High Tech and High Touch Shop from our website or opt out at any time by sending an e-mail to ask one of our staff for advice and assistance in planning a perfect Bali holiday.
Talented Australian Singer to Join Local Voices Singing to Aid Bombing Victims at December 3rd Concert.
As reported on balidiscovery.com, [With a Song in Our Hearts - A Night at the Opera] – a very special evening of classical and Neapolitan song will be presented in Bali on Saturday, December 3, 2005 in aid of the victims of the October 1, 2005 bombing.
Bali For Peace – Classical Concert
The three highly acclaimed Indonesia singers and accompanist - Johnson Hutagalung – Tenor; Diani Rinarti Sitompul – Soprano; Margarisje Lucij Elisabeth Makikui – Soprano; and Christina Sidjabat – Pianist – will also be joined on stage with a special guest appearance by the critically acclaimed Australian vocalist Kristin Keam.
Kristin Keam
Ms. Keam's career has taken her from Melbourne to London and back. A talented singer with a wide-ranging repertoire, she has appeared on London's West End at the London Palladium and Barbican; shared the stage with the likes of Chita Rivera and Carol Channing; performed with Andrew Lloyd-Webbers Really Useful Group; and starred in a one-woman show at London's Jermyn Street Theatre in Where do You Start?
While away from her native Australia, Ms. Keam was also "discovered" by the Scottish Theatre Company - Perth Repertory Theatre, becoming their first Australian to play Pitti Sing in The Mikado.
Beginning her career in Melbourne where she graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, Mr. Keam established an early stage reputation for musical comedy and became a popular regular on a number of leading TV series including Hey! Hey! It's Saturday, The Comedy Company, and The Midday Show. She sang for Graham Murphy's haunting ballet Nearly Beloved with the Sydney Dance Company and also worked with the Victorian State Opera in the children's classic Sid the Serpent.
Now back home in her native Australia, she has just completed a highly-acclaimed 4 month Australia-wide tour of Terence O’Connell's evocative play, Minefields and Miniskirts, playing the Nurse, a role originally created for Debbie Byrne.
As a singing coach, Ms. Keam clients have included well known actors, singers and dancers from London's West End to the National Theatre to young training professionals. She was vocal consultant on La Cava at the Piccadilly Theatre. She is the principal external voice coach for both the Victorian College of the Arts' (VCA) new music theatre foundation course and the music theatre degree at Ballarat University.
Ms. Keam's special guest appearance at the Bali for Peace Concert is made possible through the generous support of Air Paradise International, Mercure Resort Sanur, and Bali Discovery Tours.
Tickets for this very special evening cost only Rp. 200,000 per person (approximately US$ 19.80).
balidiscovery.com is Standing by to Help Ease the Room Shortage Over the Christmas and New Year's Holiday.
Business to Bali is expected to be very busy over the 2005-2006 Christmas and New Year's Holiday period. With many hotels and villas likely to be running in "near full" situations during all or part of the holiday season, experience has proven that there is invariably room to be found to those who know how and where to look.
Let Bali Discovery Lend a Hand
While looking for the last room in the Inn is something of a holiday tradition dating back to the time of Mary and Joseph, we think you may have better things to do in the period leading up to the busy holiday season.
Bali Accommodation Clearing House
In order to make the search for accommodation easier balidiscovery.com will be in regular contact with its more than 300 hotels and villa partners asking them to constantly update those periods over the coming festive season when they still have rooms to sell. This information will allow the balidscovery.com reservations staff to quickly and efficiently identify accommodation availability for our clients.
Who Wants to Sleep in a Stable, Anyway?
Using our constantly updated list of available hotels and our extensive contacts with local hoteliers, the balidiscovery.com reservation staff at will always do their best to clear the rooms you seek or, if required, suggest the 'best alternate' hotel where space is still available.
Tradition aside, no one want to spend their Christmas sleeping in a stable.
Bali's Westin Resort Sets Holiday Celebrations Schedule to Also Include January 6th Russian Orthodox Festivities.
Supported by a colorful holiday program book presented in both English and Russian, The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua, Bali has a non-stop program of holiday celebrations running from December 25, 2005 through January 14, 2006 – designed to embrace both the European and Russian traditional celebrations of the Holiday Season.
Christmas Eve, December 24, 2005
On Christmas eve all hotel guests are invited to join a complimentary Christmas Eve reception starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Lobby Kites Bar where Christmas spirits will be shared while listening to traditional carols from the local children's choir followed by a special appearance from Santa Claus.
Christmas Eve diners will then have two options - either the Resort's popular Ikan Restaurant or poolside at By The Water restaurant - both featuring live musical entertainment. Christmas Eve set menu at US$50++ per person, children aged 4-12 years pay only US$25++.
Christmas Day - December 25, 2005
Traditional European celebration of Christmas Day on December 25th will be kicked off with a Beach Barbecue offering a lavish buffet served on white linen tablecloths and attended by waiting staff all dressed in white. Cost is US$35++ per person with children aged 4-12 years paying only US$17.50++.
A full day's "Westin Kids Only Party" will take place on Christmas Day from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Resort's Kids Club. A Kids Buffet, games, gifts and special activities will be on offer for US$15++ per child.
New Year's Eve - December 31, 2005
Adopting a Carnival theme, the Nusa Indah Hall will be transformed on New Year's Eve into the scene for a lively Latin welcome to the New Year. Prices are US$160++ for adults and US$80++ for children between 4-12 years.
Children wishing to celebrate the New Year without Mom and Dad can join a special Westin Kids New Years Eve Celebration that includes organized games, prizes, food and refreshments starting from 6:00 p.m. until 30 minutes past midnight. A perfect supervised evening for children aged 3-12 years, the cost is only US$30++ per child.
New Year's Day - January 1, 2006
The first day of 2006 continues with a Carnival beat, welcoming the brand new year with a special Salsa Brunch at the Ikan Restaurant from 11:00 a.m. unil 4:00 p.m.. Cost is US$25++ per person including a glass of sparkling wine or a cocktail of your choice. Children 4-12 years pay only US$12.50++.
Epiphany Day - January 6, 2006
Russian guests and others will be able to celebrate Christmas in keeping with the Orthodox calendar marking the Epiphany on Friday, January 6, 2006, with a Bali Carnival on the Beach featuring a Latino Band and a sumptuous buffet. The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. and lasts until 1:00 a.m. the next morning. Cost is US$75++ per person with children 4-12 years paying US$25++.
The Club
Portraits Restaurant & Lounge will be transformed into The Club starting December 25, 2005 through to January 14, 2006. Guest seeking a more formal, elegant dining experience can choose from special offerings of Kobe Beef or Foie Gras or, instead, select from an extensive western a la carte menu. Each evening continues into the late hours with the appearance of a visiting international DJ, whilst guests may enjoy a wide range of cocktails and tapas and dance the night away.
Air Paradise Offers Unbelievable Package Rates to Australian Travellers Starting from AU$419 from Perth
Striving to get Australians travelling back to Bali, Air Paradise International is offering unprecedented bargains in air and accommodation packages.
Available for a limited time for bookings made before December 15, 2005, and only valid for travel through March 31, 2006, prices include minimum three nights accommodation and return economy class airfares and start from AU$579 ex Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and AU$419 ex Perth (plus taxes).
Hotel have joined forced with Air Paradise International, with many extending "2 for 1" deals that get better the longer you stay. Guests staying two nights pay for only one, while guests staying seven nights get three nights free.
Air Paradise International flies three times a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Denpasar and twice weekly from Brisbane and Adelaide.
Conditions and restrictions apply. Contact Air Paradise International for details.
Book Now and Save Like Never Before
Air Paradise Offers Unbelievable Package Rates to Australian Travellers Starting from AU$419 from Perth
Striving to get Australians travelling back to Bali, Air Paradise International is offering unprecedented bargains in air and accommodation packages.
Available for a limited time for bookings made before December 15, 2005, and only valid for travel through March 31, 2006, prices include minimum three nights accommodation and return economy class airfares and start from AU$579 ex Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and AU$419 ex Perth (plus taxes).
Hotel have joined forced with Air Paradise International, with many extending "2 for 1" deals that get better the longer you stay. Guests staying two nights pay for only one, while guests staying seven nights get three nights free.
Air Paradise International flies three times a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Denpasar and twice weekly from Brisbane and Adelaide.
Conditions and restrictions apply. Contact Air Paradise International for details.
Love Flows Like a River
Bali's Cili Foundation And Sobek Treats Orphaned Kids and their Moms to A Day of Rafting on the Ayung River.
Sobek – The Adventure Specialists and the Cili – Adopt a Family Charity recently hosted a group of 13 children and their mothers to an exciting rafting adventure followed by lunch on Bali’s Ayung river.
The children, all fatherless following the death of their families' chief breadwinners in the October 12, 2002 terrorist bombing, are recipients of assistance from the Cili – Adopt a Family Charity. Established in October 2002 in the days following the tragic bombing by the founder of Air Paradise Kadek Wiranatha and his wife, Nattalia, the Cili Charity provides much-needed assistance to 25 families widowed by the terrorist bombing in 2002.
Since its founding more than US$100,000 has been raised for clothing, books, medical supplies and educational support to the families affected by the bombings.
Committed to life-long support of the families left Fatherless by the tragic terrorist attacks of 2002, the charity also provides support to 3 orphanages located in Denpasar.
Passengers flying on Air Paradise between Bali and Australia are given the opportunity to contribute to the charitable work of the Cili Charity.
Why I am Still Going to Bali
Travel Writer Liz Sinclair Shares Why She Won't Be Detered from Making Another Visit to Her Favorite Tropical Island.
Liz Sinclair, an expatriate American freelance travel writer based in Melbourne, Australia. [LizSinclair.com] recently contributed her take on safety and traveling to Bali to the well-know travel dispatch web site Worldhum.com in an article entitled [Why I am Still Going to Bali].
Living in the New Normal
Liz's article examines the "risks" that surrounds our daily lives in deciding whether to stay at home or boldly travel to exotic destinations. She also looks at the central role tourism plays in Bali's daily life and economy.
Have a read of Liz Sinclair's interesting article via the link provided.
Bali Ranked Among the Very Best
Condé Nast Traveler Announces its Prestigious List of the 'Best of the Best' for 2005 with Bali and its Hotel Resorts Earning Many Accolades.
For each of the past 18 years the sophisticated and well-traveled readers of Condé Nast Traveler have cast their votes naming the best travel experience, the best hotels, best resort, and best airlines. The November 2005 edition of the magazine is now on the streets listing the winners from among the 28,000 votes cast by the publication's nearly 300,000 readers.
As in the past, Bali fared very well in the final tally of where smart people choose to travel and stay.
The Best of The Best
When voters were asked to name the best 100 travel experiences anywhere in the world, the tiny island of Bali managed to net 6 winning slots among the top 50.
Both Bali and its near neighbor, Lombok, ranked among the top 7 island destinations in Asia and the Indian Ocean:
• #1 – Phuket, Thailand
• #2 – Bali, Indonesia
• #3 – Mauritius
• #4 – Maldives
• #5 – Langkawi, Malaysia
• #7 – Lombok, Indonesia
Top Hotels in Asia
The discerning Reader's Choice Voters named two Bali properties among the best 10 hotels in Asia, with The Peninsula Hong Kong grabbing the number one spot:
Bali can rightly claim it is home to Asia's finest resorts, having 6 resorts named among the top 20 properties and dominating four of the top five positions:
We’re also proud to report that the carrier that connects Bali to the World was named the World's #1 Best International Route Airline: [Singapore Airlines]
23 Foreign Diplomats Gather on Jimbaran Beach for Dinner and a Closer Look at Recovering Bali.
Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, invited 23 Jakarta-based foreign diplomats to travel with him to Bali and experience first-hand the island's current security situation.
Traveling to Bali in the week immediately following the Lebaran holidays, the group of diplomats were hosted by the Ministry, Garuda Indonesia, The Melia Hotel Group, the Regional Government of Badung, and the Bali Tourism Board.
On Saturday, November 12, 2005, the group of visiting diplomats joined Minister Wacik, Bali Vice-Governor, the Regent of Badung, and Police Chief Irjen Made Pastika for a seafood dinner at Café Nyoman on Jimbaran Beach.
The Café has just reopened after undergoing a series of religious cleansing ceremonies and the installation of new security measures following the tragic October 1, 2005, terrorist attack involving the popular beach side restaurant.
Among those attending the beachside dinner was Her Excellency the Ambassador of Turkey to Indonesia, Feryal Cotur Onder, who enjoyed the evening out in Bali together with her Husband. Ambassador Onder assured the people of Bali that they were not alone in their battle against terrorism, adding, "confronting terrorist acts requires international cooperation across sovereign borders. We all love peace and Bali is a favorite world destination whose image we must protect."
Minister Wacik underlined the key role that foreign diplomats can play in Bali's recovery, explaining that by showing the representatives of foreign governments Bali's condition following the recent bombing they will come to know and understand that Bali is safe and has retained its charm.
"Seeing is believing and that is how we will restore Bali's image. During the month of November the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has created four separate programs inviting national and foreign media to Bali to experience Bali first hand," explained Minister Wacik.
On the Mend or More Pain Ahead?
Bali by the Numbers: October 2005 Arrivals Down 36.83% with U.S. and European Arrivals Less Affected by October 1st Attacks.
October 2005 foreign direct arrivals to Bali sunk to 81,109 – a decline of 36.83% against the near-record-breaking October recorded one year before in 2004 (128,399).
With total arrivals almost an exact match for another bomb-affected October in 2002 when foreign arrivals were 81,100 – a convincing argument can still be made that the fall out from the latest tourist attack was much less severe than the downtuwn experienced just three years before. Bearing in mind that the 2002 bombing occurred on the 12th of October with declining arrival really only affecting the last half of the month, by comparison the most recent terror attack took place on the 1st of October meaning this year's decline was spread over a period twice as long in duration as its predecessor 3 years before to the month. In other words, the decline in arrivals in 2002 was arguably nearly twice as steep as the most recent October experience.
November Critical
All eyes will be on November 2005's arrivals figures which will give a much firmer indication as to whether the current slump in business has actually bottomed out and on the mend, or, instead, is heading into deeper negative territory. In 2002 the November following the October 12th attack represented one of the worst months in recent memory in terms of foreign tourist arrivals with only 31,497 visitors – down 57% from the same month one year before in 2001.
The Benchmark is -36.83%
The performance benchmark for November 2005 will be whether or not arrivals are anything better than a decline of -36.83%. If Bali scores better than that it will indicate tourism arrivals are on the mend; a score of anything worse than -36.83% will make it reasonable to conclude the island's tourism industry continue to sink and is still stuck in a pre-recovery stage.
Results by Regions
Somewhat surprisingly, in the fallout following the October 1st bombings the European and American markets fared markedly better than Bali's short and medium-haul source markets in the Asia Pacific.
• ASIA – PACIFIC - Overall, the Asian Pacific market declined 46.11% in October 2005 (44,569) as compared to the same month in 2004 (82,703). Leading the exodus out of town from the Asia-Pacific were the Australian who declined 50.19%, followed closely by the Japanese down 48.26%. Meanwhile, the South Korean market dropped 46.75% while the Taiwanese sank 37.40%.
• ASEAN - Similarly, the ASEAN market plummeted 51.98% for October 2005 (4,618) as compared to October 2004 (9,617). Malaysians dropped 56.91% month on month from one year before while the Singaporeans declined 42.63%.
• THE AMERICAS - The America’s only declined 22.26% in October 2005 (4,503) as compared to October 2004 (4,530). Within that grouping of all foreign arrivals from North and South America the U.S.A. for October 2005 declined only 15.97% month on month.
• EUROPE - Showing even more courage in the face of adversity was the European market which declined only 9.64% overall in October 2005 (26,994) as compared to October 2004 (29.875). In fact, three major European markets even managed to post month-on-month increases in October 2005 despite the distraction of the October 1st bombing. The Netherlands posted an improvement of 34.81% in October 2005 against one year before with Switzerland up 9.01% and France improving 5.74%. Declines in arrivals ex Europe were less dramatic than from Asia: Italy’s October arrivals declined 26.90%; Germany dipped 19.99%; and the U.K. dropped only 14.41%.
2005 Still A Record Breaker
Total direct foreign arrivals January-October 2005 totaled 1,247,867 - a record breaking year-to-date performance for Bali and still 2.1% ahead of last year’s totals for the same period, despite the most recent terror attack. In terms of whether or not 2005 will remain an aggregate record-breaker for arrivals very much depends on how November 2005 performs. If arrivals in November can achieve anything better than a 23.15% percent decline from the November 2004 totals, the current year will still remain in positive territory for overall arrival's performance.
Shown on balidiscovery.com is a month-by-month summary of January-October arrivals 2000 – 2005.
Garuda to Fly to India?
Details Remain Sketchy on Indonesian Carriers Plan to Operate Schedule Services to Asia’s Fourth Largest Economy of India.
According to the Bloomberg News Service, Indonesia's National Air Carrier Garuda may soon establish regular flight service to India.
The Airline's President Director, Emirsyah Satar, reportedly revealed the plans of his airline to the press during a visit to Hong Kong on Wednesday, November 16, 2005. Declining to reveal more details of the proposed service, the head of the Indonesian carrier did indicate that his Company was in talks with partners in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur suggesting, perhaps, that Garuda is seeking a joint-operation to India with another foreign air carrier.
India, long touted as a market with strong potential for Indonesian tourism, according to the Air Traffic Association is expected to see its air traffic grow at an average of 8.4% per year through 2009.
Bali Market from Indian Still infinitesimal
Indian direct arrivals to Bali in 2004 totaled only 6,468 visitors, representing less than less than half-a-percent of total inbound foreign tourists to the island.
Tsunami Buoys Activated
Early Warning System for Tidal Waves Commences Operation with Installation of Two Seismic Buoys.
The first in a series of early-warning ocean buoys and ocean-bottom seismic sensors have been installed off the coast of West Sumatra that will provide shore-side residents of advance notice of the approach of life-threatening tsunami waves.
Two sets of early warning stations were activated near Sumatra on Tuesday, November 15, 2005, installed by a joint team of Indonesian and German scientists.
Quoted in the Jakarta Post Edi Prihantoro from the State Ministry of Research and Technology said: "The buoys will pick up and transmit data about sea tremors and pressure from the ocean sensor devices. This is part of the government's tsunami early warning system master plan (which runs) through early 2009."
When completed, the initial installation will see a total of 15 early warning systems in operation in various locations across Indonesia.
More than 130,000 people lost their lives in Indonesia's Aceh province as the result of the December 26, 2004, tsunami generated by a massive earthquake off the coast of West Sumatra.
Premature Fermentation?
"Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé" - Welcome the Latest Vintage of Beaujolais at a Special Reception on Friday, November 25th at the Mercure Resort Sanur.
Strictly prohibited by law from being sold before the third Thursday of November, the 2005 vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Primeur, officially arrives in Bali on Friday, November 25, 2005 to be welcomed at a special reception in its honour at the Mercure Resort Sanur – Bali.
A Brief History of Beaujolais Nouveau
In the Middle Ages, many wines turned to vinegar before they could be drunk. As a result, waiters in local drinking dens in days of ole, when asked to recommend a good vintage no doubt suggested Tuesday or Wednesday. Ancient wine producers, wishing to avoid leaving a sour taste in their customers' mouths, discovered that the Gamay grape of the Beaujolais region was drinkable just weeks after harvest. On to a good thing, clever bistro owners just down the road in Lyon began shipping wagons-full of still-fermenting young Beaujolais for the enjoyment of their customers.
Beaujolais Nouveau is produced using a method of carbonic maceration in which entire bunches of grapes are thrown into fermentation tanks without first crushing the fruit – the means by which juice is extracted for most wines. The grapes at the bottom of the tanks are crushed by the weight of those on top. As a result, the grapes down below ferment in a normal fashion while the uncrushed fruits near the top ferment within their skins producing a wine that is less tannic and very fruity to the taste.
After the end of WWII, wine makers began to de-gass, filter and chemically stabilize Beaujolais Nouveau - permitting shipment in bottles without fear of explosion. The resulting extended shelf-life allowed the distribution of Beaujolais Nouveau to the far corners of the world where more and more people are enjoying the late-November novelty and unique character of drinking a wine from grapes that only one month before were still on the vine.
Beaujolais Nouveau in Bali
To welcome Beaujolais' Primeur Harvest of 2005 - a special French buffet will be held featuring cheese, delicatessen items and Beef Bourguignon starting at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 25, 2005 at the Mercure Resort Sanur - Bali.
The cost of the buffet, including two glasses of Beaujolais Nouveau, and music provided by Bali's Circle Band is only Rp. 200,000 per person (approximately US$19.80).
Purchase of a tickets in advance is required and can be done in Bali at Café Moka, Warung Gossip, the French School, Mercure Resort Sanur, or the Consular Agency of France.
