"I would like to thank all at Bali Discovery Tours for providing such great service to Aurora and her passengers. The day was a real success - thanks to the detailed pre-planning from Jack and the team."
Editorial: Bali Update's
Editor Reflects on Taking a Flight on September
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself"
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933
The heinous attacks launched by terrorists against
the United States in 2001 form a defining moment
in all our lives. Although now 5 years in the
past, most people cannot fail to recall the
specific details of what they were doing when
they first heard the news of the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the subsequent tragic
incidents at the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania
As the 5th anniversary of 9/11 approached,
it occurred to me that I would be spending the
anniversary of that fateful date on board a
commercial airliner. Several hours after dispatching
the Bali Update, I'll board a plane together
with hundreds of others for a flight to Hong
Kong, making a trusting leap of faith, similar
to that made by those unfortunates who boarded
4 jets in America 5 years ago.
Few would argue that the world did not change
fundamentally on September 11, 2002. We've all
grown to grudgingly accept delays, interrogations
and the irritation of humiliating inspections
whenever we board mass transportation or attend
any public event. This looming insecurity, ironically
bred by a system of all-pervading security,
has become part and parcel of daily life whether
you live in New York, London, Madrid, Istanbul,
Tokyo or Denpasar.
Recent ominous warnings issued by Al-Qaeda
calling on the West to convert to Islam "before
it's too late," and seen by some experts
as foreshadowing another terrorist attack, can
only add to the disquiet of the constant threat
that follows each and every one us, everyday
and everywhere we go.
Cavalier? Fearless? Or, Just Plain
Given the state of the world, boarding a plane
on any day, let alone September 11th, requires
the quiet fortitude exhibited by all those who
carry on with their daily activities in the
"new normal." In fact, leaving the
safe and familiar surroundings of home to travel
anywhere in the world demands we all summon
forth a mixture of resilience, cool combativeness
and singular personal courage necessary to retain
control of our live's in this modern era; a
refusal to cowl in fear before those who seek
to apparently dictate even the right to chose
our individual system of religious belief.
Where You Gonna Run To?
Shortly after the tragic 2002 Bali bombing
a cartoon appeared in the International Herald
Tribune showing a couple lounging on a tropical
beach reading a newspaper account of the Bali
attack and wondering if they should decamp and
head home, asking: "is it better to feel
unsafe at home or travel and feel unsafe at
our favorite holiday destination?"
Sadly, the threat of terror is a constant factor
in the "new reality" around which
we must either learn to conduct our daily lives
or capitulate completely to the enemy by allowing
them to set every aspect of our private and
So, ignoring the any lingering sense of foreboding
on the 5th anniversary of the 9-11 attack, I'll
be boarding a jet on that date together with
thousands of others travellers around the world,
carrying on with the daily business of living
life on our own terms.
The alternatives aren't even worth considering.
But, truth be told, I only really feel safe
and secure when I'm back home in Bali.
6 of Bali Nine
Now Slated for Execution
4 More of the Bali
Nine Get Death Sentences After Judicial Review
by Indonesia's Supreme Court
Four of the Bali Nine –
journalistic shorthand for the nine young Australians
convicted for trying to smuggle 8.2 kilograms
of heroin through Bali's airport last year,
suffered a massive set back before Indonesia's
Supreme Court in early September when the number
amongst the nine facing death before a firing
squad increased from two to six.
Appeals filed by both defense lawyers and prosecutors
in the case achieved the following results:
o The death penalties for Andrew Chan, 21,
and Myran Sukumaran, 25, marked as ringleaders
were affirmed by the Supreme Court.
o The Indonesian Supreme Court Judges increased
the standing sentence and imposed the death
penalty for Scott Rush, 21, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen,
23, Si Yi Chen, 21, and 19-year-old Matthew
Norman. The death penalty was imposed by the
court countermanding a lower courts ruling last
April that reduced their original life sentence
of the four to 20 years.
o Michael Czugaj and Martin Stephens have had
their life in jail sentence reaffirmed by the
o Ranae Lawrence, 28, the sole woman in the
group who managed to have her life sentence
reduced to 20 years on local appeal in Denpasar,
saw her 20-year sentence allowed to stand reportedly
due to cooperation she provided prosecutors
and police in convicting her co-conspirators.
Lawyers for those sentenced to death among
the Bali Nine are expected to appeal to a special
Indonesian court on constitutional law challenging
the legality of the death sentence in Indonesia.
While an appeal for Presidential clemency remains
the last resort of the Australians sitting on
death row, this avenue remains narrowed by President
Yudhoyono's steadfast refusal to consider mercy
for any convicted drug smuggler.
Keeping Track of
Bali's Largest Inbound Market
Bali by the Numbers:
Arrival Statistics for June & July 2006
Underline the Importance of Bali's Domestic
Indonesia's burgeoning domestic airline industry
and the resulting abundance of inexpensive flights
available to Bali over the past several years
have created a significant inbound domestic
As the accompanying figures demonstrate, the
inbound domestic market to Bali represented
an average 56.33% of total arrivals to Bali
for June-July 2006. By comparison, the domestic
market share is 575% larger than Bali's largest
overseas market of Japan which represents only
10% of all arrivals and a 19.4% of international
arrivals in July.
Far and away, Bali's most important source
of business remains domestic visitors from Indonesia's
remaining 17,507 islands.
Bali's Rising Star
on the International Contemporary Dance Scene
Balis Nyoman Sura
Taking the Contemporary Dance World by Storm –
One Dance at a Time.
Occasionally controversial and invariably
exciting, Bali's Nyoman Sura is a rising star
on the world's contemporary dance scene, enthralling
audiences wherever he travels with his daring
interpretations of a body of his work including
his own choreography and the work of other leading
creators of modern dance.
A 1996 graduate of the Indonesian Art Institute
(ISI) where he majored in dance performance,
Sura now works at his almamater as a professor
of movement. A prolific creator of new dances,
Sura credits a pantheon of Indonesian dance
greats for his inspiration: I Wayan Dibyo, Martono,
Sardono, and G. Boy Sakti.
Included in the highlights of an increasingly
distinguished history or triumphal performance
o "Lakuku" choreographed in 1999
and performed at the Gedung Kensenian Jakarta
where it was ranked among the top 10 choreographies.
o Collaboration in 2000 with Marcia Hydi of
Germany in the creation of Rama-Sinta.
o 2001 joined the Singapore Arts Festival performing
o 2001 established the Nyoman Sura Dance Company
dedicated to new creations of dance within the
broad context of Balinese dance traditions.
o 2003 performance of the Calonarang at the
Japan Art Festival.
o 2004 performance of Bulan Mati at the Indonesian
Art Festival in Jakarta. In the same year, an
artistic collaboration with Gary Malkin, a leading
composer from California.
o 2005 performance at 11th International Conference
of Noetic Sciences with performances in Arlington
(Virginia), New York or California.
o 2005 screen performance as Laksmana in the
Garin Nugroho musical film Requem From Java.
o 2005 collaboration with the Californian group
o 2006 performance of Waktu Itu at the Lombok
o 2006 performance at the Hong Kong Fashion
o 2006 performance at Dance Wave Fukuoka ’06
in Fukuoka, Japan.
Press Comments –Nyoman Sura
"Able to capture the full attention of
the audience from the very beginning to the
very end of his performance."
- Raihul Fadjri & Iman Rasyid of Tempo Magazine,
April 28, 2003 -
"Intense and modern, although rooted in
- Kompas newspaper in 2003 review of "Bulan
"Using minimalism in both staging and
movements, but at the same time meditative and
strong, I Nyoman Sura, a dancer from Bali, thrilled
with his choreography in "Bulan Madu/Laku
- Kompas newspaper, July 17, 2004 -
"I Nyoman Sura received the most enthusiastic
response from the audience . . . he presented
a repertoire that managed to bring the audience
to a sea of contemplation."
- Indonesia Post, July 18, 2004 -
"Sura totally summoned his skills."
- Radar Bali, August 18, 2004 -
"Nyoman possesses a special body, with
every part of his body able to communicate.
His skills create a living text able to give
an extraordinary effect to every movement."
- Tempo Newspaper, April 29 2005 -
"The opening ceremony was highlighted
by a stunning Balinese classical dance and contemporary
dance show by Nyoman Sura, entitled Peace for
- The Jakarta Post on Sura’s performance
at the "Quest for Global Healing"
conference, May 5, 2006. -
" . . .the audience was transported into
a world of exotic and dynamic movements by the
rare talent of contemporary dance (by) Nyoman
- Bali & Beyond Magazine, November-December
Coming soon to a dance venue near you, Nyoman
Sura, dancer extraordinaire.
Sacred Ritual Procession to on September 20, 2006.
To commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Sutasoma
sacred text kept in Karangasem and the 100th anniversary
of the Puputan Badung, a solemn procession and
day of rituals have been planned for Bali on Wednesday,
September 20, 2006.
Starting at 5:00 a.m. on that date, a convoy
will depart from Budha Keling in Karangasem
carrying the sacred Sutamosa text - a 12th century
religious tale describing the burning of Kama
by Siva who was eventually subdued by Sutasoma,
an incarnation of Bodhisattva. The devotees
will bring the text to Griya Pidada in Klungkung,
where another sacred text - the Kitab Negara
Kertagama will join the procession to Blahbatuh
where a holy mask of Gajah Mada is kept.
The mask, a keris (dagger) of Singaparaga and
the two sacred texts will then make their way
to Tainsiat, the intersection between Jalan
Patimura and Jalan Veteran in downtwon Denpasar
where participants will leave their vehicles
and continue the procession on foot to the Catur
Muka the "four faces" monument near
the Puputan field where ritual prayers will
be conducted. According to a local government
official, the prayers offered will be seek to
protect Bali's spirituality and native culture
in the years ahead.
In conjunction with these ceremonies, plans
call for the wooden kul-kul alarms found in
every village temple across Bali to be sounded
continuously for 20 minutes from 11:40 a.m.
Starting from noon on September 20th the sacred
artifacts will be stored for one-day at the
Bali Bajra Sandi Museum in Renon to mark the
100th anniversary of the Puputan Badung, which
took place on that date in 1906.
Throughout the afternoon and evening hours
until past midnight - prayers, dances and music
will be performed in the large open square surrounding
the Bajra Sandi Monument.
The 1906 Puputan Badung
Puputan, or a Balinese ritualistic fight to
the death, once formed a cornerstone of Bali's
Kings ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their
subjects; the ultimate refusal to surrender
in the face of a foe. With a literal meaning
of 'ending' or 'finish,' it was incumbent on
every Balinese King to display the necessary
courage to die rather than be taken prisoner
and be forced to leave his beloved island home.
In a series of puputan between 1894 and 1908,
hundreds of Balinese, led by their kings in
Bali and Lombok, died in the face of advancing
Dutch colonial forces.
On September 20, 1906, on the pretext that
the people of Badung (modern day Denpasar) had
looted a Chinese merchant ship that washed ashore
on Sanur Beach 4 months earlier, Dutch troops
marched into Denpasar ostensibly in a show-of-force
to arrest and punish Raja Gede Ngurah Denpasar
at his palace. Anticipating the Dutch assault
and certain of any battle's eventual outcome,
the Raja set fire to the palace and led his
entire royal household and over 300 followers
down the road for the ultimate confrontation
with the Dutch. In an area known today at Puputan
Field, the Balinese men, women and children
- armed largely only with traditional swords
and spears met the Dutch invaders. The men,
dressed splendidly in white cremation garments
and ritual jewelry, and the women, in white
cloaks and with their hair let down, stopped
just meters before the heavily armed soldiers.
Against the ominously distracting and incessant
beating of Balinese war drums, the incredulous
foreign soldiers saw the Raja, carried by four
men on a state palanquin, die instantly as one
of his priests suddenly plunged a dagger into
his heart. Sparking a frenzy of death, others
in the Raja's entourage then began turning their
weapons upon themselves and each other. Meanwhile,
women mocked and scorned the foreign soldiers,
throwing money and jewels in their faces, insisting
the soldiers impale them. Panicked by the scene
before them or, by some reports, the historically
ubiquitous stray gunshots from "an unknown
source," the Dutch forces then turned their
rifles and artillery on the crowd - creating
helter-skelter mounds of corpses; royalty on
the bottom with, even in death, their subjects
providing a protective layer on the top.
In keeping with the sordid but time-honored
tradition of conquering hordes everywhere, the
Dutch soldiers wasted little time stripping
the jewels from the corpses of the Balinese
and looting the palace ruins.
Later that same day in nearby Pemacutan, the
scene was repeated. The aging and frail co-ruler
of Badung, Gusti Gede Ngurah Pemacutan, led
hundreds of men, women and children onto the
swords of waiting Dutch troops, failing which
they died at their own hands.
For Whom the Road
Suggest Toll Roads in Bali May be Inevitable.
The idea of toll roads in Bali is hardly new.
Past discussions calling for superhighways and
fly-overs have always been abandoned in the face
of stern opposition from certain segments of Bali's
Hindu majority who view overpasses and underpasses
as unacceptable to religious dictates and local
Despite this long-standing resistance, a member
of Commission D of the Regional People's Consultative
Assembly, Made Dauh Wijana, recently told the
Indonesian language Radar Bali that the time
has come for Bali to construct expressways.
In support of his position, Wijana points to
the increasing congestion in Bali's main population
centers and the steady growth in industrial
and residential complexes.
Acknowledging the cultural resistance encountered
in the past by those who've lobbied for expressways,
Wijana told Radar Bali: "Indeed the problem
needs time for discussion, especially as regards
the impact on Balinese culture. But, in 5 to
10 years there will be no alternative left but
to construct expressways."
According to Putu Ardhana, the Chief of Transportation
for the Province of Bali, "the traffic
congestion problem in the Sarbagita area (editor:
Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan) is already
Data from local transportation authorities
in 2005 estimated 1,224,231 vehicles were operating
on the island, 84% of which are motorcycles.
In the same year, the total population of Bali
stood at 3,138,022 people served by a road system
measuring 6,644.25 kilometers in length. In
other words, there is an average of 185 vehicles
for every kilometer of paved roadway on the
While the transportation chief continues to
urge the development and use of public transport
in Bali, he acknowledges local resistance to
shared transportation remains high.
We Ought to Be In
Recent Film Projects
Underline Bali's Growing Popularity as a Film
The Bali Film Center (BFC) recently wrapped up
two commercial, international film productions
on locations in Bali and Java.
Portugal's Lusa Film's Producer, Jose Neto,
shot four days of beach and surfing scenes on
location on Bali's Balangan, Padang Padang and
Jimbaran beaches for NetCabo Internet and Still
Bali Film Center cast three female surfers
from Bali as body doubles for three Portuguese
actresses featured in the production.
"We are incredibly pleased to have local
talent, professional crew and equipment at our
disposal to meet international standards for
such productions," said BFC's Director
Deborah Gabinetti. All equipment for the production
came from Jakarta and Singapore and international
professional surfers were sourced from Bali.
Supporting a dozen local production companies
were crewmembers from 11 countries, including
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Malaysia,
Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay,
and the USA. The production brought approximately
US$75,000 in expenditure to Bali.
Shooting Commercials in Indonesia
Meanwhile, Korea's Alphaville 44 Productions
returned to Indonesia to film its second TV
commercial for Oriental Premium property. An
all-Indonesian technical crew—from Yogyakarta,
Jakarta and Bali with equipment from Jakarta,
supported a one-day shoot on location in Yogyakarta.
Park Sung Min, with Executive Producer Kang
Dong Ku and Producer Jae Kim, directed the 35-mm
film. This project netted an estimated $50,000
spend in Indonesia.
BTB's Wiwin Suyasa
Joins Discovery Kartika Plaza
of Bali Tourism Board Named Executive Assistant
Manager at Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel.
Wiwin Suyasa, the high-profile and energetic Executive
Director of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB), has
been appointed Executive Assistant Manager at
Bali's 312-room Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel.
A native of Bali born in Tabanan, Wiwin started
his hotel career in 1988 as a Sales representative
of Pertamina Cottages (now The Patra Bali) before
joining the Sheraton Group in 1990. Progressing
rapidly through the ranks at Sheraton, Wiwin
moved from an Account Executive role at the
Sheraton Laguna, before being assigned to the
Sheraton Senggigi in Lombok in 1991. In 1993
he returned to Bali to serve as the Market Analyst
for Sheraton Bali Resorts. In the same year,
he moved to the Jakarta Sheraton Sales Centre
before being called back to Lombok in 1994 as
Director of Sales.
In 1996, Wiwin left Sheraton and moved to The
Holiday Inn Resort Lombok as Director of Sales
& Marketing before assuming an operational
role Aerowista, a sister company of Garuda Indonesia
Airline, as Resident Manager of Sanur Beach
Hotel. Later, he moved to Jakarta to become
Executive Director of Satriavi, the travel and
tour operator division of Garuda.
In 2002, Wiwin started his own business, Vision
Pl@nner, a hospitality business and human resources
development consultancy before accepting a 3
year appointment as General Manager of the Intan
Eager to help his island, Wiwin took up the
unpaid voluntary position of Executive Director
of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) in October 2005.
According to sources at the Discovery Kartika
Plaza Hotel, Wiwin will continue to assist the
BTB as well as fulfill his new role with the
A Chef Salad Days
Klaus Kallweit Appointed
Executive Chef of Four Seasons Resort Bali at
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay has
appointed Klaus Kallweit as the Resort’s
Executive Chef, overseeing the Resort’s
five food and beverage operations and the kitchen
team including the Resort's Cooking School.
Originally from Germany, Chef Kallweit commenced
his career as apprentice chef in a small family
hotel in Germany in 1988. He spent three years
developing his skill before expanding his culinary
experience when joining the international hotel
company, Steinberger Hotel Axemannstein Bad Reichenhall.
Chef Kallweit left his home country after spending
five years with the company and his last position
in Germany as Chef Saucier at the Hamburg property.
In May 1997, Chef Kallweit moved to London where
he took an appointment as Senior Chef de partie
at the Landmark Hotel London. After two and a
half years in London, Kallweit then moved on to
Australia to join Hyatt International as a Sous
Chef, followed shortly thereafter with a promotion
to Chef de Cuisine. During his two years tenure
with Hyatt, he was awarded as Manager of the Year
The next step of his culinary odyssey took Klaus
to the United Arab Emirates when he joined Jumeirah
Beach Hotel Dubai in March 2002. During his two
years in the Gulf, Chef Kallweit oversaw a number
of star-studded, high profile events.
Kallweit brings a wealth of culinary experience
to his Bali position, having held several strategic
roles in the international hotel chains for over
18 years. His most recent position was as Executive
Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Park Lane London
leading the operation of four food and beverage
outlets, including six banquet rooms catering
up to 600 people.
Change of Guard at
Udayana Military Command
Major General Syaiful
Rizal Heads Bali Udayana Military Command.
On Thursday, September
7, 2006, a formal handover of command for the
Udayana 9th Military District took place in Denpasar,
installing Major General Syaiful Rizal as the
man-in-charge of a territory stretching from Bali
to Indonesia's border with East Timor.
The former Commander General of Indonesian
Special Forces (Kopasus) since 2005, Major General
Rizal replaces Major General Zamroni who will
be reassigned to command the Trikora 17th Military
A 1975 graduate of the Indonesian Armed Forces
Academy (AKABRI) and various military command
courses both at home and in Australia, Rizal
told the Indonesian language Bali Post that
Bali must remain an area that is safe for all.
In the past, as a consequence of its role as
an international tourism destination, Bali has
become the victim of international terrorism
and the narcotics trade. In the view of Bali's
new military commander, Bali must maintain peace
and order because the situation on the island
is the yardstick by which many people abroad
measure the state of Indonesia as a whole.
Presiding at the change of command ceremony
was the Indonesian Army's Chief of Staff, General
Djoko Santoso, who used the opportunity to call
on his corps to maintain an active dialog with
every level of civil society to strengthen the
interdependence between the Armed Forces and
Boat Race for Nikko's 10th Anniversary
Boat Race Part of
Series of Community-Based Activities to Mark 10th
Anniversary of Nikko Bali Resort & Spa.
As part of Nikko Bali
Resort & Spa's 10th anniversary celebrations,
a traditional Balinese Boat Race is scheduled
to be held on Friday 14th September 2006. Designed
as a community activity for the local fishermen
of around Bali's coast, the race will also pay
tribute to National Ocean Day.
An expected 100 local boats, comprised of Jukung
and Sampans, will participate in the race. Boats
with two-man crews will compete for cash prizes
in a covering a route directly in front of the
resort. A total of Rp 4,250,000- in prizes (approximately
US$462) has been allocated for the 1st place
winner with generous purses for the 2nd and
3rd place winners.
The races starts at 10.30am from Nikko Bali's
main beachfront. Festively decorated tents and
a beach market will be set up on the beach with
the resort's chefs preparing a delicious BBQ
Buffet luncheon for just Rp150,000++ / per person
(approximately US$16.30) of which Rp 30.000
will be donated to local environmental groups.
During the luncheon and race activities, entertainment
by traditional Balinese musicians and a fashion
show of stylish resort-wear will be provided.
The Nikko Traditional Balinese Boat Race is
the 7th event held this year to celebrate the
Resort's first decade of operations. Each event
has been designed to provide entertainment for
guests and staff while, at the same time, creating
a benefit for the local community by celebrating
Bali's rich cultural heritage.
The Growing Role
Bank Indonesia Report Shows Hotels May be Losing
a Growing Market Share to Villas .
A report issued by Bank
Indonesia states that a growing number of tourists
visiting Bali are seeking accommodation outside
of traditional hotel settings.
The characteristic survey of Bali visitors
carried out by Bank Indonesia reports that in
February 2006 a 7.3% share of all foreign visitors
sought accommodation outside of hotels, a figure
that increased to 8% in March 2006.
A similar survey carried out by Udayana University
in November 2005, one month after the terrorist
attack, said 20% of all visitors interviewed
while departing from Bali's airport indicated
they had stayed in non-hotel accommodation.
According to the State News Agency Antara,
there are an estimated 467 villas operation
in 8 regencies of Bali and the capital city
of Denpasar, many of which are thought to be
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