Tempo Interaktif reports that Garuda Indonesia is considered to be "less than serious" in efforts to uncover suspected corruption in the purchase of six Airbus A-330 aircraft in the mid 1990s.

Didik J. Rachbini, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission charged with overseeing State-Owned Enterprises, complained that nearly two months have passed since Garuda's self-imposed deadline of early September when the airline promised to publicly reveal the results of an internal investigation and bring those results to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK).

Didik also told Tempo that he saw a similar lack of serious-mindedness reflected in Garuda's failure to make mention of the Airbus case in the business plan submitted to the Government and the lack of independent actors in the current team steering the airline's restructuring.

Problems Ahead with Garuda's Bailout?

In the current situation Didik emphasized that his commission would take a hard line in opposing the emergency cash injection of Rp. 1 trillion (approximately US$105 million) recently allocated for Garuda. According to Didik, his committee's agreement is a precondition for the subject funds being released to the Airline.

Martono, an airline law expert, told Tempo that Garuda is obligated to address the wide spread suspicion that there was a mark-up in the sale of the aircraft and announce their findings to the public. He said this was even more the case in light of the Government's trust bestowed in the carriers in the form of the recently agreed emergency cash relief. "These funds should be withdrawn, for, if the sickness of corruption still taints the airline, Garuda's recovery will be very difficult," Martono warned.

Garuda's Pilots Association has joined the chorus calling for revelations surrounding the perceived cover up. Captain Stephanus G., the President of the Association, uncovering the details surrounding the case is one of the critical steps in efforts to rescue the national carrier.

The corruption allegations surround the purchase of six Airbus A-330 aircraft in 1996 under a "rental-purchase" agreement valued at US$660 million between Garuda and a multi-partied consortium.

Garuda's Anti-corruption Commission, headed by Ari Sapari, said that his committee is reviewing its report on the transaction before handing it over to the national Anti-corruption Commission. Sapari refused to commit on when the report would be handed to the Government.

 

Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, has reluctantly lowered the 5.5 million visitors' target for 2005 admitting he will be relived if 5 million visitors are tallied by the end of the current year.

Quoted in the Indonesian language Nusa Bali, Wacik said: "to my thinking 5 million visitors is already a challenge, so if we get 5 million I have done well; I will be relieved."

Wacik's comments were made in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 3, 2006, in response to a report from the Center for Statistics (BPS) that reported tourists declined in August.

According to the Minister, who dismissed the importance of the reported decline in visitors inb August: "I have studied why August declined, in fact June-July typically increase followed by a decline in August. This is a yearly cycle. Wait until October until December when numbers will again increase."

Information is the Key

Wacik admitted that foreign visitors have been affected by news of bombs and natural disasters in Indonesia. Because of this, he underlined the importance of providing rapid and accurate information, adding: "The key is information. The mass media is very important. The Tsunami in Pangandaran was reported (incorrectly) by the mass media as having occurred in West Java. Don't so easily say 'West Java' as this makes people frightened to visit Bandung and Bogor, when in fact nothing happened (in these areas). We must be diligent in localizing such problems."

The Minister re-issued his standing invitation to the world press to visit Indonesia and see the situation first hand. He explained how a press group of 30 Japanese reporters recently visited Indonesian allowing them to subsequently return to their homeland and report that Indonesia remains a safe destination for foreign visitors.

Domestic Tourism Targets

The Minister also said that he remained confident that the domestic tourism target of 160 million travelers would be achieved in 2006.

 

The Bali Culinary Professionals join forces once again on Saturday, October 28, 2006 to raise the already exceptionally high standard of culinary excellence on the Island. 8 of Bali's leading chefs in concert with two overseas celebrity chefs will present a memorable evening of fine food and carefully paired wines at The Ritz Carlton Bali, Resort & Spa.The 10 Culinary Stars of the kitchen will include:

• Made Putra – The Laguna Resort & Spa

• Raymond Saja – Di Mare Restaurant • Stephen Wright – The Legian

• Torsten Schubert – The Semaya

• Scott Webster – Australian Culinary Consultant

• Francois Seurin – Mosaic, Ubud

• Jean Charles Dubois – Raffles Grill, Raffles Hotel, Singapore • Dean Kedell – The Ritz Carlton Resort & SpaAndreas Gillar – Bali Bakery

• I Wayan Werta – Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa

Each chef will prepare an individual signature dish to be paired with a selection of award winning wines and champagne.

Live From the Kitchen

A special feature of this year’s Bali Culinary Professional Gala Dinner will be the innovation of TV coverage on a large screen of what's happening "back in the kitchen" as the chefs prepare the evening’s meal.

Proceeds from the evening will help provide scholarships for deserving students in Bali.

Cost for a pre-dinner cocktail reception, dinner, wines, champagne and entertainment is only Rp. 1,200,000 per person (approximately US$130) per person.

For bookings contact Endang at Travel Works Communications International at ++62-(0)361-710508 or email to infotravelworks-bali.com

More information: Email for Bookings & Information

 

The Meat & Livestock Black Box Competition returns to Bali, celebrating its 10th anniversary of exciting competition between the island's best local chefs.

Held in many locations around Asia, the Black Box Culinary Challenge was born in Bali. Today it has grown to include 50 separate competitions throughout the Asia Pacific involving over 2,000 chefs.

Future plans for the Challenge to be extended in 2007 to include The Middle East, Africa, Europe and America.

Competing in Bali on Thursday, October 26th will be 110 of Bali's top hotels and restaurants who will send teams tasked to create a 4-course sumptuous menu from ingredients included in a "Black Box" of fine Australian meat and dairy products provided by Meat & Livestock Australia.

The winning team of chefs at the October 26th competition will be compete with a chance to represent Indonesia at the 4th Regional Finals to be held in Dubai in 2008 at the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS) World Congress.The public is invited to sample the outstanding meat and dairy products of Australia prepared by Bali's best young chefs.

For Rp. 300,000 per person (approximately US$32.60) per person guests can attend the judging dinner to be held on the evening of Thursday, October 26th at the Nikko Bali, Resort & Spa. Cost covers the four course dinners, cocktails, wines and entertainment.

For bookings contact Endang at Travel Works Communications International at ++62-(0)361-710508 or email via the link provided.

More information: Email for Bookings & Information

 

Tempo Interaktif reports that visiting Parliamentarians from Australia recently expressed their satisfaction with how Indonesia is handling the war on terror. The comments, made by Australian lawmaker Peter Slipper M.P. as part of a four-member delegation, were delivered during a visit on September 22, 2006, with Din Syamsuddin, Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's largest modernist Muslim social and educational organization.

According to Slipper, both Indonesia and Australia have enjoyed successful cooperation in a number of areas due, in part, to the two nations' close proximity to each other.

The Australian went on to explain that the cooperation between the two countries has intensified since the Bali bombing of 2002 that resulted in a large number of Australian casualties. Slipper said that the Government of Australia is satisfied with how Indonesia has handled this case, adding, "we respect the legal process that has taken place."

In the dialogue with Din, Slipper and two fellow Australian lawmakers – Michael Danby and Harry Jenkins, spoke at length on terrorism and Island, frequently seeking Din's response and insights.

Democracy Cannot be Force Fed

In response, Din explained to his visitors that much of the radicalism in Islam today is a reaction to the West's unfair view and evaluation of the religion. Touching on the matter of Iraq and Australia's support of the U.S. invasion of that country, Din told his visitors that the current approach was badly flawed, explaining, "it is inappropriate to try to introduce democracy through violent tactics."

 

The Indonesian language BisnisBali carried a page-one story reporting that in the four years since the 2002 Bali bombing there have been 22 closures of restaurants and hotels in the hill-top resort area of Kintamani.

According to the report, businesses populating the volcanic crater have been forced to cease operations due to the dramatic drop in visitors and the resulting inability to meet operating expenses.

The newspaper quoted a local businessman who has changed professions from being a restaurateur to selling produce as saying, "What can we do when we are facing growing losses?"

The currently dire situation was confirmed by the Chairman of the Bangli Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI), I Wayan Winurjaya, who said that many business had closed with the hardest hit being small-sized enterprises. Winurjaya, who is also the owner of the Lake View Hotel and Restaurant in Kintamani, blamed terrorist acts, natural disasters, and fear of disease as all having a negative contribution to the state of Bali's tourism.

Winurjaya saw some hope in the gradually improving tourist numbers coming to Bali, although business levels still fall far short of the boom-times recorded in the 1990s. He prayed that current recovery programs now being pursued by the Government would accelerate the road to full business recovery.

 

Based on a poll that queried sophisticated frequent travelers over a three month period from May-July 2006, SmartTravelAsia.com recently announced its list of the "best of the best" covering airlines, hotels, and destinations. Mirroring results in the recent Travel + Leisure readers' survey, Bali was, once again, selected as the "Best Holiday Destination" in Asia.

Best Holiday Destination

Proving that Bali's magic is truly indestructible, SmartTravelAsia.com voted Bali its favorite Asian holiday destination, saying, "It is an island that has retained its disarmingly honest and simple charm, a peaceful ritual-minded Hindu enclave in a bustling Muslim country."

Bali garnered 18.7% of total votes in the category followed by Phuket in a distant second receiving 11.3% of the votes cast. The South Indian destination of Kerala captured third place (7%) followed by Bangkok in fourth.

In reviewing Bali's win SmartTravelAsia.com said: "Bali held top spot - and by a wide margin - demonstrating that integrity and authenticity can attract visitor votes, and dollars. This is a reassuring message in an age of instantly bottled and serially manufactured destinations where neon and crocodile shows push everything else off the stage."

Best Conference Hotels, Asia

In their list of the top 25 conference hotels in Asia two Bali properties brought honor to the island with the Conrad Bali Resort & Spa ranking No. 22 and the Ritz Carlton Bali tying with The Peninsula Hong Kong for No. 24.

Best Leisure Hotels & Resorts, Asia

In listing the best reports in Asia, the poll participants named six Bali properties to their list of the top 25, namely: Amandari, Bali (No. 1); Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay (No. 2); The Legian, Bali (No. 11); Grand Hyatt Bali (No. 16); Four Seasons Resort at Sayan (No. 17); and The Bale (No. 22).

Best Spa Hotels, Asia

Equally impressive was Bali's attainment of six properties to the list of the Best Hotel Spas in Asia with COMO Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, Bali (No. 5); InterContinental Resort Bali at (No. 6); Hotel Tugu Bali (No. 7); The Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort & Spa (No. 12); The Legian Bali (No. 18); and Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, Bali (No. 23).

Bali Responds

Reacting to the honors bestowed on Bali by SmartTravelAsia.com, the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board, Bagus Sudibya, told the Indonesian language BisnisBali: "We need not be humble. This award should at the very least urge us all to work harder to develop Bali's tourism." Sudibya went on to ask that if the world votes its support for Bali, why should we (the Balinese) hesitate to work together for recovery?

 

British national Ray Clark brings 40 years of hospitality experience to his latest appointment as General Manager of the 24-unit luxurious The Samaya Bali beachfront resort.

Commencing his career in 1966 as an apprentice chef in Liverpool, stints in 4 and 5-star Hotels across England followed, before spending a 5-year on articles posting with the Royal Navy.

Back on dry and a civilian once again, Clark held several Executive Chef positions before embarking on a teaching career, as Chef Lecturer at Bournemouth College of Further & Higher Education specializing in Culinary Art for 14 years. While toiling in the Education sector, Ray supplemented his already substantial professional qualifications by adding two University Degrees and several Professional Memberships.

Returning to his first love of Food and Hospitality Management, Ray left the halls of academia for a 5-year assignment with Sandals Ultra All Inclusive Resorts in Montego Bay, Jamaica and Antigua, where he worked as Executive Chef and eventually as Food & Beverage Director.

Ray has successfully competed in many International Salon Culinaires, earning many challenge trophies and gold medals to his credit.

Prior to his current assignment, Ray was the Resident Manager at Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa and previously to that was Executive Assistant Manager at Nikko Bali Resort & Spa Bali.

 

balidiscovery.com’s, recent coverage [Garuda to Abandon Bali as Secondary Hub] drew spirited responses from a number of readers.
• Linda Baker, writing from Australia, said:

"We fly Garuda each time we come to Bali. If the flights out of Sydney go via Jarkarta then onto Bali we will definitely never use them again. What a giant pain it would be not to have a direct flight. Bad decision."

• Greg Lowe, also from Australia, contributed :

"I now have to fly Adelaide to Melbourne to Bali...if I have to travel through Jakarta as well, I won't bother with traveling to Bali at all. Even now travel to Bali is much dearer than Malaysia or Thailand...are you trying to cut Australia from your tourism market?"

• Still on the same topic, Rodney Gray from Australia, said :

"I am very concerned that Garuda is even thinking about abandoning Bali. If tourist numbers are down, Garuda should be heavily promoting a return of tourists from traditional markets. To make these people fly to Bali via Jakarta will cause enormous harm and ensure that tourism does not recover. This sort of economic terrorism and sabotage is not what Bali needs. It hands a victory to the terrorists."

• And finally from Australia, Paula McKenzie-Blair wrote to say:

"If Garuda do this their advantage of direct flights will no longer be in place making the choice of Garuda over Qantas non-existent. There will be a huge backlash from Australian visitors who have been using Garuda for direct Bali flights. Flying via Jakarta must add at least three to four hours to a 6-hour flight - totally unacceptable (from the perspective of this regular Brisbane/Denpasar traveler)."

Our story [Bali Works to Reduce Plastic Waste] got a favorable response from many readers.

• Stephen McMullen wrote to say :

"Great news that they are working on plastic waste problem. I regularly drive around the 'bukit' near Udayana University and unfortunately note that plastic bags and other non-biodegradable plastic items litter the whole area including the University grounds. One wonders if the University could start an educational programme for the locals (and themselves) as it seems trying to lure more visitors will work better if they do not have to drive past unsightly garbage."

The report [Bali Carrefour Project Draws Protests] prompted :

• A New Zealand reader, Maria Ziegler, to write :

”Constructing shopping malls and large and small supermarkets should be prohibited. They are curses in the western world and would take any trade chances away from the small vendor-operators. So many in Bali are already struggling to make a living. And it would take all charm out of Bali if the small operators and "tokos" disappeared."

The Editorial [Drawing Lines in the Sand] evoked the following :

• Mike Collier from the U.S.A. wrote to comment generally, saying:

"My compliments on the content and subjects of the 525th edition of 'Bali Update.' The articles about the Australian legislators visit to DPR, Garuda's plans to eliminate Bali as a second hub, beach development infractions and the potential for Bali to become a cruise ship port were interesting and insightful. Keep up the good work!"

• While a Swedish reader, Peter Lyngdorf commented :

"First thing every Monday morning is the Bali Update. I have just been reading 'Drawing Lines in the Sand?' I very much hope your fight for Bali and the Balinese in this respect will succeed. We have seen too many beautiful beaches ruined by egoistic so called developers around the world. . . Bali is a very small island."

And here's a final note of general comment from Diana Dunkley in Lawrence, Kansas (USA) who made our day by writing to say:

"”I returned from a month in Bali last month and it was an amazing and wonderful experience! We traveled the entire island, experiencing common tourist sites, staying in lovely resorts as well as wandering around in the more rural areas, meeting Balinese and learning about their lives, and staying in homestays. In other words, we really experienced the diversity of this beautiful land. In getting your e-publication for a few months prior to our trip, I found out about two things that we chose to do - both of which were excellent experiences. The first one was sketching/painting from the live model at Pranoto's Gallery in Ubud. I belong to a "sketch" group here that is structured identically to Pranoto's, so I was very curious about it. The people attending and Pranato were very gracious and made me feel right at home. The model was very good and professional. I really enjoyed the experience and getting to meet some local artists on a more low-key personal level. In contrast, the second experience was to take my travel buddy to the Mosaic Restaurant for her 60th birthday dinner. It was the most exquisite fine dining experience I have ever had, from the setting and ambience, to the service, the menu, the recommendations, and, by all means, the great food! I would not have known about these opportunities except for Bali Update, so I wanted to say thank you!"

More information: Share Your Thoughts with balidiscovery.com

 

Now visitors to Bali will not have to wait for their next travel getaway to elevate their senses and soothe their spirit following the launch of White Tea Scent by Westin Hotels & Resorts.

In response to heavy demand for the scent following its debut in a multi-million dollar print campaign and dispersal in hotel lobbies worldwide, the public can now infuse their home with White Tea by Westin – the hotel group's signature fragrance collection featuring a luxurious 100% soy candle, gentle room oil diffuser and all-natural potpourri. Hundreds of guests asked how to purchase the scent for their home prompting an eager waiting list for the exclusive collection months before its debut.

White Tea by Westin

White Tea by Westin is a custom-designed scent that, according to its creators, evokes the personality of the brand, elevates the senses and transforms any space. Highlighted with notes of geranium and freesia, the ingredients were carefully chosen because of their relaxing properties and are the result of a year of research and testing. The scent made its debut in the Westin's recent "This is How it Should Feel" print ad campaign that featured a White Tea fragrance strip. It was then introduced in Westin Hotel lobbies around the world as part of the brand's new Welcome program which is currently rolling out across all hotels worldwide.

"As part of our Westin Welcome program we designed our White Tea scent to create a relaxing and inviting atmosphere for our guests and we're thrilled that we made such a strong emotional connection that they want to bring that experience home with them," said Sue Brush, senior vice president of Westin Hotels & Resorts.

The White Tea by Westin Collection® is the latest addition to a growing retail line that includes the iconic Westin Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath® products that are available through an in-room catalogue and branded website. Last year Westin became the first hotel company to gain national retail store presence in the U.S.A. when Nordstrom began carrying its Heavenly line in more than 60 stores nationwide.

Renew Your Home with the Scent of White Tea

White Tea by Westin's luxurious 100% all-natural soy candles are individually hand poured, are clean burning and last for 60 hours. The home diffuser features natural rattan reeds that absorb the white tea scented oil and gently diffuses the calming blend of select botanicals throughout the room and the all-natural potpourri lends a subtle, fragrant touch to any space. The White Tea by Westin home fragrance collection is priced from $25-$65.

Reserve your order of White Tea by Westin's products when booking your accommodation at The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua, Bali.

 

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