| Our Towns: Bali |
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| Monday, 03 March 2008 | |
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Bali is, simply, a paradise. From stupendous sunrises to sunsets of staggering beauty, from the perfect and reliable surf to the zen-like relaxation of the mountains, from backpacker hostels to some of the world's finest hotels, Bali is one of the world's most popular destinations. It's perfect for a holiday in the sun. It's perfect for the family. It's perfect for a romantic tryst – and it's perfect for The Financial Crime Forum. Bali is unique: it has Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and, of course, Muslim cultures all living together in harmony. And despite what you might imagine, there is genuine harmony amongst the Balinese. Below, we've dealt with all the things that might worry you. But pay careful attention: most of negative comments you read or hear about Bali are written by people who feel driven to disparage one of the most relaxed and beautiful places on the planet. We know what it's really like and if you needed to be scared, we wouldn't be going there. Security and health scares should not mean anything more than that you take care of yourself and your belongings. And that's no different to New York, London or any one of dozens of other destinations we could name. In these pages, you will find references to authoritative documents that say the same.
Security
Don't let security concerns cause too much worry. Of course, everyone is aware of previous terrorist attacks in Bali. However, these should be placed in context. There have been more, and more serious attacks in many other cities around the world but there is generally much less concern about visiting those cities. The attacks on Bali were not conducted by Balinese. Indeed, the second Bali bombing specifically targeted Balinese and Indonesian workers rather than tourists. We know – we were there at the time of the second attacks. Travel advice is available from a number of government sources (see below). Although some countries advise against travel to some other countries or districts, no country advises against travel to Bali. In reading the warnings from governments, it is important to understand some background. Governments, particularly the Australian government, felt wrong-footed over the bombing in Bali in 2002, in part because of serious intelligence failures to which they have admitted. They are concerned that the decision not to issue strong warnings may create a risk that people think they did not try to protect citizens. For this reason, both Australia and the USA have maintained a high threat level for Bali where other governments have not. For example, Australia says of the UK “The current UK threat level of 'Severe' means that an attack is highly likely.” However, few people would read that as saying “stay away from London at all costs.” We do not say the warnings should be ignored, but we do say that they should be read with a degree of common sense. UK Foreign And Commonwealth Travel Advice - http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385558 Australian Government Travel Advice - http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Indonesia (although marked current as at 19 February 2007, this advice does not appear to have been updated recently. USA: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_918.html. As at the time of writing, the USA's travel note on Indonesia had not been updated since October 2007 No one can guarantee total security – whether it is in London, Madrid, Islamabad or Bali. However, we are able to say that neither we nor our specialist security consultants or contacts in the Indonesian and other intelligence agencies are aware of any specific threat that would affect those attending the Forum.
Air Travel Airport name: Ngurah Rai International Airport Common name: Denpasar, Bali Airport code: DPS Distance from airport to venue: less than 15KM (venue is not under flight path)
Almost all of the world's major airlines fly to Bali either direct or through a hub in, for example, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul or Tokyo. Many budget carriers fly to Bali. For example, At the time of writing Air Asia's special offer from Kuala Lumpur is MYR50 (around GBP7) plus taxes each way. Travellers from the EU are not able to fly to Bali with Garuda, the Indonesian National Carrier or any other Indonesian airline. This is because all Indonesian airlines have been banned from EU airspace as a result of safety concerns. The USA's FAA has said that Indonesian air safety (not related to any specific airline) is not of a sufficient standard. However, our representatives have travelled on Garuda on a number of occasions and have not felt any cause for concern. If you transit via Jakarta, you will almost certainly travel on a Garuda internal flight. The USA's FAA recommends that travellers to Bali make their trips direct using non-Indonesian international carriers. At the time of writing, the following international carriers are understood to fly direct to Bali: * AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur) * Airnorth (Darwin) * Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) * China Airlines (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan) * China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong) - Chartered Flights * Continental Airlines o Continental Micronesia (Guam) * EVA Air (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan) (Ending in March) * Garuda Indonesia (Darwin, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Osaka-Kansai, Perth, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita) * Japan Airlines (Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita) * Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon) * Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) * Ozjet (Perth) * Qantas (Perth, Singapore) o Jetstar Airways (Melbourne, Sydney) o Valuair (Singapore) * Qatar Airways (Doha, Kuala Lumpur) * Royal Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan) * Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong) - Chartered Flights * Singapore Airlines (Singapore) * Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi) * Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo, Singapore) List courtesy of Wikipedia.Com
Cabin baggage is scanned after immigration and before the carousels. This is primarily for identifying contraband including excess duty free. DO NOT do as some websites suggest and carry too much and bribe customs to let you through. Regardless of some internet comments, we do not consider Bali to be an expensive place for alcoholic drinks – it is certainly much cheaper than Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia.
VISA Visa restrictions for Indonesia are complex. Apply early For full information please see the Immigration section of the website for your local Indonesian Embassy. As a guide, the following is the link to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur: http://www.kbrikl.org.my/immigartion/visa_arrival.html
Note that there is an inconsistency in the information on that page. At the top of the page it mentions a minimum stay of seven days. However, later in the page it refers to two types of visa on arrival : 1 – 7 days, and 8 to 30 days. The price of the two types is USD10 / USD25. Note: part days count as whole days when calculating the length of your stay. You must pay in cash in USD on arrival at Denpasar (Bali) airport before immigration. If you transit through Jakarta, if you pass through immigration, you will need to get your visa then. As a person attending a conference, the Visa On Arrival process applies. However, the Visa On Arrival process applies only to citizens of certain countries. Airport porters work for tips. One USD is enough or, if you have local currency, 50,000 rupiah. They will often rush up and try to grab your bags even if you don't want the service. However, they are not aggressive and do accept it when you “no.” Compared to many airports in developing countries, this is very pleasant.
Arriving at Bali International Airport (Denpasar).
Don't expect the big international airport experience: remember that you are arriving on a small island packed with tourists. The airport is exactly what that suggests. It's not large but it is very efficient. Waiting time at immigration depends entirely on how many flights arrive at around the same time. There are 14 international gates plus three domestic gates but the terminal itself is small. Luggage retrieval is generally quick as the carousels have to be emptied and prepared for the next flight as quickly as possible. What happens after Customs depends on your Forum package. Residential only: you will be met by a Forum representative who will show you to your transport which will take you directly to your hotel. A simple security system will be adopted, details of which will be sent to you in your pre-training delegate pack one week before the event. Non-residential: we recommend that you arrange with your hotel for hotel transport to meet you. If you choose to take a taxi, then be aware that some companies are more reliable than others. We recommend Blue Bird or Silver Bird – but regardless of taxi company, some drivers are opportunists and may not drive direct to the hotel or may demand an unreasonably high fee. You will need Rupiah to pay a local taxi if you do not arrange hotel transport. See “Currency” below. Non-residential meet and greet service: honestly, we suggest you arrange for a hotel car. If you really don't want to do that, but don't want to try to get your own taxi, we can arrange for a meet and greet service for you. You will need to inform us of your flight details at least two weeks before the event, and agree to pay to our representative on arrival an administration fee (in USD) of USD25.00. A simple security system will be adopted, details of which will be sent to you in your pre-training delegate pack one week before the event.
Detailed Airport Information at http://www.azworldairports.com/airports/a1760dps.cfm
Currency: The Indonesian Rupiah is a very difficult currency to come to terms with. Everything costs thousands of Rupiah. It is very easy to become confused and to hand over far more than you think you are handing over. This is especially so after a long flight followed by the immigration and customs procedures. It is also difficult to work out the exchange rate because of the huge numbers involved.
ATM: there is an ATM in the airport after you leave the arrivals lounge.
Exchange rate as at 21 February 2008 GBP100 = IDR1,779,459.09 For current exchange rates see www.xe.com
Communications:
International Dialling Code - +61 Outbound International Access: 001 National Trunk Call Code: 0 GSM Band 900 / 1800 (i.e. the most common GSM bands) Internet: Available at hotels and internet cafés. Bandwidth is often restricted and access is slow. However, this is usually sufficient for accessing corporate email. Time Zone: GMT + 8 (same as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia but an hour ahead of Jakarta)
Leaving Bali
Check in at least two hours before your flight. This is important because Denpasar is a small airport and if you are trying to leave at a busy time, check in can take a long time. Also, all bags are scanned at the entrance to the departures terminal. There is usually only one scanner in operation. This can lead to long queues. Some airlines are very strict on cabin baggage weight and size. Departure Tax: called the “Airport Improvement Fee” departure tax from Bali is Rupiah150,000 (approx USD15 – 20 depending on currency fluctuation). This applies to both international and domestic flights – however, if you are simply transiting via Jakarta and not leaving the airport, you will not be required to pay an additional departure tax in Jakarta. If you do leave the airport in Jakarta, your departure tax from Jakarta will be Rp100,000. Some domestic gates share the same staircase – and if both gates are expecting departing passengers, be careful. There are unsubstantiated reports of people getting on the wrong bus and being taken to the wrong aeroplane.
The Venue:
The Inna Putri Bali, Nusa Dua. They say: From the moment you pass through the gates of Putri Bali towering palms and wide grassy avenues seem to call you wander their shady glades. Touches of traditional Balinese architecture enhance the strong modern lines of the property set amongst this verdant greenery, giving Putri Bali a charm of its own.
We say: It's gorgeous.
Inna Putri Bali is just 15 minutes from the airport and it's right on the Island's east facing beach. It's a short taxi ride to the bright lights of Kuta and Legian. You can take a boat to Nusa Penida for snorkelling or windsurf or surf from the hotel's own beach. If you are staying over the weekend, you can go around the coast to one of several diving venues or even, depending on schedules, to Bull Racing. And for an after-work trip you can head for the wooden furniture workshops that line the streets of Semanyak. http://www.putribali.com/English/Default.asp
After hours: we can't comment on the accuracy of the following website but we have been to some of the places mentioned and they are as described. http://www.baliguide.com/dark.html You can also get some information at http://www.surfingbali.com/where_to_party_bali.htm
Health: The following US government website deals with health issues including recommended vaccinations- http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationIndonesia.aspx
The World Health Organisation has information here: see in particular http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Country_Health_System_Profile_5-indonesia.pdf Note: various blogs etc. talk about serious disease including Malaria. Don't believe all you read on the web – a lot of it is pure rubbish. The WTO reports low prevalence of malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS for the whole of Indonesia which includes the jungle areas of Borneo where Malaria is known to be higher than in other parts of the country. see p116 of the above report (the page numbers start at 110 – this is an extract from a larger report. So, there you are. Bali is wonderful. You'll have a great time. If you are on a package with us, you will have a room that you can share if you choose not to travel alone – and we encourage you to use the chance for a romantic break, or a second honeymoon as well as attending the best training course you'll find all year.
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