Bali Updates

Om Swastiastu ...


Last night, Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, dined with nearly 100 Bali's tourism professionals. We were there to record insights, pledges and promises made by the man in charge of Indonesia's tourism fortunes.

For those who have been patiently waiting, there's an installment of "Bali by the Numbers" covering arrivals through the end of September 2009. Read our bold prediction that says 2009 total arrivals will top 2.2 million.

On the Bali tourism scene - there's news of an increased state of alert on Bali's rumbling Mr. Batur volcano; plans to turn Denpasar's Serangan island into a turtle refuge; a renewed debate on the viability of plans to finance the completion of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Park complex; a tug-of-war between a local businessman and the provincial government of Bali over ownership of the former Taman Festival Bali site; and the worrying news that only two regencies of Bali remain rabies free.

The national carrier Garuda and aviation are featured in three articles this week. US$100 million has been allocated by Garuda to purchase more aircraft in 2010; there are details of the soon-to-commence US$160 expansion of Bali's Ngurah Rai airport; and an invitation from the U.S. government encouraging the Indonesian national carrier to resume flights to America's West Coast.

Dogs and kids are said to be a sure fire recipe for journalistic success. Covering our bets, we've got an article on efforts to get Bali's very fluffy Kintamani breed of dog recognized in international kennel circles and a story on how local chefs took 100 Bali orphans for a day out at the Bali Taman Sari and Marine Park.

Bali Discovery has made history again – we've just launched www.ayokebali.com - the first major travel website dedicated specifically to Indonesian travelers. Bali's welcome mat now reads both "Welcome" and "Selamat Datang."

Have a hankering for fine wine and gourmet food? There's a special dinner with Chateau Lynch-Bages Wines at the St, Regis Bali on December 1, 2009.

Just in time for the holidays, there's also news of a very special tour operated by Bali Discovery once each year only on Christmas morning and our very earnest recommendation on what to buy this Christmas for the person who already has everything.

And, by the way, if you're still looking for rooms over the coming Christmas season then contact us at info@balidiscovery.com for the best deals going. Space is becoming very limited, so best hurry.

To get Bali news as it happens, follow me on Twitter.com at http://twitter.com/BaliUpdateEd


Om Çanti Çanti Çanti Om ...
J.M. Daniels - Bali Update
Bali Discovery Tours
Full report can be read at: http://www.balidiscovery.com/update/update688.asp