From I Ketut Marya, who was later known as Mario, the choreographer of the famous Oleg Tamulilingan traditional dance, Rasmi learned the basics of traditional Balinese and Oleg dance movements. Despite the international acknowledgement the Oleg Tamulilingan dance later brought her, Rasmi remains a down-to-earth person.

She has never failed in her obligations as a member of the Balinese traditional banjar (neighborhood organization) and desa pekraman (customary village) by regularly participating in events, such as performing sacred dances during religious ceremonies. The events are not a chore, she said, shaking her head. It is part of her Ngayah (voluntary work) and money is never the goal, she said.

“In 1953 I was trembling in cold weather while waiting for my turn to perform a sacred dance in a temple located on the slope of Agung Mountain. “But once the performance started, the cold disappeared, replaced with a warm sensation from seeing dozens of eyes looking at me with pride. It was worth the effort.” What stayed in her mind was that the performance was a response to villagers’ eager request to see Rasmi perform in their village.

Rasmi back then had just arrived home from a government-led cultural mission tour in Europe and the United States along with traditional dancing groups from other regions of Indonesia. “The villagers sent a letter to me asking me to perform the sacred dance there. I was very touched by their request,” she said.

In her heyday, Rasmi danced more than five times on Saturday and Sunday and three times a day on regular days. To this day Rasmi still dances — but only on special occasions. She spends most of her time training children to dance in the Arma museum in Ubud.

Rasmi has lived her life under the spotlight, unlike artist I Dewa Gede Negara, now 79, a Bangli-born traditional percussionist.

Negara was once acknowledged as one of the best percussionists in the region, but playing his music instrument, known as gender in the local language, was his Ngayah to his community. His talent never generated enough money to pay the bills. “More than 10 years ago, they paid me Rp 150,000 per week for a two-part show and that was the most money I could get from playing percussion in a group,” Negara, who quit playing percussion years ago, said.

Negara lives with his 11 children from his two marriages, and to meet their daily needs, he relies on his monthly Rp 700,000 pension as a veteran of Indonesia’s war of independence. The lack of fame was not a problem for Negara, who said he had never regretted his choice of profession. “To play well and just knowing that people might enjoy it is enough for me, the rest is just a bonus,” he said.

Both Rasmi and Negara are among nine Bali veteran artists recognized as the island’s artistic icons by the Bali Cultural Agency last Monday. Head of Bali Cultural Agency I Nyoman Nikanaya said the event was a a gesture by the government to show respect to all artists. Percussionists I Gusti Putu Gde Wedasmara and I Gde Deresta, traditional dancer Ni Wayan Kerthi, traditional poet Gede Karsa, puppeteers I Nyoman Swiji and I Ketut Wesen and traditional performance actor Wayan Tembau Kariasa were also noted as Bali icons.

Each artist received a lifetime achievement trophy, health insurance, a set of traditional attire and Rp 2,500,000 in cash during a presentation organized as part of the Bali Art Festival, which runs until July 12. Phone company Esia also gave the recipients Rp 5 million and a wireless fixed telephone set. The company has also published an autobiographic collection about all the artists.

Written by Dicky Christanto
Published on The Jakarta Post - thejakartapost.com

Invitation cards from the two are said to have been sent out for a wedding in July. There is now the latest news that the wedding date is July 21 as reported by Nanyang Siang Pau and Guang Ming Daily. The celebrity couple will be taking their vows in Bali, Indonesia.

The pair, who have been together since 1989, had expressed their desire to wed in recent interviews but only decided on the wedding date not long ago. The couple are believed to have booked an entire hotel in Bali to accommodate their friends and relatives, with return air tickets thrown in. Lau, 42, who has been planning the wedding since January, is said to be intent on having a baby after getting married.

Taiwanese tycoon Terry Gou Tai Ming, whom Lau was recently linked with, will also be getting married and has set his wedding date on July 26, five days after Lau and Leung’s wedding. A Taiwanese fortune-teller Chai compared the wedding dates and advised that Gou’s celebration on July 26 is a better date than Lau’s. Chai said July 21 was only favorable for the bridegroom but July 26 is an auspicious date for both.

If you are thinking to get your own wedding in Bali and prefer a better privacy, wedding at private villas are advisable. A number of Bali villas with spacious lawn and breath taking views are quite popular as wedding venues. Book Bali wedding villas to get your memorable moment at its best.

News by The Star Online - thestar.com.my

Uluwatu sells handmade Balinese lace made into beautiful clothing and household items. The story goes that the founder, Made Jati, (who designs each item with her sister, Nyoman Suti) named the brand PT Uluwatu after an 11th century Balinese Hindu Temple. The brand has been around for 25 years and specializes in lace-work (krawang), a fast disappearing handmade skill. The krawang motif is then added onto beautiful collections of predominantly white handmade lace clothing, gorgeous bed linen and table linens that can be kept for generations to come.

The brand has been in Malaysia since 2006 and was brought in by local company Rias Homestores Sdn Bhd (RHSB). According to Ida Fazura Datuk Megat Muhaiyadin, one of the partners of the company, (the others being Azlin Ramli and managing director, Izard Azman), they came across the brand while on holiday in Bali and fell in love with the beautiful products. However, in Malaysia, Uluwatu seems to have fallen into the “specialized” product category, rather than retail. In fact, the label has come to be known mainly for its kebayas despite carrying a large selection of contemporary clothes.

“We’re still building the brand,” says Ida. “We’re trying to get people to understand and appreciate it. There is a slight difference in the handmade lace on each piece.”

Uluwatu uses fabrics such as cotton, linen and premium quality rayon, all manufactured in the Javanese town of Bandung. Their classic designs feature feminine cut work motifs like flowers and butterflies. The selection of clothes range from long-sleeved blouses, sleeveless tops, pants, dresses and linen shift dresses, while the products consist of white cotton bed covers, sheets and pillow cases, coasters, napkins and tablecloths.

According to Izard, while linen is mainly used in Bali, rayon is the material of choice in Malaysia. And for our market, there are also designs you may not find the original collections as RHSB works with the designers to create styles it feels will appeal more to locals. We’re also more modest it seems, so you will find some interesting differences. “In Bali, the clothes are more for tourists, pieces for the beach, so they don’t mind revealing some skin. But for our market, we had lining put in the dresses, and lining under the krawang to cover the holes,” says Ida. “We do have those who prefer to have the same collection as in Bali. For example, this year for Hari Raya, we’re bringing in the kebaya pendek, but we’re not modifying it as we found customers prefer it the that way. There are those who are more daring and don’t mind wearing the original designs.”

While the brand is known for its mainly white color theme, there is also cream and black and occasional seasonal colors. Ida says they’ve tried pastels, blues and browns, though the market still shows a preference for the more neutral colors and black. If you want to dress up the muted colors, there’s a range of accessories to go with the clothes, though these don’t come under the Uluwatu label. The collection includes a range of semi-precious accessories called Ilyana, in the form of dangling earrings and ethnic styled necklaces designed by local jeweler, Precious Inez.

Ida says the current summer trend – where lace and crochet look is all the rage – is an advantage for the brand: “What people have to appreciate is that our clothes are handmade. Take a look at the quality and the detailing, that’s what sets us apart.” Can’t you just hear that perfect summer dress calling your name?

The Uluwatu boutique is located at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor. Prices range from RM99.90 to RM359.90.

News by The Star Online - thestar.com.my

At different times and in different contexts, artists and culture experts from various countries meet in Bali for inter-cultural dialogs in an effort to create art works of good quality, Dibia said.

They intentionally come to Bali to absorb new aesthetic inspirations and adopt Balinese art concepts and elements to produce new inventions, he said.

“In order to prevent Bali’s local arts and cultural heritage from experiencing unexpected things, they need to be protected by such things as copyrights,” he said.

Therefore, Bali’s artists should always produce original works and at the same time improve the quality of their creations, he said.

Balinese arts and culture are changing rapidly from traditional to recreational works as well as new inventions in various forms, he said.

The artistic tastes are dynamically changing and this was making the Balinese people proud, he said.

However, he said, there was no legal protection for Bali’s arts and culture which had been bequeathed to the Balinese people from one generation to the other, Dibia said.

News by Antara - antara.co.id

Karangasem government spokesman Komang Agus told a news briefing that approximately 124 hectares of farmland would have to be bought to accommodate the megaproject, but would not violate any spatial development laws. Gunawa highlighted the positive effects of the development, saying that 85 percent of the employees would be Indonesian. The investors have also agreed to build a sewage treatment plant, in cooperation with local organizations, to recycle solid and liquid waste from the area.

The project is planned to start construction in April 2009 and be finished in September 2011. I Wayan Sukadana, speaker of the Karangasem House of Representatives, said the Korean developers were welcome. “We will support them, as long as they do not violate any regulations,” he said.

News by The Bali Times - thebalitimes.com

Unlike a tennis court or soccer field, which is nearly same all over the globe, none of the approximately 40,000 golf courses worldwide can be identical to another. There are mountain courses and seaside courses which look particularly attractive based on scenery and elevation changes. Then there are desert courses and courses that have been carved out of dense forests. The constant change and challenge for players generates billions of dollars of golf travel dollars worldwide. Being an outdoor sport which last for 4-5 hours per 18 hole round, golfers also travel in search of ideal weather. In the winter they leave the cold northern climates in search of the sun which makes the northern winter the season of highest revenues for tropical courses.

Asian countries have been quick to capitalize on golfers’ search for the winter sun. Besides their sun kissed beaches, our ASEAN neighbors have also developed world class courses which complement top quality hotels, restaurants and shopping. Thailand and Malaysia have cashed in on this opportunity better than anyone else through extensive facility development and global marketing efforts.

Perhaps lesser known but in no way inferior is Indonesia and Bali in particular. On the island of Bali, the Nusa Dua area is an example of a government planned community fueled by private funding — an example of public private partnership and a perfect example of how a cluster of hotels, restaurants and shopping with a world class championship course and some savvy marketing has created a successful business model.

The Bali Golf & Country Club in Nusa Dua, built in 1990 is surrounded by five top class five star resort hotels which include well known chains like St Regis and Novotel. The famous Nusa Dua beach is close by. A well laid out gated complex controls access to this master-planned resort area. Within the master-planned area is a complex known simply as the Bali collection — an assortment of restaurants, boutique and a supermarket laid out in a picturesque open air plaza — the entrance reminds you of an amusement park.

When the complex was ready, the Bali government decided to market and advertise the course through a series of world class golf tournaments. In 1994, 1995 and 1996 they hosted the Alfred Dunhill Masters which attracted worldwide TV audiences through the participation of top stars Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie and others. This quickly established the region’s attraction to golfing tourists in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Since traveling golfers expect a choice of more than one golf course, the Nirwana Bali Resort, less than an hour drive away is another world class facility with three spectacular cliff top holes where golfers have to tee off across the surf. As developers in India examine business models and make revenue assumptions based on golf tourism revenues, successful cluster models such as this one in Nusa Dua, Bali should be considered strongly.

Today in India, only Gurgaon presents a cluster of three world class golf courses which could be complemented by the old world charm of the Delhi Golf Club and Greater Noida’s Jaypee Greens. With the new international airport and new Gurgaon hotels scheduled to be completed by 2010, winter season golf tourism in Delhi should be ready to go. Combined with day excursions to Agra and Jaipur and one day sightseeing of the capital, the package should be complete.

The next two cities which might offer a package are Kolkata and Bangalore. Kolkata because it offers the experience of playing Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the world outside the British Isles along with the quaint Tollygunge Club, if combined with the Victoria Memorial, old world ambience of Bengal Club, could be particularly attractive for British Tourists looking to connect with the days of the British Raj.

Bangalore might attract new age businessmen who could combine visits to offices of Microsoft, Genpact, SAP, Infosys and Wipro with golf at the Eagleton Golf Resort, the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) club and the 150 year old Bangalore Golf Club. This could be called “The World is Flat Golf Tour” because the opening line of that best-selling book (The World is Flat) mentions the first hole of KGA where shots are aimed at the IBM office building located behind the first green.

Golf Tourism is available to any destination with a clear marketing and differentiation strategy. In Bali, the courses overlook the beaches and oceans and are well marketed. In India we can come up with our own unique selling points. If India can get a complete package, we too can make golf tourism work in our favor.

News By The Economic Times - economictimes.indiatimes.com

Each Hyatt hotel pairs with a sister hotel to celebrate this event and Grand Hyatt Bali’s sister hotel is Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, Hawaii. The highlight of the program is a kids’ and orphanage activity, and the planting of 100 palm trees by our Green Team, in-line with Hyatt’s commitment to the environment, called Hyatt Earth.

Approximately 60 orphans will be invited to join the activities organized for the employees’ kids, which will be held in the Coconut Garden. Together with our staff members’ families, they will share some fun and bond with each other as Grand Hyatt Bali and its employees strive to have a positive impact on the lives of the children of Bali. On June 13, 2008, Grand Hyatt Bali’s Green team will plant 100 palm trees in the East Village. These trees will be grown by the hotel and donated to the surrounding community once they mature.

This is part of Hyatt’s commitment to designing, building and managing innovative hotels that provide guests with authentic and comfortable accommodation that respects the natural environment and the local communities in which they operate around the world.

The three-day “Celebrating Our People” event at Grand Hyatt Bali will be filled with fun activities, including a fun walk, early bird breakfast, hula-hula performances by our Executive Committee and Department Head members, and a Pasar Malam Festival on the Nusa Dua Peninsula. In addition, our Executive Committee and Department Head members will serve the lunch to the employees during their breaks.

This is an opportunity to take time out of the normal operation of Grand Hyatt Bali to celebrate our people, our community and our environment!

News by e-Travel Blackboard - www.etravelblackboard.com

Don’t expect cheap restaurants and lean-to clothes shops gathered around the front doors, and there is no need to prepare to fend off hawkers who insist you are Mel Gibson’s twin brother and your wife is Elle Macpherson, and that coincidence guarantees you’ll get the best deal.

Amankila, near the village of Manggis and close to the port of Padangbai, was never lost – it’s been there for 16 years – but was nevertheless “found” by my wife, who scoured southeast Asian websites for a luxury break with which to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Talk about finding a plum. Amankila is secure and exclusive, on a hillside backing Mount Agung and overlooking the ocean to Lombok and Nusa Penida. It consists of 26 walled villas, many – like ours – with a pool and views of the ocean. Service is 24 hours, dining is extraordinarily diverse and immensely satisfying, the facilities are among the world’s best and yet it’s all delivered with genuine Balinese friendliness. Sadly, such amity is evaporating from the more popular centres of Kuta and Legion.

Despite its serenity, this part of east Bali has a tumultuous past. First, the district of Karangasem was conquered by the Dutch in 1850 and, second, in 1963 the volcano Mount Agung savagely and fatally blew its top. But from our private villa, high on the hill surrounded by palm trees and invisible to the neighbouring chalets, it was a serene vista over the sea to the islands and the leisurely sight of the occasional ship.

The villas are arranged and fitted out according to your needs and wallet. Ours came with a 15m swimming pool, courtyard sprinkled with umbrellas and decked with a day bed for curling up with a drink and a book, and a thatch-roofed house that could sleep up to four. It had a vast twin bathroom, shower area that opened to the courtyard, iPod sound and airconditioning.

Security guards slowly paced the extensive walkways – which, being tiered, up the hillside also served as an exercise track – as gardeners cultivated beautiful plants that thrived in the humidity and kitchen staff, piled high with bamboo and raffia baskets, delivered meals to walled villas.

Suites, such as ours, rate from $1225 a night plus service charges and government tax. You then add on for additional guests – in my case, two daughters – and ancillaries such as most food, all drinks and entertainment. The bill can be a shocker but there are benefits. The charge includes an a la carte breakfast which allows selection from dozens of items ranging from Japanese to English to Indonesian to healthier options.

Entry to Amankila gives you access to a string of activities. With the right deal you can have one free activity a day, including mountain biking, sailing, scuba diving or spa treatments. Amankila’s Beach Club is at the foot of the hill on which the resort stands. Beachside lounges fringe a stunning 41m swimming pool set beneath coconut palms and a huge frangipani. Swimming in the pool, often deserted by guests in favour of the three tiered pools close to the bar above, was one of my most relaxing moments. Staff will organize water sports – boogie board, kayak, windsurfer or the Hobie cat – and there’s even a lifeguard on duty.

There’s also the option of cruising farther from shore in two substantial boats – one is 15m long with a sun deck and is available for morning and afternoon sojourns, and the other is an 11m vessel which can be chartered for cruises across the bay.

Written by Neil Dowling - published on news.com.au

Those with an adventurous spirit can opt for a challenging walk along the mountain ridge, where the views are better still. For those who don’t have the legs or the stomach for this, an easier alternative route is available.

Journey across narrow and unspoilt walkways, invisible to most, but seen by the expert eye of the local guide and Alila’s leisure concierge, who eagerly share with you their vast knowledge of the area’s natural resources, local insects and flowers.

Throughout the trek guests will experience moments of adrenaline, excitement and solitude, but overall, an appreciation for the luxury of time and space. What a joy to hear no sound of cars, electronic devices or people. In this meditative quiet, soak in the magical sight of Mount Agung which dominates the horizon, ruling the landscape of fresh vetiver grass, alang alang, coffee, cloves, gentle flowing rivers and abundant bird life.

Along the way, learn about the various types of local rice, including the rare ‘Bali rice’ grown in this region. During the rice planting season, guests can even refresh themselves in the cool mountain waters that navigate through the farms.

Walking along the irrigation channels, guests pass by small hamlets, waving farmers and smiling children, and arrive at a sacred banyan tree. Beneath its shade, enjoy the cool breeze that whispers through the valley. Tune in to the splendorous sounds of nature. Savour the purity of the moment.

The final leg of the trek takes guests to the private villa of Italian-born author Ms. Idanna Pucci and her team for some real local hospitality. Enjoy the mountain and valley views from her beautiful home in complete relaxation. Be sure to bring swim gear in case you feel like a dip in the villa’s freshwater pool. And feast on a wholesome traditional Balinese lunch before being driven back to the hotel, with heart and mind filled with memories of your unforgettable East Bali adventure.

The Grand Panoramic Trek by the Alila Manggis Bali costs just US$ 55++ per person.

News by AsiaTravelTips.Com

The larrikin lifeguards will be put through their paces when they commence a four-month stint on Bali’s famous Kuta Beach, which was devastated by terrorist bomb blasts in October 2002.

The boys in blue will be assisting and learning new methods in surf safety from Bali’s professional lifeguards in a bid to make an entertaining but informative new series.

While it might sound like the ultimate job, executive producer Michael Cordell said it would be no walk in the park.

“Bali is renowned for its big surf and dangerous conditions,” Cordell said.

“For our boys, it will be a tough and confronting experience. Kuta can be lethal and the resources the Balinese lifeguards have don’t compare to Bondi. Expect plenty of dramatic rescues along with classic good times in between.”

The mix of gags and personalities, combined with showcasing the lifeguards’ courage in risking their own lives to save others is the formula that has made this series so popular.

The third series of Bondi Rescue was the most successful yet, winning its time slot in all major demographics and attracting an average 1.31 million viewers weekly.

The program is also thrilling audiences abroad - in the UK, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany.

With a fourth series expected to be commissioned by Ten in the coming weeks, Cordell said the network’s risk to run with the series three years ago had paid off.

“It was quite a risk . . . because we didn’t know how many rescues would happen or what the characters would be like,” Cordell said.

News by news.com.au