Monthly Archives: March 2009
Bali Hotels Association Offer “Bali Bonus Nights” continued
World-wide Offer
“Bali Bonus Nights” are accessible from only participating hotels with the available room night allowances to receive a bonus night. It is also determined by the nationality or country of residence the guest’s.
Bali Bonus Nights levels are separated into 3 groups:
Group A: Stay for 3 nights and receive the 4th Night Free -?Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, People Republic of China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
Group B: Stay for 5 Nights and receive the 6th Night Free -?Australia and New Zealand
Group C: Stay for 7 Nights and receive the 8th Night Free -?All European Union Member, Countries, Russia, Middle East markets, ?The Americas, South Africa, and all other nations.
Conditions do apply as well as the eligibility is limited to new bookings only, the offer will not be available for Groups as well as Conference bookings. Confirmation will be subject to space availability at the time of booking request. “Bonus Night Bookings” must strictly be completed between the dates of March 9 and April 30, 2009.
Participating Hotels;
Bali Hotel Association members offering the “Bali Bonus Night” have been listed below:
Bulgari Hotels and Resorts Bali
Gending Kedis Luxury Villas & Spa Estate
Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali
Kayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villa
Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort
Melia Benoa – All Inclusive Resort
Sentosa Private Villas & Spa Bali
The Villas & Bali Golf & Country Club
Warwick Ibah Luxury Villa & Spa
The Bali Hotels Association is an association of Bali’s star-rated hotels and resorts. Its membership consists of general managers of the main hotels and resorts, which represents over 16,000 hotel rooms and 25,000 employees across the island.
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Bali Hotels Association Offer “Bali Bonus Nights”
Bali Hotels and Resorts are world famous for offering exceptional value for the most astute travelers.
In reply to the indecisive global financial circumstances and encouraging travelers not to postpone their Bali holiday plans, about 40 leading Bali hotels have joined together to present “Bali Bonus Nights” on any new bookings for hotel accommodation through to June 30, 2009.
A plan prepared under the Bali Hotels Association (BHA), with Chairman of the group of Bali star-rated hotels, Robert Lagerwey, announced “Bali Bonus Nights” is a “world-wide tactical promotion intended to drive further awareness and drive additional business to the island.”
Lagerwey clarified the on hand promotional platform of “Bali is my Life” will be used as a setting for the “Bali Bonus Night” promotion, highlighting the role taken by the Balinese and their rich culture in Bali’s ongoing achievement.
The “Bonus Night” proposal will pertain to participating establishments through elected wholesale, travel agent and direct booking channels. “Bali Bonus Night” bookings have got to be made between March 9 and April 30, 2009 and would be valid for holiday stays in Bali through to June 30, 2009.
We will have more information on this topic again tomorrow.
Bali Travel Guide Updated
BaliHotelFinder.Com has updated its travel guide section to make it more convenient for you to navigate and find the information you require. Due to popular demand we also have added a few new sections including health and spa and videos on Bali Each section has a graphic image and a short summary of its content. We hope we have made this area more convenient for you to access and find information on Bali.
New Kuta Condotel opening April 2009
The largest hotel chain the Best Western announced they will be opening a brand new hotel the Best Western New Kuta Condotel in April 2009 in Bali. The 278-room hotel will be located on the dreamland beach in Kuta and will offer great rooms and world-class facilities for its guests. This establishment will the first Best Western to open in Bali
The hotel will no doubt be a great place to relax and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of Kuta. With shaded loungers next to the beautiful swimming pool and complete fitness facility, this hotel will be highly sort after by visitors to Bali. And one more thing, if your looking for some where to de-stress, why not try the Bhuvana Spa, which is an exclusive Best Western Spa.
The hotel will offer dining and entertainment in its stylish restaurant that will serve wonderful international cuisines. It also has a lobby lounge, clubhouse, a shopping arcade and an entertainment centre to round thing off. Golfing facilities as well as a variety of activities are available nearby for entertainment. The Best Western New Kuta Condotel did not forget about the business person, they have full business centre facilities including meeting rooms available in the hotel.
Wayan R. Astawa the General Manager of the new Best Western in Bali said he was very excited to be opening the first Best Western property in Bali. He believes that the new property will be of great service to travelers needs while they are on holiday and he looks forward to greeting guests.
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Asia Development Bank to hold meetings in Bali
Three major meetings for 2009 have been scheduled in Bali by the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC)
Early May will see the Board of Governor of Asia Development Bank hold its annual meeting which is anticipated to be attended by over 3000 delegates. Some of the subjects to be discussed are the current global financial crisis, regional economic integration and climate change.
The month of May will also see an estimated 5000 delegates attend the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) congress in Bali. About 500 international speakers will take part in this event with the support of 47 international and national organizations.
Finally, August see the BICC hosting the International Congress on AIDS for the Asia and Pacific areas.
Bali’s Spiritual Tourism set to soar
Bali is seen as one of the world’s top spiritual tourism destinations, however its potential is yet to be fully explored, a seminar heard Saturday.
Wayan Wijayasa, an industry observer of the Denpasar Tourism Academy mentioned, the reality is spiritual tourism was already growing in Bali.
“An example is the fact there is an increase of hotels providing yoga classes. An increasing amount of tourists are traveling to Bali to expand their spirituality, even though we do not have the complete figures yet,” he said.
With a tourism masters degree focusing on Yoga, Wijayasa spoke at a seminar held at Ashram Gandhi Puri Sevagram in Klungkung. This seminar is a section of the continual International Bali-india Yoga Festival.
Wijayasa said the potential to grow such tourism comes predominately from western countries that are interested in learning eastern philosophies in this case yoga. Quoting from a recent study in the US showed approximately 16.5 million people were practicing yoga.
Wijayasa also went onto to say the if just 1 percent of this figure traveled to Bali to participate in spiritual tourism, that would see 160,000 tourists visiting Bali each year.
The recent study also showed the Americans spent around US$2.9 billion on purchasing yoga equipment and classes.
Wijayasa said “Bali could become the main supplier for equipment if it was more creative”
In addition Wijayasa conducted his own studies and found 14 hotels in Ubud that had made yoga classes available.
Having all the natural resources as well as natural scenery, Wijayasa is quite confident that Bali can benefit greatly for this industry.
Other speakers attending the seminar were Ketut Narya, head of research and development at the Bali Tourism Agency, and Indra Udayana, head of the Ashram Gandhi Puri Sevagram.
In spite of the enormous potential, Narya said the provincial administration has yet to come up with a comprehensible concept on how to grow spiritual tourism on the island.
“The growth of spiritual tourism has been completed by practitioners, whereas the provincial administration has yet to work out a development concept,” he said.
Narya went on to say that spiritual tourism was in line with the cultural tourism concept, regulated under Bylaw No. 3/1991 on Cultural Tourism.
“We are also anticipating that spiritual tourism will assist in extending visitors’ length of stay, which will bring higher spending in Bali,” he said.
The agency recorded that in the past year 2008, the average stay in Bali was approximately 10.6 days.
Indra said there is such great potential for spiritual tourism in Bali, and said his own facility; the Ashram Gandhi Puri Sevagram has 5 bedrooms, with guests staying on average, two weeks.
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Bali Hotels Reduce Rates
Bali hotels are reducing room rates in the course of falling occupancy rates as the global economic downturn places a downward effect on the tourism-dependent economy.
The overall foreign arrivals rose to a record 1.97 million last year as the island rejuvenates from the impact of the 2005 terrorist attack. The second largest market behind Japan, Australia made up for more than 300,000 visitors, up 51 per cent from the 2007 period.
The recovery is likely to be disrupted in the course of the international credit crunch with the Bali Tourism Authority predicting foreign visitor numbers will decline 8.6 per cent to 1.8 million in 2009.
Hotels are desperately trying to fill rooms. The budget to mid-range establishments popular with New Zealander’s are offering the biggest discounts, with a number of them halving published rates, while the more up market hotels and resorts that are being effected by a slow down in the executive market are doing their best to be more creative in their reaction to the downturn.
Bali Hotels Association executive director Djinaldi Gosana was quoted saying “Some two and three-star hotels and resorts are panicking and reducing their rack rates”
“That is not a good idea. We know from past experiences, after the Bali bombings that when we cut the rates, it’s very hard to put up again.”
The 3 star hotel, the Melasti Beach Hotel in Legian is selling its standard room at US$45 net per night, reduced from US$96, and is adding in breakfast for free, while the 4 star hotel, the Dynasty Hotel in Tuban has reducing its standard rate to US$80 from US$145.
The price war is sparking a rethink from many Australians who would, if not be reluctant to travel in the present economic climate.
“I know a number of people who have actually cancelled their European trips and are now traveling to Bali,” said Fiona Healy from Melbourne, who spent 2 weeks in Bali
Although the top-end hotels are feeling the hurt, they are more hesitant to reducing their rates, Djinaldi said.
As an alternative, they are giving bonus nights, meals or spa treatments to affluent guests who are reining in prolific lifestyles.
The exclusive Amanresorts group, the owner of 3 properties in Bali, said it had no plans to lower rates, but had cancelled an intended hike that would have increased its minimum published rate from $US908 to US$1029.
“We will not be reducing our rates,” said Amanresorts Indonesia area manager Monty Brown.
“Nevertheless, we recently made a decision to continue using our 2008 rates during 2009 instead of introducing a planned increase.”
Other hotels such as The Bale in Nusa Dua increased their rates at the top of peak season last year before tourist numbers started declining.
Now, they are reluctant to reduce them. The Bale’s general manager Jose Luis Calle said he believed reservations will rise again in the next few months. He is holding prices firm despite a 20-30 per cent decrease in occupancy this month from a year ago.
“We just increased our room rates by 10 per cent last August to September after refurbishments and we are maintaining those, but with additional bonuses from extra room nights and meals depending on the inbound market, makes the rate very much the same as before the increase,” he said.
“We are giving more value for money as people are having second thoughts about going on holiday now. This time around it’s not just a Bali concern, it’s worldwide.”
The Legian, whose prized villa has a US$3000 per night price tag for the fashionable seaside resort in Seminyak, shares the same feeling.
The hotel is encountering a 10-15 per cent decline in occupancy, sales and marketing director Samuel Gacos said.
“Our focal point is not rate adjustment but instead extending more significance to our offers,” he said, “There’s a change in travel patterns generally. The frequency of travel is declined, the average length of stay has decreased, and bookings are being done last minute”.
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Chinese tourists to Bali almost double
The number of Chinese tourists coming to Indonesia’s resort island of Bali has risen to 23,100 in January, an increase of 82.6 percent compared to the December period.
Chinese tourists made up 14.01 percent of foreign tourists visiting and holidaying on the resort island in January said the local statistic agency.
“That is a 82.6 percent increase from the 12,654 Chinese tourists that visited the island in the preceding month,” head of the Bali Provincial Office of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Ida Komang Wisnu said.
In 2008, 131,319 Chinese tourists and holiday makers visited Bali, which is 55.82 percent up from the year before when the number was 84,278.
China is now ranked the third after Australia and Japan in terms of the amount of tourists visiting and holidaying in Bali.
Great Places to Rent a Villa in Bali
An estimated 3,000,000 people journey to the paradise island of Bali each year making it one of the most inspiring areas in Indonesia to visit. Still reminiscent of the original island some 500 years ago, the Balinese people have an impressive religious culture. The island is an exciting venue for those in search of the true tropics.
Bali is very small; visitors can drive around the whole coast of Bali in a day’s trip. However, the area is so great; you would not want to neglect the enormously interesting history and variety found within the many suburbs located throughout Bali. Bali has been amazingly developed within the last few years. Remoteness is not a word exclusive to Bali any longer. Bali has been revealed and by being so, the harmony of the island has been reduced to information found in textbooks.
When holidaying in Bali, comfort and luxury go hand in hand with the tropical mysticism of this holiday attraction. Many people find that the seclusion of a beautiful villa is one of the best ways to spend their time enjoying the sights and scenery around them without having to deal with crowded hotels. Villa rentals are also ideal for couples seeking for some romantic alone time.
When holidaying in Bali, there are some very tantalizing areas which vacationers find to be those most desirable:
Ubud
When taking into consideration an area to rent a villa, Ubud is possibly one of the most culturally rich and artistic places to be. There are many villas open for rent and most of them even come with their own pool so that you can take pleasure in a cool swim any time of the day or night. This is an perfect location for those who enjoy cooler temperatures since the land here is elevated above the rest. For art, history and nature, this is the finest place to be. Take a stroll among the lush environment; visit one of the art galleries for an incredible visual experience or soak in the history at the museum. Either way, Ubud in Bali has marvelous tastes that one could only dream of.
Villas are available in either Central Ubud or the outskirts range from $100 – $750 per night. This is the ideal place for a variety of budgets. Villas are available fully staffed which include a cook, waitress, housekeepers, a groundskeeper, pool management and security guards for your safety. You can relax and take pleasure in the cool air conditioning of your very own master bedroom. Most villas also have satellite TV and a DVD player. If you are concerned about personal belongings you can ask to have your valuables placed in a deposit box for safe keeping.
Kuta
Lots of tourists visit Kuta while on holiday in Bali for the sense of pleasure and fun while surfing along the beach or walking through the shops restaurants and bars. Villas are on hand for a variety of budgets ranging from $85 to $530 a night. Unwind in your own personal swimming pool and travel through the spacious living facilities while you holiday in Bali. If you plan on vacationing during the holidays or for a special occasion such as a honeymoon or anniversary, ask about special package costs for what it is that you need. There are many packages available with many amenities that are sure to satisfy anyone.
Kuta has developed well since the 60’s. Food stations are set up to appeal to tourists, hungry after a day of adventuring with delicious and savory flavors of authentic local dishes. Shopping vendors have interesting and colorful displays that offer rare trinkets to those who are interested in making a purchase. Cool off while you sit and enjoy a cool drink at one of the bars or possibly meet new faces. The busier area is a common fascination for many tourists who enjoy all that Kuta has to offer. Renting a villa while in Kuta is just an added advantage to all there is to see and do.
Lovina
For the decisive water lover, Lovina is highly recommended for villa rentals. These roomy villas offer a breath taking view of stunning sunsets over the water. Many extras are on hand such as maid services, a full staff all day long and safety or your valuables. Villas are obtainable at a number of different price ranges to suit the budgets of all. Not only can you take pleasure in the sultry air coming in off the beach, the seclusion that you can be experienced when renting your own villa is a definite added bonus for any traveler looking to enjoy their experience in Bali to the fullest.
Lovina is renowned for water recreation. Those holidaying in this part of Bali are sure to experience the natural beauty of nature as they see dolphins swimming by or benefit from a day of sailing upon the open water. The beach of Lovina has drawn a number of locals and tourists in the same way for years. The golden sandy beaches and tropical air are a cleansing stress relief for families, individuals, couples and business men and women. That is what makes this one of the best areas for renting a villa in Bali.
There are many more wonderful places in Bali to rent a villa. It depends on what you are looking for, privacy, history, art, culture, or the busy shopping centers is what is available to base your decision on. Renting a villa is one of the most suggested ways to spend your time in Bali because you can relax in a home away from home after a long day of traveling and adventuring. The quiet luxury that a villa can offer is like no other and what makes these places so highly sought after. Amenities are plenty and well enjoyable and the price is well worth the experience.
Nusa Lembongan
Nusa Lembongan is one of the most carefully developed islands in Bali. Tourists take in the views of areas while languishing in common and preferred development consistent with western cultures. Nusa Lembongan is amazingly enough, free of smog. Neither cars or motorcycles are available in Nusa Lembongan. Host to approximately 7000 people as reported by the last census count, the locals live in two small villages: Jungutbatu and Lembongan. Money obtainable from tourism is very important in keeping water running and electricity operating. Traveling to and while on the island of Nusa Lembogan can be somewhat of a task. By far, the most easiest means of travel is by boat. Day-trippers make available the Perama boats and public boats. Those who have been to Nusa Lembongan suggest traveling light. The area is not very big at all. Therefore, walking to and from places is the recommended method of transport while on the island. If walking is a setback, bicycles and scooters are on hand for rent.?
Candidasa
Candidasa has developments from one side to the other. However, with no beach or even easy access to one, Candidasa is still an beautiful area and a place requested by many looking to vacation in Bali. Situated off main roads between Amlapura and South Bali, Candidasa has no bus terminal. Tourists usually hail down bemos (buses), which sometime just seem to pass the hailer by.
Holidaymakers looking for rest and relaxation not including a hectic touring schedule love Candidasa. In addition, if you have the need to try unique and different cuisine, Candidasa has some of the finest restaurants in Bali. Even without beach activity, divers and snorkeliers find the area glowing with sea life.
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AUSTRALIANS URGED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INDONESIA
Despite the apparent differences, Australia and Indonesia are seeking to form stronger ties.
As part of efforts to build an even closer connection, leaders from a wide spectrum of both nations — together with political, business, religious, academic and civil society representatives — met in Sydney, Australia, in late February for a three-day summit.
Key topics discussed were the environment, democracy, economic development and investment. The need to deal with how the two nations are perceived by each other was also a focus.
While the two-sided relationship has endured periods of strain, the individual governments currently enjoy good contacts.
In 2008, government ministers from Australia and Indonesia made 32 visits to each other between them, according to Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith.
Indonesia, the largest receiver of Australian aid, has committed $643,940 toward rebuilding in the wake of the destructive Victorian bushfires and also sent a forensics team to help identify victims.
The two countries also signed a comprehensive partnership agreement in 2005, committing to cooperation in economic, technical and security areas.
Furthermore, there are moves to liberalize trade between Australia and Indonesia as an addition to the recent free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), of which Indonesia is a member, and Australia and New Zealand.
Although areas of debate remain — including Canberra’s refusal to reduce its travel warning to Indonesia — there are concerns that these good relationships at official levels are not being mirrored in relations between the two countries.
“We have a way to go in countering some negative perceptions of the relationship that persist in both Australian and Indonesia,” Smith said in an address to the summit on Feb. 20.
Smith’s counterpart Hassan Wirajuda, head of the group of 70 Indonesian delegates who attended, said that even though the Australia-Indonesia relationship had never been better, more needs to be done at the people-to-people level.
“The efforts to enhance the joint relations between our two countries and peoples are not the business of the two governments alone we need the participation of our people,” the Indonesian foreign minister said.
“Australia needs to do better, a lot better, in our level of Indonesian language study, in development of Indonesian studies within our universities and in our schools and our understanding of the enormous complexity that is Indonesian Islam,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said at a dinner held as part of the bilateral summit.
Australia’s drive to create a better understanding of Indonesia appears to be part of a process through which it wishes to take on with Asia as the region becomes more prominent. The Prime Minister wants to make Australia “the most Asia-literate country in the West.”
Associate professor Damien Kingsbury from Deakin University’s school of international and political studies said that while there is a high level of unawareness in Australia about Indonesia, the same can also be said of the knowledge of Australia across Indonesia’s 6,000 inhabited islands.
“It’s not so much that the two countries are willfully ignorant of each other. I think it’s just the nature of the types of countries they are,” he said.
Kingsbury said that the differences have less to do with religion — Australia has a predominantly Christian heritage while Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation than with their individual levels and courses of development.
He said that while Australia is a small, modern and cohesive nation, Indonesia is “almost a polar opposite to Australia in that sense”.
Budy Resosudarmo, an Indonesian national based at the research school of Pacific and Asian studies at the Australian National University, said that he has witnessed the effects of the enlarged number of Indonesians who have studied here.
He said he has prearranged conferences for social scientists since 1998. A decade ago, most speakers at the conferences had studied in either the United States or Japan, with very few having studied in Australia.
But at last year’s conference “almost 50 percent of the presenters had an Australian educational background,” said Resosudarmo, adding that a similar shift can be noticed among Indonesian television presenters.
“At least from the Indonesian side, I’m quite sure that there will be more and more of an ability to understand Australia,” he said.
