Customs officer for the Bali Ngurah Rai Airport have again successfully thwarted an effort to smuggle dugs into Bali from abroad. Beritabali.com reports that a French national, Vincent Roger Petrone, was captured with 70 grams of hashish concealed in his anal cavity.

The arrest was made on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, after Petrone arrived in Bali off Malaysian Airline MH 853 at 7:30 pm from Kuala Lumpur.

Using sophisticated equipment that can analyse passenger behavior in combination with information contained in Custom’s data banks, officials singled out the Frenchman, who lists his occupation as an interior decorator, When an inspeciton of the man’s person and his luggage yielded no contraband, a subsequent x-ray indicated a substance was concealed in capsules carried in his intestines.

The French Connection

In, or alternatively, “at” the end - four capsules of drugs were retrieved from the 43-year-old man’s large intestine

Tests laters confirmed that the durgs were hashish, a substance outlawed under Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law. Prosecution for the 70 grams found by police carry a penalty of a minumum 5 -20 years in prison and substantial fines.

Police placed a street value on the drugs confiscated of US$4,200.

Indonesia’s Director General of Excise and Customs, Agung Kuswandono, has publicly applauded the panel of judges who handed down a death sentence to Lindsay June Sandiford, the 56-year-old British grandmother convicted of smuggling 4.7 kilograms of cocaine into Bali.

The senior customs official told Kompas.com the death penalty in the case would serve as a deterrent to narcotics smugglers and members of international drug syndicates. “We hope that this heavy sentence will deter smugglers who are destroying the next generation of Indonesians,” said Kuswandono, during a press conference in Bali on Thursday, January 31, 2013.

“These people have no concern for the next generation; they only want financial gain. For this reason, we must fight them to the end. This is what we must prevent. This is the duty of the Custom’s Department,” Kuswansono explained.

The Indonesian Customs and Excise office is increasing its cooperation with the international community to fight the cross-border trade in narcotics. Indonesia is a member of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and actively exchanges information and experiences in the efforts to fight the drug trade.

“Indonesia is among those countries valued for their experience (in fighting the drug trade) and for having an excellent passenger analysis unit,” he added.

He vowed that Indonesia would continue to tighten its supervision at every international gateway to Indonesia in order to compensate for the weakness in supervision of other countries that permits international drug smugglers to enter Indonesia.

Related Article

[Shock and Awe]

[Dead On or Dead Wrong?]

The Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post) reports that the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Association of Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) is threatening to black list hotels and other accommodation providers in Bali know to be working with illegal online travel agencies.

The chairman of ASITA – Bali, Ketut Ardana, defended such a move as necessary to stem the growth in illegal on-line agencies selling Bali accommodation and to compensate for the lack of active enforcement by the provincial government.

The deputy-chairman of ASITA-Bali, Putu Widastra, said: 

“We will blacklist hotels and other accommodation businesses that are proven to have cooperated with illegal travel agencies, be they operating online or not.”

The Bali members of ASITA number 352 tour and travel agencies. ASITA is seeking to halt the activities of illegal travel agencies – both operating on-line or in other manners in Bali, who are seen as often acting unethically, destroying the tourism reputation of the Island and avoiding to take up their fair share of the tax burden.

Ardana complained: 

“The government places many rules on travel agencies that already have licenses from the province. We have to pay greater taxes, too, but for those illegal travel agencies that are operating online, the government does nothing.

 If the hotels stop using these illegal travel agencies’ services, they would not have grown to the level they are at today. We have to continue to approach hotels, to urge them to only use our services, which are licensed.”

Ardana called on Bali’s governor, Made Mangku Pastika, to keep good his promise to take action against illegal tour operators. Past reports detailing illegal tour operations filed with the Tourism Department of Bali have received neither acknowledgement nor any action from the provincial government.

Legally registered Bali tour and travel agents, according to ASITA, are reporting a 10% drop in foreign market share, blamed in part on the intrusion of unregistered travel operators.

Following the court-ordered bankruptcy of Indonesian airline Batavia Air on January 31, 2013, the airline's routes to 42 domestic destinations and a number of regional airports are up for grabs and being sought by the remaining members of the Indonesian aviation industry.

According to reports, Mandala Airlines will take over many of Batavia Air’s most lucrative routes.

The Central Jakarta Regional Court approved a petition for bankruptcy filed by IFLC, an international aircraft leasing company, claiming Batavia Air owed them US$4.68 million in outstanding debts in connection with the lease of two Airbus A330 aircraft.

Bisnis.com quotes the Director General of Civil Aviation from the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, Herry Bakti S Gumay, who confirms he is in touch with the Indonesian airline industry seeking to close any gaps in the national air network caused by the sudden demise of Batavia Air.

“They (the other airlines) are working together with Mandala Air to cover the routes. I have also called the management of Lion Air, and I thing Sriwijaya will also help,” said Herry Bakti just hours after the closure announcement.

Bakti also expressed the hope that the airlines taking up the routes of Batavia Air would offer services at the minimum rate to the public.

The Ministry called on Batavia Air to have staff on hand at the airports to give information to the public showing with tickets issued on the airline.

Batavia Air and its receivers have promised to refund passengers holding flight tickets on the bankrupt air carrier.

 

Bali’s booming condominium hotel (condotel) or residential hotel market is largely being swept up by Indonesian buyers from other major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta and Surabaya.

This trend was confirmed in a recent report prepared by Horwath HTL and C9 Hotelwork. Bill Barnet, managing director of C9 and a featured panelist at the recent Indonesia Hotel Investment Conference held in Bali on February 1, 2013, said, “We expect the trend to continue.”

The condotel movement provides developers to finance hotel projects by selling units to the public, that when not being used for vacations by their owners, can be rented out on a nightly basis to vacation visitors.

Barnett sad that growth in the condotel market has been further fueled by laws that prohibit foreign land ownership in Indonesia, but does allow Building Ownership Certificate (SKBG) that permit foreign leaseholds for condominiums for 60 years, extendable for an additional 60 years.

Prices for the Condotels start from US$3,000 per square meter, with the lower-price one-bedroom units among the most popular. Many developers are offering guaranteed annual yields of 8% over a limited number of years as a further induced to purchasers.

A major player in Bali’s over-supply of rooms, there are an estimated 300,000 condotel units now operating in Bali, with a further 100,000 units expected to come on line soon.

Barnett sounded cautionary remarks suggesting many condotels less-than-prime locations made then “not a stellar investment” – making them less appealing than better-located hotel against they now compete for guests.

The C9 and Horwath HTL report tells of stronger competition ahead with 12,000 new hotel rooms coming to Bali in anticipation of a surge in demand surrounding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting coming to Bali in late 2013.

Of future concern in efforts to maintain Bali’s reputation as a world-class tourism destination is the cumbersome requirement stipulating condotels can only renovate their properties with the consensus of the myriad owners. On the other hand, hotels are able to upgrade their facility with the agreement of only a majority of shareholders.

Condotels may become rudderless ships,” Barnett warned. 



Examples of the long-term deleterious effect of over-development of the Condotel sector can be found in many locales worlwide where buyers get rid of a property once an initial investment is returned, creating a surfeit of used condotels competing against the established hotel market.

Ari Budiman Sunardi, the lawyer representing Brit Julian Anthony Ponder, has confirmed that his client will not be appealing a 6-year prison sentence handed down by the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday, January 29, 2013.

Arie told Kompas.com that he was both pleased and satisfied that his client received a sentence less than the 7 year demanded by State Prosecutors. Adding: “I am hapy and I will recommend to my client to not pursue an appeal because his sentence is close to the minimum sentence of five years required by the law.”

Momentarily disappointed with the sentence given by the court, Julian Ponder eventually accepted his lawyer’s advice and accepted the sentence for simple possession, managing to escape further legal entanglement with the 4.7 kilograms of cocaine brought by Lindsay June Sandiford who has been sentenced to death.

In the end, the judge's only charged Ponder with possession of 21.68 grams of cocaine found at his residence on May 25, 2012 when police undertook a raid in connection with the earlier arrest of Sandiford.

Sandiford gave the police Ponder’s name as the man who told her to carry drugs from Bangkok to Bali. Also arrested by police were Ponder’s wife, Rachel Lisa Dougall, Paul Beales and Nanda Gopal.

Harjoso, the director of technical operations for PT Angkasa Pura I – the State-owned company that runs most major airports in Indonesia, says the air route Jakarta – Surabaya – Denpasar (Bali) is the fifth most crowded air corridor in the world.

Quoted by Seputarbali.com, Harjoso said that while air traffic is heavy flying along the corridor between Jakarta-Surabaya-Denpasar, infrastructure issues remain the major obstacle in national air transportation.

Speaking at a meeting on Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) held at the Hotel Discovery Kartika Plaza in Bali on Monday, January 28, 2013, Harjoso said: “The route Jakarta-Surabaya-Denpasar has undergone a high rate of traffic development, in fact, growing 12 % every year over the past three years making it the fifth most crowded air corridor in the world today.”

He continued, saying the three Indonesian cities are in close proximity to air gateways of the international calibre of Singapore and other airports in neighboring countries. Because of this, the management of airports in the region are required to devise ways to organize flight schedules, sharing their international responsibility for air safety. “For this reason, ATFM feels the need to meet and discuss these issues,” said Harjoso.

Because of the crowded situation over the air route, Australia has offered Indonesia assistance ion managing air traffic over that sector.

Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport

Meanwhile, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport has become one of the world’s leading airports. The Bali air gateway will soon have new international passengers terminal that is 130,000 square meters larger and a domestic passenger terminal that is 65,000 square meters larger than the existing facilities. In 2012, the Bali airport handled some 13.5 million domestic and international passengers with peaks days experiencing more than 300 aircraft movements.

Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport has exceeded its carrying capacity by 270%. The more than US$200 million spent on the airport’s upgrade will enable the airport to handle the APEC 2013 summit and a passenger load approaching 20 million passengers in a single year.

A leading Indonesian observer of the airline sector, Chappy Hakim, said the main problem of the national aviation sector is a lack of supporting infrastructure. Hakim said the development of national aviation lack a well-developed plan.
 

Sofitel Luxury Hotels will increase to 43 the number of properties in operates in the Asia-Pacific region by mid-2014.

The three newest properties to join the Sofitel Luxury management portfolio are in Wellington (New Zealand), Shenyang (China) and Bali.

The Bali property – Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort will open in September 2013 is pitched to champion the Sofitel signature brand’s style: French elegance conjugated internationally, while respecting the culture of each country.

“These three new addresses are a perfect illustration of the Sofitel target strategy. With unique positioning, based on our French roots and close collaboration with famous architects and designers, we are gaining increasing interest from investors, due to the distinction and the successful repositioning of Sofitel in the luxury hotel business,” said Robert Gaymer-Jones, CEO of Sofitel Worldwide. 



Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
 will be located within the Nusa Dua Complex operated by the Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC).

The five-star property will offer 415 rooms and 17 private villas on a beachfront location.

To address the MICE market, the Bali property will feature a ballroom, give meeting rooms, a multi-function room, three restaurants, a bar –lounge and fitness center.

The founder of the People of  Bali Forum Against Violence, Edmundus Wahyu Indrawan, is calling on the Bali police to urgently announce the identity and take into custody the individual who brutally attacked Wayan “Gendo” Suardana, the chairman of the Bali chapter of Friends of the Earth (WALHI) on November 5, 2012.

As reported by Beritabali.com, the police have indicated that know both the man who attacked “Gendo,” while visiting a Denpasar lawyer’s office, and those behind the attack.

“Gendo” is actively leading public and protest actions targeted at the Provincial government of Bali and the Island’s Governor seeking to halt the construction of the Benoa to Nusa Dua toll road and a long-term lease of a publicly-owned mangrove forest to a private company. It is unclear if the physical attack on "Gendo" is in any way linked to these protests.

Indrawan told the press on January 21, 2013 that it is extremely strange that the Bali police have failed to reveal the identity of the individuals perpetrating the attack on “Gendo” when, in fact, the individual who brutalized the environmentalist is reportedly well known to police. Edmundus Wahyu Indrawan blamed the lack of a clear statement by the police as an indication that “an important individual” is behind the attack on the WAHLI chairman.

Further proof of the power lurking behind the person who attacked “Gendo” is the refusal or inability of the police to apprehend the suspects  even though the police claim to know all the actors involved.

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The regent of Buleleng in North Bali, Putu Agus Suradnyana, has announced that the Kubutambahan area of his regency on the outskirts of Singaraja has been selected as the location for a North Bali airport.

Quoted by the National News Agency Antara, Suradnyana said: “From the three short listed locations (for the airport), in the end the Ministry of Transportation decided to build the new airport in the north at Kubutambahan.”

The regency said Kubutambahan scored highest in comparison to the alternatives of Gerokgak and Celukan Bawang.

“Kubutambahan scored 92.50. This score far surpassed the scores of Gerokgak and Celukan Bawang,” Suradnyana explained.

In times past, Singaraja serves as the capital of Bali and the Lesser Sunda Islands.

While the Ministry of Transportation has chosen the Kubutambahan area for a new airport, no detailed plan for such a facility has yet to clearly articulated or funding allocated for the airport’s construction in State budgets.

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Bali police officials recently cracked down on cars illegally parked outside the Denpasar District Court on Jalan Sudirman in Denpasar in an area posted for no street side parking.

The 12 offending vehicles had their tires locked while police sat back and waited for the scofflaws to return to their vehicles and try to drive off.

Ketut Sriawan, the chief of traffic control from the Denpasar Transportation Office, revealed: “Most of the cars (illegally parked) were owned by lawyers trying cases before the court. As lawyers they should understand the law and give a good example to the public, not just go ahead and break the rules.”

As reported by Okezone.com, police officials were fair and impartial in enforcing the parking rules. The cars were locked and all the drivers - including the lawyers, were issued a ticket when they returned to their vehicles.

Sriawan continued: “We have reminded them repeatedly. We have even towed the cars away. But, still, they continue to park in a ‘no parking’ zone.”

Jalan Sudirman is a busy street in downtown Denpasar with illegal parking adding to traffic congestion.

The transportation department has locked the wheels on more than 50 vehicles on main protocol streets in Denpasar over the last month. Among the streets where police are using the “lock-down” procedure are Jalan Mahendradatta, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Kamboja, Jalan Hayam Wuruk, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Sudirman.
 

The Minister for State-owned Enterprises (BUMN), Dahlan Iskan, has declared he as no desire to interfere in the tendering process for commercial space at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Dahlan told Bisnis Bali that the tender is a business issue for Angkasa Pura I (AP I). During a visit to inspect the airport project while underling that the airport project was expensive to complete, he said that how commercial space was let and at what price is solely a management issue for PT Angkasa Pura.

“BUMN will not interfere. BUMB will not get involved,” said Dahlan. He also disagreed with those who say the registration fee for tendering to obtain commercial space was expensive. “Just compare (the price) with airport outside Bali,” said Dahlan.

The Federation of Airport Traders (P2B) comprised of existing shop holders at the Bali Airport are seeking to be guaranteed places of business the soon-to-be-opened remodeled airport facility or, at the very least, to be exempted from pre-qualification requirements that include proving an existing annual turnover of US$ 3 million.

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Following the bankruptcy of Batavia Air and its cessation of operations on January 31, 2013, tens of sales and ground staff for the airline in Bali have become restless as they face an uncertain future.

Beritabali.com quotes an engineering staff of the defunct airline, Gus Wika, who confirmed he and his co-workers are waiting for clarification on what future employment awaits them. “If we are all going to be terminated from our employment, we are only awaiting an explanation of the company’s responsibility towards its former employees,” said Gus Wika on Friday, February 2, 2013.

Wika and his colleagues are hoping to receive severance payments from Batavia Air. Moreover, they are also seeking letters of explanation from Batavia Air to include in their job applications seeking new positions.

“If they want to give us severance pay we will take it, but if they don’t that’s not a problem. What matters most is that we can soon find new jobs,” said Wika

The management of Batavia Air is not returning pone calls from the press seeking further clarification.

The Batavia Air ticket office and operational counters in Bali and the Bali airport are closed and unattended. A simple sign stands at each location announcing the cessation of operations saying: “We apologize that effective January 31st Batavia Air no longer operates. For more information please contact our head office in Jakarta.”

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Sapta Nirwandar, Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy, says the Indonesian government is working to promote Indonesia as an international sports destination.

As reported by Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post), Nirwandar’s comments were made a dinner hosted in Bali on January 31, 2013, to welcome Firehiwot Dado Tufa, the Ethiopian who won the 2011 New York City Marathon.

Said Nirwandar, “The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is now putting as its top priority the expansion of promotional activities at international tourism events, especially introducing Indonesia as potential sports destination.”

The deputy-minister sees Indonesia as a natural host for marine-based sports, marathons, triathlons and cycling events. To this end, Indonesia organizes successful international-scale sporting events that include world sailing and surfing competitions and a 10K Marathon.

The annual Jakarta Marathon, the Bali Marathon held in 2012 and the BIZNET Bali International Triathlon underline Indonesia’s suitability for international sporting events.

“The visit of Tufa to several places in Indonesia is part of the government’s efforts to open the eyes of an international athlete to the country’s potential,” Nirwandar said. 



Nirwandar explained international-scale sports events are affordable ways of stimulating international travel to Indonesia. 

 “It costs us around Rp 1.5 billion [US$150,000] to Rp 2 billion to hold a sport event. The impact will be huge, as international media will cover the event. It will become an extensive and effective promotion for Indonesia,” he said.

Related Links

[BIZNET Bali International Triathlon]
 

The body of a 58-year-old German, Bernd Roemer, was found at 4:30 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013, on the beach of the Hotel Sangrila in Candidasa, Karangasam.

The man is believed to have drowned while snorkeling.

The man’s 38-year-old Balinese wife, Ni Nyoman Kantun, was near the beach and reportedly became hysterical when she learned of her husband’s death.

The German’s lifeless body was discovered by a friend, Anthony John Broan, an Australian who own a villa in Candidasa.

Roemer who was born in Holland, but lived for many years in Germany, was resident in Candidasa where he had married a woman from Banjar Sumuh.

According to The Bali Post, Romer’s body was taken the general hospital in Karangasem for forensic examination.
 

Bisnis.com says that Bali’s redeveloped Ngurah Rai International Airport is targeted to handle 25 million passengers every year.

The general manager of the Ngurah Rai Airport, Rai Purwanto, confessed that the airport is currently overloaded. The airport is presently handling 13.5 million domestic and international passengers, almost twice its pre-renovation capacity of 6-7 million travelers.

Renovations of the airport have consumed Rp. 2.8 trillion (US$280 million) and is expected to be completed by June in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference set for Bali in September 2013.

When completed, the new airport will have 19 air bridges, an increase over the 8 air bridges now in operation.
 

The chairman of the Indonesian Conference and Convention Association (INCCA-Bali), Ida Bagus Surakusuma, says discussion are underway within the government to require new hotels in Kuta to have a minimum of 50 are (5,000 square meter) of land in an effort to help control over-development of accommodation in that area of Bali.

Surakusuma, more popularly know as Lolec, told Bisnis Bali that most tourism practitioners in Bali support calls for a moratorium on new hotels in the southern part of the island. To this end, the Badung regency administration is reviewing the application process for new hotels.

The Badung administration is promising to implement rules in Kuta making the minimum lot size for hotels of 50 are (5,000 square meters) and enforce coefficient rules requiring 60% of any project remain green, open and unconstructed.

With the cost of land in Kuta now reaching Rp. 2-3 billion per are (US$200,000 – US$330,000 per 100 square meters), it is hoped that the minimum requirement of lot size and "green space ratio" will help to increase the cost of investing in a Kuta hotel project and slow down the proliferation of new hotels in that area.

Lolec, however, feels that indigenous (pribumi) investors should receive special treatment when building or upgrading hotels in Kuta and be exempted from the minimum lot size rule.

Thousand of resident of Temukus Village in Buleleng, North Bali, took to the streets in protest on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, to demonstrate against the possible loss of a 6,000 square meter piece of land now used as a community cemetery.

Charged with emotion, the villagers cut down trees blocking the main road connecting Singaraja and Gilimanuk resulting in a 5-kilometer-traffic jam that lasted more than 3 hours.

The angry street protests followed a court session during which Made Sueca is trying to legally claim the traditional graveyard as his own land. Villagers contend he has no legal claim on the land, saying Sueca is not from their village and that his legal moves are merely a property grab backed by an investor.

The crowd eventually  calmed and the road was reopened after the Regent of Buleleng, Putu Agus Suradnyana, came to the affected village and met with the villagers.

Police remain on standby in anticipation that the protests might once again erupt.
 

The Bali Post reports that the rice terraces of Jatiluwih may be under threat of losing their UNESCO World Heritage status due to the property grab now underway that is destroying the local environment.

Sounding the warning is the chairman of the Tabanan House of Representatives (DPRD-Tabanan), Ketut “Boping” Suryadi.

Speaking on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, “Boping” said he has heard many complaints regarding the influx of investors at Jatiluwih and the elimination of traditional farmlands by new developments.

The lawmaker is concerned that if the condition of Jatiluwih continues to decline, UNESCO might eventually revoke the World Heritage Site status.

To avoid the loss of World Heritage Site status, the DPRD-Tabanan is working to include the Jatiluwih area in “green zone” areas under the regional zoning laws, protecting it from over-development.

Under UNESCO rules, the status and condition of each world heritage site must be audited and reviewed once every five years.

Local officials eager to protect the agricultural character of Jatiluwih insist that traditional agricultural lands can only be protected if farmers are allocated a fair share of Bali’s tourism revenues to help sustain their way of life.

Observers say that most land purchased thus far by investors at Jatiluwih has been limited to plantation lands, with the region’s rice terraces as yet untouched by investors. Many fear, however, that it is only a matter of time before investors’ attention turns to the rice terraces, unless steps are taken to legally protect these areas.

The number of farmers in the Jatiluwih area number 395 cultivating land that covers 303 hectares spread across 7 subak (water irrigation) districts.

Since the establishment of the World Heritage Area at Jatiluwih, agricultural lands have been designated as sustainable lands by the government that cannot be sold or built upon.

The Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Ida Bagus Kade Subhisku, announced on Thursday, January 31, 2013, that documents have been signed by the governor establishing a Bali Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD-Bali).

As reported by Bisnis Bali, Subhisku said that the formation of the BPPD has consumed a great deal of time while the names of those to lead the BPPD-Bali and form its policies were vetted.

The Bali Tourism Office only received the remaining data from Bali’s airline association in November 2012, clearing the way for the formation of the rules of the BPPD-Bali in December 2012 and the governor’s decree the following month.

There have been 9 people named to lead the BPPD and set policies for the organization. Under the rules for the new BPPD-Bali, these individuals must meet a number of administrative requirements, yet to be submitted, in order to confirm their positions.

Once this is done, a copy of the governor’s decree will be forwarded to the Bali Tourism Association (GIPI).

Bisnis.com have published figures from Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry detailing how the market share of international passengers is divided up between national air carriers.

Indonesian Airlines Market Share – International Passengers

Air Carrier                     Number of Passengers          Market Share

AirAsia                                         3.19 million                             37.7%
Garuda Indonesia                       3.18 million                             37.6%
Other Indonesian Carrier*        2.09 million                             24.7%
 
Total                                             8.46 million                       100.0%

*Other Indonesian Carriers: Lion Air, Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air, Wings Air, Mandala Airlines, Merpati, Kalstar

AirAsia and Garuda Indonesia dominate the Indonesian international air traffic sector with a 75.3% market share carried on a combined basis between the two airlines. AirAsia narrowly outpaced the State-owned Indonesian flag carier Garuda by uplifting 3.19 million international passengers in 2012.

Ministry sources caution that the figures provided are preliminary and will be reviewed and finalized in February 2013.

Product Update

Chinese tradition dictates that certain duties must be performed to prepare for the Lunar New Year that this year ushers in the “Year of the Snake.”

red and worshipped, the serpent’s ability to shed its skin can symbolize renewal and rebirth. Those born in the “year of the snake” can be wise and compassionate, but also have strong inclinations to vanity.

Good with money, those born under this Chinese zodiac are thought to hate to fail.

Among the duties that observant families must prepare as the Chinese New Year approaches:

• Visit a Chinese fortuneteller. Gain insights on how best to prepare for the year ahead.
• Get a hair cut before the Lunar New Year. Chinese tradition thinks it dangerous to cut anything during the Lunar New Year holidays.
• Clean the House. This is done to welcome the spirits who frequent New Year’s festivities and to “turn over a new leaf” as you embark on a momentous year ahead.
• Attend Chinese New Year Festivities. This must be done wearing new clothes, bearing gifts to share with friends and preparing red “ang pao” envelopes containing money for unmarried boys and men.

In order to usher in the Chinese New Year, the Ayung Resort Ubud in Bali is offering an exquisite 6-course Chinese feast for only Rp. 980,000 net (US$98) per couple.

Those wishing to welcome the New Year by luxuriating at the stunning tree top resort need pay only US$157 plus tax and service per couple for a refreshing overnight stay including breakfast for two.

Chinese New Year Dinner
Ayung Resort Ubud
Sunday, February 10, 2013

+ + +

Bean curd skin roll
Chicken, wood ear mushroom, oyster sauce

+ + +

Salt & pepper prawns
Sweet & sour sauce

+ + +

Roast Peking duck
Pancakes, spring onions, cucumber, plum sauce

+ + + 

Crispy pork belly
Scallop dumplings, orange, xo sauce

+ + +

Steamed barramundi
Ginger, spring onions, soy, sesame, bok choy

+ + +

Orange jelly, pineapple, rambutan
Mango sorbet

Bookings are essential to avoid disappointment. Telephone ++62-(0)361-900 1333 – asking for Gede at extension #810

[Email Ayung Resort Ubud]

[Ayung Resort Ubud Website]