Bali
Facts:
Bali,
well known as a paradise island, a land of a thousand gods, thousand
temples, thousand dances, is located between the Pacific and Indian
Ocean, just below the equatorial line, on latitude 8 degree south
and longitude 115 degree east. The island is considered to be the
most attractive island to visitors. It is estimated that the were
more than 3.000.000 visitors a year from all round the world. Most
of them seek an understanding of a way of life that is really unique.
Bali is unique as having the last dominant and still intact
spiritual culture. Many of the traditional rituals and practices are just
as alive today as they ever were, and the strength and resilience of
the Balinese people and their culture is a testimony to the richess
of their faith. Most of Bali's 2.9 million people live in villages
in the central southern plains and in the capital towns of the eight
Kabupaten or regencies. Balinese society is collectivist and place
oriented. Villages are organized around community temples, and
collectively run by village councils called banjar. This social
structure remains strong,even in urban areas.Family compounds often
contain three generations and three generation and three or four
nuclear families, and each compound has a house temple where the
ancestral deities are honored. Customary law is imbued with communal
religious duties. More than 80 percent of the economy is based on
agriculture, the other sectors being handicrafts, tourism, small
trade, and professional services.
Traveling to Bali:
International points of entry into Bali, Indonesia, are the Ngurah
Rai Airport Denpasar (DPS) and the sea ports at Padang Bai, Benoa
and Gilimanuk.
Visa Formalies:
Visitor passports must have at least six months before the expiry
date and one empty page.
An onward or return ticket out of Indonesia is required.
Non-extendable permits for up to sixty days are granted
automatically upon entry to nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia,
Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore,
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United
Kingdom, and the United State. Nationals of Israel and Portugal must
apply for a visa through Jakarta. Other nationals must apply for a
visa at Indonesian consulates abroad.
Customs:
Indonesian Customs allows on entry a maximum of one liter of
alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50 Cigars or 100 grams of
tobacco and a reasonable amount perfume per adult. Cars,
photographic equipment, typewriters and tape recorders must be
declared to Customs upon entry. Prohibited from entry are TV sets,
radios, narcotics, arms and ammunition, printed matter in Chinese
characters and Chinese medicines. All movie films and video
cassettes must be censored by the Film Censor Board. Fresh fruites,
plants and animals must have quarantine permits. There is no
restriction on import or export of foreign currencies. However, the
export or import of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp.50,000 is
prohibited
Exit Fees & Airport Tax:
The Government of Indonesia has officially abolished the exit permit
required for people leaving the country, effective as of August 17,
1998. Airport tax levied on passengers for international travel is
Rp.100.000,- for travel within Indonesia regional variations occur.
Health & Vaccinations:
Travellers coming from infected areas are recommended to obtain
International health certificates
of vaccination against smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, typhoid and
paratyphoid.
For those who intended to stay for a longer period of time in Bali,
it is recommended to have gammaglobulin injections. Good
advise for visitors when they have infamous "Bali Belly"
during their stay in Bali is to take Lomotil and Imodium as an first
medications. It is also advisable to drink a strong, hot tea and
avoid all fruits and spicy foods at the first sign of
discomfort (diarrhea and cramping).It will help to lessen the
cramping if you do charcoal tablets (the brand name is Norit).To stop from dehydration, Oralite (mineral replacement salts) is a
good choice and is available at nearly every store or local
pharmacy. In the worst cases caused by viral infection, get a doctor
for an antibiotics prescription.
To avoid Malaria, visitors should consult their doctor for a supply
of malaria-repressant tablets.
Chloroquine is available widely in Bali and much cheaper than abroad.
Drinking-it's best-drink bottled mineral water. Be cautions for the
sun as it is become very intense in the afternoon especially
in dry season.
Climate:
Annual
rainfall is about 70 inches in the south central plains with an
average of two hundred days of rain per year. East Bali and the
north coast may get only 2-3 inches. Temperatures range from 60o F
to 85o F, depending on season and altitude. Bring a light
jacket if you plan to go to into the mountains. Daylight is from
about 6 AM to 6 PM year-round with slight variations between June
and December.
Electricity:
Generally 220-240V, 50 cycles AC. Some villages may have 110V, 50
cycles AC. Power is in greater demand than supply, and shortages are
common. Some outlying areas do not yet have any electricity.
It's a good idea to carry a small flashlight with a spare bulb and
batteries.Most large hotels provide hairdryers and electric adapters.
Time:
The Indonesian archipelago is spread
over three time zones. Western Indonesia Standard Time, which covers
the islands of Sumatra, Java & Madura, West and Central
Kalimantan is 7 hours ahead of GMT; Central Indonesia Standard Time
covers East and South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara,
is 8 hours ahead of GMT; finally Eastern Indonesia Standard Time,
which covers Maluku, and Irian Jaya is 9 hours ahead of GMT
Clothing:
Dress is normally informal in Indonesia
due to the warm, humid climate and clothing of light-weight fabrics
are recommended. Highland areas are noticeably cooler, however, and
carrying a light sweater is suggested. Acceptable attire for men is
a shirt and long pants. A jacket and tie are required for offlcial
calls or for more formal occasions. Long-sleeved batik shirts are
acceptable for evening functions. For ladies, dresses, blouses, and
long pants are appropriate. Shorts, halter tops or tank tops should
only be used at sports facilities or on the beach.
Temple visits require long pants or long skirts.
Office Hours:
Business offices are usually open either from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm or
9.00 am to 5.00 pm, with a break for lunch between 12.00 noon and
1.00 pm. On Saturday many business offices are closed. Government
office hours are from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm from Monday to Friday, and
on Saturdays many Government offices are closed.
Tipping:
Major hotels usually add a 11% service charge to bills. Where it is
not included a tip of between 5% to 10% of the bill would be
appropriate if the service is satisfactory. Airport porters expect
Rp.2,000,- for a small bag and Rp.3,000,- for bags weighing more
than 20 kg. Tipping taxi and hire-car drivers is not mandatory,
but if service has been satisfactory a basic Rp.1,000,- tip is
sufficient for a taxi driver. Hirecar drivers would normally expect
a larger tip.
Consulates:
Australian Consulate (Includes
Canada, N.Zealand, UK, Papua New Guinea), Jl. Prof. Yamin No.4,
Denpasar.P.O. Box 243, Phone 235092, Fax 231990
Consular Agent of France, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai No.35X, Sanur. Phone
285485 Fax 285485
Consular Agent of the United States of America, Jl. Hayam Wuruk
No.188 (Near the Renon Roundabout) Denpasar. Phone 233605 Fax 222426
Consular Agent of the Netherlands , Jl. Imam Bonjol No.599, Kuta,
P.O Box 377 Denpasar, Phone 751517 Fax 752777
Consular Agent of Switzerland & Austria, Swiss Restaurant, Jl.
Pura Bagus Teruna, Legian Kaja, Phone 751735 Fax 754457
Honorary Consul of Finland & Sweden , Segara Village Hotel, Jl.
Segara Ayu, 80228. Phone 288407-8, 288021 Sanur
Honorary Consul of Germany, Jl. Pantai Karang No.17, Sanur, P.O. Box
158 Denpasar, Phone 288535 Fax. 288826
Honorary Consul of Norway & Denmark, Mimpi Resort Jimbaran,
Kuta-Denpasar 80361, Phone 701070, Fax 701 072-074
Japanese Consulate, Jl. Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar. Phone 227628
Fax 231308, Mexican Consulate, Astina Tours, Jl. Hayam Wuruk No. 8
Denpasar. Phone 223552, Fax 231740
Italian Consulate, Lotus Enterprise Building, Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai,
Jimbaran, Ph./Fax. 701005
Airlines:
Ansett Australia: Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur. Ph. 289635 Fax.
289637,
Bouraq indonesia : Kompleks Sudirman Agung Blok A 47-48, Jl.PB
Sudirman Denpasar, Ph. 241397
Cathay Pacific: Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur. Ph. 28600,
Continental Micronesia: Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur, Ph. 287774,
EVA Air: Wisti Sabha Administration Building, Ground Floor, Room
No.4 Ngurah Rai Airport. Ph. 751011 ext 1638; Fax. 756488,
Garuda Indonesia: Grand Bali Beach Hotel. Ph. 288243, or at Natour
Kuta Beach. Ph. 751179, or at Nusa Dua. Ph. 771864, 771444,
Lauda Air : Gedung PAJ Jln. By Pass Ngurah Rai - Tuban Ph. 758686
Malaysia Airlines : Grand Bali Beach Hotel. Ph.285071-73, 288716; or
at Ngurah Rai Airport. Ph.756132
Merpati : Jln. Melati No. 51, Denpasar Ph. 235358
Qantas : Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur. Ph.288331-3 or at Ngurah Rai
Airport. Ph.288824, 288823, or at Kertha Wijaya Shopping Centre, Ph.
237343
Singapore Airlines: Jl. Dewi Sartika No.88, Denpasar Ph. 261666, 26169,
Fax: 26153
Thai Airways: Wisti Sabha Building, 2nd Floor Room 19, Ngurah Rai
Airport or Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Ph.754856,
Royal Brunei Airlines : Wisti Sabha Building, Ngurah Rai Airport.
Ph.757292
China Airlines: Wisti Sabha Building, 2nd Floor Room 19, Ngurah Rai
Airport. Ph. 754856,
Japan airlines : Grand Bali Beach Hotel, Ph. 287576 - 287577
Tourist
Informations:
The Department of Tourism (Bali) has six Information Centres where
booklets and brochures can be obtained free of charge. Addresses :
Ngurah Rai International Airport, Tuban, Phone : (0361) 751011,
Bina Wisata Ubud, next to the Village Head's office in Ubud.,
Government Tourist Information Centre, Jl. Bunisari 36B, Kuta, Bali
Government Tourism Office, Jl. S. Parman Niti Mandala, Denpasar,
Phone : (0362) 222387, Buleleng Government Tourism Office, Jl.
Veteran 23, Singaraja, Phone: (0361) 225141, Tourist Information
Centre, Kaliasem, Lovina Beach.
|
