InterContinental Bali Resort  has always placed the highest priority on keeping its guest connected. Earlier this year the popular Jimbaran Bay resort introduced complimentary Wi-Fi service. This service provides Internet connections to guests covering all rooms, suites, meeting facilities, public areas and even on the beach.

ndwidth coverage of 12MB represents one of the highest on the island with some 150 wireless points distributed across the property to ensure seamless connections over anywhere at anytime merely by inputting a room number.

Continually striving to enhance its guest services, InterContinental Bali Resort has now extended its complimentary Wi-Fi services to include its entire fleet of vehicles, allowing guests to stay connected during airport transfers or while touring the island.

[Book a Stay at the InterContinental Bali Resort]

BIMC Hospital Group has formed a partnership with the Courtyard by Marriott Bali to pioneer Bali’s first-ever medical tourism packages and services to inbound travelers visiting Asia’s most popular island destination. 



Inaugurated on May 5, 2012 by Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, along with officials from the Ministry of Health and the Balinese government, the internationally managed BIMC Hospital in addition to outpatient, inpatient and emergency medical care, offers the country’s most advanced dialysis treatments, surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures as well as dental care.

Its second hospital after the long established BIMC Hospital in Kuta, the BIMC Hospital in Nusa Dua, located along a palm-fringed boulevard in the integrated resort complex of Nusa Dua. Adjacent to the new hospital, the Courtyard by Marriott Bali is complementing the services provided by BIMC Hospital by with specific aftercare services to its guests seeking treatment from the neighboring medical facility.

“Ahead of BIMC Hospital opening, we began planning and training for the best of comfort and care the moment a guest returns to the resort from their medical procedure,” said Courtyard by Marriott general manager, Jeff Tyler. “We carefully looked at services that aid in recuperation such as special diets and nutrition, unique spa and wellness programs as well as ensuring wheel chair access to all areas of the property.”


The resort is the first property in Indonesia to coordinate specialized medical services such as aftercare visits by BIMC Hospital nurses. 


“We value the partnership with the Courtyard by Marriott resort as care and safety should carry on after our clients complete their medical procedures,” said BIMC Hospital Group founder and CEO, Craig Beveridge. “The Courtyard resort is conveniently located nearby and offers complementing services and standards not to mention an ideal spot for pre –and-post procedure rest and relaxation.”



BIMC Hospital chief medical director, Dr. Donna Moniaga, presides over a team of medical professionals from Australia, Indonesia, USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and New Zealand.

“The hospital is equipped for complex surgeries with three operating theatres along with our CosMedic™, dialysis and dental facilities all of which could easily rival any hospital anywhere,” said BIMC chief marketing officer, Roland Staehler. “We refer to our elective programs as our three ‘centers of excellence’ and true to the nature of medical tourism, we are further distinguished by offering affordable healthcare.”

The 50-bed hospital is set in a lush, one-hectare site planned with a 24-hour medical emergency entrance and hotel-like foyer at the front of the building servicing the hospital’s medical, dialysis and dental centers. The facility is also boast a private entrance that leads to the CosMedic Centre with its contemporary interior and views onto a golf course. 



“I can’t think of a better place in the sun to visit for medical reasons,” said Tyler. “With the convenience of BIMC’s location and professional services within what is a completely integrated resort experience, medical tourism in Bali will no doubt add to the long list of reasons to visit the island.”’

Related Sites

[Medical Tourism in Bali]

[Bali: In Sickness and in Health]

[Book a Stay at Courtyard by Marriott in Bali]

On Friday, June 8, 2012, the cast and crew of the spectacular Devdan stage performance at the Nusa Dua Theatre celebrated its 200th performance.

A dazzling not-to-be-missed show, Devadan is a 90-minute magical stage journey through the Indonesian archipelago involving scores of talented dancers, thrilling aerial acrobatics and hundreds of costume changes. Along the way, the audience is swept along on a countrywide musical fantasy with stops along the way in Bali, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Papua.

First staged in June 2011, the 200th performance was celebrated with an on-stage cast and crew party following the performance. In keeping with local traditions that mandate that the Almighty be thanked in all endeavors, all shared a traditions feast dominated by a mound of saffron rice or “Nasi Tupeng”.

The “cone” or top of the “tumpeng” was ceremoniously “cut” by Stephan Lomax, general manager of the Bali Nusa Dua Theatre who presented the rice to John Didik, stage manager for the production.

[Devdan – Treasure of the Archipelago]

[Tickets for Devdan Show]

As the deadline fell under new rules meant to shorten the time people spend on death row, Andrew Chan, one of the two remaining “Bali Nine” still on death row, filed a formal request to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in May, seeking that his death sentence be commuted into life in prison.

The spokesman for the Denpasar District Court, Amser Simanjutak, confirmed to MetroTVnews that the request for clemency filed by Andrew Chan on May 11, 2012, has now been processed and forwarded to the President in Jakarta.

Separately, Gusti Ngurah Wiratna, the chief warden of the Kerobokan prison where Chan is imprisoned, confirmed that a request that Chan’s death sentence be reduced to life in prison has been sent to the President in recognition of the prisoner's age and the hope that he be given this final chance to live and reform his life.

Chan was sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court on February 14, 2006, a sentence that was reaffirmed by the High Court in Denpasar on April 20, 2006. A further consultative review of his sentence by the Indonesian Supreme Court in August 2006 certified the legal appropriateness of the court’s decision to present the two remaining Australians under sentence of death before a firing squad. In coming to that conclusion, the presiding judge at the Supreme Court ruled that the Bali Nine, by virtue of their attempt to smuggle 8.2 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia, had put the nation and its people at mortal risk.

As a result, Chan's request for clemency from the Indonesia President represents his last ditch chance to avoid execution.

The remaining Australian member of the “Bali Nine” on death row, Myuran Sukumaran, has until July 6, 2012, to file his request for presidential clemency.

In May 2011, then 25-year-old Scott Rush, another member of the Bali Nine, successfully appealed to the Supreme Court for a commutation of his death sentence to life-in-prison.

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[Seeking the Quality of Mercy]

[The Gift of Life]

The Bali Hyatt has announced the appointment of Dewi Karmawan at the Public Relations Manager for the iconic Sanur property.

A graduate from International Hotel and Management Institute, Lucerne, Switzerland, Dewi commenced her career in the hospitality industry in 1997 at Le at Meridien Nirwana as a guest relations officer. In late 1998, Dewi joined Hard Rock Hotel Bali as a Senior Guest Relations. After 3 years in that hotel’s front office department, she was promoted to marketing communications coordinator and finally to assistant marketing communications manager. During her time at Hard Rock Hotel Bali, Dewi managed various top-brand events.

After eight years working with Hard Rock Hotel Bali, the mother of two, joined Grand Hyatt Bali in Nusa Dua as an Assistant Public Relations Manager where she was promoted to public relations manager in 2008.

In 2009, Dewi accepted an assignment abroad joining the Park Hyatt Melbourne. While in Melbourne she accepted the additional task of promoting Indonesian culture teaching Balinese dance in Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES).

“It was a memorable and fun experience I had while I was in Melbourne. And I am proud being a Balinese as the students have shown a big interest in learning our culture”, said Dewi.

After more than a year in Australia, Dewi returned to Bali to join the Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa, Bali as Marketing Communications Manager, overseeing both Marketing Communications and Public Relations for that property.

As part of the sales and marketing team, Dewi Anggraini has now rejoined the Hyatt family at their Sanur beach property.

Founded in 1830, The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers is a world center for Geography - supporting research, education, fieldwork & expeditions, and promoting public engagement and informed enjoyment of our world.

The Society holds one of the world’s pre-eminent geographical collections including over a million maps, three thousand atlases, half a million photographs, 150,000 bound volumes and substantial collections of artifacts and artworks from around the world.

Flying from Singapore to Sydney Over Bali

The Royal Geographical Society has launched an innovative way of enlivening the flying experience in the creation of an interactive guide to air travellers covering various flights paths around the world.

[Hidden Journey Project] also includes a flight path from Singapore to Sydney, exploring some of the world’s most remote and spectacular landscapes in Southeast Asia and Australia. From the isolated reefs of the Timor Sea, to the horizontal waterfalls of Australia’s Buccaneer Archipelago, to the red sand dunes of the Simpson Desert the interactive guide covers an amazing diversity of people, places and landscapes.

Vast stretches of this flight path have seen no human influence at all, however others have been adapted and altered by the human inhabitants. Land reclamation in Singapore, rice terraces in Bali and the farmland in the Murray Darling Basin are but a few examples. Every country along this route also has its own colonial history: from the British in Singapore and Australia to the Dutch in Indonesia, each nation has left its mark on the landscape along the way.

The Royal Geographical Society is also working towards incorporating the Hidden Journeys geo entertainment onto moving maps available on aircraft in the future. When accomplished, thousands of people will learn about the fascinating parts of the earth that they fly over in real time!

After the jump you can have the astonishing experience of exploring the flight path from Singapore to Sydney, passing over Bali along the way, exploring the world at three different altitudes illustrated with inspiring photographs, paintings and informed descriptions of what you can recognize from the air.

Truly interactive, the Royal Geographical Society invites people living along the various flight paths included in their program to contribute images, enriching the experience via a participatory worldwide community.

[Boarding Call: Singapore to Sydney Via Bali with the Royal Geographical Society]

The Ministry of Public Works is developing plans for a toll road to connect Bali’s western ferry crossing point of Gilimanuk with the island’s capital of Denpasar. The proposed toll road would facilitate the large number of domestic visitors traveling from Java by private vehicles and bus.

Quoted in Beritabali.com, The Deputy-minister for Public Works, Dr. Ahmad Hermanto Dardak, speaking that the Werdha Pura Hotel in Sanur of June 14, 2012, said: “The building of a toll road to connect Gilimanuk and Denpasar is still in the early phase of study and review. Any development will take place in stages.”

Hermanto said the Gilimanuk to Denpasar road way was just part of an overall plan to modernize Bali’s infrastructure.

The Deputy-minister added: “Modernization demands express roads where lands and the (proposed) roadway are compatible. With the creation of the proposed road, the distance between Gilmanuk and Denpasar and onward to Padang Bai will be quicker to travel.”

In addition to a toll way between Gilimanuk and Denpasar, the Ministry of Public Works is examining a number of road infrastructure projects in Bali, including new road projects in Denpasar and the Badung regency.

“We plan that Denpasar will become part of a metropolitan area integrated with Badung and other areas. With the repair of the road infrastructure we hope will make Bali attractive (as a destination) well into the future. The development of roads in Bali will also support the quickly developing tourism infrastructure in Bali,” said Hermanto.

The Chief of the Bali Tourism Office, IB Kade Subhisku, is blaming that the “egotism” of local governments for preventing the implementation of the province's moratorium on new hotel development in the island’s southern regions.

The three regencies – Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar continue to grant permits for new hotel project in direct opposition to the Governor’s moratorium for hotel developments in South Bali.

Quoted by Beritabali.com, Subhisku, who is the top provincial tourism official for Bali, said that, if seen from the perspective of carrying capacity and infrastructure support, the need for a moratorium in South Bali is clear. Ignoring the moratorium, local regency officials cite the need to increase local tax revenues and continue to issue new permits.

“So how can the province control (hotel development), while the regencies are still racing to increase their tax revenues? If the authority (for new licenses) is given to the province, then Bali can apply the brakes (on new hotels). But, at this stage this is only an idea,” explained Subhisku.

Subhisku called on the administrators of Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar to pay attention to the provincial zoning law (RTRW) before granting building permits to new hotels. This, he underlined, is even more essential given the fact that Bali’s inventory of hotel rooms has now reached 45,000 rooms.

The State News Agency Antara reports that plans to lay an undersea power line from Lombok to the popular tourist Trawanagan island group has been suspended on the orders of the West Nusa Tenggara province (NTB).

The power line project was first commenced in 2011.

Head of the NTB Mining and Energy Agency Eko Bambang Sutedjo said, "The suspension is aimed for coordination with the marine conservation area.”

The suspension is the result of concerns that the power line may be putting three reef areas of a national conservation area under an unspecified environmental threat.

Eko explained that the State Power Board (PLN), who is laying the power line, is compelled to follow the laws and obtain special permission before resuming construction in the sensitive environmental zone.

PLN is trying to help meet the present and future power requirements of the local residents and tourist companies located at Gili Trawanagn, Gili Air and Meno Reef by installing 10 megawatts of additional power generation.

The value of the PLN project is put at Rp. 20 billion (US$2.15 million).

The King of Denpasar, Ida Tjokorda Ngurah Jame Pemecutan IX (68), also known as Cok Samirana, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for committing property fraud causing losses of Rp. 7.6 billion (US$817,000).

The presiding judge in the case, John Tony Hutauruk, declared the evidence presented in the case demonstrated that Cok Samirana had committed fraud as defined by the Indonesian Criminal Code.

As reported by Radar Bali, the case involved a property transaction for 10 hectares of land located on Jalan Badak Agung, in the Renon district of Denpasar. The land registered in the name of the Merajan Satria Palace (Puri Satria) was offered for sale without seeking the agreement of the royal household.

“The defendant convinced his victim that he had the right to sell the parcel of land,” said Judge Hutauruk.

The sentence of two years was one year less that the three years imprisonment sought by prosecutors.

Upon hearing the sentence, Samirana’s lawyer, I Gusti Ngurah Made Arya, immediately told the Court he would appeal the verdict and sentence. Similarly, the public prosecutor announced that his office was also considering appealing the leniency of the sentence given to the defendant.

Samarina’s lawyer denied his client had any intent to commit a fraudulent act, always planning to return the money paid to him by the property purchaser.

The case dates from 2006 when the victim in the crime, Lely Sri Mawarni, attempted to purchased the 10-hectare parcel of land from Samirana at a price of Rp. 75 million (US$8,00) per are (100 square meters). Mawarni paid Samirana a deposit of Rp. 15 billion (US$1.6 million) in three installments. When it came time to make an additional installment of Rp. 7.6 billion (US$817,000) Mawarni demanded to see an original land certificate for the land that Samirana was unable to produce.

In November 2006 the Puri Satria formally wrote to Mawarni advising her the land was not for sale. After trying to get her deposits returned by Samirana, the woman eventually filed a criminal complaint against the King in January 2009.

Related Article

[Noblesse Oblige, If You Please]

Members of the Badung legislature are alleging that foreigners, with the help of locals, are establishing illegal enterprises and evading paying business taxes.

According to Radar Bali, lawmaker Wayan Mendra claims that two of five restaurants recently demolished for zoning violations on Batubelig beach in Kerobokan were in fact owned by Italian and English investors, using a local as a “front” to avoid legal and tax obligations.

Wayan Mendra said that while he supports foreign investment in the Badung regency providing such activities create employment, produce tax revenues and create a multiplier effect for surrounding enterprises. If, however, foreign capital is used to establish unlicensed businesses that don’t pay their fair share of taxes and usurp public lands, such as beach setback zones, then such companies must be viewed as highly destructive.

“Because of this, foreigners who create illegal enterprises must be investigated. Is this a mafia?,” asked Mendra. He urged that the relevant officials investigate the Italian he claims actually owned La Barca and the Englishman who owned Karma Beach Restaurant. Further, he asked if these men perhaps enjoyed backing from immigration, enquiring what type of visa they held? He also asked the Department of Manpower to check if the men held valid working permits.

Mendra said that if the two men violated immigration or labor rules, then they must be punished and face deportation from Indonesia.

Mendra expressed the opinion that there are many foreign nationals working illegally in the Badung regency for hotels, restaurants and villas.

Another member of the Badung House of Representatives (DPRD-Badung), Made Dharma, agreed that closer supervision was needed by government agencies to avoid the nation from incurring losses imposed by foreigners not following the law.

In connection with the demolishment of five restaurants on Batubelig beach, Dharma issued his thanks to those who enforced the rules, but suggested there were still many other cases awaiting enforcement of the law, mentioning Balangan Beach as a location of an illegal company run by a foreigner.

The head of the Badung Enforcement Agent, Ketut Martha, said that the construction of the subject restaurant at Balangan Beach had been halted. He said while there were no activities at the subject restaurant, there currently no plans to demolish the structure.

“We’ll just watch development,” said Martha.

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[One Island Under Law]

[Five Batubelig Restaurants That are No More]

The sensory stimulations of sight and sound have traditionally vied for pre-eminence, one over the other. In his latest exhibition. Sumatran artist, Erizal AS explores the common ground shared by these two senses.

The connection between the visual and musical arts is well documented. Numerous artists not only paint while listening to music but are also influenced by it. The connection between the two can be traced back to the unity of music, dance and rituals in the ancient arts. The visual beauty of Balinese dance, for example, is unthinkable without music. So, too, when we hear music we can visualize the accompanying dance and vice a versa.

Although Erizal AS'  current works are ostensibly abstract, they are clearly inspired by the exuberant beauty of flowers. Bursting with color and life they twist and turn gracefully like dancers. Some like Symphony #1 are positively explosive. In comparison, others like still closed blossoms are subtle but full of excitement to come. Together they create a magnificent feast comparable to Ludwig Beethoven's 6th Symphony in F major "Pastoral" - a tone poem inspired by nature.

Erizal, a graduate and lecturer at Yogyakarta's prestigious Academy of the Arts (ISI), has perfected a technique of layering color on his canvasses with bold quick stokes that create movement and depth. This powerful groundwork is strengthened by the judicious use of black lines.

A native of West Sumatra, Erizal has won numerous awards and exhibited nationally and internationally for over 15 years.

Visual Symphonies
An Exhibition by Eirzal AS

Ganesha Gallery
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bali
August 2 – October 1, 2012
Open daily fro 9:00 am until 6:00 pm
 

Charlotte Piho, a 30-year-old stand-up paddle boarder and yoga instructor, has run afoul of the law during a recent visit to Bali.

According to local press reports, Piho was apprehended on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at the Bintang Supermarket in Seminyak, Kuta caught in the act of shoplifting Rp. 127,000 (US$13.70) of chocolate.

Inilah.com tells how Piho was seen by store security wandering around the aisles of the store with a large handbag, looking left and right, while depositing a private horde of chocolates in the bag. The woman, who hails from the Cook Islands, then departed the store without stopping at a cashier to pay for the candy. Stopped by the store’s security, the chocolate were found in her handbag resulting in both the chocolates and the woman being turned over to police at the Kuta Precinct for further processing.

Silly Little Mistake

Speaking to the nzherald.co.nz, Piho is insisting she always intended to pay for the chocolate and is astonished that she could be locked up over such a "silly little mistake."

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s father Tuhe Piho has told the New Zealand press that his daughter had traveled to Bali to improve her yoga techniques and gain further qualifications. In mitigation, the elder Piho said: "She rushed and hadn't prepared herself properly for going over there. She didn't have enough money to survive."

Charlotte, You're No Schapelle Croby

The woman, seeing herself more a victim than a perpetrator in the incident, said: “For me, it was like Schapelle Corby. I didn't know what was happening. They said it doesn't matter if it's just a piece of chewing gum, it's a huge thing."

Schapelle Corby is an Australian woman serving a sentence of 20 years in prison for attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into Bali in 2005. Corby has steadfastly proclaimed her innocence, accusing Australian airport baggage handlers of planting the drugs in her checked luggage. Phio, however, has not divulged to the press or the police who she thinks may have planted the chocolates into her handbag.

Phio was held overnight at the police station and was required to report regularly to the police while authorities consider handing her case to prosecutors for a possible criminal prosecution.

The girl’s father admitted his daughter had done a foolish thing in a foreign country and did not blame Bali for his Charlotte’s predicament.

Theft can be viewed harshly in Indonesia where a 15-year-old boy accused of stealing a single sandal in late 2011 in Sulawesi saw prosecutors initially seek a 5-year jail term for the young student.

Among the several considerations weighed by police before referring a case to prosecutors for trial is the demonstrated remorse of the person charged with a crime and whether that remorse warrants being let off with a stern warning. In the present circumstances, however, describing her thievery to police ,who could still refer he to trial, as a “silly little mistake” may prove a “very silly major mistake” for Charlotte Piho.

Citilink – the low-cost airline operation within PT Garuda Indonesia – will formally become a separate business entity with the registered name of PT Citilink Indonesia once its official Air Operator Certificate is issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation on July 1, 2012.

The Director of Airworthiness and Flight Operations (DKUPPU) of the Transportation Ministry, Diding Sumardi, told Bisnis.com that the processing of the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is finished and is targeted for handover to the airline on July 1, 2012.

Sumardi explained that with its own AOC, Citilink automatically becomes a separate subsidiary airline from Garuda.

The vice-president of Citilink, Arif Wibowo confirmed that upon receipt of the AOC his fleet with fly as a distinct corporate entity. The registration number that has been tentatively granted to Citilink is G1 and will be recommended for acceptance by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Garuda’s registration remains “GA.”

Earth Check – a leading certifier of green sustainability practice for travel and tourism organizations, has recognized St. Regis Bali Resort and The Laguna Resort and Spa for achieving a high standard of environmental performance.

In winning “Silver Certified” status from Earth Check the two Nusa Dua properties join leading tourism companies from more than 100 countries who have successfully impressed a team of independent auditors with their adherence to standards and best practice to minimize their environmental footprints. Earth Check rates the effectiveness of industry efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) and conserve natural resources at a project-by-project level. The data is then measured against a number of key indicators such as energy and water consumption, total waste production, and community commitment.

There are 6 major points that reviewed by the Auditors for both resorts: policy, benchmarking, compliance, approach, performance and communication. The last section details the requirements for communicating an organisation’s environmental and social commitment, goals and objectives to all stakeholders.

Using a scientific approach for measuring the effectiveness of their sustainability practices, The St. Regis Bali Resort & The Laguna Resort & Spa use established benchmarks that identify the efficacy of their green policies and point to areas for future improvement.

Certification by Earth Check is not a certainty; Securing a highly-ranked benchmarking result requires a strong commitment across all levels of an organization and the imbedding of sustainability principles into all policies and procedures.

[The Laguna Luxury Collection Resort and Spa]

[St. Regis Bali Resort]

Kompas.com reports that illegal bike gangs from Perth, Western Australia are establishing footholds in overseas locations, including Bali, in order to commit transnational crime.

Warning that bike gangs involved in various illegal practice are now in operation in Bali is a senior police officer from Western Australia, Nick Anticich.

Anticich’s comments follow a report in the Australian press stating that members of the Coffin Cheaters Bike Gang of Perth, Western Australia, have now opened businesses in Bali. Members of the gang are reportedly seen in clubs and bars in Bali wearing the gang’s distinctive regalia.

Anticich is a law enforcement officer deeply familiar with crimal practice among motorcycle gang members. He claims that the Cheaters have established a club in Bali and that other gangs are aggressively extending their networks to other overseas locations by purchasing small clubs in foreign locales.

He said that intelligence accumulated by his office show that bike gangs have created a network across Southeast Asia, focusing on locations where amphetamines and chemicals needed for their manufacture are easily acquired. Anticich also contends that the bike gangs are involved in money laundering practices.

In Bali the Western Australian bike gangs who have reportedly established a foothold are the Coffin Cheaters, Bandidos and Rock Machine.

Anticich said that tough anti-narcotics enforcement in Bali is dissuading the gangs from involvement in the narcotics trade on the island. But he did not discount the possibility that the gangs are busy acquiring chemical ingredients for the manufacture of drugs. These chemical components of illegal drugs can be freely purchased in large quantities in many overseas locations.

Another police source in Western Australia described Bali as a “heaven” for international drug syndicates because of the limited technological means available to the island’s law enforcement agencies to detect illicit drugs entering the island.

Anticich said that although Indonesian ratified the UN Convention on the illegal trade in narcotics and psychotropic substances more than ten years ago, there is still no clear statement from Indonesia on which type of drugs are specifically outlawed.

L. Sastra Wijaya, a correspondent for Kompas based in Australia, described the Australian motorcycle gangs as usually riding large bikes - such as Harley Davidson’s, wearing specific identifying uniforms and gathering at bars operated under their control.

In Australia bike gang members are now prohibited from wearing their “uniforms” in public bars. Australian legislation is also being prepared to make it illegal for known criminal groups, such as bike gangs, to gather or affiliate with each other.

A report from the Western Australian police says the Bandidos gang have established bases in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore while the Outlaws have footholds in Thailand, the Philippines and Japan.

Kompas.com says hundreds of Australian pedophiles are now traveling abroad where they are involved in predatory behavior with little fear of arrest, as Australian law is largely unable to touch them.

The latest statistics point to Bali as a main destination for pedophiles. A repor in Adelaide Now's website said that in the first two months of 2012, a total of 195 of the 14,300 registered Australian sex offenders for crimes against children were traveling abroad.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) admit that the whereabouts of Australian pedophiles traveling and living abroad was not thoroughly known.

L. Sastra Wijaya, a correspondent for Kompas based in Australia reports that since a change in policy introduced in 2010, only one pedophile has been charged in connection with crimes committed while traveling abroad. Because of this, those campaigning  against pedophilia have issued calls for a ban on foreign travel by known Australian pedophiles.

A spokesman for the AFP said that in several cases local authorities are only informed after a known pedophile has already arrived in a foreign locale. Often local police do not have trained personnel to assign to track the activities of foreign pedophiles once they have such information in hand.

Bernadetta McMeanamin, the executive director of the child protection group Child Wise, says that Australian pedophiles should be banned form traveling abroad if the Australian government cannot guarantee such people will be monitored when overseas.

McMeanamin warned that because of the lack of local monitoring capabilities, a known pedophile could arrive in Denpasar, Bali and then merely disappear.

AFP statistics indicated that 25% of know pedophiles traveling abroad visit Denpasar (Bali). This total is twice the number estimated for the second most popular destination of Singapore.

Melissa Curley, an instructor from Queensland University said the difficulties of accumulating strong evidence from foreign police authorities and securing witnesses needed to bring criminal charges in Australia against people believed to be preying on children abroad made prosecuting pedophile offenders problematic.

A spokesperson for the Australian Prosecutor’s office, Nicola Roxon, said that the Australian government stands ready to work with foreign governments to enhance law enforcement and to reduce the instances of pedophile offenses committed by Australians when traveling abroad.

Additional Warning from the U.S.

An article in the Bali Daily (Jakarta Post) raised a similar alarm sounded by an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent speaking at a workshop on “The Dangers of Pedophilia for Children’s Future” recently held in Buleleng, North Bali. FBI agent David Strange told listeners to be on the lookout for pedophiles and pledged his bureau’s cooperation to work with local law enforcement in running to ground U.S. national committing sexual abuse against children while in Indonesia.

The workshop was organized in North Bali because of that area’s notoriety as a center for pedophile activity.

“We definitely will not tolerate any sexual abuse of children throughout Indonesia. We only hunt for suspected pedophiles from the US. But if anyone has information about a suspected pedophile of any nationality, we could help by contacting the consulate of the related country for further legal processing,” said Agent Strange. 



Warning that the threat of sexual abuse of children can come from both foreign visitors and local residents alike, the president of Committee Against Sexual Abuse (CASA), Dr. L.K. Suryani, asked local residents to remain vigilant in monitoring suspicious activities and the overall development of their children.

Indonesian Airline Lion Air has commenced daily flights from Bandung, West Java to Denpasar, Bali.

The direct service leaves Bali at 2:20 pm with the return flight from Bandung departing at 4:10 pm.

The service is being flown with Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.

Lion Air says they are expecting load factors of 80% on the new service seeing the flight as a valuable connection for West Java residents heading for eastern Indonesia destinations such as Makassar (Sulawesi), Bima (Sumbawa) and Maumere (Flores)

The cost of a one-way flight from Bandung to Bali flight is Rp. 522,000 (US$56).

Related Article

[Hurry Up and Wait]

Demonstrating a rapid return on the recent investment of improving Bali’s Benoa to permit large ship visits, Beritabali.com reports that six large cruise ships are scheduled to undertake turn-around voyages in Bali this year.

Rizki Handayani, the Director for Tourism Development from the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy, said: “This year the port of Benoa will welcome 6 luxury cruise ships. In the port of Benoa, cruise ships of ‘jumbo’ proportions will do turn-arounds by embarking and disembarking passengers.”

The ships coming to call include Seven Seas Voyager carrying some 700 tourists. That ships is scheduled to berth on December 19, 2012. There is also a visit expected by the Seabourn Odyssey carrying 450 passengers and the Orion with 400 passengers,

The Orion is scheduled to pay four visits to Bali on August 24, October 20 and 22, and November 1, 2012.

The recent dredging of Benoa now permits visits by larger ships to Bali’s most southernmost port, effectively eclipsing the cruise port ambitions of the problem-ridden Tanah Ampo International Cruise Terminal in East Bali.

Rizki reported that total cruise ship visits to Indonesia for all of 2012 will total 200 calls carrying an estimated 118,800 foreign passengers.

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[Harboring Ambitions for More Cruise Passengers]

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[Missing the Boat; Missing the Point ]

[Who's in in Charge?]

[Blaming Mother Nature]

[Cruise Ship Handling by Bali Discovery Tours]

Tens of animal rights activists staged protests on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at the entrance to a traveling dolphin circus erected at the Central Parking area of Kuta, Bali, before being disbanded by police for lacking a gathering permit.

The protestors, many of them young children, called for the closure of a circus they claimed exploits and causes suffering to dolphins.

The operational managers of the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA), Rangga Wisnu, told Kompas.com, that his group opposed the cruelty to animals represented by the dolphin circus. Citing an example, he pointed to the means used to transport the mammals, which Rangga said is accomplished by using large plastic bags and unclean water in a process he says is torture for the magnificent dolphins.

BAWA has formally written to the Bali police alleging that the circus violates Section 302 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) and Law Number 18 of 2009 – both dealing with animal health and cruelty to animals.

The Dolphin circus was scheduled to open on June 15, 2012 but the actual opening was delayed, according to BAWA, due to problems in shipping the dolphins to Kuta.

A 60-year-old French tourist, Marlin Jean-Charles Georgoes, died while climbing Mount Batur in the Bangli regency of Bali on Sunday. June 10, 2012.

The man reportedly suffered breathing difficulties while making the arduous four-hour climb to the Mount Batur’s crater. Georgoes was part of a 14-member group of family and friends led by three local guides who commenced the climb at 4:00 am.

According to Radar Bali, after four hours of climbing, as the group neared the 1,820-meter high summit the Frenchman experienced respiratory distress. Efforts by members of the group and local guides to assist the man, including CPR, were unsuccessful.

Georgoes was from Giens, France where he was employed as a nuclear power plant worker.

Police estimate the man died at 8:00 am.

Rescue workers were dispatched up the mountain to evacuate the body and bring it to the Sanglah General Hospital in Denpasar for autopsy.

A breakdown in the public water supply to the Tanjung Benoa peninsula, adjacent to the Nusa Dua Complex in South Bali, has left local residents and some hotels, restaurants and businesses in that area with uncertain fresh water supplies.

And, according to a report in NusaBali, it has left many people living on Tanjung Benoa, quite literally, with a bitter taste in their mouths. A fresh water crisis that has lingered on for almost an entire year has forced many to purchase tanks of fresh water shipped in on large trucks. Others, unable to incur the cost of shipping water to the businesses or residents, have resorted to tapping into wells. Part of a narrow peninsula surrounded by ocean water and the problem of seawater intrusion into the water table means the water sourced from local wells is brackish.

The village chief of Tanjung Benoa, I Wayan Kembar, admitted the problem, saying: “This is an old problem. I forget when it first started, what’s clear it started before I was elected village chief.”

Trying to serve his community, Kembar has repeatedly written to the Badung Water Board (PDAM-Badung) with copies to the regent of Badung. But, until now, his letters have yet to be dignified with a reply. “This year I have written twice to PDAM-Badung with copies to the Regent,” Kembar added.

Kembar told how when piped water first entered the Tanjung Benoa community in 2002, local citizens were well pleased with the improvement this represented in their daily lives. Later, however, the supply of PDAM water became intermittent, forcing many to tap into ground water supplies.

Kembar says the sea water that has seeped into local wells has made the water consumed by the people of Tanjung Benoa brackish, so much so that the saltiness of a cup of coffee made with water from these wells is noticeably bitter tasting.

According to Kembar, the anger of local citizens continues to mount as they continue to receive bills for PDAM service despite having to supplement the uncertain regency water with salty water drawn from wells. The village chief complained that it is becoming more and more difficult to keep the emotions of his fellow villagers in check, with protest demonstrations a reak possibility if the situation remains unresolved.

Those villagers able to afford the cost are purchasing tanks of water from local trucks must pay Rp. 150,000 (US$16) per load.

Contacted by NusaBali, Daniel J. Fony, manager of PT Tirtartha Buanamulia, the private sector partner of PDAM appointed to provide fresh water to Tanjung Benoa, acknowledged the complaints of the local residents. He blamed the problem on the deterioration of the piping supplying water to the community and the impact of growing demands for piped water.

Fony insists that only some of the residents of Tanjung Benoa are being affected by  poor water supply, saying there is a plan in hand to install new 500 millimeter piping through the area. Adding: “I ask everyone to be patient, the 500 millimeter piping will answer all these complaints.”

Foney said the installation of the new piping will commence in about two months time.

The Jakarta Post will conduct a full-day short course on “Writing Effective News Releases” in Bali on Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

 Endy M. Bayuni, current senior editor and former editor-in-chief (2004-2010) at The Jakarta Post, will facilitate the session that will help participants to:

• Understand the value of news releases to the end user (media).
• Understand the newsroom process in treating news releases.
• Know the different formats of news releases and their uses.
• Learn how to write effective news releases.
• Learn some essential tools on power writing in English.

Part of a road show, similar workshops will be held in Bandung on June 21, Semarang on June 28 and Surabaya on June 5.

The organizers will provide a broader understanding of why only a few of the press releases sent to media manage to appear in the press. Participants will also learn how to make the news they share more interesting to the press, increasing the chance of eventual publication.

The Jakarta Post has more than 30 years experience in delivering the news, leaving it perfectly positioned to share insights and “tricks of the trade” that will prove invaluable to those assigned to seek editorial space for their hotel, villas, tourist attraction or company.

For more information telephone Nonabelle at ++62-(0)361-265436 or [Email] 

Cost of participation is Rp. 900,000 (US$97) per person.
 

“The Triathlon for the Soul” returns to Bali for its sixth edition on Sunday, June 24, 2012. And, if you’re not joining the race, then join the fun at race central at the InterContinental Bali Resort on Jimbaran Beach.

Organizer announce registrations for the BIZNET Bali International Triathlon have hit record levels with many last-minute entries for the add-on event of the 5 kilometre fun run. In all, athletes for some 24 countries are registered to participate this year.

The 2012 Olympic Distance and Half-Triathlon in Bali includes some important changes. The bike race down the crowded roads of the Ungasan peninsula has been moved to the less congested Ngurah Rai Bypass Highway connecting Nusa Dua and Jimbaran with half of the highway set aside for the exclusive use of cyclists. The run down the sandy beach between the swim and the cycling legs of the Olympic Distance and Half-Triathlon has been eliminated with both the swim start and finish moved to an area directly in front of the transition area. The transition and race-day-party venues have moved to a spacious garden located on the north side of the InterContinental Bali Resort. Registration and the Saturday afternoon pre-race mandatory briefing have moved to the InterContinental, also the new locale for the popular “high-carb” dinner on Saturday night for race participants.

Returning athletes to this year’s race will notice that many aspects of the BIZNET Bali International Triathlon remain unchanged. Back again are the welcoming “sundowner” cocktail party at 5:00 pm on Friday night with tasty canapés from Four Seasons Resorts and free flowing wine and beer – sponsored by Bintang Bir and Hatten Wines will be held at one of palatial private residence of the Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay.

Also back by popular demand from last year is the popular VIP Winner’s Sunday night cocktail on the cliffs of the AYANA Resort and Spa Bali overlooking Jimbaran Bay, a magical affair that concludes with a drink at Bali’s fabled “Rock Bar.” Tickets for this event co-sponsored by the Resort, Bir Bintang and Hatten Wines will be sale at registration and the transition area on Sunday morning. The cocktail, open to racers and the public, starts at 6:00 pm with the party adjourning with a first drink at the “Rock Bar” at 8:00 pm. Advance tickets are available at Rp. 250,000 each with tickets at the door costing Rp. 400,000.

Also unchanged at the 2012 BIZNET Bali International Triathlon will be the uniquely warm welcome extended to race participants by the people of Bali who have adopted the race as their very own.

The BIZNET Bali International Triathlon main sponsor is BIZNET Networks - the leading fixed-line and multimedia telecommunication provider in Indonesia. Lead hotel sponsors of the Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay, InterContinental Bali Resort and AYANA Resort and Spa, Bali will again provide valuable top-winners prizes and help sponsor the meals, parties and supporting functions of the race. Member hotel of the Bali Hotels Association have generously provided accommodation for winners, celebrity athletes, the press and race officials. Jenggala Ceramics are again creating trophies for winners along with a couple of new sponsors . Back also is the BIMC Hospital providing medical care during the race backed up by Bali’s most sophisticated medical centers at each end of the race. Herbalife has also joined this year’s race as a major sponsor. TYR Indonesia is providing every participant  with an official race T-shirts and swim caps.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Join the fun at the Transition area, on the north side the InterContinental Bali Resort that also serves as the start and finishing line. Throughout the morning, as racers flow through the transition area, live music, refreshments and stands run by local vendors will be in operation.

Race Day Schedule

• 6:30 am VIP Area and Start Open for athletes, VIPS and spectators
• 6:40 am Welcome by Organizing Committee of BIZNET Bali International Triathlon
• 6:50 am Welcome by Regent of Badung, A.A. Gede Agung 
• 7:00 am Swim Start for Olympic Distance Event
• 7:30 am Swim Start for Sprint Distance (Half- Triathlon)
• 8:15 am 5 km Fun Run Start
• 9:15 am Estimated First Finisher Olympic Distance Event
• 10:30 am Award ceremonies commence
• 12:00 pm Last finisher across the finish line
• 2:00 pm Transition area and race day party ends
• 6:00 pm “Rock the Race Party” at AYANA Resort and Spa Bali

Join the race or join the party at the transition area on Sunday morning June 24, 20121

[Biznet Bali International Triathlon]