information about bali: Oktober 2010

Kamis, 28 Oktober 2010

UPDATE 1 – Sumatra Quake Kills 23; 167 Missing

October 26, 2010

JAKARTA

Twenty-three people are dead and 167 missing after a powerful earthquake hit parts of Sumatra, an official from the Disaster Management Agency said on Tuesday.

The quake struck late on Monday near the Mentawai islands off the west coast of Sumatra, triggering tsunami waves.

“Twenty-three people were killed in the Mentawai islands. One hundred and sixty-seven have gone missing,” the official, Arlyno, said.

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News AlertsMount Merapi Erupts Again Five Police Killed in Papua Rescue-Plane Crash UPDATE 4 – Tsunami Kills 272, Hundreds Missing UPDATE 3 – Tsunami Deaths Rise to 154; 400 Missing UPDATE 2 – At Least 108 Dead, 500 Missing in Sumatra Quake Major Quake Strikes Sumatra Expat on Trial over Drugs UPDATE 1 – Shots, Tear Gas Fired in Jakarta Protests Clashes Erupt in Jakarta Man Commits Suicide Bomb Scare at Denpasar Supermarket Student, 13, Hangs Self Rabies Toll Rises Rabies Claims 100th Life Brakeless Runaway Truck Kills 6, Wrecks 9 Shops Ten Killed in Sulawesi Landslide Tiger Kills Man Extra Police Out for Bomb Anniversaries UPDATE 3: Flood Deaths in Papua Climb to 97 Print Edition

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Tsunami Death Toll Hits 311

October 28, 2010

PADANG

The death toll from a tsunami that pummelled remote islands off Sumatra soared to 311 on Thursday as questions mounted over whether an elaborate warning system had failed.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was heading to the disaster zone, where fears were growing for hundreds still missing after huge waves triggered by a powerful earthquake on Monday hit the Mentawais off the west coast of Sumatra.

Hundreds of kilometres away, a mass funeral is being held on Thursday for those killed when the nation’s most active volcano erupted, the second natural disaster to strike Indonesia in as many days.

Disaster response officials said bodies were being found on beaches and coastal areas in the Mentawais, which took the full force of the tsunami as it washed away entire villages.

“Three hundred and eleven people were killed and 379 are still missing,” West Sumatra disaster management official Agus Prayitno said.

Survivors said they had almost no warning that the three-metre wall of water was bearing down on them, despite the laying of a sophisticated network of alarm buoys off the Sumatran coast.

As the magnitude of the disaster became clear, many were asking whether the expensive warning system – established after the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed at least 168,000 people in Indonesia alone – had failed.

An official tsunami warning was issued after the 7.7-magnitude quake but it either came too late or did not reach the communities in most danger.

One survivor, 32-year-old farmer Borinte, said the wave slammed into his community on North Pagai island only 10 minutes after residents had felt the quake.

“About 10 minutes after the quake we heard a loud, thunderous sound. We went outside and saw the wave coming. We tried to run away to higher ground but the wave was much quicker than us,” he said.

He said he managed to stay alive by clasping to a piece of wood. His wife and three children were killed.

The first images from the scene of the disaster broadcast on Indonesian television showed shell-shocked villagers picking through the sodden ruins of their homes.

“We’re still looking for those missing. They could be in the hills, buried by rubble or could have been swept out to sea,” West Sumatra provincial disaster management official Ade Edward said.

In Central Java, rescuers have pulled the bodies of at least 32 people from a tomb of fine grey ash after Mount Merapi erupted on Tuesday, including the elderly spiritual gatekeeper of the “Mountain of Fire.”

Officials said almost 42,000 people had fled to cramped temporary shelters around the nearby city of Yogyakarta, but there were fears for the fate of thousands more who had refused to budge.

Soaring above the rice paddies of central Java, the 2,914-metre Mount Merapi is the most active of the 69 volcanoes with histories of eruptions in Indonesia. It last erupted in June 2006, killing two people.

The United States and several of Indonesia’s neighbours have pledged help, although the government said it did not see a need for foreign assistance.

The Vatican also appealed to the international community for aid.

The tsunami surged as far as 600 metres inland on South Pagai island, officials said. On North Pagai, a resort and almost 200 houses were flattened.

Medical personnel flew in on helicopters but rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather and poor communications to the islands, which are about half a day’s ferry ride away from the port of Padang on Sumatra.

Troops and naval personnel were also dispatched to the area. Indonesian western fleet commander Marsetio said at least five warships were on their way.

US President Barack Obama, who lived in Indonesia as a boy and is due to return there on an Asian tour next month, voiced his sadness over the deaths and pledged US help.

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Twenty-Two Afghans Escape Jimbaran Detention

October 28, 2010

JIMBARAN

Immigration officials were left red-faced and thrown into panic after 22 refugees from Afghanistan managed to escape a new detention facility at Jimbaran.

The illegal immigrants fled their holding cells on October 18 by breaking through a glass window and leaping over a low fence that was not secured with barbed wire, the centre’s chief, Amair Fatah, told reporters.

He said there were only four officers on duty at the time and that they were unable to apprehend the Afghans, who had been shouting, banging implements and creating a disturbance before they broke out.

A hunt is on for the 22, who had been arrested in Kuta. The new immigration centre had been housing 62 people, from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, said Fatah.

It is the second escape from the facility in two months. In the earlier incident a number of detainees got out and ran away.

Bali is often used as a transit point for illegal immigrants from war-ravaged nations seeking to travel to Australia. So severe has the problem become in recent years that the Australian government is in talks with East Timor to construct a detention centre in the former Portuguese and later Indonesian territory.

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Five Police Killed in Papua Rescue-Plane Crash

October 28, 2010

JAYAPURA

Five police on a mission to help flood victims in Papua were killed on Thursday when their plane crashed into a tree during an emergency landing, police said.

The aircraft crashed in Nabire district of Papua province, police spokesman Wachyono said.

“Five police were killed in the accident. The airplane hit a tree while trying to make an emergency landing during bad weather,” he said.

At least 148 people were killed earlier this month when flash floods hit Teluk Wondama district of West Papua province following torrential downpours.

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News AlertsMount Merapi Erupts Again UPDATE 4 – Tsunami Kills 272, Hundreds Missing UPDATE 3 – Tsunami Deaths Rise to 154; 400 Missing UPDATE 2 – At Least 108 Dead, 500 Missing in Sumatra Quake UPDATE 1

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Mount Merapi Erupts Again

October 28, 2010

SLEMAN

Mount Merapi, which killed 32 people earlier this week, erupted again on Thursday, spewing ash and deadly heat clouds, an official said.

Government volcanologist Surono said hot gas and ash spewed from the mouth of Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano.

“We registered a small volcanic tremor. The threats are still there,” he said.

More than 50,000 people have moved into temporary shelters since Monday, when the government issued a red alert for Merapi, indicating that the “Mountain of Fire” could be about to erupt.

The next day a deadly series of massive eruptions left 32 people dead and blanketed nearby villages in searing ash.

Many of the victims were buried in a mass grave earlier on Thursday.

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News Alerts Five Police Killed in Papua Rescue-Plane Crash UPDATE 4 – Tsunami Kills 272, Hundreds Missing UPDATE 3 – Tsunami Deaths Rise to 154; 400 Missing UPDATE 2 – At Least 108 Dead, 500 Missing in Sumatra Quake UPDATE 1

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Places to Visit in Singaraja

Often referred to as Lion City and Located on the north coast just east of Lovina, Singaraja was once the capital of Bali under Dutch colonial administration. In the large regency of Buleleng, Singaraja has a lot to offer tourists and travellers alike; not just in the city but also offers great day trips to many interesting attractions.

Being an old city, it is a place not renowned for people to stay overnight or for a few days and most travellers travel further along the coastline to places like Lovina where the accommodation is more prodigious and of better quality. I have grown fond of Singaraja and over the past decade have visited this interesting town many times. What I like about the city is its charm with its wide, tree-lined streets and Dutch colonial architecture present every where you look.

Naturally, being steeped in history, Singaraja has some great places to visit as well as some really good warungs and restaurants, and, not to forget the numerous market places. A turn down any corner will reveal a surprise and the people are amongst the friendliest on the island. There is excellent budget accommodation available and a stay here for a day or so will certainly be rewarding.

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Selasa, 26 Oktober 2010

Photo of the Day: Selaparang Airport, Lombok

a lot of domestic airports. Some are, oddly enough, elaborate, well appointed with a range of shops and eateries and there are those airports that are not too short of being a tin shed in a paddock. It’s not my style to rubbish airports or their services nor do I ever intend to.

One airport, Selaparang in Lombok, was one of the craziest yet delightful as well as being incredibly small with very little on offer regards shops and eateries. The last time I passed through there not so long ago it was an enjoyable experience, to say the least.

Although small in size it is amazing the amount of people traffic that travels through there and still maintains the ease of accommodating them all while they wait. Selaparang Airport also has one of the nicest views when coming into land or leaving the airport. The new international airport being established in the south of Bali will no doubt be much bigger and elaborate, but hey, give me the little airport lounges any day!

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The Many Forms of Balinese Dance

Dance and indeed theatre are an integral part of Balinese culture. Among the most popular dance traditions seen in Bali by tourists are the Barong, Legong and Kecak. Balinese dances are a very ancient tradition that is a part of the religious expression among the Balinese people. Balinese dance forms are famous the world over and it is a part of their culture the Balinese take seriously.

Birthdays, weddings, and temples festivals are all occasions for dramatic performances and dance. Bali dancers learn the craft as children from their mothers as young as the age of ten. In Balinese dance the movement is closely associated with the rhythms produced by the gamelan, a musical ensemble specific to Java and Bali. Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes, hands, arms, hips, and feet are coordinated to reflect layers of percussive sounds.

Naturally, the performances for tourists that are on offer for tourists are of a commercial basis compared to those performed with a religious significance like in a Balinese temple. However, the dances are a stunning feature for all visitors to Bali to not miss on their visit to the island.

Kecak: This is the best known of the traditional Balinese dances and does not feature the gamelan. A male choir provides the accompaniment. The dance itself is expresses mythological aspects local traditions and the Hindu Ramayana poem. The dance tells the story of how King Rama was persecuted by the ogre king, Rahwana, forms an alliance with the monkey people of the forest to overcome his enemy. Dances last an hour and feature about a hundred dancers.

Barong & Rangda: The Barong dance is the Balinese version of a Chinese lion dance and is very popular with tourists. It is a battle of good versus evil and the lion character (Barong) represents good and is up against the widow witch (Rangda). There are two guys who work the lion character and get very animated.

The Barong dances in tightly wound around Balinese superstition and culture and is performed during religious ceremonies as well as for tourists. Central to its theme is the fight between the king of the forest and the forces of evil. The musical accompaniment is a gamelan orchestra with metal xylophones creating a rhythmic effect.

Kris Dance: This dance comes at the end of the Barong dance and is almost like another dance entirely. Basically the followers of Barong have been overtaken by evil spirits and have entered a trance state. The evil Rangda taunts them and they attempt to stab themselves with their krises (traditional wavy knives) until the good Barong steps in to stop them. The magical trance state is supposed to protect them from injury.

Legong: The most viewed by tourists as a number of 5 star hotels actually have performances in the grounds of the hotel. The Legong dance is very graceful and the dancers are usually young girls, often not even in their teens.

Topeng: This dance has sacred significance to Balinese and only those who behave respectfully will be allowed to watch. This dance is accompanied by a gamelan orchestra and involves dancers wearing masks, imitating the character represented by the mask. These dances are often performed at ceremonies and processions. The particular rhythms followed by the different dancers are related to the age of their characters.

Sanghyang (Fire Dance): The Fire dance has a variety of forms but the basic idea is that it is done to drive out the evil spirits from the village. The dancers are in a trance state and a priest brings them out of it at the end. One version of this is the Sanghyang Jaran where a boy dances through and around a fire riding a sacred toy horse. Another is the Sanghyang Dedari where a couple of young girls dance gracefully, eyes closed.

There are other dance forms worthy of note and just as interesting to see on your visit to Bali. They are the Baris, Kebyar, Barong Landung, Janger, Jauk and the Pendet which is a daily dance performed at temples before offerings are made.

One theatrical performance definitely worth seeing is the Ramayana Ballet. This dance follows a similar story to the Kecak dance and tells of Rama and Sita with a gamelan orchestra.

Photo Courtesy: blog.baliwww.com

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Danger in the Archipelago – Travellers be Aware

I wasn’t surprised to read that the alert status for Gunung Merapi in Yogyakarta, Central Java has been raised to red alert. Being a place I lived for ten years there is always constant activity on the mountain 45 kilometres from this popular tourist destination. I was there for the last massive eruption and the last devastating earthquake to hit the city referred to as the cultural heart of Indonesia.

Gunung Merapi has four stages of status level; in normal level, cautious, alert and red alert. Now that it is at red-alert any travel to the beautiful and inviting city of Yogyakarta should really be avoided until the status level drops.

The tectonic plates in Indonesia are in overdrive with a The 7.7-magnitude undersea quake hit south of the Mentawai Islands, off the west coast of Indonesia, at 9.42pm yesterday. This was followed by another two quakes of the sizes, 6.1 and 6.2 several hours later.

Instantaneously a Tsunami warning was issued and although damage is sketchy at the moment there are up to 10 Australians missing after their boat was hit by large waves. Again, travel to this area should be avoided until the situation is clarified.

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Selasa, 19 Oktober 2010

Let’s Just Move On

October 18, 2010

Another year has passed since suicide bombers blew up two clubs in Legian, killing 202 people, and this time around the news headlines were less about the eighth anniversary than stalled plans to construct a peace park on the site of one of the nightspots.

The Peace Park Association, based in Australia, which with 88 deaths suffered the highest national toll, had planned to open the spiritual garden and museum this month. But so far, due to unsuccessful talks with the Jakarta-based land owner and an apparent dearth of raised cash to fund the purchase and construction work, the plan remains on paper only.

Most of the deaths on that night of evil carnage occurred at the jammed Sari Club, but Indonesians and foreign tourists also lost their lives at the adjacent Paddy’s Pub, a site that has since been rebuilt. Why single out the Sari site for a peace garden when there are similar plans to build commercial premises on it?

Peace Park officials maintain it would be an outrage to work and party on ground where hundreds died. (The current leaseholder of the land wants to build a bar and restaurant there.) But what of other sites where heinous acts of terrorism were carried out? Where the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York once stood, before hijacked passenger jets were flown into them just over a year before the first Bali bombings, murdering nearly 3,000 people, a memorial is being built, but also an office block and a hotel. With an eye on the tragic past, Americans are moving on with their lives.

Do we really want to turn the Legian entertainment strip at the heart of Bali’s thriving tourist trade into a mausoleum? There exists directly across from the Sari location a towering monument to those who died and the names of all who perished are etched in stone, right there. Standing between the locations of both blasts, it should

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October 15-21, 2010

October 18, 2010

By Dr Robert Goldman

Longevity News and Review provides readers with the latest information in breakthroughs pertaining to the extension of the healthy human lifespan. These news summaries are compiled by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net), a non-profit medical society composed of 22,000 physician and scientist members from 105 nations, united in a mission to advance biomedical technologies to detect, prevent and treat aging related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and optimise the human aging process. Dr Robert Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., D.O., FAASP, A4M Chairman, and Dr Ronald Klatz, M.D., D.O., A4M President, physician co-founders of the anti-aging medical movement, distil these headlines and provide their commentary.

Social Connections Promote Longevity
Previous studies have linked the quality and quantity of a person’s social relationships to mental as well as physical health. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, from Brigham Young University, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 148 studies that included data from 308,849 men and women who were followed for more than seven years. The team’s analysis determined that individuals with adequate social connections have a 50-percent greater likelihood of longevity compared to those with poor or insufficient social relationships. The researchers note that the overall effect remained consistent across age demographics and health status, suggesting that positive social engagement across the population may be a key to society-wide longevity.

Dr. Klatz observes: This research team reaffirms the life-extending benefits of maintaining positive social relationships, as their analysis finds that people engaged in such connections may live up to 50 percent longer, compared to people who have few or negative relationships.

Modifiable Factors Reduce Decline
A French study estimates the percentage reduction in incidence of dementia that would be obtained if specific risk factors were eliminated. Karen Ritchie, from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, and colleagues assessed lifestyle data collected from 1,433 men and women, average age 72.5 years, who were followed for seven years to track the onset of dementia. The researchers found that reducing the rate of depression would slash dementia by 10.3 percent, and eliminating diabetes would result in a 5-percent reduced dementia rate. As well, completing more education was associated with an 18.1-percent reduced rate, while increasing fruits and vegetable consumption cut dementia by 6.5 percent. The team concludes that:

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The Terms for a Middle-East Accord

October 18, 2010

By Ehud Olmert

The direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are now getting under way. It is widely agreed that these talks are critical. A delay or a collapse in the talks is likely to cause grave difficulties that will impact the stability of the entire Middle East. I share the high expectations for the talks, and the concerns over a possible failure.

In my opinion, the issue of the building freeze at the settlements is marginal. The US administration made it a central issue, and the Palestinian leadership had to follow suit. As a result, the entire region and the US

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A Fine Idea; Now Let’s Make it Work

October 18, 2010

By Richard Laidlaw

Deepika Shetty, the Singaporean writer, reminded people during this year’s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival that ended last weekend that such events do not have to be big to be beautiful. She’s right. Small but perfectly formed is quite a good business plan. But they do need to be perfectly formed. They need to be relevant. And they need to be what they say they are.

Last weekend the Nobel Prize committee announced Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo as its 2010 Peace Prize laureate. He’s a writer. He’s in jail because of that. The announcement brought forth immediate comment from his global constituency

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BT Editorial: Let’s Just Move On

October 18, 2010

The ongoing grief of the friends and families left behind remains palpable. This gruelling emotion is the thrust for the association’s drive to build a venue that serves as a reminder to all of what happened that terrible night eight years ago. But we already have such a focal point of remembrance.

There is no monument to the more than two dozen people who were killed in the 2005 terrorist attacks in Kuta and Jimbaran. A simple glass tower at Atocha station inscribed with messages of sorrow recalls the 191 lives lost in the train bombings in Madrid in 2004. A patch of slender steel pillars pays tribute to the 52 victims of the 2005 London transport-system blasts. Other scenes of the deadly plague of Islamic violence, such as Istanbul, have not erected any memorials.

Let us not overdo it. Let’s rebuild — both places for living, and our lives.

Filed under: Headlines3 Responses to “”Tim Says:
October 18th, 2010 at 8:55 pm

Wholly agree, best way to defeat these evil deviant terrorists is to carry on with the party at the very place they tried to end it.

Lets face it, the perpetrators were weak minded morons, secretly jealous of a party they could not join.

troy Says:
October 18th, 2010 at 10:18 pm

100% agree with this article, lets get on with life and remember those pore people who lost there lives in such a evil way. The memorial is enough for us to grieve and why should we ( westeners ) be telling the Balinese what to do with there land. Enough is enough, we all have very strong emotions when it comes to the passing of a loved one but have a look at the way Balinese celebrate the passing. A big ceremony and get on with life. No good to worry about the past when the future can be so bright. I have just been to Hiroshima in Japan where 130000 people lost there lives to the USA terror of the a-bomb 1 and all they ask for is world peace. Oh yeah its a cruel world. Fuck the terrorist as good will defeat evil anytime

troy Says:
October 18th, 2010 at 10:20 pm

100% agree with this article, lets get on with life and remember those poor people who lost there lives in such a evil way. The memorial is enough for us to grieve and why should we ( westeners ) be telling the Balinese what to do with there land. Enough is enough, we all have very strong emotions when it comes to the passing of a loved one but have a look at the way Balinese celebrate the passing. A big ceremony and get on with life. No good to worry about the past when the future can be so bright. I have just been to Hiroshima in Japan where 130000 people lost there lives to the USA terror of the a-bomb 1 and all they ask for is world peace. Oh yeah its a cruel world. Fuck the terrorist as good will defeat evil anytime

Govt Says Greater Efforts Needed to Battle Terrorism

October 18, 2010

NUSA DUA

The central government urged greater vigilance and cooperation in the fight against terrorism, as counterterrorism chiefs from around the world met in Bali on Monday.

Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto told delegates from 22 countries that Indonesia had struck a significant blow against Southeast Asian terror networks in recent years but there was no room for complacency.

“Although a number of terrorists have been killed, captured and punished, some by way of execution, the entire terrorist network has not been uncovered,” he said at the start of the International Seminar on Counter-Terrorism, organised by Indonesia’s new National Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT).

“The terror groups are still actively recruiting, training and making efforts to carry out attacks.”

Islamist militants with links to global networks including Al-Qaeda have struck mainly Muslim Indonesia repeatedly since 2000, notably the 2002 bombings in Bali, which killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists.

Senior counter-terrorism chiefs from Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan and the United States among others are attending the three-day meeting.

They are expected to discuss ways to improve cooperation and coordination of counter-terrorism efforts across international borders.

“Terrorism is not a problem of one country but an international problem which requires synergy and cooperation between various countries. No country can deal with it alone,” Indonesian foreign ministry security official Febrian Ruddyard said.

BNPT director Ansyaad Mbai said countries had to be more “proactive” in combating extremist ideologies that lead to terrorism.

“We can’t be reactive and wait for bombings and armed attacks to take place. We must be more proactive. The best prevention is through neutralising the radical ideologies that trigger terror acts,” he said.

Scores of suspected Islamist militants have been killed or captured in Indonesia since the last major attack — twin suicide blasts on US-owned luxury hotels in central Jakarta that killed seven people last year.

Three men convicted of organising the 2002 Bali bombings were executed by firing squad in 2008.

Another Indonesian Islamist, Hambali, is in Guantanamo Bay for allegedly plotting the Bali suicide bombings on behalf of regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

Filed under: HeadlinesOne Response to “”Sofiandy Zakaria Says:
October 19th, 2010 at 5:38 am

Terrorism and radicalism in general is actually contradicted to any religions, whatever the relegion. But some moslems assume that terrorism is designed as conspiracy between US adminitration and her/his alliances to discredit moslem and Islam.
Root of causes of terrorism lies on misleading perception and understanding of Islamic principles, limited access to education, and poverty in some Islamic contries. In additon to those problems some Islamic countries paticularly in developing countries adopted western development model which is not always appropiate to local culture. Neglected development created people are dissatisfied, frustrated, even allienation. Those conditions would enable aggresive actions , both individually and massively.
It would be wiser if authority institutions involve mass media not only above – the line media but also familiar below – the line media to local people,such as banners and baliho. Grass root Formal leaders and Informal leaders particularly religious leaders must be involved in promoting sustainable understanding of the danger of terrorism and radicalism.
Law enforcement actions are also must conducted consistantly and indiscriminately . According to Prof. Dr. Azyumardi Azra,former rector of Jakarta State Islamic University, the appropriate approaches in preventing and countering terrorism must be multi-facetted, multi-track, and comprehensive. He convinced the merely military approach would be contra-productive and creates excess, and finally creates ” terrorism cycle”

Bomb Scare at Denpasar Supermarket

October 19, 2010

DENPASAR

Officers from the Bali Bomb Squad were deployed to one of Denpasar’s largest shopping and leisure complexes after a bomb threat was phoned in.

The Tiara Detawa centre

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Island-Wide Dog-Jab Plan Almost Complete, Says Official

October 19, 2010

DENPASAR

Dog-vaccination teams have not been seen in many areas of Bali but a top official says almost all of a targeted 400,000 strays have been injected across the island in a bid to wipe out rabies.

Putu Sumantra, head of the Animal Husbandry Department, told The Bali Times on Tuesday that inoculation teams had already fanned around Bali as an answer to the growing rabies crisis that has killed 101 Balinese.

Dogs in

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Photo of the Day: The Herons of Petulu

In one of the most scenic areas on the island and directly north-east of Ubud in Central Bali is located the village of Petulu is famed for its artists, dancers and carvers of wood and stone. But that is not only what the village is renowned for. It is also a bird sanctuary and home to the famous Javan Pond Heron and Plumed Egrets.

No one really knows why the Herons, who first began roosting there in 1966, chose Petulu as their nesting site. Ask any of the elders in the village and they will tell you that the birds are in fact reincarnations of the tens of thousands of men and women who died during the civil unrest throughout Bali in 1966. It is a well known fact that many of those Balinese who died were laid to rest near the roosting grounds.

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Taman Narmada: Lombok

With any visit to Lombok a must-see on the sister island to Bali is the spectacular and spacious tourism attraction of Taman Narmada. When visiting here allow yourself a few hours to explore all the park has to offer and not just the main objects within. Located roughly 11 kilometres east of Mataram and the best time to visit is in the months of May to August, when the climate is perfect. Taman Narmada was built by King Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Karang Asem in 1727.

This famous tourist attraction is a miniature replica of the summit of Gunung Rinjani and its Crater Lake. Interestingly the park’s name derives from the Narmada River in India. Located within the park is the amazing Pura Kalasa. This temple is used annually for a Balinese ceremony known as Pujawali.

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Eating in Tuban: My Favourite Places

As most of you that know me well, I am passionate about the street and market food in Bali. I am a firm believer that to get to know a culture, imbibing in the traditional cuisine is an important factor in this process. However, there are times when I also visit restaurants

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Take a Walk Through….Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali

When visiting Bali there are so many exquisite places you can experience for not only the stunning, natural environment but also the amazing wildlife that abounds on this island. There are numerous panoramas that will take your breath away and hold you aesthetically for that moment in time.

Away from the tourist scene you can experience all that is so beautiful about the island. One of my favourite paces to spend a morning is located in the small village of Candikuning not far from Danau Bratan. The awesome Bali Botanical Gardens known as Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. It is easy to find and is only a short walk from the nearby Bukit Mungsu Markets. You really cannot miss the entrance as you will see a giant corn-on-the-cob statue marking the way.

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BALINALE International Film Festival

Film buffs are in for a treat with the 4th annual BALINANLE International Film Festival in Bali starting on October 12th and running through until the 17th. One of my passions is for foreign films and this festival is one not to be missed; especially this year. The reason being the premiere of the film

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Visit the Bali Aga Villages in Bali

For those who don’t know yet, the original inhabitants of Bali are the Bali Aga, and they live a relative reclusive life in the mountains to the east, the north and central Bali. It might seem weird to grasp at first considering you meet Balinese people every day you are on holidays in Bali. Basically, most of the high caste Balinese originally came from Java. The Bali Aga inhabited Bali well before the Majapahit invasion in 1343AD. The Balinese today are actually descendants of the Wong Majapahit who were 15thC migrants from East Java when the Majapahit empire finally fell.

It is believed there are several thousand Bali Aga people living in the mountainous regions and they speak their own dialect. There is a distinct indifference between the Balinese you meet every day and the Bali Aga who ensure their seclusion and culture. I have always found the Bali Aga to be a fascinating and beautiful people whenever I have visited the villages.

Having said that, many travellers I have spoken to over the years found them to be aggressive, and indeed, unwelcoming. If you ever visit Bali, I strongly suggest you take some time to visit one or two of the Bali Aga villages. There are a few of note and yet there are those villages that are so remote getting there is a difficulty.

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The Nusa Dua Fiesta 2010 Starts Next Week

and will be held from the 15th to 19th October. The fiesta is a bid to help popularize the Nusa Dua Complex as a world tourism destination. The theme

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Lombok: A Photo Journal

Lombok is the island located directly east of Bali across the 1300m deep Lombok Strait. Anyone who has visited Bali and Lombok will tell you the latter has a fraction of the tourism of Bali. The sister island to Bali has so much on offer to see and do. The environment is pristine with natural, curving bays and high mountains affording spectacular views.

Many people have said to me that Lombok is like Bali was twenty years ago and, they are correct. There are many things I basically liked about Lombok; no traffic jams, the peace and quiet, delicious cuisine and an intriguing culture that I found quite absorbing.

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9 Great Reasons to Visit Bali Now

Bali has been rockin’ n’ rollin’ big time of late with visitor numbers to the island increasing beyond all expectations. Now is a great time to visit with so much on offer for the traveller. The weather is perfect with sunny days and cool breezes off the ocean.

Not only that, Bali and its beautiful people are glowing. Everywhere you go in the countryside the jungles are lush-green and the padi fields aglow with colour. There is so much to see and do that at times one is spoilt for choice and fitting it all in for the period you are on the island. Right now is the right time to visit Bali. Airlines are offering fabulous deals and it is their competitiveness that is a winner for all of us.

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