BALI INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Hari raya Nyepi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Bali, 07 Mar 2008 umat hindu di Bali merayakan hari raya nyepi dimana semua kegitan dihentikan. Lampu tidak boleh dinyalakan. Keheningan mendalam akan dirasakan.
Pada malam sehari sebelum hari raya ini diadakan pesta ogoh-ogoh.

Selamat hari raya Nyepi Tahun baru saka 1930.

Happy New Year 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:41:00 +0000

Selamat tahun baru 2008, foto ini dimbil di-legian saat perayaan tahun baru 2008.

Check this video

Travel & Tour Service

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:42:00 +0000

If you may be needing help arranging your visit to Bali and other parts of Indonesia, whether it is for hotel reservation, car rental, tour trip, airline tickets to travel within Indonesia, etc, you can email to pipitwd@gmail.com for assistance.
There will be a small administration charge for the assistance.

from: http://www.balitreat.blogspot.com/

Coming to Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:37:00 +0000

Whether it's for business or pleasure, below is the list of what and not to bring to Bali...

What to bring:
1. Shorts and mini skirt/sundress
2. T-shirts/tank top/beachwear
3. Swimsuits
4. Flip flop/rubber sandals
5. Big bag/backpack to carry your stuffs around
6. Sunglasses/shades
7. Medication to cure stomach ache, you might not used to the food here
8. Sexy, bright, wild outfits (ones that you can't wear in the city)
9. Hair conditioner/moisturiser
10. Sunscreen and skin moisturiser
11. Friendly, happy smile

What not to bring:
1. Heavy pants/trousers (bring lighter ones, it can get sticky here)
2. Heavy make up
3. Anything too valuable (Bali is generally safe but you'd never know)
4. Attitude

from: http://www.balitreat.blogspot.com/

Hot Spot di Denpasar Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:51:00 +0000

Hot spot mulai banyak di denpasar bali. Baik yang bayar maupun yang gratis sudah ada di beberapa tempat. Mungkin ini sudah cukup lama. Tapi ada baiknya info ini ditulis diBlog ini untuk anda yang baru diBali dan membutuhkan layanan akses internet mengunakan wireless connection.

Ini adalah beberapa Area HotSpot yang dapat saya kumpulkan baik yang bayar maupun yang gratis:

Sepanjang Pantai Kuta.
Tiara food court istana kuta galeria
Tiara food court Gatsu
Sunset food court
Gedung Indosat By Pass Ngurah Rai
Mercure Resort, Sanur
Grand Hyatt Bali (Nusa Dua)
Conrad Hotel (Nusa Dua)
Kuta Paradiso Hotel (Kuta)
Risata Bali Resort (Kuta)
Aston Bali Resort (Nusa Dua)
Bali Bakery Kuta
Bali Bakery Denpasar
Cempaka Lounge, Ngurah Rai Airport

Treatment for Ladies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:38:00 +0000

Ladies... how about a nice hair creambath treatment at the end of Friday after a whole week of work? Or body scrub + massage?
I know a little place in pesanggaran, where you can have all that for a very low price. It is called Nature Line.
My ussual treatment is hair mask which includes: hair washing, hair mask cream, some head massage, hair steam. It is similar to creambath only with less massage which is suitable for those with excess hair loss, like myself. For this service you would only need to pay Rp. 35.000,-. Another favorite treatment of mine is body scrub. The body scrub treatment ranges from Rp. 35.000,- to Rp. 60.000,-. For Rp. 35.000,- you will get body massage, scrub and mask, and they will wash the body mask from you with warm wet towel only. I ussually take this treatment because it doesn't take as much time as the more complete ones, and because I live nearby I can easily take my wash at home. But if you prefer the complete treatment, for Rp. 60.000,- you can get body steam, massage, scrub, mask, milk bath and vagina fragrant gentle steam.
Mind you, this is not a fancy saloon, so it's not like the spa resort you'd see all over the island and I have only seen local visitors. But if you want to give it a try, why not?

Sanur festifval ditutup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:48:00 +0000

Sanur festival sudah ditutup pada hari minggu 19 Aug 2007 dengan diadakanya parade di jalan menuju ke pantai.

Beberapa even utama yang digelar adalah pameran foto, makanan murah, kartun, serta ada juga pameran tanaman seperti bonsai dan lain sebgainya.

Pada hari terkhir ada karnaval dan pertunjukan tarian.

Ayam Kremesan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:54:00 +0000

Yum, yum, ayam kremes!!! Ayam kremes is fried chicken served with crispy crumbs, sambal (chilly paste), raw vegetable and rice. It is tastier to eat directly with your hands, without any utensils. Tasty ayam kremes can be found in Apotik Sudirman, Jl. Diponegoro and Warung Ayam Prambanan, Renon, Denpasar. Mind you, this is a very local dish for local Indonesians, so for the weak stomached or not into local cuisines, maybe you should skip going to warungs such as these. But it surely is very tasty and very cheap.
Jadi, untuk para penggemar ayam kremes, boleh dicoba deh warung - warung ini. Kalau di Ayam Prambanan bisa minta sambal mentah. Atau untuk kalian penggemar ayam kremes tulang lunak bisa juga coba ke warung Genteng Biru di Jl. Diponegoro, Denpasar atau Ayam Tulang Lunak Malioboro di Jl. Kediri, Tuban . Nyam, nyam, enyak, enyak, enyak...

From http://www.balitreat.blogspot.com/

Indonesian woman is first bird flu death on Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:51:00 +0000

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Indonesian woman has died of bird flu in Bali, the first human death from the virus on the resort island hugely popular with foreign tourists.

A health ministry official said on Monday the 29-year-old woman came from west Bali. She died on Sunday in hospital after suffering from high fever.

Her five-year-old daughter also died recently after playing with chickens but it was unclear if the girl died of bird flu.

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Joko Suyono of the ministry's bird flu centre said a 2-year-old girl living close by had also developed bird flu symptoms, but was recovering in hospital. Test results had not come back yet.

News of the woman's death will be a blow to Bali, which is the centre of Indonesia's tourism industry and has been trying to shake off the impact of several deadly bomb attacks by Islamic militants in recent years.

The woman from a village in the district of Jembrana was suffering from a high fever before dying of multiple organ failure, said Ken Wirasandi, a doctor at the Sanglah hospital in the Balinese capital Denpasar.

Suyono said by telephone a second laboratory test had confirmed the woman had the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Suyono said there had been sick chickens around the woman's house and many had died suddenly in recent weeks.

"The villagers didn't burn the carcasses. Instead they buried them or fed them to pigs," Suyono added.

Contact with sick fowl is the most common way for humans to contract the H5N1 virus.

The woman had started showing symptoms more than a week ago, but was only admitted to hospital six days later.

She was transferred to a bigger hospital in Denpasar on Friday, where she was treated in the isolation unit, Suyono said.

He said initial investigations indicated last month the daughter had become sick after playing with chickens and died a week later.

"We were unable to retrieve any tissue samples, so we can't confirm whether she died of bird flu," Suyono added.

Bird flu is endemic in bird populations in most parts of Indonesia. In Bali, as in the rest of the country, millions of backyard chickens live in close proximity with people.

Experts fear if the virus develops the ability to pass easily between humans, millions might die in a pandemic.

Indonesia has had 82 confirmed human deaths from bird flu, the highest for any country in the world.

Not including the latest death, there have been 319 confirmed human cases and 192 deaths globally, according to World Health Organisation data.

The predominantly Hindu island in mostly Muslim Indonesia is starting to recover after suicide bombers killed 20 people in October, 2005. The attacks came after more than 200 died in nightclub bombings in late 2002.

The island regularly hosts large international conventions and is due to hold an important U.N. climate change conference in December in which about 10,000 people are expected to attend.

According to government data, tourist arrivals in Bali rose 34 percent to 781,059 in the first half of 2007 from a year ago.

from: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=indonesian-woman-is-first&chanId=sa003&modsrc=reuters

Bubur Ayam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:06:00 +0000

Mencari makanan murah yang enak diBali itu gampang-gampang susah. contohnya saja anda ingin makan bubur ayam.
Bagi saya pribadi mencari bubur ayam yang enak diBali itu hampir tidak ada. Hanya beberapa tempat saja seperti di jalan raya Sesetan yang menuju ke arah Benoa ini. Ada 1 penjual bubur ayam.
Bubur ayam disini versi Jakarta agak lumayan (belum berarti enak) dibanding bubur ayam lain diBali ini.

Dream Land

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:49:00 +0000

Dream Land
Bagi anda yang ke Bali belum lengkap jika anda tidak ke Dream Land. Sebuah kawasan wisata pantai yang tergolong baru dibanding kawasan wisata pantai lainaya seperti kuta dan sanur. Terletak tidak jauh dari pantai jimbaran dan uluwatu.
Pantai Dream Land dulunya sesuai namanya, memang seperti pantai mimpi. tapi akhir-akhir ini saya lihat, Dream land yang dulunya demikian alami sudah berubah menjadi komersial. Pantai ini tidak lagi seindah waktu 5 tahun yang lalu ketika pertama kali saya berkunjung ke pantai ini. Masih sepi dan alami sekali.

Bagi anda yang suka surfing pantai ini menjadi alternatif yang menarik. Ombaknya cukup besar. tentu saja kalo untuk surfer pemula tidak dianjurkan karna cukup banyak batu karang di pantai ini yang berbahaya.

Gempa Dirasakan di Denpasar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:43:00 +0000

Gempa yang terjadi hari Kamis ini pada dini hari sekitar jam 1 Wita terasa di Denpasar Bali. Menurut sumber kompas gempa ini terjadi dilepas laut jawa. Pusat Gempa ada di
6.17 LS-107.66 BT terletak di 75 Km Barat Laut Indramayu dengan ke dalaman 286 Km dari bawah laut.

Gempa ini terjadi dimana orang sedang tertidur lelap, jadi sebagian orang di Bali tidak menyadari adanya gempa. Gempa ini menurut BMG tidak menimbulkan Tsunami.

menurut sumber kompas, gempa sebenarnya bisa dirasakan sedikitnya di 13 kota di Nusantara, seperti Jakarta, Bekasi, Bandung, Tangerang, Citeko, Kebumen, Liwa, Pacitan, Padang, Tretes, Malang, Denpasar dan Mataram.

Sawah hijau di Mambal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:06:00 +0000

Mambal sebuah desa yang tidak jauh dari Denpasar dan juga dekat dari Ubud. Disini anda bisa melihat sawah yang terhampar. Saat pada-padi tersebut mulai tumbuh sawah yang tadinya hijau berubah menjadi kuning. Pemandangan ini cukup menyejukan mata.

Bagi anda yang datang dari daerah perkotaaan ada baiknya jalan-jalan melihat pemandangan persawahan. Cukup menyejukan mata.

Ini lokasi Mambal dilihat dari Google Earth:

Geografi Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Ada baiknya saya kutip Geografi dari Bali yang diambil dari http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali

Pulau Bali adalah bagian dari Kepulauan Sunda Kecil sepanjang 153 km dan selebar 112 km sekitar 3,2 km dari Pulau Jawa. Secara astronomis, Bali terletak di 8°25′23″ Lintang Selatan dan 115°14′55″ Lintang Timur yang mebuatnya beriklim tropis seperti bagian Indonesia yang lain. Gunung Agung adalah titik tertinggi di Bali setinggi 3.148 m. Gunung berapi ini terakhir meletus pada Maret 1963. Gunung Batur juga salah satu gunung yang ada di Bali. Sekitar 30.000 tahun yang lalu, Gunung Batur meletus dan menghasilkan bencana yang dahsyat di bumi. Berbeda dengan di bagian utara, bagian selatan Bali adalah dataran rendah yang dialiri sungai-sungai. Ibu kota Bali adalah Denpasar. Tempat-tempat penting lainnya adalah Ubud sebagai pusat seni terletak di Kabupaten Gianyar; sedangkan Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak, Jimbaran dan Nusa Dua adalah beberapa tempat yang menjadi tujuan pariwisata, baik wisata pantai maupun tempat peristirahatan.

Bali's Cheap Accommodation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:25:00 +0000

One most important thing when you're travelling is finding the right accommodation to suit both your comfort and your budget. In Bali you can find extensive range of accommodation from a small room with a bed in a crowded lane to a secluded five star resort, from a homely homestay to a luxurious villa. Your choice depends on the money you plan to spend for a good night sleep. And for those of you in favor of a tight budget accommodation, you should not worry of finding one that fits you.
If you prefer to stay in Kuta area, the bussiest tourist spot in the island, you won't need to look hard to find cheap and reasonably priced accommodations in the area. Along the street of Legian there are many presentable and clean hotels at around the price of Rp. 250.000 - Rp. 350.000 (equivalent to around USD 30.00) per night. They might have different rate for overseas tourists. My recommendation would be Adi Dharma, Fourteen Roses, Restu, Dewi Sri, Barong. You can find their profiles through the internet.
But if you are thinking of something with a lower rate, then I suggest you slip yourself into Poppies lane. In Poppies Lane 1 you can find a strip of inns and homestays at a very low price.
If you prefer to stay in a more peaceful area, you can try Sanur. Sanur also has hotels at reasonable price that you can find along the road of Danau Tamblingan such as hotel santai, Inna Sindhu hotel. Or if you prefer a simple but comfortable homestay, my reccommendation would be Widya's homestay at Jalan Wira, Sanur, very peaceful, very homey, clean, 5 minutes walk to the beach and for as low as Rp. 75.000 (about USD 8) per night, you can have a room, cold shower, breakfast, unlimited tea and coffee. How is that for a good deal?

http://www.balitreat.blogspot.com/

BALI WEDDINGS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:00:00 +0000

BALI WEDDINGS
Everything You Need to Know About Getting Married in Bali

MARRIAGE LAWS, LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is subject to Indonesian Laws. Every couple considering getting married in Bali must comply with these Laws.

In accordance with Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning marriages in Indonesia (Article 2 (1): "a marriage is legitimate if it has been performed according to the laws of the respective religious beliefs of the parties concerned."

All couples who marry in Indonesia must declare a religion. Agnosticism and Atheism are not recognized. The Civil Registry Office can record marriages of persons of Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian-Protestant and Christian-Catholic faiths. Marriage partners must have the same religion, otherwise one partner must make a written declaration of change of religion.

The Religious Marriage under Islam is performed by the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama) in a ceremony at a mosque, the home, a restaurant, or any other place chosen by the couple and is legal immediately after the ceremony.

A Christian, Hindu or Buddhist marriage is usually performed first in a church or temple ceremony. After the religious ceremony, every non-Islamic marriage must be recorded with the Civil Registry (Kantor Catatan Sipil). Without the registration by the Civil Registry these marriages are not legal. Recording by Civil Registry officials can be performed directly at the religious ceremony for an additional fee.

Persons of non-Islamic faith are required to file with the Civil Registry Office in the Regency where they are staying first a 'Notice of Intention to Marry' as well as a 'Letter of No Impediment' obtained from their consular representatives.

For the issue of the Letter of No Impediment to Marriage by your Consular Representative you will need to present for youself and your fiance(e) your Passport(s) valid for more than 6 months and Certified Divorce Decrees (absolute/final) and/or Death Certificates regarding the termination of all previous marriages. Please contact the Consular Representative of your country for details well before your intended date of marriage.

The following countries have Consulates or Consular Representatives in Bali. The telephone and fax numbers must be prefixed with 62-361 when calling from abroad. Australia (Consulate, also representing Canada, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries in emergencies), Jalan Hayum Wuruk No. 88 B, Tanjung Bungak, Denpasar, Tel. 241-118, Fax 241-120; France (Consular Agency), Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai No. 35, Sanur, Tel. 285-485, Fax 285-485; Germany (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Pantai Karang 17, Sanur, Tel. 288-535, 288-826, Fax 288-826; Italy (Honorary Vice Consulate), Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, Jimbaran, Tel. 701-005, Fax 701-005; Japan (Consulate), Jalan Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar, Tel. 234-808, Fax 231-308; Mexico (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Moch. Yamin 1A, Renon, Denpasar, Tel. 223-266, Fax 231-740; Netherlands (Consular Agency), Jalan Raya Kuta 99, Kuta, Tel. 751-517, Fax 752-777; Norway & Denmark (Honorary Consulate), Kawasan Bukit Permai, Jimbaran, Tel. 701-070, Fax 701-074; Spain (Honorary Consulate, currently vacant); Sweden & Finland (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur, Tel. 288-407, Fax 287-242; Switzerland & Austria (Consular Agency), Kompleks Istana Kuta Galleria, Blok Valet 2 No. 12, Jalan Patih Jelantik. Kuta, Tel. 751-735, Fax 754-457; United Kingdom (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Mertasari 2, Sanur, Tel. 270-601, Fax 270-572; U.S.A. (Consular Agency), Jalan Hayam Wuruk 188, Denpasar, Tel. 233-605, Fax 222-426.

For the Notice of Intention to Marry you have to submit the following documents for both partners to the Civil Registry Office (show the original and present a photocopy):

* Certificate of the religious marriage;
* Passport for foreign citizens, or KTP (Identity card) for Indonesian citizens;
* Certified birth certificate;
* Certified divorce decree (absolute) or death certificates regarding the termination of all previous marriages;
* Four 4x6 cm photos, both partners side by side;
* Foreign citizens:
o 'Letter of No Impediment to Marriage' issued by your Consular Representative for Bali or Indonesia;
* Indonesian citizens:
o Never married: letter Surat Keterangan Belum Kawin from Kepala Desa or Lurah (mayor);
o Men aged 18-21 and women aged 16-21: parental letter of consent, signed across the materai/tax stamp Rupiah 2,000.

Before the marriage, you and your fiance(e) also may wish to file with the Civil Registry a prenuptial Property Agreement (Surat Pernyataan Harta) which must be signed before a local Notary Public. This contract is necessary if you wish to hold property separately during the marriage. In the absence of such a document, Indonesian marriage law assumes joint ownership of property, and subsequent property acquisitions by the Indonesian partner will be regulated according to the laws restricting foreign property ownership.

Two witnesses over the age of 18 are required. They must show the originals and present photocopies of their passports if they are foreign citizens or KTP (identity cards) if they are Indonesian citizens. Civil Registry employees can act as witnesses.

The Civil Registry office has a Mandatory Waiting Period of 10 working days from the date of filing. This waiting period may be waived for tourists presenting a guest registration form (Form A).

Islamic Marriage Certificates (Buku Nikah) issued by the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama) are legally valid in Indonesia and do not require registration with any other agency if you are going to live in Indonesia. However, if you might move somewhere else in the future (and who knows?), get a marriage certificate issued by the Civil Registry and an officially certified translation right away (see below).

All other Marriage Certificates will be issued by the Civil Registry usually on the same or next day. A sworn English translation of the marriage certificate should be obtained for use abroad. It is not necessary for the marriage certificate or translation to be registered by your Consular Agency. However, to have the sworn translation of the marriage certificate verified or a special translation made by the Consulate of your home country or the Consulate of your country of residence might prove useful.
WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS

Balivillas.com offers a FREE Wedding Ceremony if you book one of the more luxurious villas for 7 days or more. We will also assist with villa decoration, catering & party service and transportation. Please visit Romantic-Weddings.com, our associated Wedding Co-ordinator, for additional Bali wedding arrangements such as more elaborate ceremonies, handling of legal formalities, rental of bridal dresses, hair styling, make-up, flowers, dancers & musicians, photo & video shooting etc.

Special Bali Honeymoon Accommodation
No matter if you want to stay at a romantic private villa, a resort on the beach or a secluded hotel, Balivillas.com can arrange just the right honeymoon accommodation to meet your needs and make your honeymoon truly special and memorable.

take from: http://www.baliguide.com/baliwedding.html

Pantai kuta Musim Liburan Aug 07

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:28:00 +0000

Kuta pada hari ini cukup ramai. Baik turis lokal maupun non lokal.
tapi dibanding tahun-tahun dulu memang tidak terlalu ramai. Kalau dilihat dari tahun-tahun dulu ada sedikit perubahan, payung-payung pantai sekarang banyak ditemui disepanjang pantai kuta.

Dipantai kuta anda masih bisa mendapatkan makan tradisionil. Sepanjang pantai sekarang semakin banyak yang berjualan terutama makanan lokal. Seperti Rujak.
Lumayan rasa enak dan harga tidak terlalu mahal.

Sanur Village Festifal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:38:00 +0000

Yayasan Pembangunan Sanur menggelar event serupa kedua kalinya karena SVF I berlangsung sukses. Jika tahun kedua lebih sukses lagi, kemungkinan besar SVF ditetapkan sebagai aktivitas tahunan. Festival Sanur yang akan digelar mulai Tgl 15–19 Agustus benar- benar perlu persiapan yang matang.

Hal itu terungkap dalam pertemuan antara Wakil Walikota Denpasar Ida Bagus Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra dan Ketua Panitia Sanur Festival II Ida Bagus Gde Sidharta Putra, bahwa kawasan Wisata Sanur yang merupakan penyumbang pendapatan terbesar bagi pemerintah Kota Denpasar.

Wakil Walikota menekankan agar kegiatan ini dilaksanakan secara berkelanjutan, dan dikemas dengan lebih profesional sehingga tidak terkesan monoton. Di samping itu mesti ada kekhasan Sanur yang ditampilkan untuk memikat turis datang.

Respon pelaku pariwisata di kawasan Sanur sangat positif menyambut SVF II karena event ini selain berfungsi sebagai ajang promosi, sekaligus menunjang pemulihan pariwisata Bali dan pencitraan Sanur sebagai kawasan yang aman, nyaman dan layak dikunjungan turis. Saat ini pihaknya telah menyebarkan informasi SVF II melalui internet dan promosi melalui media cetak. Selain menampilkan aneka produk serta kesenian dan kebudayaan Bali, Sanur Village Festival II juga akan menampilkan festival yoga dan food festival.

Dikutip dari balikami.com

Bali receives more tourists in first semester

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:31:00 +0000

Bali receives more tourists in first semester

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The number of tourist arrivals in Bali has increased from 552,573 during the first semester of 2006 to 745,949 during the same period of this year, the Bali Tourism Office reported Thursday.

The office also said hotel occupancy rates had increased to an average of 57.70 percent with an average length of stay of 3.37 days. In 2006, the average hotel occupancy rate was 30.68 percent.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced Wednesday that tourism in Indonesia was picking up again, despite the recent travel warnings issued by the United States and Australia.

The number of tourists coming to Indonesia amounted to 2.14 million in the first semester of this year from only 1.91 million in the same period of last year.

This data was received with mixed feelings by Bali's tourism community.

Cokorda Oka Ardhana Sukawati or Cok Ace, the chairman of Bali's Hotels and Restaurants Association, said such indicators were encouraging given the fact that a number of countries had advised their citizens against visiting Bali and the European Union had banned all Indonesian airlines from flying to Europe, which had caused some European tourists to cancel planned visits to Bali.

"However, we really have to evaluate the quality of their visits to Bali," Cok Ace said.

Based on Central Bank data, foreign tourists stay for no more than six days on average.

Prior to the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, when the average length of stay of foreign tourists to Bali was 16-30 days, the tourism boom had driven much of Bali's economy.

The island also contributed more than 50 percent of the country's US$5.5 billion income from tourism and the industry provided job opportunities for 33 percent of the total workforce in Bali.

Bali, Cok Ace said, was currently facing cutting-edge competition from the neighboring countries of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. A number of attractive tourist destinations have also emerged in India, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Pacific Islands.

"To maintain steady tourist arrivals, Bali must be promoted continually in the international travel market as a favorite destination," he said.

The tourism industry has been working to change the image of the island to that of a peaceful destination using the "Shanti, Shanti, Shanti" slogan, which translates into "Peace, Peace, Peace".

But budgetary constraints and poor planning have hampered the growth of the island's tourism sector.

Following the bombings in 2005, the central government set up the Bali Recovery Fund to boost tourism on the island. The effectiveness of the fund has, however, been called into question by many parties.

Gde Nurjaya, the head of the Bali Tourism Office, said that Bali was now expanding its market to India, Middle Eastern countries, China, East Europe, Russia and Latin America.

"Most visitors to Bali come from Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Europe and South Korea, and countries in the Middle East have emerged as flourishing markets," Nurjaya said adding that the opening of Qatar Airways services plying Doha-Kuala Lumpur-Denpasar had brought tourists from the Middle East to Bali. Russian airlines are also slated to open direct routes to Denpasar.

Bali received 1.2 million foreign visitors last year. It is expected the number will increase given the positive data for the start of 2007.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070801.B08&irec=7

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:34:00 +0000

Bagaimana jika anjing Bali Kintamani dikawinkan dengan Golden Retriever? Lucu juga.
Saya mempunya seekor anjing jenis Golden Retriever dan seekor campuran jenis Kintamani.

Golden Retriever betina dan kintamani-nya jantan.
Gambar diatas adalah beberapa dari anak campuran anjing bali dengan Golden Retriever.

Bedugul in the morning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:25:00 +0000

This picture take in the morning in bedugul.
Location is good for camp

weather cool in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 04:50:00 +0000

Bali’s weather has taken part of a step into the dry season. Mornings and evenings are pleasantly cool, no need for AC now at all, even in the beach areas. Ocean temperatures are cooler than a couple of months ago, which is a normal occurrence.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:12:00 +0000

Bali, Bangkok and Oberoi voted world’s best

NEW YORK - Asia has performed well in the latest Travel + Leisure magazine poll, with Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, Bali, the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok and Singapore Airlines topping their classes.

Travel + Leisure magazine's 12th annual list of the world's best awards followed a poll of almost 19,000 conducted by researcher Harris Interactive.

The Oberoi Udaivilas in the heart of Rajasthan was voted the top hotel worldwide.

Prices for a room per night start at about US$600 with an exclusive suite with private pool priced from US$3,300, according to the hotel's website.

Florence topped the list of best cities while Buenos Aires was ranked second and Bangkok third.

Bali was named the world's best island.

Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, said the results of the 2007 survey underlined the fact that people were travelling more widely to find distinctive and authentic experiences.

"The extraordinary rise of India among the top hotels and resorts in the world is one sure reflection of this tendency," she said.

Following is a list of 10 of the awards which will be presented at a ceremony in New York on July 23:

1. Best city - Florence

2. Best hotel - Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India

3. Best island - Bali, Indonesia

4. Best large-ship cruise line - Crystal Cruises

5. Best small-ship cruise line - SeaDream Yacht Club

6. Best tour operator/safari outfitter - Micato Safaris

7. Best domestic airline - Midwest Airlines

8. Best international airline - Singapore Airlines

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