembering to Breathe

Based on my medical history and pre-operative consultations, the medical team opted for a spinal anesthesia, an approach that leaves the lower half of the body wholly insensitive to any sensation and is generally considered to be less burdensome on the respiratory and coronary systems. Now, in retrospect, their decision proved keenly prescient when, during the actual operation, I had an adverse reaction to the relatively mild sedative used to put the the remaining "upper half" of me “to sleep” interrupted my breathing. The vigilant medical team quickly detected my failure to breathe and immediately stopped the sedation. As I regained consciousness, I heard the voice of the anesthetist imploring, “Mr. Jack, don’t forget to breathe” and engaging me in active conversation for the rest of the operation to make sure I stayed awake as he provided me with a continuous supply of oxygen.

Modern anesthesia allows the use of “regional anesthesia” blocking all sensation to selected areas of the body, leaving the remaining parts largely unaffected. Because my mental sedation had come to a premature but necessary end, I had the surreal “out of body” experience in which I was fully conscuous as I heard doctors drilling six pins into my ankle - all done without any pain or any sensation at all.

While this may be more medical detail than many would like, the story bears retelling for the excellent teamwork and professionalism demonstrated by surgical team and how their quick thinking prevented a minor problem from turning into something more significant.

If the doctors had opted for a general anesthesia the respiratory problems could have potentially necessitated an abrupt end to the operation.

After the surgery and as an added precaution, the doctors kept me under close observation in the ICU for the remainder of the night, ensuring here were no further ill effects from the sedative.

The next dayI was moved to a private room where I stayed overnight until the following morning when I was discharged on crutches,  now fated to be my steadfast companion for the next 2-3 months.

While there are perhaps better places to spend New Year’s Eve than a hospital room, I will long remember the professional and unfailingly gentle care and attention provided me by the doctor’s and nurses at the BIMC Hospital.

And while no wants to be sick or injured while living or holidaying in Bali, it’s very comforting to know that the island enjoys the high level of professional medical care provided by the good folks at  BIMC Hospital.

Shown on Balidiscovery.com is Jack's post operative left foot now home to six stainless steel screws.

[BIMC Hospital Bali] 
 

It will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with traveling in Denpasar that much of the roads in Bali’s capital are in a poor state of repair.

The Bali Post reports that of the 555.076 kilometers of road in Denpasar, 106,525 (19%) are considered to be “badly damaged.”

The head of the Public Works Department for Denpasar, Ir. I Ketut Winarta, told The Bali Post that money has been allocated to improve road conditions over the coming year.

Wayan Dirgayasa, the head of Bali’s Bina Karya – the State-Owned company that works in the area of public construction and technical consultation – insists that the overall condition of Denpasar’s roads is better than those found in other regions of Indonesia. By his calculations, the amount of roadway classified as “good” in the capital is 293.651 kilometers (52%) while 154.901 (28%) kilometers were classified as “good” or “serviceable.”

Dirgayasa confirmed that Rp. 39 billion (US$4.3 million) had been allocated in the 2012 budget for road repair and improvement in Denpasar in 2012. “In accordance with our plans, roads will be improved over a length of 40.526 kilometers while another 49.8 kilometers are slated for repair. This means that there are still badly damaged road areas that will not be repaired in the coming year," explained Dirgayasa.

Dirgayasa blamed the bad state of Bali’s roads on the overloading of trucks traveling over the capital’s roads.

He also cited how many government departments tear up Denpasar’s roads and highways for the installation of public sewerage, drains and other installations, but fails to return the roads to their original conditions once their work is completed.

A chain collision accident on the Denpasar-Gilmanuk Road near Kediri, Tabanan on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, has once again underlined the dangers of driving on Bali’s highways and the additional threat to safety posed by unlicensed under-age drivers.

The accident rook place at approximately 5:00 p.m. and involved three trucks and a single Avanza sedan driven by 16-year old I Putu Agung Prama Jipana, a Tabanan high school student.

In the chain collision, Jipana and his 16-year-old companion, I Kadek Agung Prama Wistara, were horrifically pinned inside their crushed vehicle for more than 30 minutes before police and local citizens were able to release the two boys from their mangled vehicle crushed under the read chassis of one of the trucks.

Miraculously, the two boys escaped serious injury in the accident, which demolished their car and closed the busy highway for more than one hour.

The two boys, who are reported by Nusa Bali as cousins, were using the car to purchase textiles form a shop in Kediri. Jipana’s Mother, Ni Ketut Sutriani, told the press, “they went out to buy cloth, but, gosh, they were in a road accident.”

The latest accident immediately brings to mind the tragic death of two 14-year-old Balinese boys who perished while driving at a high rate of speed in the early hours of October 28, 2011.

According to Denpost, there were 428 accidents in Bali in 2011 involving unlicensed under-age people either as drivers or passengers on the back of motorcycles.

Police insist that they are making every effort to reduce the number of children injured or killed on Bali’s roads by giving educational lectures at area schools, community halls (banjar) and visits by school-aged children to police headquarters. Police are also seeking the assistance of schools officials in Bali to  forbid children who are unlicensed and under the age of 17 from bringing motorized vehicles to school.

Police also complain of large groups of under-aged children who organize convoys of motorcycles and cars traveling the island’s road during late evening hours.

Related Articles

[Spare the Hot Rod; Save the Child]

[Editorial: The Parent Trap]