In anticipation of the threat of Dengue Fever during the coming rainy season, the municipal government of Denpasar is taking a number of preventative steps to reduce the incidence of malarial infections. Chief among those steps - the city government is undertaking a program of ultra-low volume (ULV) spraying and fogging in all areas.

3 ULV mobilized teams have been assigned to circulate around the City for 20 days to destroy any nesting mosquitoes. Of the 43 sub-villages comprising the capital city of Denpasar, 42 of those villages are deemed to have endemic populations of malarial-causing mosquitoes.

More Community Involvement Needed

In order to achieve the goals of reducing the incidents of dengue infections local health officials point to the need for more education among urban dwellers, alerting them of the need for to improve sanitation.

Local health authorities are also asking local residents during the fogging process to:

▪ Keep vehicle windows closed when driving through fogging areas.

▪ To cover food and drink in homes and road side restaurants.

▪ To distance children, pets and poultry from fogging operations.

▪ Cover aquariums and domestic fish/lobster production areas.

While the amount of pesticide contained in the fogging process are generally considered safe for human and animal populations, officials suggest that young children, pets, and fish populations may be more susceptible to health threats posed by the malarial fogging process.

Garuda Indonesia will add more than 21,000 seats nation-wide in anticipation of the coming Christmas and New Years period on flights serving Denpasar (Bali), Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Medan, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

The additional seat capacity over the Garuda network will be in the form of utilizing larger-capacity aircraft or adding addition flights on the designated routes.

More Flights Jakarta – Bali

During the period December 22, 2006 through January 2, 2007 the number of daily flights between Jakarta and Bali will increase from 13 to 15 flights each day.

Special Passenger Service Teams

During the coming holiday season Garuda has established Special Passenger Service Teams who will be on active duty to keep flights operating smoothly and resolve any service issues on-the-spot.

Airline officials have also indicated that they will constantly monitor system-wide developments, adjusting flight schedules to maximize service as the holiday season progresses.

Garuda is asking passengers to plan holiday travel well in advance and avoid last-minute changes in holiday flight plans. Passengers are warned that names listed on tickets must match the name on the identity card of each passengers which will be checked prior to boarding.

When booking flights, passengers are asked to provide telephone numbers available at both ends of the journey that will enable the airline to contact passengers in the event of sudden schedule changes.

WildAsia.net seeks out tourism operators in Asia who demonstrate a "high degree of commitment towards respecting local cultures, benefiting local economies and achieving low environmental impacts."

Supported by the British Government's Global Opportunities Fund and the Langkawi Development Authority, Wild Asia is a Malaysian-based think-tank that specializes in supporting conservation initiatives in Asia. It runs programs promoting conservation in tourism, forestry, and plantations.

Bringing special recognition to Bali were the Alila Manggis and Alila Ubud who came to the selection committee's attention for their deep and abiding respect Bali, its culture, people and environment.

Winners of the Wild Asia award are resorts that focus on making sure that wastewater is not discharged from their resorts. Suppliers are compelled to reduce wasteful packaging practices and utilize local products to help create employment and income opportunities for the local community.

Guided by the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, the two Bali resorts strive to maintain balance between man, God and the local community. Immersed and deeply in love with the Bali's local culture, the two hotels are major supporters of the East Bali Poverty Project. Religious celebrations are central themes in the life of staff at both Alila properties. Staff also serve as "leisure concierges" escorting guests to local ceremonies. Employees are recruited from the surrounding communities meaning staff spend their careers at the Hotels where turnover is very small.

Commenting on the award, Jork Bosselaar, General Manager of the Alila Manggis said: "being part of something bigger, is the future in leisure travel. And people see that in the little things we do. We try to be as light on nature as possible and integrate with the local community. When they gain, so do we. These are benefits that’re hard to quantify."

More information: Wild Asia 2006 Award Winners

Having trouble finding a villa or hotel during the period December 20, 2006 through January 10, 2007?

But, don't Despair!

balidiscovery.com is providing an emergency "clearing house" for Bali visitors seeking hotel or villa space over the 2006-2007 year-end holiday period.

In constant contact with our more than 300 hotels and villa partners in Bali, we're maintaining a daily update on space availability.

Follow the link to see the up-to-the-minute listing of hotels still showing space available during the holiday period.

balidiscovery.com's coverage on growing concern in Bali on pollution of the Island'’s beaches [A Tidal Change Needed in How We Care for Bali’s Oceans] brought a number of spirited responses. Here's a sampling :

▪ Gail George wrote :

"I am sickened to learn that hotels are knowingly sending their sewage directly into the waters of your beaches, in any area, not just the Sanur tourist beaches. It certainly takes the luster off encouraging people to go to Bali, a place I have been 9 times and love. Although greed is a fast growing disease, to inflict its results on other humans in the form of pollution and endangering our health is disgusting. Bali deserves to lose its tourist arrivals if it chooses not to enforce laws already in place to punish pollution pushers. I hope there is a genuine, not 'pretend' outcry and clean up."

▪ Guy Mertens in North Bali had this to say on Bali's pollution problem :

"Indeed, pollution of the oceans and beaches is a major problem in Bali. But what about the villages? I'm living in the Lovina area for years and all villagers throw their rubbish in the rivers which end up at the beach and in the ocean. In the wet season: excrements, plastic, batteries and so on. In the dry season: the dry rivers (are) filled with all imaginable rubbish. Any tourist who goes for a walk along the beach will notice the giant sewers and rivers spewing excrements. Who wants to go swimming? Not to mention the giant pollution from the Bali-Lombok ferry where everybody throws anything overboard. Putting all these poor villagers in jail is no solution as they don't understand, better educate them in order they learn they are destroying their own Island and their economy."

▪ Adrian Martin from Townsville in Queensland, added his comments :

"Much as I hate to be negative regarding many things in Bali, I have to say that I stopped going to the beaches there, due to the pollution. I have heard tourists warn their children not to swim in the sea of plastic bags and trash that washes onto Kuta, which seems to originate from the river up the coast a bit.

About three years ago, I was fascinated by a large canvas fire hose, running from a hotel, down Poppies Lane and into a drain which ran into the beach. They were pumping out their septic tanks, and the effluent was going directly into the sea. There was quite an algal bloom there for days afterwards."

Coverage on the highly political nature of official travel advisories [Where You Gonna Run To? Bali or London?] also brought readers' comments.

▪ Here's what Deborah Fortuna had to say on the subject :

"I agree. I just came home from a wonderful 3 weeks in Bali. I discussed travel advisories with other tourists from Europe and Australia. We all agreed that most advisories are political. Bali is no more dangerous than most other places."

And news on balidiscovery.com that Air Paradise may soon resume operations [Bali’s Air Paradise to Fly Again in March 2007?] evoked a number of emails.

▪ Kelvin Warburton of Australia wrote:

"My wife and I only got to fly with Air Paradise once and it was marvellous. We intended to only fly with them from that time on. Then they went arse up. Now the only way I would ever fly with Air Paradise again is if they issued a guarantee of finding another airline to take me to Bali and home again when I was booked to go, written on their flight tickets and that it was LEGALLY BINDING both in Bali and Australia.

Quite a few people I know personally were bitten when the Airline went down the gurgler. Not only did they lose their money and become heartbroken on missing out their holiday, but so Bali got another black eye it did not need."

More information: Drop a Line to balidiscovery.com

Textures and colors are intertwined brilliantly on Linda Buller's abstract artworks, reflecting a range of ideas and feelings. Playing mainly with oil and acrylic, Linda explores a wide variety of media including sand, plaster, concrete and paper on canvas. She finds that abstract paintings which she does with mixed media gives her larger room to express her innermost feelings. Explains Linda: "Something has now come together for me, a meeting of spirit and mind. Before, I rarely made a painting I was happy with, now I have an intense feeling of satisfaction when I look at my work."

Linda Buller's work expresses her spirituality and concerns for her surroundings. Almost everything that she sees on earth is inspiring: mountains, animals, and people. Linda often travels to have a new experience before starting a series of artwork. While traveling, she becomes a sponge, absorbing things before bringing them out again on canvas. For Linda, a painting is a utensil, something that helps us think about what we want in our life and which road we want to travel.

Linda started painting at the age of 14 and studied fine arts at the Bendigo Institute of Technology in Melbourne for three years. Linda was also an active member of the Fitzroy (Melbourne) Arts Scene for ten years as a performer, poet and visual artist participating in both group and solo exhibitions. Having lived and worked in Bali for ten years, Linda's career has blossomed internationally, with work being sold to collections in Italy, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and Indonesia. Her multicultural lifestyle permits transcendental creativity in her artistic processes, and sensitivity to the subjectivity to experience.

In her solo exhibition at Jenggala Art Gallery, Linda wants to reveal the abstract pieces which reflect diverse concerns on animals, environment and nature. To enjoy these artworks, viewers will discover their own concepts, ideas, and various possibilities. Paintings, Linda says, are music, they talk to your soul; "if something resonates then it is because your soul is seeing or hearing the painting. When your hair stands on end or when you get goose bumps…well, that's your soul enjoying."

"Transition" an exhibition daily at the Jenggala Art Gallery in Jimbaran, daily from December 15, 2006 through March 13, 2006.

For more information call the gallery at +62 361 703311.

Part of the 648-room Grand Hyatt Bali's major renovation program now underway the Resort's new Kriya Spa is scheduled to be open early in 2007. Planned to further enhance the Resorts already extensive relaxation and recreation facilities, Kriya will be nestled within the lush tropical gardens of the 40-acre beachfront property, positioning itself as a "wellness sanctuary," offering the discerning travelers an authentic Balinese healing experience with 24 luxurious spa villas for treatments and for full day spa programs.

Reflecting its name Kriya – meaning 'ritual' in Sanskrit – the Spa will celebrate authentic Balinese healing forms with treatments based on 'wellness rituals' that promote positive health and anti-aging through the use of natural herbs, roots and essences.

Inspired by the magnificent architecture of an ancient Balinese water palace, each spa villa is designed with exceptional attention to detail and offers twin indoor treatment facilities, private outdoor wet treatment area, a traditional relaxation bale, and a custom-designed soaking tub and plunge pool - all set in a tranquil courtyard with water features.

The Spa's contemporary villas, built with a hint of Balinese tradition, are designed to create a harmonious union between the spatial design, flow and overall ambience. Understated elegance, fine textures, materials and artifacts reflecting herbs and natural elements, together with the infinite attention given to mood-enhancing lighting, natural colors, scents, relaxing sounds and temperature - will all provide an exotic sanctuary for a truly indulgent 'total-sensory' experience.

Each villa has been designed so that guests need not leave the inner sanctuary of their private lifestyle suite which are appointed to deliver all services offered at the spa.

The Treatments

Capturing the essential nature of the spa, Kriya will provide pampering for the mind and body with a menu of treatments which combine both ancient and modern techniques. A team of experienced spa therapists and aestheticians will create programs tailored specifically to one's lifestyle – ensuring each guest is taken on a personal journey of tranquility, restoration and reflection.

Kriya 'rituals' specially designed for both relaxing and invigorating moments as well as detoxification, will include:

▪ Moksha – Harmony and calm

▪ Aanand – Bliss and nourishment

▪ Yowanna – Rejuvenation and inner radiance

▪ Nirmala – Purification and preservation

The Kriya will also offer an extensive a la carte menu of body scrubs, body wraps, facials, touch therapy and Aryuvedic massages and hydro-soak treatments.

Yoga and meditation sessions are available and, for multi-day-stay guests, professional practitioners will create lifestyle counseling and strategic planning that include personalized fitness programs, stress management and nutritional consultation.

"Our Kriya Spa is dedicated to a journey of self-discovery and rejuvenation," said Detlev Truernit, General Manager of Grand Hyatt Bali, "it is a personal journey that each of our guests will take alone in their minds, but we are physically there to help them achieve the optimum benefits in every way we can – we will offer our guests the ultimate in escapism."

Kriya Spa Skin-Care Line

The Spa has created a unique range of natural, eco-sensitive skin-care products using herbs, essential oils, plant extracts, crushed flowers, roots and barks, blended together to enhance harmony, vitality and optimal well-being. These products will be used throughout the Spa and will also be available for sale in the spa's boutique, allowing guests to continue the Kriya experience in their own homes.

More information: Book a Stay at the Grand Hyatt Bali Resort

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

A story, perhaps more anecdotal than true, suggests that when Shakespeare wrote these lines in 1594 he was making a cynical aside about a competing theater to The Globe - the venue for his popular plays. That competing theater, The Rose, was notorious for its poor toilet facilities and the resulting stink - both off and on stage.

But, Do I Digress?

For some reason, a recent announcement from the Botanic Garden Ubud that they have successfully managed to cultivate the rare and foul-smelling Titan flower brought Shakespeare's lines to mind. The Titan, shown on balidiscovery.com, is called in Indonesian a bunga bangka or rotting corpse flower. Full marks to the Indonesians for truth in labeling for indeed this large, purple flower is a most odoriferous species of plant whose scent attracts carrion eating flies and beetles, lured to the the blossom by the smell resembling rotting flesh.

The flower and the insects share a symbiotic relationship; the insects play a pollinating role, hopping from stinking bloom to stinking bloom.

One of the world's largest unbranched flowers, the Titian can stand as high as 2.7 meters, although the current crop in Ubud is substantially smaller. Normally found only in the wilds of Sumatra, it was first discovered there in 1878 by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari – posibly known to his friends as "Old Odore."

For reasons of rarity and smell, you're not likely to find this flower for sale any time soon at your neighborhood florist. The first cultivated Titan appeared in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, in 1889. Exceedingly difficult to cultivate, only an approximate 60 cultivated blossoms have been brought to bloom over the intervening century.

A small group of the rare flowering Titans, however, are now in evidence at The Botanic Garden Ubud - a very special garden located only 1.2 kilometers from downtown Ubud.

Lost? Then just follow your nose.

The blossoming of the Titan is mercifully short, lasting only a few days.

Why not bring a Durian and make a picnic day out of it?

More information: New Botanic Garden in Ubud

At the Annual TTG Travel Awards held October 2006 in Pattaya, Thailand at the final night on the Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia trade show – Bali's Maya Ubud Resort & Spa won the accolade as Best Resort Hotel.

The TTG Awards, organized by Travel Trade Gazette, have been held for the past 17 years to recognize leading companies and personalities in Austral-Asian travel as selected by the readers of TTG.

Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

Recognized as the Best Resort Hotel, this was the second time that the Ubud-based property was acknowledged in the TTG Awards after being named Best New Resort Hotel in 2002.

According to Paul Blake, General Manager of the Maya Ubud Resort, his team was inspired by the earlier recognition to earn a future award from TTG. Blake saw the task as instilling in the Resort's Staff a spirit of belonging and dedication that would enable them to not only anticipate guests needs but to exceed their expectations.

Capitalizing on the natural charm of the Balinese, the Resort concentrated on establishing a unique personalized standard of service through inspirational and innovative management.

Since opening five years ago the Resort has earned nine important awards.

More information: Book a Stay at the Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts are scheduling to open two new resorts in Bali in 2008 - The Banyan Tree Ungasan Resort and the Angsana Tepi Kahyangan, Bali, Indonesia.

The Banyan Tree Ungasan Resort

Developed in cooperation with Indonesian Developer PT Surya Semesta Internusa, the Banyan-branded resort will be comprised of 73 villas located on a ten-hectare site 70-meter high cliff on Bali's southern Ungasan peninsula.

Costing an estimated US$30 million, the project is being financed via an "owner lease-back" scheme in which investor owners will pay from US$650,000 for a one-bedroom suite to US$2.7 million for a presidential villa.

The units will then be leased back to the Resort who will rent them out to the public at rates starting at US$600 per night.

The Developer is reportedly extending guarantees of 8% yield for the first two years of the investment followed by a revenue-sharing scheme between the Resort and the owners.

Another Bali resort, operated under Banyan's affiliated brand of Angasana is also scheduled to open in Bali in 2008.

The opening of the new resorts will herald the return of the Banyan Tree brand to Bali after an absence of several years following the termination of Banyan's management agreement with Ubud's Kamandalu Resort/

As reported on balidiscovery.com, [Time and Patience Running Out for Bali Bombers] Indonesia's Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh had told the 3 convicted Bali Bombers to be prepared to face the firing squad if no final appeal was made in their case before December 31, 2006

Imam Samudra, and Ali Ghufron – also known as "The Bali Bombers" are all under death sentences imposed by the Bali Courts for their pivotal roles in the October 12, 2002 bombing of two Bali night spots that resulted in 202 deaths.



On Wednesday, December 6, 2006 the three's legal team filed a formal appeal with the Denpasar District Court seeking a judicial review of their clients' convictions on the basis that terrorism law used to indict in the case was used retroactively and did not exists at the time of the October 12, 2002 bombing. Upon formal receipt of the appeal, a team of leading judges from the Bali court were appointed to draft a legal response.

Keeping the Virgins at Bay

Meanwhile, a former defense counsel for the Bali Bombers, attorney I Made Suryawan, claimed the three were prepared to meet their fate.

"Amrozy should be a man and receive his death sentence," said Suryawan who depicted the final appeal process as a normal part of the cautious processing of a capital offense execution.

Suryawan said that Amrozy was already prepared to die during the period of the trial when he still represented him. Explained Suryawan: "I still remember when I represented Amrozy that he (was certain) that when executed he would be greeted in heaven by a group of virgins. So its time Amrozy meets those virgins in heaven. The means: the carrying out of the death sentence."

Suryawana also questioned if the defense team for the three still held valid powers of attorney enabling them to file an appeal on behalf of the three.

During a Thursday, December 7, 2006, visit to Bali to meet with the Island's tourism leaders, Indonesian Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla declared Bali the gateway for visitors to Indonesia and the key to the revival of the nation’s tourism fortunes.

Beautiful Bali Indonesia

As reported by Antara News Agency, the VP underlined his conviction that Bali must serve as the gateway to Indonesian tourism by ordering the Culture and Tourism Ministry and urging all elements of the tourism industry to begin using "Beautiful Bali Indonesia" as a motto for the promotion of Indonesian tourism. Complaining that tourism promotion has been plagued by a "lack of funds and an unclear theme," he called on Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik to make movies featuring interesting tourism destination nationwide under the "Beautiful Bali Indonesia" theme, promoting Indonesia's many "Beyond Bali" attractions.

Dialogue with Bali Travel Industry

During a dialogue with local tourism industry members, the VP heard numerous complaints citing the lack of mass transportation, poor airport service in Bali and international travel warnings as major impediments to rebuilding Bali's tourism. Defending Bali's Airport services, Kalla insisted that "modernity" was of secondary importance in the provision of airport services, claiming that Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport was better in quality than those in Hawaii or Spain.

"The important thing of an airport is its function, not its modernity because tourists don't want to stay longer at the airport," the Vice President said.

More Money Promised for Tourism

During his visit VP Kalla promised that the budget for tourism promotion would receive a massive increase in 2007, increasing from US$6 million to US10 million.

Such an increase - equal to 66%, if realized, would play a major role in boosting Indonesian tourism which has been limitd in its ability to compete with other destinations by having at its disposal one of the smallest promotional budgets in the region.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and receive every Monday the latest information from the Island of the Gods.

Simply enter your email address below and join the community of more than 15,000 readers of Bali's only weekly newsletter.

Our [Privacy Statement] explains how we handle the data you are providing.

The Bali Update is published since more than 8 years. Thousands of articles are waiting for your exploration.

Simply enter your search terms below and travel back in time with Bali's most popular newsletter: