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Significant rise in tourist arrivals in Bali

2008-09-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Denpasar, Bali,(ANTARA News) - The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali rose significantly in the first semester of this year, a regional tourism official said.

“According to records, a total of 280,222 foreigners visited Bali in the first semester of this year, an increase of 22.26 percent from 229,198 in the same period last year,” the head of the local tourism service, Gede Nurjaya, said here on Saturday.

He made the statement after speaking at a seminar on “The Impact of Ban on National Flights to Europe on Tourism in Bali.” He said the ban by the European Commission had not affected tourism in Bali much.

But he admitted the ban for European tourists to use national airlines would disrupt distribution of tourists to other provinces and damage the image of the country that had just recovered from the impact of incidents such as terrorism, natural disasters and health scares.

Nurjaya said various efforts had to be made to immediately overcome the slump in the country`s tourism industry. “The central government needs to conduct continuous consultations and cooperation with the EU Commission so that a way out can be immediately found to overcome the shortcomings of the Indonesian airlines,” he said.

He also called on the country`s national airlines to improve their performance, including in the safety aspect in line with the air operator certificate requirements and standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association.

“They must also continue to inform the market about efforts that have been made by the government to improve their quality,” he said.(*)

Javanese Culture Needs Renaissance

2008-09-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

It is time that bad suppose about Javanese mythology system must be cleaned. Javanese mythology is not bad or dirty. The bad perception about Javanese mythology is an irrational, myth came from modern rationalist point of view.

Now, modern rationalist keep on redefine because of wrong way in defining the world. So that Javanese culture needs to wake from the wrong domination that comes from out side of Javanese point of view. Javanese culture should be renaissance.

Sugeng Priyadi a Javanese culture expert who has believed about myth stated that Javanese myth has much values to build up the noble civilization. A lecturer of Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto (UMP) also member of Paguyuban Kerabat Mataram (Pakem) has commitment to his aspiration at the International Javanese Culture Conference (KIKJ) 2008.

The main point of his idea is breaking negative suppose or perception about Javanese myth, but studying myth is to find the value of mind (logos). The value becomes basic of renaissance growing up. The redefine mind also needs an implementation effort as a basic to build up the society.

Those values are Javanese wise ness exist on power and welfare ness. Now, both values become a measurement of successfulness. In philosophical Javanese point of view both values only have function as long as under the wise ness control. “In Javanese philosophy wise ness has include power and welfare. By the wise ness people can be stated has freedom” Sugeng said.

The Javanese wise ness builds up to the heterogenic people of java, but it can accept the local characteristic. Each local character has their own wise ness it is a result of their dialogue with their own social environment. “Now, its important to create relation among the local, each local must realize their life is being integration,” he said.

The understanding that the noble of Javanese culture is only dominated by kingdom must be broken. Perception that the culture is out side the kingdom is worse must be leave. The kingdom is not the only one of central culture, that is not true.

“Modernity is egalitarian society all the wise ness which having by local has the same noble. Its mean Javanese cultural contemporary also must be suitable with the period. So that the Javanese culture can enter the renaissance” said Sugeng.

Seized terror bombs deadlier than Bali

2008-07-08T01:51:00.000-07:00

Indonesian police say bombs seized in terrorist raids this week could have created explosions bigger than the Bali bombings.
Authorities were yesterday continuing to question the 10 suspects nabbed in South Sumatra, who have been linked to regional terror network Jeemah Islamiah (JI).

Authorities seized a cache of explosives in the raids, including more than 20 bombs, thwarting plans for fresh terror attacks targetting foreigners.

Police have said one target included a cafe in Bukittinngi, in west Sumatra frequented by westerners, but was reportedly dropped at the last minute because of fears of high Indonesian Muslim casualties.

Indonesia's National Police chief General Sutanto said the cache of seized bombs -- including 10 which were primed to explode -- had the potential for a greater blast than the 2002 Bali bombings in which 202 people died, including 88 Australians.

"It's very true because the technique now, the bomb it's not filled with metal ball bearings but its filled with sharp bullets," he told reporters.

"(They are) filled into it so that when the explosion happens, certainly it will have a double impact.

"If it is exploded, the bomb itself and the bullets, when exploded will hurt people and even could kill people."

He confirmed one of the 10 men arrested, known by the initials MH, was a Singaporean national.

The 35-year-old English teacher -- linked to fugitive Kastari, the alleged leader of JI's Singapore operations - is accused of training local hardliners in Sumatra in bomb-making.

He had also reportedly met al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden several times and was a former student of slain Bali bomb-maker Azahari bin Husin.

It is hoped the investigation could provide further clues in the hunt for South-East Asia's most-wanted terrorists, Noordin Mohammad Top and Kastari, who escaped Singapore detention three months ago.

Sutanto said that Kastari's photo would be distributed across Indonesia "so that people will know his characteristics".

"What's obvious is there are still some that have not been caught," he said.

The Singaporean government has accused Kastari of plotting to hijack a plane in order to crash it into Singapore's Changi Airport in 2001.

Top is South-East Asia's most wanted terrorist and is believed to head a breakaway faction of JI that is committed to al Qaeda style attacks on Western, civilian targets.

He is accused of directing the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings and three other attacks on Western targets in Indonesia that have together killed more than 240 people, most of them foreign tourists.

Ngelawang at Bali Art Festival

2008-07-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

On June 28th, at 10.00 in the morning Art Center was filled with visitors. Men-women, young-old, and native-foreigners seemed never want to blink their eyes as if they did not want to miss a thing from this show. They were hypnotized. Wherever the show went then those people would follow it as if they were the part of this show.

Bali Art Festival does not just present Balinese handmade goods or Balinese culinary heritage but also performances that begin to be neglected. One of them is Nglawang. This show had been presented twice to re-popularize it to the people, especially to the Balinese children.

Nglawang actually is a Balinese tradition aiming to ward a village from disasters. This tradition is similar to Pangrebongan which is held in Kesiman village (see the article). Nglawang is usually held after Kuningan day in several villages in Bali but it becomes rare ritual to be held in the town nowadays.

Nglawang derives from word ‘lawang’ meaning door. Nglawang means showing sanctified tapakan (similar to statue made from metal or wood which is usually glorify and kept in one village) barong, from one door to another, from one house to another and from one village to another.

Nglawang nowadays develops to another function. This tradition changes to be a part of art show. Groups of people exhibit their unsacred barong, rangda, etc and demonstrate a procession of Nglawang to entertain the visitors.

This kind of performance was also conducted at Bali Art Festival XXX on June 28th by representatives from 5 regions in Bali. Every representative brought its barong, rangda, monkey costume and gamelan. Moreover their performances were accompanied by Pemangku (Balinese priest who officiate the traditional ceremonies).

Late in the afternoon, Representative from Jembrana, Karangasem, and Badung has ended their performance. Then representative from Bangli’s turn to conduct the core of this show in front yard of Ardha Candra. In the meantime, column of people from Tabanan began to walk around the Art Center. On the very back column, people who played gamelan followed. And that gamelan player was preceded by people who wore very scary barong, Rangda, and monkey costume who dance while walking as part of parade. In front of them there were six little girls who wore mask waving a very big ‘handkerchief’. The two men with red ceremonial umbrella walked after them And Pemangku guided them all in front.

Many children got close to Rangda or Barong and then took a photo together. Children were not afraid with Barong and Rangda because they caressed the children instead of frightened them. But, do not try this if you are in the real nglawang.

Next, they started entering the front yard of Ardha Candra where the core of nglawang took place. Many people happened to be there, waiting the last performance from Tabanan, although they had watched nglawang performance from other regions.

People who played gamelan and two men brought the umbrella parted from the column. The little girls started to dance. After that Rangda also began to dance and the musical accompaniment was beaten more andmore energetic. Barong entered the arena to fight Rangda. It made many more people came to stand around Barong and Rangda.

When Barong was fighting with rangda, a group of men entered the arena and stabbed their self with Keris while screaming as if they all were in trance. The actors were very good because that performance looked like reality. Some children became emotional moreover. “Oh no, that man near the tree is still in trance,” and another child screamed cheering Barong. “Come on Barong!! Those Rangda must be defeated,” A boy run to his parent and tell them what he already watched. Well, all people there were entertained and children got something new from those performance. Wishing that they can share their experience to their friends and this tradition will be known widely once again.

Barong succeeds to defeat Rangda. And the musical accompaniment stopped then, signing that performance ended. People gave their loud applause, thank to outstanding performance which had given.

Bali encyclopedia

2008-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Bali is an Indonesian island located at the western most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

With a population recorded as 3,151,000 in 2005, the island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

Perfect Time to Bali

2008-06-17T05:07:00.001-07:00

Weather

Just 8° south of the equator, Bali has a tropical climate - the average temperature hovers around 30°C (mid-80s°F) all year. Direct sun feels incredibly hot, especially in the middle of the day. In the wet season, from October to March, the humidity can be very high and oppressive. The almost daily tropical downpours come as a relief, then pass quickly, leaving flooded streets and renewed humidity. The dry season (April to September) is generally sunnier, less humid and, from a weather point of view, the best time to visit, though downpours can occur at any time.

There are marked variations across the island. The coast is hotter, but sea breezes can temper the heat. As you move inland you also move up, so the altitude works to keep things cool - at times it can get chilly up in the highlands, and a warm sweater or light jacket can be a good idea in mountain villages such as Kintamani and Candikuning. The northern slopes of Gunung Batur always seem to be wet and misty, while a few kilometres away, the east coast is nearly always dry and sunny.

Air-con is not really needed on Bali at night. A cool breeze always seems to spring up in the evening, and the open bambo

Indonesia event

2008-06-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

With such a multiplicity of ethnic groups, Indonesia has a surfeit of cultural events throughout the year. On Sumba, mock battles that hark back to the era of internecine warfare are held in February and March. On Balinese New Year, Nyepi , (March-April) everything shuts and the island grinds to a standstill as locals seek to convince evil spirits that the island is uninhabited. During the Balinese festival of Galungan (moving dates) even the gods descend to earth and join in the revelry. There's a dramatic Easter Parade on the island of Larantuka, whip duels in Ruteng, Flores in August and Torajan funereal feasts in central Sulawesi, held mainly between August and October. As most Indonesians are Muslim, many festivals are affected by the lunar calendar; dates are subsequently 10 or 11 days earlier each year.

5 things to do in Bali

2008-06-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

Taken from - Lonelyplanet.com
Learn something
Bali is known for its silver smithing and beach lifestyle. While here, try your hand at silver smithing or batik painting in Ubud, the culture hub of Bali.
Allow good service
99.9% of all service staff you meet will want to chat with you in their halting English. And 99.9% of the time they start of with "Where are you from?" After a few days of the same "pick-up" line, it can get irritating - it drove me nuts - but take a step back, a deep breath, and allow the locals to shower you with their warmth and friendliness.

Wander the streets
As in any place popular with tourist, specially created clusters of "markets" featuring local crafts and produce are aplenty in Bali. You don't have to avoid them but do cab out to the various districts and walk the streets for the real deal.
Get a free ride
Due to the lack of good road signs and also the off-the-beaten track places where many shops are located, many restaurants and spas offer free pick-up for customers from their hotels. You just have to dial for pick-up.
Tip not expected but make someone happy!
Tips are generally not expected but these folks are so friendly and attentive, do leave them a tip if you can. When a waiter I had a short chat with realized that his counterparts in my home country make about US$600 a month, he was flabbergasted and said he'll need just a year before he can start his own pub and restaurant back in Bali.