Bali, the famed Island of the Gods..the one of thousand island in Indonesia, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colorful, deeply spiritual and unique culture, stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth. With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of cultural, historical and archaeological attractions, and an enormous range of accommodations, this is one of the world's most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards. Bali has something to offer a very broad market of visitors from young back-packers right through to the super-rich
Bali is one of more than 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometers (almost 1.5 miles) from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island, home to about 4 million people, is approximately 144 kilometers (90 mi.) from east to west and 80 kilometers (50 mi.) north to south.
The word "paradise" is used a lot in Bali and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unrivaled number one tourist attraction. Eighty percent of international visitors to Indonesia visit Bali and Bali alone.
Balinese Dance and Music
Are also justly famous and a major attraction for visitors to the island. As on neighboring Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances are extremely visual and dramatic, and the most famous include: Barong Dance, Calonarang, Kecak Dance and Legong Keraton. They are the ones you must see and they are simply included in our excursion program.
Art
both traditional and modern, is everywhere in Bali and impossible to miss. Ubud is the artistic capital of the island with several museums and a variety of informal workshops and retail outlets. Ubud's museums showcase the works of local artists, both living and dead, as well as works by many foreign artists, who either have a strong affinity to Bali or have made the island their permanent home.
Culture
Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (canang sari, or sesajen) found in every Balinese house, work place, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk. These leaf trays are made daily and can contain an enormous range of offering items: flowers, glutinous rice, cookies, salt, and even cigarettes and coffee! They are set out with burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water no less than three times a day, before every meal. Don't worry if you step on one, as they are placed on the ground for this very purpose and will be swept away anyway (But you better not stepping one on purpose, because - as Balinese belive - it'll give you bad luck!).
Time
Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone (known in Indonesia as WITA, Waktu Indonesia Tengah), same as Western Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and China and 1 hour ahead of Jakarta.
Climate
Daytime temperatures are pleasant, varying between 20-33⁰ C (68-93⁰ F) year-round. From December to March, the west monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but days are still often sunny with the rains starting in the late afternoon or evening and passing quickly. From June to September, the humidity is low and it can be quite cool in the evenings. At this time of the year there is hardly any rain in the lowland coastal areas.
Even when it is raining across most of Bali, you can often enjoy sunny, dry days on the Bukit Peninsula which receives far less rain than any other part of the island. On the other hand, in central Bali and in the mountains, you should not be surprised by cloudy skies and showers at any time of the year.
At higher elevations such as Bedugul or Kintamani, it gets distinctly chilly and you will need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.
International arrivals procedures All passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Indonesia and have at least 2 blank pages available for stamps.
There are three ways of entering Indonesia:
Visitors arriving in Bali by air from a point of origin outside Indonesia will be clearing customs and immigration at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport may require the purchase of a visa on arrival (VOA). As of January 2010, the only type of visa on arrival available is US$25.00 for 30 days. This may be extended later at the local Immigration office for a further once only period of up to 30 days. (The previous 7 day visa on arrival is no longer available). Exact change in dollars is recommended, although a selection of other major currencies including rupiah are accepted, and any change will usually be given in rupiah. Credit cards are accepted in Bali (but don't count on the service working).
Arriving passengers are passed through VOA (visa on arrival) issuance if applicable, then subsequently processed through immigration clearance channels for VOA, Non VOA (if the visa has been obtained prior to the time of departure), Visa waiver (for eligible nationalities) and a separate channel for Indonesian passport holders. Baggage retrieval is followed by customs and quarantine examinations including baggage X-ray checkpoints.
Tourism visit visas can be issued in advance at some Indonesian embassies prior to departure. Check well in advance of your proposed departure date at the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your home country.
The Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport
Although in air ticket code called DPS, the airport simply located in Kuta area instead of DPS ( Denpasar ). A new International terminal is being built at DPS, and is due to open in 2013. When the new terminal is opened the current International facilities will be turned over to domestic operations. It is expected that these improvements will make Bali's airport a much nicer destination for airline travelers.
When departing from Bali, you are subject to the airport departure tax which can be paid in cash in Indonesian Rupiah only, so save some bills for the trip out. The airport departure tax is Rp 150,000 for international departures and Rp 40,000 for domestic departures. Infants under 2 years of age are exempted from departure tax (but not Visa On Arrival).
Language / Talk
Balinese language is linguistically very different from Bahasa Indonesia, although the latter is the lingua franca in Indonesia and is spoken by practically everyone in Bali. In tourist regions, English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken. Balinese is a difficult language, and any visitor who makes an effort to speak a few words will be especially warmly received by the local people.
Contact Unfortunately, it is very unlikely you will find a working public telephone on the street, which can be very frustrating in emergency situations. Depending on your circumstances, you may have to rely on mobile phones (local SIM cards may be used in unlocked phones with economical local and international calling rates) or phone/internet shops. Budget accommodation options are unlikely to offer telephone services to guests.
International phone operators: ☎ 101. International Direct Dialing prefix: 001, 007, or 008.
Directory inquires
Area Codes Bali has six area codes.
Emergency Phone Contact
Are also justly famous and a major attraction for visitors to the island. As on neighboring Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances are extremely visual and dramatic, and the most famous include: Barong Dance, Calonarang, Kecak Dance and Legong Keraton. They are the ones you must see and they are simply included in our excursion program.
Art
both traditional and modern, is everywhere in Bali and impossible to miss. Ubud is the artistic capital of the island with several museums and a variety of informal workshops and retail outlets. Ubud's museums showcase the works of local artists, both living and dead, as well as works by many foreign artists, who either have a strong affinity to Bali or have made the island their permanent home.
Culture
Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (canang sari, or sesajen) found in every Balinese house, work place, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk. These leaf trays are made daily and can contain an enormous range of offering items: flowers, glutinous rice, cookies, salt, and even cigarettes and coffee! They are set out with burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water no less than three times a day, before every meal. Don't worry if you step on one, as they are placed on the ground for this very purpose and will be swept away anyway (But you better not stepping one on purpose, because - as Balinese belive - it'll give you bad luck!).
Time
Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone (known in Indonesia as WITA, Waktu Indonesia Tengah), same as Western Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and China and 1 hour ahead of Jakarta.
Climate
Daytime temperatures are pleasant, varying between 20-33⁰ C (68-93⁰ F) year-round. From December to March, the west monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but days are still often sunny with the rains starting in the late afternoon or evening and passing quickly. From June to September, the humidity is low and it can be quite cool in the evenings. At this time of the year there is hardly any rain in the lowland coastal areas.
Even when it is raining across most of Bali, you can often enjoy sunny, dry days on the Bukit Peninsula which receives far less rain than any other part of the island. On the other hand, in central Bali and in the mountains, you should not be surprised by cloudy skies and showers at any time of the year.
At higher elevations such as Bedugul or Kintamani, it gets distinctly chilly and you will need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.
International arrivals procedures All passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Indonesia and have at least 2 blank pages available for stamps.
There are three ways of entering Indonesia:
- Visa on arrival. Pay on arrival, get a visa in your passport, get it stamped. Most visitors fall in this category.
- Visa in advance. Obtain a visa at an Indonesian embassy before arrival.
- Visa waiver. Show your passport, get stamped, that's it. Applies only to a few select, mostly ASEAN countries.
Visitors arriving in Bali by air from a point of origin outside Indonesia will be clearing customs and immigration at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport may require the purchase of a visa on arrival (VOA). As of January 2010, the only type of visa on arrival available is US$25.00 for 30 days. This may be extended later at the local Immigration office for a further once only period of up to 30 days. (The previous 7 day visa on arrival is no longer available). Exact change in dollars is recommended, although a selection of other major currencies including rupiah are accepted, and any change will usually be given in rupiah. Credit cards are accepted in Bali (but don't count on the service working).
Arriving passengers are passed through VOA (visa on arrival) issuance if applicable, then subsequently processed through immigration clearance channels for VOA, Non VOA (if the visa has been obtained prior to the time of departure), Visa waiver (for eligible nationalities) and a separate channel for Indonesian passport holders. Baggage retrieval is followed by customs and quarantine examinations including baggage X-ray checkpoints.
Tourism visit visas can be issued in advance at some Indonesian embassies prior to departure. Check well in advance of your proposed departure date at the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your home country.
The Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport
Although in air ticket code called DPS, the airport simply located in Kuta area instead of DPS ( Denpasar ). A new International terminal is being built at DPS, and is due to open in 2013. When the new terminal is opened the current International facilities will be turned over to domestic operations. It is expected that these improvements will make Bali's airport a much nicer destination for airline travelers.
When departing from Bali, you are subject to the airport departure tax which can be paid in cash in Indonesian Rupiah only, so save some bills for the trip out. The airport departure tax is Rp 150,000 for international departures and Rp 40,000 for domestic departures. Infants under 2 years of age are exempted from departure tax (but not Visa On Arrival).
Language / Talk
Balinese language is linguistically very different from Bahasa Indonesia, although the latter is the lingua franca in Indonesia and is spoken by practically everyone in Bali. In tourist regions, English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken. Balinese is a difficult language, and any visitor who makes an effort to speak a few words will be especially warmly received by the local people.
Contact Unfortunately, it is very unlikely you will find a working public telephone on the street, which can be very frustrating in emergency situations. Depending on your circumstances, you may have to rely on mobile phones (local SIM cards may be used in unlocked phones with economical local and international calling rates) or phone/internet shops. Budget accommodation options are unlikely to offer telephone services to guests.
International phone operators: ☎ 101. International Direct Dialing prefix: 001, 007, or 008.
Directory inquires
- ☎ 108 (if using a cell phone locally dial the area code you are in (eg 0361) and then 108)
- Niti Mandala, Renon, Denpasar. ☎ +62 361 227828.
- I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. ☎ +62 361 751038.
Area Codes Bali has six area codes.
- 0361: all of South Bali (Bukit Peninsula, Canggu, Denpasar, Jimbaran, Legian, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Seminyak, Tanah Lot) plus Gianyar, Tabanan and Ubud)
- 0362: Lovina, Pemuteran and Singaraja
- 0363: Amed, Candidasa, Karangasem, Kintamani, Padang Bai, Tirta Gangga
- 0365: Negara, Gilimanuk, Medewi Beach, West Bali National Park
- 0366: Bangli, Besakih, Kintamani, Klungkung, Mount Agung, Nusa Ceningan, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida
- 0368: Bedugul
Emergency Phone Contact
- Ambulance: ☎ 118.
- Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), free ambulance service. ☎ +62 361 480282.
- Police: ☎ 110.
- Search & Rescue team: ☎ 115 or 151, +62 361 751111.
- Tourist Police: ☎ +62 361 754599 or +62 361 763753
- Bali Police HQ: Jl WR Supratman, Denpasar. ☎ +62 361 227711 .
- Badung Police HQ: Jl Gunung Sanghyang, Denpasar. ☎ +62 361 424245.
- Police stations:
- Denpasar: Jl Ahmad Yani. ☎ +62 361 225456.
- Sanur: Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai. ☎ +62 361 288597.
- Kuta: Jl Raya Tuban. ☎ +62 361 751598.
- Nusa Dua: Jl By Pass Nusa Dua. ☎ +62 361 772110.
In conjunction with the revision of the visa policy, the Indonesian Minister of Justice and Human Rights has issued and signed a revise decree no. M.HH-02.GR.01.6, on 25 August 2008, stating that Nationals of the following countries can now apply for their Transit (7 days maximum stay) and/or Tourist visa upon arrival at the following Airports/Seaports in Indonesia for a maximum visit of 30 days :
1. Algeria
2. Argentine
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Bahrain
6. Belgium
7. Brazil
8. Bulgaria
9. Cambodia
10. Canada
11. China
12. Cyprus
13. Czech Republic
14. Denmark
15. Egypt
16. Estonia
17. Fiji
18. Finland
19. France
20. Germany
21. Greece
22. Hungary
23. Iceland
24. India
25. Iran
26. Ireland
27. Italy
28. Japan
29. Kuwait
30. Laos
31. Latvia
32. Libya
33. Liechtenstein
34. Lithuania
35. Luxembourg
36. Maldives
37. Malta
38. Mexico
39. Monaco
40. Netherlands
41. New Zealand
42. Norway
43. Oman
44. Panama
45. Poland
46. Portugal
47. Qatar
48. Romania
49. Russia
50. Saudi Arabia
51. South Africa
52. South Korea
53. Slovakia
54. Slovenia
55. Spain
56. Surinam
57. Sweden
58. Switzerland
59. Taiwan Territory
60. Timor Leste
61. Tunisia
62. Turkey
63. United Arab Emirates
64. United Kingdom
65. United States of America
No comments:
Post a Comment