Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 8:48AM Balifornian Tours, the leading small group fully customized guided tours of Indonesia and Bali got a shout and referals from Huff Post.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 7:46AM AFP
Indonesia has declared the coral-rich waters around Bali -- a popular scuba diving spot which is home to the giant Mola-Mola ocean sunfish -- a protected zone.
The 20,000-hectare area around Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan islands will be protected from destructive fishing, waste dumping and coral mining, project leader Marthen Welly said.
"Destructive fishing is carried out by fishermen using cyanide and explosives," Welly, of the conservation group The Nature Conservancy (TNC), told AFP on Sunday.
"Many ships also throw anchors on the coral reefs and hotels and households dump wastes causing water pollution. Now they can't do these anymore," he said.
Guidelines for marine tourism will also be drawn up and zones carved out for various activities including fishing, tourism and seaweed mining, Welly said.
"We'll need to consult the community further and we hope to do this within six months," he added.
The islands are part of Coral Triangle, considered the world's richest underwater wilderness which stretches across six nations between the Indian and Pacific oceans -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Divers from all over the world arrive at the islands between July and September in the hope of seeing the Mola-Mola, a rare two-metre-long ocean sunfish.
The district government will provide 300 million rupiah ($A34,025) and aid agency USAID and TNC will each provide $US50,000 ($A50,633) a year to run the project, TNC Indonesia director Arwandrija Rukma said.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said the project will contribute to the government's target of creating 20 million hectares of maritime conservation parks by 2020, up from around 13 million currently.
"The establishment of MPA (Marine Protected Area) is a concrete step taken by the government to implement the plan of action under the Coral Triangle Initiative," he said.
The Coral Triangle Initiative, which was formed in 2007, calls for stronger international cooperation to combat illegal fishing and environmental destruction in an area half the size of the United States and home to half the world's coral reefs.
© 2010 AFP
Friday, November 12, 2010 at 10:44AM Best Surfer Party Caps Off Best Quiksilver-Roxy Open 2010 Event in Bali
PRESS RELEASE from Surf line
Capping off Quiksilver's Best Surf Comp was their Best Surfer Party on Saturday night November 6 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Hard Rock Café on Kuta Beach in Bali that got started around 9 pm and wrapped up just before 2 am.
Julian Wilson's "Scratching the Surface" movie, a Roxy Short-Short competition, Quiksilver-Roxy fashion show, the Quiksilver and Roxy Open surfing awards presentation, and the pumping live rock music of I AM Giant were on the agenda for the waiting crowd, who were amped and ready to party thanks to sponsors Jim Beam and Heineken.
First up to wow the audience were 10 beautiful women vying for the Roxy Short-Short title. The judges had some tough calls to make for sure, but after two rounds they came to agree that 17-year-old Dian Juwita Fatmala was the perfect choice. She won cash and Roxy products for her turns around the bartop and got heaps of attention from the boys lined up at the bar trying to get as close as possible to her.
In between rounds of the Roxy Short-Short competition, Quiksilver and Roxy's latest and greatest fashions were paraded around the bartop with some super hot models showing them off.
Next was the Quiksilver Open and Roxy Open 2010 surfing awards presentation, so MC's Jake "the Snake" Paterson and Tipi Jabrik called the Master's, Women's, and Open Division finalists up to the bar top and presented them with their trophies and winner's checks. An additional award that was given was the Lines Magazine Air Show prize of Rp 1 million to Raditya Rondi.
Before moving over to the Hard Rock Café, a special announcement was also made regarding the results of the Quiksilver Big Sale that was held earlier in the day at the Quiksilver office on Jalan Legian in Kuta.
From 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, Quiksilver, Roxy and DC products were sold for 90% off retail price and the proceeds given to SurfAid International to help with their aid work in the Mentawai Islands tsunami and given to IDEP Foundation to those affected by the Merapi Volcano in the Jogjakarta area. At last count the sale raised a whopping Rp 121 million (over $13,000 USD), for the victims.
And then it was time to shift into high gear and start rocking into the night with the London-based band I Am Giant, a talented quartet of musicians that are Quiksilver's Ambassadors for Europe, playing in countless festivals and events like the recent Quiksilver Pro in Biarritz, France. Their music is also on many extreme sports DVD's including "Cloud 9 Movie" the Kelly Slater story.
So needless to say, the crowd got their share and more of fine musical entertainment, as well as dancing and drinking and all that goes along with a Quiksilver Best Surfer Party night at the Hard Rock Café.
The Quiksilver Open, Roxy Open, and Best Surfer Party were presented by Jim Beam, supported by Roxy, DC, Hard Rock Hotel, Hard Rock Café, Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Heineken, with media partners TRAX, FHM, Fitness, Men's Fitness, Juice, Area, SurfTime, Lines, Coca-Cola Indonesia Surfing Championships, and RVM.
Quiksilver and Roxy Open 2010:
Open Division
1. Putra Hermawan (Nusa Lembongan)
2. Dedi Santosa (Kuta)
3. Mustofa Jeksen (Kuta) Equal 3rd
3. Wayan Susiana (Nusa Lembongan) Equal 3rd
Women's Division
1. Diah Rahayu Dewi (Seminyak)
2. Yasnyiar Gea (Nias)
3. Gemala (Jakarta)
4. Jasmine (Kuta)
Masters Division
1. Nyoman Wastika (Sanur)
2. Ketut Wirtawan (Kuta)
3. Made Lapur (Uluwatu)
4. Wayan Budayasa (Sanur)
Specialty Awards:
Coca-Cola Best Wave Award - Putra Hermawan
Lines Magazine Air Show Award - Raditya Rondi
Thursday, November 11, 2010 at 7:20AM
I arrived in Bali curious about the island's spirituality and healing powers and I'm already becoming a believer. For me, this sensual island is love at first sight.
Our first stop on an exploration of Bali is the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, located on a cliff top along the island's southern coast. Here 147 thatched-roof villas exude romance. Bali is all about villas: the privacy, the lush gardens, and spur-of-the moment intimacy. If you can tear yourself away from the heavenly villas, there is also a long, white-sand beach and a spa offering authentic Balinese treatments.
A stay in a villa allows you to enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors privately. Our courtyard was complete with an outdoor sofa and dining room and after an indulgent 90-minute massage at the spa, returning to our outdoor shower overlooking the Indian Ocean was a transcendent experience.
At sunset, we ventured to Uluwatu Temple, one of the most spiritual places on the island. Perched 230 feet above the Indian Ocean, this temple is dedicated to the spirits of the sea. Here we learned our first lesson in local customs: knees must be covered to enter a temple. Ceremonial sarongs were given to anyone with exposed knees. We were here to see the Kecak Dance, a performance featuring fifteen men wearing only loincloths. These rituals make it is easy to see why Bali has a reputation for sensuality.
If the traditional dance at the temple doesn't send sparks flying, then a dinner at Beds on the Beach will certainly do the trick. Private beds with canopies serve as tables for a five-course dinner. Lanterns in the sand glow as the meal begins with a mini-tasting: lobster avocado maki and lemongrass prawn kebab. Flavors sizzled as much as the atmosphere, including a lobster papaya salad with pink champagne ginger sorbet. After the meal, there was no rush back to the villa as we lounged underneath the stars listening to the surf.
People in Bali believe strongly in balance, so to get the total Bali experience, we left the coast behind for the lush jungle interior where you can absorb the island's spirituality. A 45-minute drive connects the two Four Seasons properties in Bali.
We crossed a wooden bridge and a lily pond came into view. This pond sits on the roof of the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, camouflaging it into the jungle. We were welcomed by Balinese staff dressed in traditional clothing with refreshing guava drinks and cool towels.
With 42 villas and 18 suites set among five temple shrines on the sacred Ayung River, this was the first boutique property developed by Four Seasons. Our riverfront villa, surrounded by lush jungle, couldn't have been more soothing.
Bali brings together a tradition of healing with the perfect environment for a spa. Ponds brimming with lilies and courtyards filled with bougainvillea are calming before a treatment even begins. Our couple's experience was called Chakra Dhara, a treatment that works to rebalance the body's chakras, or energy points, by strategically dripping herbal oil on the body. Two therapists massage the back, hands, and feet to complete the healing treatment. Afterwards, we soaked in a bath filled with fragrant frangipani petals while sipping champagne.
The interior of Bali is full of adventure. We hired a driver to bring us to the Elephant Safari Park to satisfy my curiosity about local wildlife. Before I knew it, I was holding a baby monkey and then sitting on the back of a native Sumatra elephant. Next, our driver Nyoman brought us to see Bali's famous active volcanoes. A private picnic lunch on the edge of a cliff overlooking Mount Batur added a romantic touch to our adventurous day. These moments reminded me why so many newlyweds choose Bali as their honeymoon destination.
We enjoyed dinner at Sarong Restaurant, where the scent of the food was intoxicating from the moment we walked in. This glamorous restaurant was founded on the idea of Asian street food, reinvented. I loved the northern Thai spicy tom yum soup with shredded chicken, bamboo, dill, and coriander. Chef Will Meyrick hasn't written a cookbook yet, but when he does I will be sure to buy a copy just for this recipe.
The next day, we set out on a bike tour through the exotic Balinese landscape. We got acquainted with our guide Bagi, before our four hour ride, over an organic breakfast atop of towering Mount Agung with stunning views -- a mighty volcano revered as the seat of the gods. During our ride, we explored several of the exotic temples and observed farmers wearing cone-shaped rice hats and water buffalo in the emerald fields harvesting rice. We learned about local traditions and that ninety percent of the population in Bali are Hindu, the world's third largest religion which is also practiced in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Mauritius.
Returning to the Four Seasons Sayan, shrouded in a mountain mist, I finished the day with ginger tea and honey before a restful sleep listening to the river flowing. From the moment I left the 'Island of the Gods' I have been longing to return. It is like a love that ended too soon. With a return trip, I am sure that love will be rekindled.
IF YOU GO:
WHEN TO GO: The dry season is from April to September.
Americans are eligible for a visa on arrival for a stay of up to 30 days. These cost $25 per person and your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival.
WHERE TO STAY:
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
WHERE TO DINE:
Sarong - Drawing inspiration from the street food of Southeast Asia, Sarong is a local favorite.
Ku De Ta - This buzzing bar is the place to see and be seen for pre-dinner drinks in Seminyak.
Mozaic - French cuisine laced with Indonesian flavors. http://www.mozaic-bali.com/
Beds on the Beach It's all in the name.
WHERE TO SHOP
Bali is a shoppers paradise -- Local art, handmade mosaic glass, and fine jewelry will all be mementos of your travels to Bali. For upscale shopping, check out the following shops in Seminyak:
Maru - Be tempted by jewels from Indonesia at this shop.
Paul Ropp - Unique clothing with an ethnic touch.
Quarzia - Handpainted silk separates in this shop are works of art.
Raquel Baldelomar has been a contributing writer for Luxury Travel Magazine since 2008. She provides readers with unique, insider information about destinations, hotels and travel experiences.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 9:14AM
|
I love great theatrical and musical performances and the new Bali Theatre presentation Bali Agung is awesome, rivalling those amazing theme park presentations and performances the US has become so good at.
When I was privileged to be taken to Bali Theatre, I was told that the spectacular Bali Theatre performance of Bali Agung was inspired by the historic and legendary account of Sri Jaya Pangus, King of what was the unassailable Balingkang Kingdom of 12th century Bali, which romantically takes its name from marriage between a Balinese king and princess of Kang family of China. Today, many of us will have seen effigies of the King paraded through the streets of Bali as an ogre-like Barong Landung, warding off bad luck and evil spirit. Bali Theatre recreates this epic and brings the legend to life in a rare display of Bali’s diverse cultural heritage, in an entirely new concept for Bali, with Bali Agung described as a massive collaboration of 150 performers mirroring every aspect of the Bali’s historic past retelling an epic Balinese tale with scenes of the island’s paradise, its royal atmosphere and the magical forests that are the settings for the romantic and heroic scenes, which helps any visitor really understand and appreciate Bali’s cultural heritage.
Bali Agung takes place in a massive 1,200 seat indoor theatrical complex built to international standards in stage settings, state-of-art lighting and sound systems, offering luxurious seating, located in the heart of Bali Safari Marine Park along the newly developed seaside highway, Jalan Ida Bagus Mantra, on Bali south-eastern coastline of Gianyar. Bali Theatre is a mega-stage theatrical complex, fully equipped with advanced multi-media technology and state-of-art sound and lighting systems, the entrance featuring the island’s tallest 8-metre high Ganesha statue, the God of science and knowledge, who appears to be persuading visitors to enter the lobby and discover the many aspects of theatre. The statue even suggests to people that the theatre was built with highly sophisticated technology, and performers that will guide their audiences to a better knowledge of Bali and its charming people, unique tradition, history, and culture.
A walk through the tunnel behind the statue leads visitors to the luxurious pre-function area, decorated with warm lighting, a wooden floor and a beautifully landscaped garden filled with exotic flowers, shrubs and extensive ponds. The lobby can be considered as a perfect pre-function venue for cocktails as well as an ideal location for a private party or theme function. The music was especially written and was performed and recorded by a western orchestra accompanied by a live Balinese pentatonic gamelan ensemble and loud Chinese cymbals and drum.
The setting is just amazing and something you have to see if you go to Bali, with the huge main stage separated from the audience by a river pond, with boat skippers voyaging on it and the mega-stage setting transporting the audience into a timeless journey and through a magical performance that shows the true colours of the island as it was several hundred years ago. To see a sample of this amazing performance and hear what the visionaries behind this superb performance and also its Balinese and Australian directors have to say, please click on the video below: - For more information on the amazing Bali Agung performance at the Bali Theatre, please visit:- www.balitheatre.com
John Alwyn-Jones reporting for e-Travel Blackboard and e-Travel Blackboard TV on location from Indonesia and Bali brought to you by Garuda Indonesia and Garuda Orient Holidays. |
|||||||||||
;)
