Bali Tourism Board

The 2,320-meter-high active Mount Bromo Volcano – a peak within East Java’s Tennger Massif – reopened officially to visitors on Friday, 28 August 2020.

Massif is a geological term for a section of the planet’s crust where several faults and flexures converge. In the case with the East Java Tengger – the thickness of the earth’s crusts and the general proximity of fissures and faults make volcanoes a common occurrence.

Home to one of Indonesia’s most breathtaking panoramas, The Bromo Tengger Semuru National Park, also known as the Mount Bromo National Park, has been closed to the public since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bromo’s ancient name derives from Brahma’s Javanese pronunciation, the Hindu deity who is credited with creating the earth. In the surrounding area of Mount Bromo, the last vestiges of the Tengger tribes still live spread across 30 villages surrounding Mount Bromo and other regions of East Java. The Tenggerese trace their ancestral roots to the Majapahit Empire, a Hindu-Buddhist thalassocracy that ruled over most Southeast Asia from 1293 until around 1517 from a capital located near Bromo in East Java.

Sharing cultural and emotional links with Bali, the Tenggerese are nominally Hindus but practice a faith that is an amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism. Within the Bromo National Park is a sacred area within the “sand sea” of the Bromo crater at which the Tenggerese conducts unique annual ceremonies of ancestral worship.

The Mount Bromo National Park’s reopening on 28 August 2020 represents a significant step forward in Indonesia’s phased reopening to domestic tourism following the complete shutdown precipitated by the COVID-10 Pandemic.

The head of the Park, John Kenedie, said the park reopened on Friday, 28 August 2020 at 2:00 pm, initially only welcoming 178 people of its maximum carrying capacity of 892 visitors. Within the park, the “Bukit Cinta” will only allow 28 visitors within a maximum daily capacity of 141 people. “Bukit Dedaluh” will limit visitors to 86 from a maximum rating of 434. “Savana Teletubbies” is open to 347 daily visitors from its carrying limit of 1,735 people. The “Mentigen Zone” of the Park is limited during the reopening period to 100 people from its rated limit of 500.

Kenedie said an evaluation of park operations would be conducted every week and if the feedback is good and no spike in new COVID-19 cases is recorded among past visitors, the current permissible level of visitors will be increased to 30% of rated capacity and, then, conditions permitting, to 50%,

Visitors to Mount Bromo are required to wear surgical masks, show a letter certifying their upper respiratory tract is free of infection (ISPA) issued by a Health Center, and undergo a thermal check verify a body temperature below 37.3 degrees Celsius.

From Bali Discovery

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain political leader of the day, Genta and Kalawa, the two male proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), who make their home at the Bali Safari and Marine Park have reddish-brown and well-styled hair set against a pronounced nose.

Forming part of the primate collection at the Park, Genta and Kalawa have two female companions, Safira and Agustin. Native to the Indonesian Island of Kalimantan and Bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain political leader of the day, Genta and Kalawa, the two male proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), who make their home at the Bali Safari and Marine Park have reddish-brown and well-styled hair set against a pronounced nose.

Forming part of the primate collection at the Park, Genta and Kalawa have two female companions, Safira and Agustin. Native to the Indonesian Island of Kalimantan and considered endangered, the Proboscis monkeys, known in Indonesia as Bakantan, are a very large arboreal old-world primate.

Males, who are generally larger than females, can grow to 76 centimeters and weigh as much as 30 kilograms.

Distinguished by a large, drooping nose on the male’s face that can be up to four inches long. The fur on the back of the Proboscis can be bright orange, reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, or brick-red. This species is set apart by their large pot-bellies, made so by a steady diet of mangrove leaves.

As reported by NusaBali, the general manager of the Bali Safari Park, Thomas Colbert, explained that the Nasalis larvatus orientalis live in trees found in Kalimantan’s mangroves, swamps, and beachside forests.

The Proboscis was selected as the mascot of Kalimantan by the South Kalimantan Governor in 1990. Endangered in the wild due to habitat decimation, The Bali Safari Marine Park is working to propagate its captive collection.

Visitors to the Bali Safari Marine Park can view the four members of the Proboscis family resident in Bali at a specially designed and spacious exhibit replete with trees for climbing and a pool for play and swimming where the primate’s webbed feet and a natural “nose cover” come in particularly handy.

These powerful and large monkeys can be seen leaping from tree to tree or swinging from their strong arms from a horizontal branch. Hot days will find the four primates enjoying their private pool in the Park home.

Credits to BALI DISCOVERY

The escalating reopening of tourism sites in Bali following the restart of domestic tourism on 31 July 2020 saw the popular Tirta Gangga Water Palace in the Village of Ababi, Abang, Karangasem open its door to visitors. The Royal Baths date from 1946 when they were first built by the then King of Karangasem, A.A. Ngurah Ketut Karangasem. The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung destroyed much of the bathing pools that have now been restored to their former beauty serving as a highlight stop on any tour of East Bali.

RadarBali reports that on Thursday, 20 August 2020, domestic visitors from Bali and other islands of Indonesia were flocking in substantial numbers to the Tirta Gangga Water Palace built by the King of Karangasem to honor his beloved wife. Included among Thursday’s visitors were also a few foreign nationals stranded in Bali due to closed international borders occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the preceding months of shutdown, the Tirta Gangga Water Palace has been undertaking improvements to maintain its time-honored popularity among both domestic and international visitors to Bali. Among the upgrades are a new Kids’ Corner featuring a range of recreational equipment for the younger set’s enjoyment.

Tirta Gangga Water Palace
Before the pandemic, the average number of daily visitors to Tirta Gannga approached 2,000 people. Visitors during the reopening period are now around 400 people per day.

Visitors to the Tirta Gangga Water Palace are subjected to “new normal” health protocols that include physical distancing regulation, the mandatory use of face masks, and numerous hand sanitization locations. A loudspeaker system infringes on the Water Palaces serenity with repeated admonitions to follow various health protocols.

Employees of the Tirta Gangga Water Palace have undergone Cleanliness, Health, and Saftey Certification provided by both the Province and Regency.

Workers are reported pleased to be called back to work after languishing at the homes for the past months.

CREDITS TO BALI DISCOVERY

Jakarta Globe reports that the major travel booking platform Traveloka, founded in Indonesia in 2012 and now operating in at least six countries, has managed to raise US$250 million to regain ground lost and stay afloatd in the current global Pandemic.

As reported by The Jakarta Globe, the new investor was identified only as a “major global financial institution” who has joined other investors, including Sinar Mas, in the latest round of investment.

The travel platform’s CEO and co-founder, Ferry Unardi, admitted the continuing Pandemic and downturn in travel bookings of any kind has “brought the company’s business down to its lowest point’ and necessitated the termination of a large number of its employees.

Although active in several Southeast Asia markets, Indonesia remains the dominant market for Traveloka. During the first five months of 2020, as the Pandemic’s effect made itself felt, Travaloka saw Indonesian domestic and international air passengers drop 43 percent of 21 million passengers, decreasing from 36.8 million passengers in the same five months one year before. Hotel bookings made on the popular booking platform also dropped dramatically during the same period.

Ferry Unardi remains confident that Traveloka will prevail and emerge intact on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. He said: “Our business in Vietnam is approaching steady pre-COVID-19 levels, and Thailand’s business is on its way to surpassing 50% of pre-crisis levels.”

Recovery in Malaysia and Indonesia, he said, is still in the early stages of improvements in booking levels seen every week. At this stage of recovery, Indonesians are booking accommodation and short-haul staycations packages.

Unardi optimistically noted how the government is conducting trial openings in certain parts of Indonesia, including Bali.

CREDITS TO BALI DISCOVERY

After a 6-month furlough or, in this case, shore-leave, Sea Safari Cruises has resumed its dinner cruises on Saturday, 15 August 2020.

As reported by NusaBali, the dinner-entertainment cruises have reopened with physical distancing and sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The director of sales and marketing for Sea Safari Cruises, Eva Tanudjaja, said that before the global Pandemic, the ship would carry 300 passengers, but now, until further notice, it will only carry a maximum load of 92 guests.

On the first dinner cruise to celebrate the end of the 6-month cessation of operations, the ship only carried 30% of its rated capacity on its first “pirates dinner cruise.”

“We hope we can help restore Indonesia tourism, specifically in Bali, in the ‘new era’ of operating in the COVID-19 Pandemic. In the past, we targeted foreign tourists – especially visitors from China, Europe, and Australia. But, for now, we will be handling only domestic tourists,” Tanudjaja said.

Sea Safari Cruise’s Evening Pirate Dinner Cruise is adopting the Tourism Ministry’s program of Cleanliness, Health, and Safety (CHS). These measures include the disinfection of the ship before and after each departure, the provision of hand sanitizers throughout the ship, and the requirement for passengers and crew to wear face masks.

Once on board the ship, physical distancing protocols are enforced by limiting occupancy to only 50%. As passengers board the vessel, body temperatures are thermally scanned. Ship’s crew wear masks, face shields, and protective gloves for food and beverage service.

Working together with a local hospital in Bali, all standard operating procedures and protocols are carried out in strict compliance with standards established by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Continuing, Tanudjaja said: “We require guests to show us the results confirming a non-reactive Rapid Test for COVID-19. We ask guests boarding for a dinner cruise without a Bali-KTP to show us Rapid Test results. Passengers from outside Bali must present the results of a still-valid non-reactive Rapid Test.”

Sea Safari is also offering, for a limited period, a special 80% discount for their dinner cruise. “Our normal priced before the global Pandemic was Rp. 605,000 per person but is now priced at only Rp. 178,000.

This discount remains valid until the end of September 2020,” explained Eva Tanudjaja.

CREDITS TO BALI DISCOVERY

The management of the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest located in Kukuh Village, Marga, Tabanan in West Bali is, for a limited time, allowing locals and domestic tourists to visit the tourist site free-of-charge.

The manager of Alas Kedaton, I Gusti Ngurah Harta Wijaya, said on Saturday, 15 August 2020, that free entrance was limited to domestic tourist visitors. The special facility of free admission will be available for a limited period ending on the last day of September 2020.

The Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest at Marga in West Bali occupies a 6.5-hectare site home to an estimated 1,800 primates. Those living in the surrounding areas consider the monkeys sacred, inspiring locals to carefully protect the forest and the adjacent regions from uncontrolled forestry activities. Located within the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is a holy temple – Pura Alas Kedaton that is unique in design that features four entrances – one each on the north, south, east, and west sides of the Temple.

Most temples in Bali have only one or a maximum of two entrances.

Before the global pandemic, Alas Kedaton welcomed an average of around 200 visitors each day.

Also, in more normal times, admission rates were Rp. 20,000 per person for domestic tourists and Rp. 30,000 per foreign visitors.

CREDITS TO BALI DISCOVERY

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to open direct flights to Denpasar, Bali, from the United States, France and India in an attempt to boost the country’s tourism that has been battered by the pandemic.

The direct flights will connect Bali with American cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco and Indian cities like Mumbai and New Delhi as well as France. The airline is currently in talks with the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry and the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry regarding the plan, according to Garuda president director Irfan Setiaputra.

“Garuda and the Tourism Ministry have agreed that the only way to boost foreign tourist visits is by introducing direct flights to Denpasar. Hopefully, we can make it through this crisis and start direct flights from countries that have large spending capabilities,” he said during a hearing with House of Representatives’ Commission X overseeing tourism on Tuesday.

Under the plan, Bali, Indonesia’s long-time main tourism hub, would be the entry point for tourists, not the capital Jakarta.

“We’ll also fit the schedule to accommodate tourists with morning arrivals and evening departures, so they can spend most of their time on the island,” Irfan added.

Tourism has been one of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport saw an almost 100 percent decrease in foreign tourist arrivals in May, compared to the same month last year, while Indonesia saw a 86.9 percent dip in overall foreign tourist visits in May, welcoming 163,646 tourists, compared to May 2019.

Bali’s airport accounted for more than half of foreign tourist arrivals via air gates and 38 percent of overall foreign tourist arrivals in 2019, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show.

It is also high on the wish lists of many holidaymakers seeking to travel after the pandemic. According to Dutch online ticketing company Booking.com, Bali was listed among the most desirable tourist destinations by people in lockdown around the world in March and April.

Garuda itself saw a 30 percent year-on-year slump in revenue to US$768.12 million in the first quarter from $1.1 billion in the same period last year. As a consequence, it booked a $120 million loss compared to the $20.48 million profit recorded in the January to March period of 2019.

The airline launched a direct flight between Mumbai and Denpasar in 2018, which was later closed in 2019.

Credits to TheJakartaPost.com

DENPASAR (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Bali is prepared to welcome back foreign visitors on Sept 11 after months of a travel ban imposed amid the coronavirus outbreak, which severely impacted its tourism industry.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster said activities on the popular resort island will resume but gradually and in three steps to comply with “new normal” policies.

The island will reopen to local tourists beginning on Thursday (July 9).

“To that end, we must surrender ourselves and pray so that we will be graced (with good fortune),” he said after participating in a local religious ceremony on Sunday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Mr Koster earlier said that he had closed tourist destinations in Bali until further notice but several regions are still allowed to keep popular beaches such as Canggu Beach and Labuan Sait Beach in Badung regency open to foreign surfers.

Tourism in Bali has been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number of foreign tourist arrivals fell to nearly zero in the weeks following the first reported coronavirus cases in the country.

Bali has reported 1,849 coronavirus infections and 20 deaths so far, while Indonesia as a whole has recorded 64,958 cases and 3,241 deaths since early March.

Credits to StraitsTimes.com

(DENPASAR, Indonesia) — Indonesia’s resort island of Bali reopened after a three-month virus lockdown Thursday, allowing local people and stranded foreign tourists to resume public activities before foreign arrivals resume in September.

KUTA, INDONESIA – MARCH 21: A shop keeper sits outside her shop in the near deserted Poppies Lane II at Kuta Beach on March 21, 2020 in Kuta, Indonesia. 

Normally bustling beaches and streets on the idyllic Southeast Asian island emptied in early April except for special patrols to ensure health protocols to contain the coronavirus were observed. Authorities restricted public activities, closed the airport and shuttered all shops, bars, sit-down restaurants, public swimming pools and many other places on the island that’s home to more than 4 million people.

The local government began lifting the limits Thursday, but tourists will face stringent rules in hotels, restaurants and on beaches, Bali Gov. I Wayan Koster said.

Koster told a news conference ahead of the reopening the island will gradually reopen shuttered places to locals and the foreigners stranded there during the outbreak. The island will open to Indonesians from other parts of the country on July 31 and new foreign arrivals on Sept. 11.

The government established guidelines for reopening tourist spots and may close certain areas again if infections spike, he said.

“The pandemic has hit tourism sector so badly while there is no certainty when it will end,” Koster said. “We have to revive economic activity to prevent Bali from new social problems due to increasing economic pressures.”

Tourism is the main source of income for the island that is mainly Hindu in the mostly Muslim archipelago nation.

The famed white-sand beaches and popular shopping areas on the “island of the gods” were deserted almost two decades ago when visitors were scared off by terrorism. The dark cloud of the suicide bombings that killed 202 mostly foreign tourists in 2002 lingered for years, but the island has worked to overcome that image.

More than 5 million foreigners arrived in Bali each year prior to the pandemic, which caused the numbers to dive.

The total number of stranded tourists in Bali is not known, but more than 169,000 travelers came to Bali in March before the island closed its doors, according to government data. The data showed that some 2,500 travelers had extended their visas to avoid penalties for overstaying them before Indonesia’s government granted all tourists automatic extensions in late March.

The Bali administration data showed the occupancy rate at Bali’s starred hotels plunged to 2.07% in May from 62.5% in December, before the outbreak hit. It down from 51.56% in May last year.

Bali has recorded more than 1,900 cases of COVID-19, including 25 deaths. Indonesia has confirmed more than 68,000 cases and 3,359 fatalities, the most in Southeast Asia.

Credits to TIME.COM

Qatar Airways has resumed daily flight services between Doha, Qatar and Bali, effective 01 July 2020.

Qatar’s extensive global network – via its hub-and-spoke network, links Doha to 150 international Airports across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

In a statement issued by Qatar Airways, the recommencement of Bali flights represents an essential step in the Airline’s phased restoration of flight services to the Asia-Pacific region. It is part of a larger plan to see 430 weekly flights to over 65 destinations return to service by mid-July 2020.

In a historic return to service, Qatar Airways began its resumption of service on Wednesday, 01 July 2020, by reopening 11 destinations.

Dubbed “Take-off Wednesday” by the Airline, the service’s schedule being brought back online in the first half of July 2020 includes:

Effective 01 July 2020 

• Bali, Denpasar (daily flights)

• Doha (DOH) to Denpasar (DPS) QR962 departs: 00:45 arrives: 15:45
• Denpasar (DPS) to Doha (DOH) QR961 departs: 22:00 arrives: 02:35+1day
• Beirut (seven weekly flights)
• Belgrade (three weekly flights)
• Berlin (three weekly flights)
• Boston (five weekly flights increasing to daily from 1 August)
• Edinburgh (three weekly flights)
• Larnaca (three weekly flights)
• Los Angeles (three weekly flights, five weekly from 17 July and six weekly from 1 August)
• Prague (three weekly flights)
• Washington DC (five weekly flights increasing to daily from 1 August)
• Zagreb (three weekly flights)

Effective 04 July 2020

• Toronto (three weekly flights, new destination)

Effective 11 July 2020

• Jakarta (11-weekly flights)

• Doha (DOH) to Jakarta (CGK) QR956 departs: 02:20 arrives: 15:20
• Doha (DOH) to Jakarta (CGK) QR958 departs: 19:45 arrives: 08:45+1day
  • Jakarta (CGK) to Doha (DOH) QR955 departs: 00:40 arrives: 05:10
  • Jakarta (CGK) to Doha (DOH) QR957 departs: 18:25 arrives: 22:55

Effective 09 July 2020

• Ankara (three weekly flights)

Effective 11 July 2020

• Zanzibar (four weekly flights)

Effective 13 July 2020

• Kilimanjaro (three weekly flights)

Effective 15 July 2020

•  Bucharest (four weekly flights)
• Sofia (four weekly flights)
• Venice (three weekly flights)

Qatar Airways continues to work closely with governments worldwide to resume commercial flights in line with each destination’s respective entry restrictions. The Airline is hopeful further commercial flight restrictions will be eased throughout July, with the carrier planning to resume almost two-thirds of its pre-COVID-19 network by the end of the month. The Airline expects the number of flights to double in July with close to 3,500 flights scheduled, compared to just under 2,100 in June.

Refund and Rebooking Policies

To bolster customer confidence and peace of mind as the world embarks on “the new normal,” the Airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The Airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31 December 2020, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to 31 December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance.

Health Protocols on Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew. The Airline has introduced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew, including gloves, face masks, safety glasses, and a new protective gown that is fitted over their uniforms. A modified service that reduces interactions between passengers and the crew inflight has also been introduced.

Onboard, all Qatar Airways passengers are provided with a complimentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock pouch, they will find a single-use surgical face mask, large disposable powder-free gloves, and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel. The Airline has also introduced disposable face shields for adults and children.

Passengers traveling from Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha will receive their face shields at the check-in counters. In contrast, at other destinations, the face shields will be distributed at the boarding gates.

Bali flights will be operated on Boeing 787-8 aircraft configured with 22 flatbed seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy.

Credits to Bali Discovery

The Bali Safari and Marine Park (BSMP), located just north of Denpasar on Jalan Bypass Ida Bagus Mantram, is targeting to reopen in Mid-July, subject to government approval.

During the pandemic shut down period, the BSMP management has been busy rethinking every aspect of a park visit, creating new operating procedures designed to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 infection. These procedures emphasize physical distancing, facial masking, hand sanitation, cashless transactions, and repeated disinfection of all high-touch surfaces.

Anticipating the Park’s reopening, a VIP-group from Gianyar Regency, led by the Regional Secretary for Gianyar, Made Wisnu Wijaya, recently paid an inspection site visit to ensure all is in readiness for the hoped-for imminent reopening. Also joining the inspection visit were the head of Gianyar’s Tourism Service, Anak Agung Gde Putrawan, and representatives of the Armed Forces (TNI) received by the Park’s general manager Thomas Colbert.

The official visitors were impressed to find all the employees of the Bali Safari and Marine Park were using personal protection equipment (PPE) that included face shields, masks, and gloves. Also much in evidence, was the regular disinfection of all guest transport, and hand sanitizer stations and washbasins that are now ubiquitous in every part of the Park.

Under strict new procedures, every vehicle entering the Bali Safari and Marine Park is sprayed with disinfectant with all visitors undergoing a thermal temperature scan.

Bali Safari and Marine Park’s general manager, Thomas Colbert, told the press, “we are ready to meet the ‘new normal’ health protocols.’”

The Regency’s Secretary, Wisnu Wijaya, explained the reason for the inspection visit, noting: “Bali Safari is the largest tourism object in Gianyar operated by a private company. The number of tourists visiting the Park is very large. We came to make sure the safety of the Park’s guests is guaranteed.”

During the visit, the inspection team made several suggestions to BSMP, including locations for additional handwashing stations and an automated thermal temperature system to permit Park visitors’ faster processing. The Gianyar inspectors also recommended establishing a health clinic to handle visitors with any health problems immediately.

The Gianyar inspections team is now forwarding the results of their survey to the Regent of Gianyar. The Regent has the final responsibility, together with the Governor, to decide when the Park can receive the public and the initial maximum number of guests allowed to visit the Park in a single day.

Credits to: Bali Discovery

Jakarta. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio said rebuilding tourist confidence will be key for Bali – Indonesia’s number one tourist island – to recover its economy to pre-pandemic levels.

The minister said on Wednesday during a two-day visit to the Island of the Gods that he appreciated the provincial government’s recent effort to plan phased reopening of the island starting from July.

“Public trust must be earned by preparing and implementing strict health protocols according to new normal guidelines before reopening the tourism sector,” Wishnutama said after a meeting with Bali Governor Wayan Koster in Ubud, Gianyar, on Wednesday.

The minister inspected several popular tourist destinations while on the island, such as Nusa Dua, Tirta Empul Temple and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.

Wishnutama gave his support to the Bali provincial government to prepare the three stages needed to reopen the island for business.

“Local governments must prepare thoroughly before reopening the tourism and creative economy sectors. There’s no need to rush. Tourism is highly dependent on tourists’ trust in security and comfort on the island,” he said.

The Bali governor said the provincial government has already prepared the three stages for implementing the new normal health protocol.

“If everything goes according to plan, on July 9 we will start the first stage of reopening several sectors except education and tourism,” Koster said.

In the second stage beginning in August, the island will start welcoming domestic tourists. But this will only happen if the first stage was an unqualified success.

In the third stage in September, Bali will reopen its borders to international tourists.

Koster stressed this is still a plan not a set timeline for implementation.

“Whether or not it will happen will greatly depend on our discipline to implement the health protocol and how local transmissions of Covid-19 in Bali are developing,” he said.

The governor said there had been an increase in Covid-19 cases in Bali recently, especially in Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Klungkung.

On Wednesday, Bali reported 30 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the island’s total to 829.

“We’ve sent a special team to the areas where there’s been an increase in Covid-19 cases. We will make sure there are no more new cases before relaxing more social restrictions,” Koster said.

The governor also said that according to various surveys, Bali has been ranked among the top tourist destinations in the world that tourists want to revisit once the pandemic is over.

Credits to Jakarta Globe

A survey conducted by the Indonesian Online booking platform, Pegipegi.com, is providing insights on how the domestic market will come back to life once government travel restrictions are lifted, borders reopened, and airlines recommence full schedules.

As reported by Kompas.com, a Pegipegi.com survey of 900 respondents who replied between 08 June and 12 June 2020 showed the 67% of the Indonesians responding said they were prepared to travel in the “new normal.” The remaining 33% said they had no current plans to travel.

Pegipegi’s chief marketing officer, Serlina Wijaya, said: “We understand that Indonesian society has been trying their best to stay at home and avoid traveling for safety and health reasons. In the new normal transition period, we see an uptick in the number of people ready to travel.”

Among the respondents saying they were ready to travel again, 73% indicated they would travel within the first two months of the start of the “new normal.” The reasons these people gave for travel are family reasons (33%) and simply for a change of scenery (26%). Others who said they would fly within the first two months of the lifting of travel restrictions gave business and education as reasons.

“We understand that Indonesian society has been trying their best to stay at home and avoid traveling for safety and health reasons. In the new normal transition period, we see an uptick in the number of people ready to travel.”

Serlina Wijaya – Pegipegi’s Chief Marketing Officer

Those traveling with a partner or on a solo basis represented 31% of the respondents prepared to fly. Meanwhile, 28% said they would fly as part of an extended family. 9% of the total respondents said they would be traveling with friends.

Touching on the area of consumer behavior, the Pegipegi survey revealed that 47% of Indonesian travelers said price was the deciding factor in making any travel plans. 29% listed the destination’s cleanliness as influencing their decision to travel, while 18% listed liberal refund policies as important.

It appears that “new normal travelers” will be acutely aware of COVID-19 related health and safety protocols when making future travel plans.

Credits to Bali Discovery

Bumbu Bali – the award-winning home of genuine Balinese cuisine was founded in 1996 when the Swiss-born founder-owner, Heinz von Holzen, took his admiration of Balinese cuisine, which had already resulted in a popular Balinese cookbook, and decided to open a restaurant dedicated to the Island’s cuisine.

Heinz working together with his Balinese wife, Puji, Bumbu Bali Restaurant opened its doors on Jalan Pratama on the Tanjung Benoa Peninsula, next door to Nusa Dua.

Bumbu Bali’s open design affording visitors a chance to look at a working Balinese kitchen or “Paon”; the use only the finest, freshest ingredients; and an unwavering commitment to authenticity in its presentation of Balinese food quickly brought sustained success. Such was the craze for Balinese food generated by Bumbu Bali that within six months of its opening, an affiliated Cooking School also secured great success via a formula of traditional market visits and sharing the foundation spices or “base” (pronounce “ba-say”) – use in all Balinese cooking.

A short while later, a second Bumbu Bali was opened several hundred meters down to road to handle the overflow demand from diners for lunch and dinner, and for a place in one of the daily cooking classes.

Art Cafe Bumbu Bali

Over the intervening years, Heinz produced a small library of beautiful cookbooks with titles such as “The Food of Bali,” “Bali Unveiled: The Secrets of Balinese Cuisine,” “Feast of Flavors from the Balinese Kitchen,” and “Street Food of Bali.” Each book is carefully presented in a way to be understandable and practical for the creation of memorable Balinese cuisine in home kitchens far removed from the Island of Bali. As pleasing on the palate as they are on the eye, Heinz von Holzen wrote the recipes and professionally photographed each mouth-watering dish included in his best-selling series.

In 2019, with the lease ending on the original Bumbu Bali Restaurant on Jalan Pratama, a decision was made to open the new concept Art Cafe Bumbu Bali on Jalan Siligita No.101, across from the Surya Husada Hospital located on the north border of the Nusa Dua Complex. Offering open-air or air-conditioned seating, the Art Café Bumbu Bali has a distinctive Balinese vibe. It provides views of Nusa Dua and South Bali from its naturally elevated hillside location.

During the island-wide business-slowdown caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Heinz and Puji von Holzen used the business slump as the perfect opportunity to remodel and refurbish the remaining Bumbu Bali location on Jalan Pratama. Master Architect Walter Wagner from Habitat was employed to redesign Bumbu Bali. The brief provided by Heinz and Puji required that a traditional and timeless Balinese ambient be at the core of any redesign. Old style roofs, red brick walls, hand-carved Balinese wood finishes, and an art collection reflecting every corner of the Island also became part of the “new” Bumbu Bali.

The planning and design of the refurbishment took place between October and December 2019. According to schedule, the Restaurant closed for renovations on 13 January 2019 as a team of talented artisans descended on the site to transform the space. The renovation became more a rebuilding with two new pavilions added to the building, luxurious bathrooms installed, and two modern kitchens built to the highest specifications inaugurated. The six-month reconstruction ended on 05 June 2021.

Unlike the building of the first Bumbu Bali in 1996, Heinz and Puji had a talented assistant to lend a hand in bringing the new Bumbu Bali to fruition. Puji’s and Heinz’s son, Putu Fabian von Holzen, personally supervised the entire new building project.

Temple Ceremony

With the physical construction at an end and in keeping with local traditions to seek God’s and the Cosmos’ blessing on every human endeavor, an elaborate series of ceremonies were prepared to seek the spirits’ blessings and permission of those who “possess” the land where the building stands.  Ratu and his Ibu Jero from the Grya Natuna in Denpasar prepared a beautiful blessing ceremony and offerings, the essence of which is surrendered to the gods.

With the blessing of the Gods in hand and, following protocols provided by the Government of Bali, the “new” Bumbu Bali reopens for business on Thursday, 02 July 2020, with an initial offering of a limited a la carte menu featuring many of Bumbu Bali’s Signature Dishes and, of course, the daily Balinese Cooking Class.

Bumbu Bali Restaurant and Art Café Bumbu Bali are open for lunch from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm and for dinner 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm (last order at 10:00 pm).

Signature dishes: Balinese Rijsttafel, vegetarian dishes, sates, sate lilit, pork ribs, roast duck in banana leaf, and babi guling.

Credits to Bali Discovery

(original post here: https://nowbali.co.id/pejeng-kangin-ikat-weaving-revival/)

The weavers of Bali are dusting off their looms in a small traditional village just outside Ubud. In Pejeng Kangin, a long-forgotten artisan craft is coming back.  

This is just one of three recent village initiatives. It all started when David Metcalf, a local expat originally from New Zealand, went to his Banjar (local village council) and asked what he could do to help during the COVID-19 crisis. The village leader, Made Astawa, and David agreed on some early priorities, and David sprung into action. He teamed up with part-time resident, Suzan Badgley from Canada, to set up a fund to help out. They sought donations from a wider circle of friends who love Bali plus business colleagues, and the word spread.

Pejeng Kangin Ikat Weaving – by David Metcalf

Weaving 

Made identified employment creation as a first priority. David had heard a story some time back that one of the weavers of Pejeng Kangin used to make handwoven silk and cotton brocade for the daughter of Suharto (President of Indonesia 1967-1998).

He went on a hunt and did indeed meet the master weaver, Ibu Agung, and also discovered Ibu Klemik and Apel Murtini.  It turns out there was not just one, but three very gifted and talented weavers in the village. There was agreement that the women would share their weaving skills and knowledge with other women in the village and teaching would commence that week. Those old looms reappeared from hidden corners and saw the light of day, yet again.

Pejeng Kangin Ikat Weaving – by David Metcalf

Once the word went out, a number of local women immediately showed an interest. With the help of the donations, extra looms were acquired, and the women bought cotton and silk thread at the Klungkung Markets. Just two weeks later, Pejeng Kangin had re-established its ikat cottage industry. Twelve women are now clacking away on their looms in the village six days a week.

Ibu Putu was already heading up the village Women’s Rice Community (KWT Manik Mertasari) but happily took on the new role of chief of the weaving circle. She came up with a novel idea. If you want an ikat, you are asked to ‘pay it forward’ at the time of ordering so the weavers can buy the materials they need to get started. Ibu Putu can send you photos, and videos as your ikat progresses. Once completed, your ikat, perhaps a table runner, sarong, shawl or wall hanging can be shipped to you. Better still, when Bali opens for tourism, you can come directly to the village and meet the weavers in person and collect it.

Pejeng Kangin Ikat Weaving – by David Metcalf

Balinese woman have always been resourceful and creative in difficult times. Ibu Putu, for example, also had a thriving cooking school called Ubud Village Plate which linked tourists with local families. That business is on hold for now, but it seems she can put her hand to anything. She is clearly relishing her work with the weaving circle. As she explained, “We all think it’s important to keep the weaving tradition alive. But, more than that, we really need jobs. Our husbands are out of work. Most of them were drivers or hotel workers or worked in cafes and restaurants. We must step up to the mark now.”

Local Food Packages

The next issue Made and David decided to tackle was food. Almost every family in the village, 180 in all, has close to no income and there is an urgent need for food staples.

Photos from Facebook Donation Page

Donations to date have enabled the purchase of supplies, and the Banjar delivered 170 packs with rice, noodles, cooking oil and eggs to every household last week. Twenty local volunteers went out on foot with a list, every home that needed help was ticked off, and no one was left out. “That is very important,” said Made, “If we give to one, we give to all. We live by adat (traditional) law, and this is our way”.

Outreach Packages

Working with Scholars for Sustenance, the village has also now employed 85 people as cooks. They make up a hundred fresh food packs every day. These are hand-delivered to Indonesians living in difficult circumstances in makeshift shacks and kos (boarding) accommodation, or on the streets in Kuta and Denpasar. Many lost their jobs in the tourism or construction industries and have no means of renting decent housing with a kitchen where they can cook. In fact, they cannot even afford one nourishing meal a day and have run out of savings, with the average worker only having had two weeks savings in reserve.

Many of these workers are from Java, Sumba, Flores, Papua and other islands but cannot get back to their villages. They rely on community projects like the one based in Pejeng Kangin, which in turn also benefits the village. Produce for the food packages is provided by local farmers, local cooks prepare the daily food packages, and local drivers help to deliver them to people in need.

How can you help?

To date, IDR 73 million (USD 5,200) has been raised for the village fund, and this has helped kick start these successful village initiatives. However, the Indonesian Government recently announced (Jakarta Post, May16, 2020) that Bali would not re-open for tourism until October. With over 1 million out of work in the island’s tourist industry and at least four months to go before the economy looks up, problems are expected to continue.

If you can, please give just a little (or a substantial amount if you have the means) and join the 67 current donors and kind souls who have helped with early donations. Ongoing funding is required so food deliveries can continue. The weavers also need orders. Please consider pre-ordering your beautiful hand-crafted ikat. You can be part of the solution and, by re-establishing a cottage industry with such strong cultural significance in the village these benefits will live well beyond the life of the pandemic. 100% of the donations go to these Banjar-led initiatives.

David, who is a local professional photographer, goes out to the village daily and documents the different stages (photos and video) of all three initiatives to keep the donors up to date and ensure accountability.

David commented, “I believe there is always a way to turn a negative into a positive and, with all the negative news about COVID, which can really drag people down, this is a great example of embracing a positive attitude and a win-win solution. When Balinese and non-Balinese work together, amazing results can be achieved.”.

Written by Stephanie Brooks. Photography by David Metcalfe.

Resources:

Facebook Donation Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/donate/243484560081746/

Donate
Via PayPal : https://www.paypal.me/davidjohnmetcalf
or
by IDR Bank Transfer: If you wish to donate directly to IDR local bank account, please contact David Metcalf (davidmetcalf312@gmail.com/www.davidmetcalfphotography.com) or Made Astawa (madeastawa83@gmail.com/+62 812 3960 3177)

Weaving orders:   Order your scarf, sarong, table runner, ikat, wall hanging or bed runner with Wayan Ellen and Putu at –  info@davidmetcalfphotography.com | WA +62 817 4773 619 Wayan Ellen