Iniindo Tours & Travel

CATCH THE SPIRIT OF RAJA KELANA

2099-09-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

CATCH THE SPIRIT OF RAJA KELANA

By: Raja Kelana

Who is Raja Kelana ? The spirit of Raja Kelana is in you and me, the spirit of a humble traveler, wanderer, to explore the unknown land. The same urge that lured great explorers like Vasco da Gama or Magellhaens, to leave the safe harbour and sail thousands miles away beyond the horizon.

We won't be very much surprised if you've read the recent best seller by Elizabeth Gilbert, "Eat, Pray, Love", and decided to come to Bali. But there are also others who have written wonderful stories about the land of Raja Kelana, such as Hickman Powell, "The Last Paradise", or Aage Krarup Nielsen, "Mitt Livs Evententyrreise".

Last but not least we'd like you to read a story written by a Dutch woman, Elizabeth Van Kampen, in her autobiography www.dutch-east-indies.com.

Once you get caugth by the mystical spirit of Raja Kelana, your mind and soul will be left floating between heaven and earth, in the paradise, known as the Emerald of the Equator, the land of Raja Kelana.

2012-01-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

#golf #league #puregolfasia #golftravel Coming soon http://www.puregolfasia.com Beta testing at http://www.puregolfasia.com/test "Live" in a couple of days ! D-3 ! For golfers and "golf community" and for non-golfers as well. It's a new social networking website "all about golf". Aside from golfers, amateurs or professionals, coaches, caddies, golf courses or clubs, golf travel, shops, doctors, health clinique, golf equipments suppliers, restaurants at or near golf courses, and more. Scores and handicaps ? Yes, definitely, and more, namely the golf league. Amateur Golf League Asia (AGLA) is "all about golf league", sponsored by puregolfasia.com is for you to meet new golfers, make new friends, improve your golf skill, and track your progress. Be there !
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A few do and don't in Indonesia

2011-11-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

#indonesia #travel

1) Never drink water directly from tap water, even in big 5 stars hotels

2) Don't put your wallet in your backpocket

3) Be carefull, the (pedestrian) pavements in many places have big open holes

4) Drink a lot of water, and buy bottled drinking water only in minimarkets or supermarkets

5) When travelling by public bus in the city, be extra alert when getting into and off the bus

6) Never accept candies or drinking water (even if its in sealed plastic glass) or any kind of food offered by "friendly" stranger sitting next to you in the public bus

7) If for some reason you should "jump" off the slow moving bus, step with left foot first

8) There are many crossing-bridges for pedestrians in Jakarta and any other big cities. Beware of pickpockets.

9) Don't drink local home-made alcohol drinks

10) Have your luggage (baggage) sealed and locked properly if flying by plane to, within, and from Indonesia. There's a plastic wrap service in the airports, to wrap your baggages.

11) Don't bring narcotics / drugs into Indonesia. Never buy drugs / narcotics / grass in Indonesia.

12) In crowded public areas, carry/put your backpack in front of you.

More to come ...
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Bali: why bother?

2011-10-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

In reply to Bali: Why bother ? http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/bali-why-bother-20111024-1mfiz.html

Noticed in a few past weeks there were so many disappointing articles about Bali and Lombok. Seems like no one is mentioning anything good about Bali and Lombok these days. Campaign ?

People should read ask search in internet before coming to another country. Learn about the place you are going to visit. The character of the people the custom, do's and dont's and other things. People are reluctant to ask travel agents as if they are going to be plundered or robbed. Deal or no deal, we became travel agents because we love our country and we want you to come and feel good in our country and have a pleasant holiday. Ask anything and email to iniindo.travel@gmail.com free of charge.

I see a lot of foreigners in Bali not being harassed by street vendors and gigolos. But some are, not in a very drastic way, just being offered to buy souvenirs or called "Mister", "Miss", and I wonder what's wrong with that. Some people have that "look" as an easy prey for those street vendors, but anywhere on earth, you have to be yourself and not being bothered by "small" things and different things which are not the same as in your own backyard.

As a native Indonesian I am often being neglected by locals in Bali, for example entering the shops, they always greet nicely and politely to foreigners but not to fellow Indonesians. But that doesn't make me hate the Balinese people. I have a lot of good Balinese friends and they are kind and so on and so on. The Balinese still maintain traditional values, politeness, which are missing now in other parts of Indonesia, especially big cities like Jakarta. And I always miss Bali !

Just be yourself, put on a "I am not bothered", "I am not going to buy what you sell", "I am not interested in what you sell", "I don't need a gigolo" face when you are in Bali, and everything will be fine.

Remember, you are a tourist, and they remember faces / strangers, especially if you stay in one place more than one day, so if you put a "I don't care" face / attitude on the first days, you'll get used to it and not being bothered anymore.

Welcome to Bali and have a pleasant stay in Bali !

SAPTA NIRWANDAR, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR TOURISM Indonesia Ministry’s reshuffle accompanies tourism growth

2011-10-18T04:25:00.001-07:00

By Luc Citrinot, eTN | Oct 16, 2011

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Indonesia (eTN) - With Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Director General for Marketing Sapta Nirwandar is a well-known figure for all tourism professionals dealing with the destination Indonesia. While Mr. Wacik's smile and relaxed sense of welcoming can be experienced in the world's biggest travel events – from ITB to the ASEAN Travel Forum or to Presidential Summits - Mr. Nirwandar is relentlessly on the move to promote his country and discuss with professionals the potentials, strengths, and also weaknesses of the destination. For travel professionals, he stands as a rather accessible personality to talk to.

It was a surprise then that he only made a short appearance during the TIME Pasar Wisata travel show on October 12 in Bandar Lampung, its home city. The secret to his absence? On Thursday, Mr. Sapta was at the Presidential Palace to learn that he has been appointed by the President Deputy Minister for Tourism. A gesture which rewards his support to the tourism sector during all these recent years.

The nomination was greeted with a mixed feeling by Indonesian travel professionals. "We hope that he will still be present and very supportive to our industry. Ministers tend to spend more time seat[ed] behind their desk[s] in Jakarta," told an Indonesian travel journalist, echoed by many tour operators.

Only the future will prove if they are right or wrong. It is true that the team Wacik-Nirwandar has been performing well for the tourism industry over the last few years. From 2009 to 2010, foreign tourist figures have grown from 6.323 million to 7.002 million arrivals, up by 10.7 percent. In 2011, despite economic uncertainties in many countries around the world and terrible catastrophes such as Japan's earthquake and tsunami, Indonesia is on the verge of achieving a new record. From January to August, total foreign arrivals reached 5.585 million, up by 7.2 percent over the same period of 2010. "Total arrivals should be over the 7 million mark," told Mr. Nirwandar in Bandar Lampung, "I cannot exactly provide a figure for now, but we should reach 7.4 to 7.7 million international travelers."

Although Bali remains the performing star in Indonesian tourism – growing by a stunning 17.4 percent between January and August - policy to attract tourists to other destinations pays off. Thanks to the multiplication of international flights, direct foreign arrivals to Bandung are up by 24.6 percent, to Medan by 14.1 percent, and to East Java (Surabaya) by 8.5 percent. Very positive is also the renewed growth in Batam, the nearby island to Singapore, up by 13.5 percent from January to August, as well as at Padang International Airport, with arrivals up by 20.6 percent. West Sumatra seems finally to see the light at the end of the tunnel, 2 years after a devastating earthquake.

Mr. Nirwandar indicated that he hopes to get approval for a new budget of 8 billion Indonesian Rupiah (US$89 million). "This is our wish for the entire Ministry including administration," he explained. With his new position, he might be better heard at the government and in the parliament. Over the last years, the budget for tourism has already been multiplied by 3.

Silk Air’s New Flight Connecting Singapore and Bandung

2011-10-18T04:17:00.001-07:00

Silk Air, a Singapore–based airline has provided with a flight that creates a link between Singapore and Bandung in Indonesia. This is the 9th place in Indonesia that has been covered by Silk Air.

The flight connecting Singapore and Bandung can accommodate 70 passengers. The maiden flight of Silk Air, landed at the Husein Sastranegara International Airport, carried the Singapore Ambassador to Indonesia, Ashok Mirpuri, and Silk Air Chief Executive Marvin Tan.

As per Mr. Tan, "This is our strong commitment to the air travel industry in Bandung, and to strengthen the links between two countries in tourism and business connections". According to airport head of operations, Soetrisno, apart from Silk Air, airline companies like Air Asia and Batavia Air also provided flights travelling in this route.

Also, Tan stated that the flight by Silk Air was different from others, because it provided with the facility to travel in business and economic classes to the customers and provide them with complete comfort. Apart from Indonesia, the airline provides with flights travelling to 37 cities in Asia and Europe. The Silk Air is associated with Singapore Airlines.

The Company has to really fight the competition prevailing in the sector to seek customers. Silk Air attracts customers with attractive price offers, which are based on the prevailing conditions of the market. For the time being the flight to Bandung is scheduled to fly thrice in a week, but from October 30 onwards it will fly 5 days in a week.

2011-10-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

#railway #indonesia #bandung Did you know that you can travel by train on Java. Indonesia Railway or Kereta Api Indonesia is not like Eurorail or Amtrack, but it is one of the pleasant and convenient way to travel from Jakarta to the east coast of Java. During the Dutch Indies era, Indonesia was one of the countries in Asia producing steam engine locomotives. In my younger days, train from Jakarta to Bandung, the Parahyangan coach, used to be filled with teenagers, students, spending holidays or weekends in Bandung. It was quite fun and romantic, boys meet girls and vice versa. The view is fantastic, across the mountain, above the valley, especially after the town of Purwakarta. Sadly the view from the train is not too pleasant when you are still in Jakarta. You'll ride across the "poor" semi-permanent urban huts / shanty houses, and a lot of people doing daily activities along the railway track. The fiew meters piece of land on the side of the railway track is considered a "free zone" ... meaning everyone is free to build anything there ... that's why they build houses, it becomes a "market / bazar" selling vegetables and all stuff. Recently some people found a way to ease their back pain by laying down on a railway track, a kind of bone therapy, because the track is hot .... sounds crazy, but this is Indonesia, welcome to http://www.iniindo.com
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2011-10-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

#bali #indonesia #lombok #travel #indonesia A common phrase or mindset among travel agents (local and abroad) who sells destination to Indonesia, is: "you can't sell Indonesia without selling Bali first". Even when selling Lombok, you have to sell Bali first. Meaning, you can't tell people to only go to Lombok, but tell them to go to Bali first and afterwards offer them to visit Lombok. And Lombok means Gili islands only, not the mainland ! Bali is supposed to be the base-camp. Say for example, an agent offers you to see Borobudur on Java, then the suggestion would be to arrive in Yogyakarta, see the temple, and afterwards proceed to Bali. This means, that most probably tourists would spend more days in Bali than in any other parts of Indonesia. An Indonesian friend of mine who happens to work in Moscow (embassy) told me: "I will help you sell Indonesia, but only if you sell other parts aside from Bali". Too many players sell Bali, he said. Well, that's not easy, perhaps 99% prefer Bali, and what if what "they" want is Bali ? What do you think ?
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2011-10-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

#iniindo #travel #indonesia Our website http://www.iniindo.com still undergoing updates and improvements. It's based on templates. We need and appreciate your critique, suggestions, ideas for improvement. Basically it is divided into 1) Packages 2) Destinations 3) Hotels. We believe that any news is interesting to readers / travellers who seek information before travelling to Indonesia. We have put Latest News Section in front / home page. Kindly email us suggestions to iniindo.travel@gmail.com info@iniindo.com or post in comments box in iniindo.blogspot.com thank you.
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Getting drunk in Bali or Lombok

2011-10-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

#arak #alcohol #bali #lombok Another unpleasant story popped up about a woman who got a brain damage after consuming a local arak. This is not the first time we hear this kind of story. Buy "a little bit expensive" but yet a lot more cheaper than in your country, original branded whisky in the right store / supermarket, to ensure you get a real stuff. There are plenty of blended alcohol drinks, actually illegal, out there in the market, with flashy and fancy names. These are even offered in hotels. Be careful, watch out, consume the brands that you already are familiar with. Bad booze may destroy your kidney, lungs, brain, in a matter of seconds. Have a pleasant vacation with http://www.iniindo.com
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Be Curious

2011-10-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

#iniindo @putrantos Be curious. The key to innovation and business growth is curiosity. You have to appreciate and practice the discipline of being curious, asking questions, and questioning the answers that come up. To be innovative requires you bring things into the world that no one is asking for, but once realized, become the very things the world was waiting for. No one was asking for an iPad, now millions can't live without it. http://www.iniindo.com
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Failure

2011-10-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

#iniindo @putrantos There is no such thing as failure. Failure is an idea you mentally buy into and then accept as a permanent circumstance. There are no permanent circumstances in the universe. There is only learning, growth and accomplishment. Everyone creates undesired results when they are creating anything. It is the nature of the creative process. Use your "failures" for your growth and expansion. http://www.iniindo.com

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Nurkowanie w Indonezji

2011-10-08T09:09:00.001-07:00

#diving #indonesia Best offer at http://www.iniindo.com
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Dive Explorer, Tomori Bay

2011-10-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Dive explorer, Tomori Bay, be the first to explore the underwater of pristine virgin diving site point. Four ancient Chinese shipwreck full of ceramics / china. A Dutch shipwreck from the WW-II. Let's get lost 4D3N. December 8, 2011 - December 11, 2011. Combined adventure tour, off-road, camp expedition. Mail to iniindo.travel@gmail.com for further details.
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Diving !

2011-10-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ikuti dive explorer, diving bersama di teluk Tomori, dive site point yg masih virgin. Belum ada yg pernah dive dilokasi tersebut.

Ada 4 kapal niaga China dg kondisi muatan masih utuh, penuh barang antik keramik China. Peninggalan perang dunia dan sebuah kapal perang Belanda.

Ayo bergabung.

4D-3N. Tgl 8 Dember 2011 sampai 11 Desember 2011, wisata ini dikombinasikan dg beberapa jenis wisata petualangan lain, offroad, jelajah, camp expedition.

Sharing biaya : Rp.2.000.000.- full board. Termasuk sesi night beach party dg pagelaran budaya khas sulawesi.

Fasilitas disediakan : camp, adventure car (offroad),spead boat, traditional cruises, day tour, spa ( traditional Massage ). oksigen 4 tank perday and 1 tank per night for night dive. F&B, medical team. Hard security, communications radio, insurance, pickup in out hotel airport return. T-sirt.

Note : exclude flight ticketing. Hotel @ Kendari city just Rp.250.000.- per person per day. sharing room @ swissbell Hotel Kendari. Ada juga clas open water bagi diver pemula yg ingin ambil sertifikat PADI & SSI.
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Jagalah Kebersihan

2011-10-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Rumput tetangga lebih hijau dari rumput di halaman sendiri. Setelah kita pergi dan melihat negeri orang, baru kemudian kita akan menghargai apa yang kita miliki. Ternyata negeri kita kaya dan berlimpah dengan keindahan alamnya. Namun sayang, ada yang mengatakan, "this country is a big trash bin", negeri ini adalah keranjang sampah yg besar, krn siapapun merasa berhak untuk dengan seenaknya membuang sampah di sembarang tempat. Di jaman "atom" ini semuanya terbuat dari plastik, termasuk pinggul dan dada. Dan sampah plastik tidak akan terurai dengan sendirinya selama sekian ratus tahun, kalau tidak salah, kata para ahli. Betapa menyedihkan apabila disana sini kita melihat sampah plastik kresek dekil hitam merusak pemandangan. Apakah sudah sedemikian parahnya kita sampai-sampai untuk menjaga kebersihan harus pakai slogan "kebersihan adalah sebagian dari iman" ? Teguran yang sangat keras, dengan kata lain, kita tidak lengkap beriman, kalau masih buang sampah sembarangan. Tapi sepertinya memang tolok ukur yg membuat slogan dengan mrk yg masih buang sampah sembarangan, berbeda. Bagi mereka yang dengan "entengnya" membuang sampah di sungai setiap pagi, merasa tetap full beriman, sehingga tidak ada gunanya slogan, krn memang beda "frekwensi" dan tolok ukur. Ada juga yg setiap pagi membawa sampah dalam kresek hitam naik motor atau mobil, sambil berangkat ke kantor, dan dibuang seenaknya di halaman luar rumah orang lain. Siapa yang salah. Apakah mungkin, seandainya pemda atau kelurahan, menyiapkan tong sampah di tempat yg "tadinya" orang seenaknya membuang sampah disitu, kemudian dengan adanya tong sampah dengan tulisan "silahkan, kalau tidak punya bak sampah di rumah, atau tidak mau atau tidak sanggup bayar iuran sampah, buang sampah di tong sampah ini", lantas orang akan tertib memasukkan sampah ke tong tersebut. Belum dicoba, tapi mungkin saja ada sedikit kesadaran untuk membuang sampah di tong sampah. Segede apapun tulisan "jangan buang sampah disini", tetap saja orang buang sampah disitu. Iklan pemerintah "jagalah kebersihan" seharusnya tidak hanya menonjolkan kaum menengah keatas yg dengan manisnya si anak ditegur oleh ayahnya yg perlente dengan latar belakang perumahan yg mewah, tapi semua lapisan sosial, termasuk dan utamanya menengah kebawah, yg dengan santainya sering membuang sampah di tempat yg tidak semestinya. Karena yg membuang sampah sembarangan bukan hanya dari satu lapis sosial saja. Di Cipanas ada sungai yg sangat indah namun tidak indah lagi krn penuh sampah buangan dari villa .... orang kaya ? Iya ! Yang buang sampah seplastik karung besar, sisa hura-hura majikannya selama weekend, memang pembantunya, yg tidak pernah diajari oleh majikannya yg kaya. Jawabannya saat si pembantu ditegur, "dari dulu kita buang sampah di kali". Tanpa rasa bersalah dan lugu. Di jalan Sadar dekat Jagakarsa, jalanan sangat asri, ada sungai kecil sepanjang jalan tersebut, namun sayang, ada satu titik yg sangat hijau, dipinggirnya penuh dengan sampah. Entah siapa yang membuang, tapi jelas setiap hari sampah menumpuk tambah banyak. Di pinggir Ragunan yang hijau, tadinya tidak ada pool sampah, sekarang kalau lewat situ baunya 77 rupa, menyengat. Dari Cilandak KKO ke arah Pondok Labu, ada jalan berkelok, turun, seperti di luar kota, hijau, namun sejak bbrp tahun penuh sampah dan mulai menyengat. Tidak usahlah kita muluk-muluk dengan slogan dan retorika yg buang-buang anggaran hanya untuk pamflet "omong kosong". Taruh tong sampah disitu, yang setiap hari tentunya dikosongkan, mungkin saja akan timbul kesadaran. Kalau belum sadar juga, ya konsisten, kenakan sanksi. Jangan sampai rumput tetangga lebih hijau dari rumput sendiri.
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Charlie Chaplin footage for festival A | A | A | Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Gianyar | Thu, 05/29/2008 10:34 AM

2011-10-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/29/charlie-chaplin-footage-festival.html

Footage of legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin will be a highlight of the upcoming traveling Balitaksu Film Festival later this year.

Rare footage of the actor in Bali will be screened during the festival -- footage never seen before, according to film festival organizers, Bulantrisna Djelantik, Deborah Gabinetti and Sarita Newson.

"This is a great coup. We have been given the rights to screen footage of Chaplin's holiday in Bali in 1932. It will be extraordinary," said Gabinetti, adding the festival had also been given Chaplin's itinerary of his journey to Indonesia and press clippings of the period.

Chaplin in Bali created no stir at all, says the New York Herald of June 12, 1932: "There were no mobs making frenzied efforts to see them (Chaplin and brother Syd), no newspaper reporters to ask if they liked this or that, and no cameramen attempting to get intimate portraits."

Chaplin's earlier arrival in Jakarta was quite different. He was "mobbed by children in Batavia", says his itinerary before "motoring" to Garoet (the West Java town of Garut) and then taking the train to Yogyakarta.

But it was Bali that most enchanted Chaplin, who extended his stay to discover if humor was universal. Some classic Chaplin slapstick gave him his answer, said caricaturist Al Hirschfield.

"Chaplin said 'I wonder if they will laugh at the same things'... he threw his pith helmet in the air and the people were just startled. They thought he had some kind of demonic powers.

"Then he showed them how he did this and they were screaming with laughter. In Bali he was known as the funny man, so that kind of humor went beyond borders, I mean it was as easily understood in Bali as it was in New York," said Hirschfield.

And it is that universal understanding within comedy, drama, documentaries -- and film -- that the Bali Film Festival organizers are hoping to tap during the festival.

"In this second year of the film festival we decided to make it a traveling festival to reach as wide an audience as possible. By taking the films into communities many more people will have the opportunity to see the diversity in the festival's film lineup ... be introduced to the many film genres," said Gabinetti.

She added several major U.S. filmmakers, such as Sony/Columbia, had expressed interest in the festival and might be submitting new films.

"We hope to have around 50 films for the festival, which runs from Oct. 21 through Oct. 31," she said.

As well as films from the world's best filmmakers, the festival is also a unique platform for young Indonesian film students to have their work screened.

Balitaksu will host a film workshop for the nation's young filmmakers prior to the festival. Their films will screen during the festival, offering them an opportunity to not only train under leading international directors, but to place their works before an audience.

Working with young Indonesian filmmakers is a key element of the festival, according to Sarita Newson, who said this year's festival theme was "Bridging Cultures through Creativity".

"The festival's theme talks about, from an internal view, the many different cultures within Indonesia and from an external view, explaining or introducing the multilayered cultures of Indonesia to the world," said Newson, adding the creative element of film could present Indonesia and raise awareness of the nation's talents and diversity.

To ensure that cultural bridge is realized, the Balitaksu film festival aims to have half of its program filled with films from Indonesian filmmakers.

"We hope to have good Indonesian films for our local audience, but also with a mix of interesting international films. This gives our filmmakers material to be stimulated by. Material that they would not normally have access to," said Newson.

Co-coordinating the film selection jury is well known Indonesian actress, Christine Hakim, who is also a founding member of Balitaksu, Newson added.

The Balitaksu Film Festival will screen in Denpasar, Nusa Dua, Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud between Oct. 21 and Oct. 31. For more information on the festival and volunteer roles, contact Sarita Newson on 0361 287 816.

Understand Bali

2011-10-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

It is generally accepted that massive tourism and a vibrant indigenous culture are mutually exclusive. Bali has so far proven to be an exception to this rule. This article explores a hitherto overlooked socio-economic mechanism behind that exception. It is a dual complementary currency system used for centuries by highly decentralized and democratic decision-making organizations. The reasons why such a dual currency system is so effective in mobilizing popular cultural creativity is investigated, and its potential applications in areas in the world other than Bali are described.

Complete article here

Charlie Chaplin - Java-Bali - 1932

2011-10-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

Colin McPhee's Musical Life in Bali

2011-10-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

http://literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/colin_mcphee_bali.aspx

Colin McPhee's Musical Life in Bali

In 1929, the expats were sitting at the outdoor cafes along the Montparnasse, quaffing espresso by day and absinth by night. I dreamed I was there on a balmy evening, discussing Tender is the Night with F. Scott Fitzgerald, exchanging repartees with James Joyce, and watching the bus boy, Langston Hughes, clearing tables.

I'd read the work of all the famous runaways: Sherwood Anderson, Ernest Hemingway, e.e. cummings. I knew about the expat communities in Berlin and Mexico City, but I hadn't heard of another, less famous destination for expats between the two world wars. The small island of Bali, one of the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, became a destination for a very different group of escapees. Who would have thought that Charlie Chaplin and Margaret Mead were also a part of an expat community? When I arrived in Bali 80 years after Charlie Chaplin, those long gone days were completely unfamiliar to me. My interest was in live volcanoes, black sand beaches, shadow puppets, dance, and Indonesian food and coffee.

Late mornings I would leave my bungalow and follow a narrow passageway colonized by homeless, mangy dogs and ground pecking chickens until I reached the main road. There I hopped aboard a crowded bemo, heading into Ubud for coffee at Cafe Rendezvousdoux. I went there for the lattes, but found an artist and writer expat community occupying many of the tables, tolerating the tourists who bumbled in. Owned by an articulate, irrepressible Frenchman in large, leather sandals, there were books on the sturdy wood shelves lining all the walls-for sale or for delving into while sipping your drink. On the back wall, a large flat screen television rolled black and white Balinese films of dance troupes from the 1930s, and photos of famous Balinese dancers were propped on the tops of the bookshelves.

I shared a bench at the long wooden table and listened to the fusion of French, Indonesian, English, and Japanese swirling around me. It was dark and cool, a perfect respite after the hot, humid, crowded market across the street. It was a "tres confortable" place to spend the morning.

I also found myself invited to join a second expat community; a group of women who met regularly for a late lunch at the open air Cafe Nomad. Cocktails or Bali coffee, Indonesian delectables, waiters hovering and then scurrying, white linen table clothes. These women were business owners who had left homes all over the world: Germany, England, South Africa, and the United States. When they arrived in Bali, they set a specific course for themselves. On the list was marrying Indonesian men, having beautiful children, and starting very successful businesses: jewelry, clothing, yoga and massage studios.

Conversation at lunch invariably concerned ideas and suggestions about how to deal with unruly or lazy servants, trips to Singapore for shopping, and their teenage children, sent back home to stay with relatives while attending high school.

In the evening, at home in my bungalow perched on the side of a deep river gorge between the tiers of rice paddies, I chose books about Bali from my bookshelf. The Kris of Death - A Mystery Novel Set in Bali by Meredith Morain and Jerrold Steward, in which one of the characters says,

There are two kinds of expats; to one kind, home was a place to dream of. To the other, it was the stuff of nightmares.. most of the expats in Bali belonged to the second category. The old nest had become fouled somehow; Bali was a chance for a fresh start.

Another book I pulled from the shelf a few nights later was The Edge of Bali by Inez Baranay. One of the three travelers in the story states with contempt,

The hotel's farthest fence had a gate that led to the beach, and there, too, its billboard reminded you that inside it was 'the way you want Bali to be!' And eat your heart out everyone else, because Bali isn't the way you want it to be. Bali has dirt and poverty and armies of hustlers trying to make a dollar, and if you can't get behind a big, wealthy wall you can't miss it.

I wondered what Bali was like before it became fouled by tourism. Before plastic accumulated in refuse dumps outside of each family compound. Before, when the tropical air wasn't filled with billowing, yellow smoke as families burned their garbage along side the road every night.

Then one evening I pulled Colin McPhee's novel A House in Bali from the shelf. His name was familiar, I knew he was a composer, but that was the limit of my knowledge. I learned in the first chapter that McPhee heard some gramophone recordings of Balinese gamelan music in 1930, and was completely smitten. On his way to the exotic island, leaning over the rail at the front of the ship, McPhee watched for the telltale flickering lights on the horizon and thought,

I was filled with an inner excitement that kept me wide-awake. I had come all this way on a quest of music-to listen to the gamelans, the strange and lovely-sounding orchestras of gongs that still made music, it seemed, in the courts of Java and the villages and temples of Bali, and as I looked out into the night I could hardly believe that this musical adventure was actually about to begin.

McPhee and his wife, anthropologist Jane Belo, traveled to Bali in 1931. Finding the beautiful little paradise to their liking, they began building their house in 1932, and while doing so McPhee recorded the building process as well as his daily life in Bali. In this writing, strangely, he completely failed to mention his wife even once, nor does he mention Margaret Mead or Charlie Chaplin, both of whom he entertained in his Balinese home.

McPhee is a charming writer, and the description of his life and the Balinese people he met and lived with is fascinating. He wrote in great detail about his attempt to understand the rituals-of which there are many-the social context of Balinese life, as well as the captivating dance and music. With humor he also ruminated on the "collision of Balinese attitudes and Western expectations."

But more than anything, this book is a chronicle of Balinese musical culture, which is a very complicated thing. McPhee was a purely Western composer attempting first to comprehend and then to learn a completely new musical language. He writes about his growing understanding of this foreign language, as well as his frustrations. He also went on to compose a hybrid of Balinese and Western music in the mid-1930s; a pioneer on this path.

McPhee's primary interest in coming to Bali, however, was the gamelan orchestra itself, which is unique to this small island and its larger neighbor, Java. A gamelan, almost completely percussion, is a specific set of instruments associated to a village or group of musicians. The instruments are built and tuned to stay together, and they would usually not be interchangeable with any other orchestra. During his time in Bali, McPhee attended temple ceremonies and trance rituals and visited orchestras hidden deep in the mountains of Bali. He also tracked down and studied with many famous Balinese musicians and composers. In his narrative he describes how the composer would teach his personal gamelan a new piece, playing a phrase over and over and having the orchestra practice it until it was perfect, before moving on to the next phrase. McPhee helped save a few Balinese orchestras, assisting them in buying their instruments and supporting their travel to performances. He also notated the melodies and rhythmic devices of every gamelan that he heard.

The instruments in the gamelan are usually played in pairs that are tuned slightly differently. When played consistently together, they create an interference beat, the "shimmering" sound of the gamelan, the opposite of two sounds played in complete unison. The Balinese believed these interference beats were a symbolic reminder of god's presence. It is this shimmering sound that is so unique, and bewitching, and nonexistent in Western music.

Music, storytelling, dance, history, and religion are all interwoven in the Balinese culture. Like McPhee, I was also intrigued by Balinese dance. I attended a performance that began around nine o'clock one evening. For hours the children sat enthralled along with their parents. I leaned over and whispered to the elderly Indonesian gentleman sitting next to me, asking him which tale the group was performing. He smiled, never taking his eyes off the colorful dancers, and said that it might not be clear for another hour or two. When I left, we knew that the story being told was about King of Lasem, who found the maiden Rangkesari lost in the forest. The King takes her home and locks her in a house of stone.

The stories themselves never change, and everyone knows the outcome; it just isn't always clear in the beginning which story is being performed. This lack of knowledge doesn't detract from the beautiful costuming, entrancing eye and hand movement, and the exquisite makeup of the dancers.

McPhee studied these stories the dances told and spent a great deal of time with many different dancers. He even recruited young boys he felt were promising dancers, helping them with their training, and sometimes inviting them to live in the house he and his wife built. The open acceptance of homosexuality in Bali at this time ultimately contributed to the demise of McPhee's marriage with Belo. They divorced in 1939, and without her monetary support, McPhee had to leave Bali.

Back in the United States, the 1940s found McPhee drowning in alcohol and depression, with little attention to composing. In the 1950s, however, he rose from this stupor and began to work again. In 1958 he was appointed professor of ethnomusicology at UCLA, and was also a highly esteemed jazz critic. In addition, during this time he wrote the book The Music in Bali, finished just months before he died and published in 1966, two years after his death. This book was the first comprehensive study of Balinese music written in English.

But it is the captivating House in Bali that he is most remembered for; his wistful description of being an insider and at the same time an outsider in a very strange and different culture. After reading the story, I looked at the Bali I was experiencing through a different lens. I'd caught a glimpse of a paradise that was unencumbered by my proscribed Western restraint. Though the island and its people and traditions were lovely to behold, I needed more time to delve deeper, to slowly peel away more of my personal filters, to better understand. There will have to be another visit.

Please continue reading Kerry Lee's "Behind The Article" interview to find out more about Bali.

Orangutan

2011-10-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

#orang #utan Orang means "man". Utan or hutan means "woods or forest" in #bahasaindonesia. So now you speak Bahasa Indonesia a little bit. Find out more about the #orangutan in #Kalimantan and let's get lost in Kalimantan. Kalimantan is the biggest part of Borneo, the Indonesian part. Camp Leakey is an area where the orangutans are preserved and "rehabilitated". It should've been those illegal loggers who deserve a proper education and rehabilitation, their greed destroys rainforest, home of orangutans and long-nosed monkeys. Let's save to world, save the rainforest, save the orangutans.
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Terracotta Lombok

2011-10-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

#banyumulek #terracotta #lombok Do you know that one of the finest terracotta are produced by natives Sasak in Lombok ? You must have seen them in Bali or any other places, mostly hotels, flower buckets, candle cups, candle containers, ashtray, dish plates, vases .... all of them actually made in Lombok, in the village of Banyumulek. Dark brown smooth exotic vases with dried seaweeds around it. Just less an hour drive from Mataram, you'll find this village where they produce the world class artistic vases in their homes or huts. Don't just stop where your tour guides leads you, the art-shop, walk further into the village, you'll find a grandma smiling without teeth, burning potteries in a dried leaves in a wide dug hole in her backyard. Talk to them, engage in conversation, and get lost in Banyumulek !
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Fish Indonesia

2011-10-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

#maluku #ambon #ceram When the word Maluku is mentioned, sadly, you get the impression of civil unrest or clashes or separatism. No matter what, the Maluku islands and beaches are one of the most pristine and beautiful in Indonesia. Moluccans are lovely people with a lot of smiles and music and songs. An Ambonese friend of mine said once, I can't eat and swallow a fish in Jakarta, meaning, the fish in Jakarta are so polluted that they don't taste like a fish, different from fishes in Ambon, fresh and delicious. No wonder, a native Sumatra (Batak) businessman is so successful in Ceram doing fish business......not fishy business..... So, haven't decided yet ? Get lost in Maluku !
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Lombok

2011-10-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

#lombok Do you know that the word lombok means chili pepper, yes, kind of red hot chili pepper / rhcp, or we call it sambal. And one of the original culinary of Lombok is spicy hot "Ayam Taliwang".........and if you dare to try, you should have a litre of cold water next to your plate. It's really "pedas" man ! Takes you to heaven and back again.
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Singapore or Malaysia

2011-10-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

#companyouting #singapore #malaysia So your boss told you to find a place for company gathering this year. You are in Singapore or perhaps in Kuala Lumpur ? Your first thought is Bintan or I don't know what, because it's the nearest point from where you are now. You must be living in the seventies if you think that way. Just two hours from KL or Singapore you have Bandung, or Yogya, or Bali, or Lombok. And btw the long awaited Lombok airport, finally on Saturday open for "business". It's less than two hours drive now from Lombok airport to the Kuta Lombok. So, let's get lost !
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Best beaches of Indonesia

2011-10-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

#padang #weh #ujungkulon #senggigi #flores #kuta If I should decide upon which is the best beach in Indonesia, my answer is there is none, all are equally beautiful and worth seeing. How could one decide if you have so many islands in the largest archipelago in the world. There are beaches in Anyer, Pangandaran, Tanjung Lesung, Parangtritis and so on. Copacabana is a long stretched beach, so is Riviera or Acapulco, and so is Miami or California. A taxi driver told me, he drove a tourist once in Jakarta, and the tourist said, this is an amazing country like nowhere else on earth, in terms of beaches. So, why don't you find your own beach here in Indonesia, and give it a name, like Michael's Beach or Anders Beach or Igor's Beach. It's free, you can do it !
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Batik From Bali

2011-10-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

#batik #bali Balinese batik is smooth with a "traditional lines". I love wearing them because it's "cool" and suitable for tropical country like Indonesia. Just bought 2 pieces earlier this evening a white t-shirt with a not-too-crowded "tattoo like" motif, and another, a black t-shirt with coulourful barong motif in front of it. Cool and proud of wearing batik !
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Company Outing

2011-10-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

#companyouting #refreshing #bali Company outing in Bali ? Why not ? No budget no problem, it's within your company's budget. Your staff deserves a break, so do you as the boss. Give them something special at the end of this year. 50 or 100 staff ? No problem. Denpasar or Kuta ? Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Kintamani, Ubud, Nusa Lembongan ? 5 star or 4 star hotel ? You'll be #astungkare surprised at what we have to offer at http://www.iniindo.com or drop email to info@iniindo.com or iniindo.travel@gmail.com. Om swastiastu !
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Bali Kites

2011-10-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

#bali #kites Do you know that in Bali people fly kites from morning till next morning, or for many days in rows ? They don't bring their kites down at the end of the day, but let it float thru the night. Big kites, as big as a balinese roof-top, built by Balinese in their community, sometimes causes traffic jams when carried by a crowd from their backyard to a ricefield. Big kites are built by "big boys" / grown ups, and "played" by grown ups. That's Bali.
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Bali Coffee

2011-10-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

#bali #coffee #indonesia #bedugulcoffee Coffee from Indonesia is one of the best in the world. There are robusta and arabica as well. Whatever, arabica or robusta, as long as it's a good coffee and you love the taste of it, just enjoy it. Bali coffee (mostly robusta), are the finest robusta in the world. Not too bitter not to "hard" not too thick, just "right". There are many "ways" before coffee becomes coffee that you buy in the supermarket. Raw coffee beans first dried and then roasted and then ground or should I say grinded (?). Some "experts" say that the longer a dried coffee bean is kept in the storage, the better it becomes. I can't argue with that, but the best coffee that I drink everyday comes from Munduk, I gave it a name "Bedugul Coffee", not too "old", roasted the traditional way by my Balinese friend's grandma in her shack in the mountain of Munduk, using old coffee trees as firewood, then ground (or grinded) manually, the whole process is traditional and no machine at all. The taste is: "somewhere between heaven and earth". Packaged in bag available in 50gr and 100gr, order at putrantos@gmail.com or visit our blog http://bedugulcoffee.blogspot.com.
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Where do you want to go ? A checklist for dummies :)

2011-09-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

#travel #indonesia No matter if you are from Singapore, which is only two hours away from Bali, or from San Francisco, which takes a day and a night to fly to Bali.........if you plan to spend a week or a month in Bali, here is some "checklist for dummies", if you are not that "dummy", read anyway :
1) passport valid for six month since the day of arrival in any poin of entry in Indonesia
2) visa
3) check the WHO for recommendation on health precautions travelling to a country full of bacteria and viruses
4) exchange emails with local / nearest Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in your country, ask anything, I mean anything you don't know about this country ... asumption, they know best about their own country .... or even better ask a travel agent or two, just to counter-check one info with another
5) spread out the big map of Indonesia on the floor, notice, there are five main islands in Indonesia, three time zones, and write down name of places or cities you wish to see and most importantly, why .... the answer should be "just for a sake of travel" ... otherwise
6) think again, do you really want to see the whole Indonesia ? I don't think so, although you can do that actually ... aha, here comes the travel agent ... google for travel agents selling Indonesia and find packages ... to learn about itineraries ... follow step by step detail itineraries ... most of the itineraries are sensible and logical ... check wikitravel or any wikis for unfamiliar places and objects ... not all travel agents put enough details on their brochures or web .... why ... because travel agents are just a network of people selling somebody else's packages ... even big travel agents works that way ...
7) imagine yourself travelling and doing things mentioned in the tour package ... use your wildest imagination, again ask details from the travel agents, they are obliged to explain anything you wish to know
8) one thing to remember, some travel agents actually don't expect you to buy packages from / in your country, especially local travel agents in Indonesia ... notice that some packages are based on asumption that you are already in Indonesia ... for example Lombok 2D1N is sold based on asumption that you are already somewhere in Bali or Jakarta or Medan, and the tour starts in Lombok, once you set your foot at the airport
9) is it worth to buy a tour package ? most of the time it is, why, because it is based on some preliminary survey, study, and real-time experience, for example where and what to eat ... it is based on a careful study to prevent tourists from eating "dangerous" food ... and most packages normally are suitable for people of all ages
10) accomodation, here comes the difficult part ... many villas, resorts, hotels looks perfect on the pictures, but once you get there you'll find the reality different ... simple things like odour, air, water, noise, bugs, mosquitos, electricity, air-conditioner, tv, location .... not to mention the view .... recently I read a guest complains about the private pool in an exotic villa, the water is muddy and dirty ... once I stayed in Bandung in a very classy 5 star hotel with a view overlooking another building's wall ... or imagine yourself staying 5 nights with a group of noisy travellers or high-school kids on the same floor ... playing guitar and singing songs you don't understand ... there you have your travel agent to put all the blame on :)
Remember, you yourself are the tour manager, and the rest of us are just "consultants" and advisors :)
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Best Western Bali

2011-09-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Best Western International will soon be offering visitors to Bali the choice of a delightful new hotel, when Best Western Kuta Seaview opens in the popular tourist destination of Kuta.
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2011-09-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Leiden University, which is the oldest university in the Netherlands, is one of the key universities for the study of Indonesia in the world.
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2011-09-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ride the wave of South Sea at Desa Resort, Jl. Raya Cisolok Km 8 No.23, Cimaja, Pelabuhanratu.
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People don't know what they want ?

2011-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

#brainstorming #innovation What people don't know: 1) what they want 2) what they need 3) what's good for them 4) where to go 5) what to do 6) why should they go there 7) when to go 8) how to get there 9) what to see 10) what to buy 11) what to ask 12) what should they know 13) why should they drink starbuck's coffee instead of bedugul coffee which tastes better like from seventh heaven 14) for how long should they stay in one place 15) why should they go to lombok instead of bali 16) why should they see bandung or manado 17) what else to do in manado aside from diving in bunaken 18) fly directly to bali or should they start with sumatra, java, and so on 19) where is moyo island and what to do there if you are not a celebrity escaping from papparazis 20) who is rajakelana. If you can't answer just one of the questions, visit http://www.iniindo.com or ask info@iniiindo.com
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So you don't know what you want ?

2011-09-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

#travel #indonesia #manado #lombok #flores #komodo You have "some" money, never travelled to faraway places and wonder why people go to Bali or Phuket or Pattaya. So you want to find the "inner me", tired of daily routine etc. Google for cheapest flight from Copenhagen to Jakarta without booking a hotel or anything. Start with a passport, if you have one, it should be valid for at least six month from the date you arrive in Indonesia. Find the nearest Indonesian Consulate to obtain visa. Hunt for ticket. Connecting flights are actually not too bad, bearing in mind that you get a hotel included, should your next flight happens to be on the next day. You get the chance, a lot of chances to obeserve a lot, places, people, and yes, do talk to people, engage yourself in conversations, it could start with "when is your next flight, what's your destination, have you been there before ?", anything like that, and believe me people love to be asked. Travel is about seeing places and meeting people, and asking questions that you wouldn't ask your neighbour of colleague. Don't think twice, jump out off your coach, turn your tv off, and get lost !
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Focus Groups: Truly Useful In Brand Innovation?

2011-09-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Focus Groups: Truly Useful In Brand Innovation?

Focus groups have been the go-to method many marketers employ to gain insight on how certain people think, feel and behave. In our social media connected world, are focus groups an effective forum for driving creativity and innovation in brand development and marketing?

Henry Ford said "if I gave people what they said they wanted, I would have made a faster horse". Mr. Ford instinctively knew then what still holds true about people today–people simply don't know what they want, or what form an innovative idea should come in to solve a problem they don't yet know they have. Nobody needed a car. Yet once realized, the automobile was arguably the most significant game changing product innovation of the last century.

A more contemporary version of this example is alive and well at Apple. Apple never conducts focus group research to guide their product innovations or drive their marketing.

Innovation isn't about giving people what they say they want.

Asking people want they want or need is not a very useful tactic in driving new ideas for innovation.

Yet, many marketers continue to rely on this artificial "laboratory" research to gain insights into what specific segments of people might be thinking about, what products they may use, and why they favor one thing over another.

Rarely will focus group research shed any useful light on the deeper needs people have that are, as yet, unrealized in their minds.

If we assume this to be true, why do focus group research at all?

"I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they rely too much on research, like a drunkard uses a lamp post for support rather than illumination". – David Ogilvy

What do you need to know?
Instead of asking consumers contrived questions to reveal their preferences or their intent to purchase, as marketers, we need to discover what truly matters to people.

To break through the slush pile of our crowded marketplace, your marketing must be perceived as genuinely valuable and useful to the people you're hoping to win over. Beyond product features and use benefits, if you want to engage consumers today, your marketing (not just your product) must improve (in tangible ways) the condition of people's lives.

Focus groups have become marketers default button.
I have witnessed too many times how quickly marketers jump into focus group research to learn some information they think they don't have. ( I am as guilty as anyone else in this regard)

Truth is, there's a ton of research out there. Combine this available information with solid intuition, and the collective (paid for) experience already within your organization or industry, and you can find all the information you need to form and support a compelling marketing or brand positioning idea.

Focus groups are artificial settings.

People live real lives. Gathering a group of people into an artificial environment and probing them with over simplified questions only creates artificial results.

Plus people usually don't know what they don't know.

It's very difficult to get useful insight from people who are not in their natural environment.

And there are always those participants whose energy can dominate or influence the perspectives and opinions of others in the group. The results in this artificial setting are almost always biased.

A focus group is not quality time with consumers.

The reason focus groups are so commonly used is because they are easy and cheap to execute. However spending an hour with groups of 6-8 people in a room can hardly be called quality time. Chances are the thoughts going through participant's heads during the session go something like this:
I don't like the guy next to me… I really don't care about this product, but they're paying me $75…I don't feel comfortable sharing my real opinion in a group…this is boring!

Get out in the real world and be with people.

Instead of sitting behind the glass, get out into the real world. Be everywhere your tribe is gathering online and off, be where they do their laundry, shop, eat, play, relax. Spend quality time with them in real-life settings. Learn how your target customer not only uses your products, but how they live in their real lives. Much of what we humans think about is unconscious, and our emotions are intertwined with our reasoning. It comes down to understanding basic human nature, and what higher level emotional needs are currently unmet within the context of your target consumer's overall life.

Put your efforts toward spending quality time with real people in one-on-one natural settings. Through these interactions, you'll gain far richer consumer insights that will directly lead to more relevant, compelling, meaningful and valuable brand building strategies.

Sent from my AXIS Worry Free BlackBerry® smartphone

Focus Groups: Truly Useful In Brand Innovation?

2011-09-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Focus Groups: Truly Useful In Brand Innovation? Focus groups have been the go-to method many marketers employ to gain insight on how certain people think, feel and behave. In our social media connected world, are focus groups an effective forum for driving creativity and innovation in brand development and marketing? Henry Ford said "if I gave people what they said they wanted, I would have made a faster horse". Mr. Ford instinctively knew then what still holds true about people today–people simply don't know what they want, or what form an innovative idea should come in to solve a problem they don't yet know they have. Nobody needed a car. Yet once realized, the automobile was arguably the most significant game changing product innovation of the last century. A more contemporary version of this example is alive and well at Apple. Apple never conducts focus group research to guide their product innovations or drive their marketing. Innovation isn't about giving people what they say they want. Asking people want they want or need is not a very useful tactic in driving new ideas for innovation. Yet, many marketers continue to rely on this artificial "laboratory" research to gain insights into what specific segments of people might be thinking about, what products they may use, and why they favor one thing over another. Rarely will focus group research shed any useful light on the deeper needs people have that are, as yet, unrealized in their minds. If we assume this to be true, why do focus group research at all?
"I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they rely too much on research, like a drunkard uses a lamp post for support rather than illumination". – David Ogilvy
What do you need to know?
Instead of asking consumers contrived questions to reveal their preferences or their intent to purchase, as marketers, we need to discover what truly matters to people. To break through the slush pile of our crowded marketplace, your marketing must be perceived as genuinely valuable and useful to the people you're hoping to win over. Beyond product features and use benefits, if you want to engage consumers today, your marketing (not just your product) must improve (in tangible ways) the condition of people's lives.
Focus groups have become marketers default button.
I have witnessed too many times how quickly marketers jump into focus group research to learn some information they think they don't have. ( I am as guilty as anyone else in this regard) Truth is, there's a ton of research out there. Combine this available information with solid intuition, and the collective (paid for) experience already within your organization or industry, and you can find all the information you need to form and support a compelling marketing or brand positioning idea.
Focus groups are artificial settings.
People live real lives. Gathering a group of people into an artificial environment and probing them with over simplified questions only creates artificial results. Plus people usually don't know what they don't know. It's very difficult to get useful insight from people who are not in their natural environment. And there are always those participants whose energy can dominate or influence the perspectives and opinions of others in the group. The results in this artificial setting are almost always biased.
A focus group is not quality time with consumers.
The reason focus groups are so commonly used is because they are easy and cheap to execute. However spending an hour with groups of 6-8 people in a room can hardly be called quality time. Chances are the thoughts going through participant's heads during the session go something like this:
I don't like the guy next to me… I really don't care about this product, but they're paying me $75…I don't feel comfortable sharing my real opinion in a group…this is boring!
Get out in the real world and be with people.
Instead of sitting behind the glass, get out into the real world. Be everywhere your tribe is gathering online and off, be where they do their laundry, shop, eat, play, relax. Spend quality time with them in real-life settings. Learn how your target customer not only uses your products, but how they live in their real lives. Much of what we humans think about is unconscious, and our emotions are intertwined with our reasoning. It comes down to understanding basic human nature, and what higher level emotional needs are currently unmet within the context of your target consumer's overall life.
Put your efforts toward spending quality time with real people in one-on-one natural settings. Through these interactions, you'll gain far richer consumer insights that will directly lead to more relevant, compelling, meaningful and valuable brand building strategies.

Sent from my AXIS Worry Free BlackBerry® smartphone

2011-09-25T01:59:00.001-07:00

Bali villages tourism | Ubud | Bali eat pray loved to death <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/bali-eat-pray--loved-to-death-20110922-1kmmr.html&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoATAAOABA5tv68wRIAVgBYgVlbi1VUw&cd=gdighbyDh88&usg=AFQjCNGMV1NfODEx7rYWDcRhG8JsmfzQAw>
Search in. Travel. brisbanetimescomau; Web; Travel .... 30 Aug East Timor aims to become a quiet rival to Bali for Australian tourists ...
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/.../bali-eat-pray--loved-to-death-2... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/bali-eat-pray--loved-to-death-20110922-1kmmr.html&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoBDAAOABA5tv68wRIAVgBYgVlbi1VUw&cd=gdighbyDh88&usg=AFQjCNGMV1NfODEx7rYWDcRhG8JsmfzQAw>

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2011-09-25T01:57:00.001-07:00

Taking My Best Experience in Bali Wedding Ceremonial - Bali ... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.zimbio.com/Bali%2BTravel%2BItinerary/articles/V7mxQPej5EI/Taking%2BMy%2BBest%2BExperience%2BBali%2BWedding%2BCeremonial&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoATAAOABAkLf78wRIAVgAYgVlbi1VUw&cd=PED53V3RF0M&usg=AFQjCNHmPbwq4nNn1DyvdsKLZB6dbTnD5Q>
Bali travel guide for travelers to Asia or Bali trip planners. ... Last week, I spent my time in Bali in order to fulfill both wedding at Villa M Bali and one of my team ...
www.zimbio.com/.../Taking+My+Best+Experience+Bali+Wed... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.zimbio.com/Bali%2BTravel%2BItinerary/articles/V7mxQPej5EI/Taking%2BMy%2BBest%2BExperience%2BBali%2BWedding%2BCeremonial&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgBIAEoBDAAOABAkLf78wRIAVgAYgVlbi1VUw&cd=PED53V3RF0M&usg=AFQjCNHmPbwq4nNn1DyvdsKLZB6dbTnD5Q>

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2011-09-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

#bali #coffee #bedugul #bedugulcoffee did you know that our brand Bedugul Coffee http://bedugulcoffee.blogspot.com is the best robusta coffee in the world ? It is smooth, not too bitter, we call it "feminine" coffee. It actually grows in Munduk, north to Bedugul, and we named Bedugul Coffee after the iconic temple of Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. The best place to taste the coffee is in Bedugul itself while enjoying the view of the charming temple and the crater/lake. Should you drink it somewhere else, it will take you floating between heaven and earth, because, that's where Bedugul is located, somewhere between heaven and earth.
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KOMODO - RINCA Tours 3D2N

2011-09-24T03:29:00.001-07:00

KOMODO - RINCA Tours 3D2N

D-01 : Bali - Labuan Bajo - Rinca Island - Labuan Bajo (Lunch/Dinner)

Pick up from your hotel in Bali, transfer to the airport for a flight to Labuan Bajo (West Flores). Upon arrival, meet and greet by our local representative and transfer to the harbour to catch the local boat, crossing to Rinca Island. Lunch will be served on boat.

On Rinca, start with trekking, walking through a typical green forest to explore the wild Komodo Dragons and other wild animal (deer, pigs, monkey, buffaloes and kind of birds). A local ranger will be leading you to this nature preservation. Afterwards proceed to Kalong Island where to enjoy the sunset while seeing millions of giant flying bats flying out from their nests (at around 5.30pm).

Sail back to Labuan Bajo, transfer to your Golo Hilltop Hotel or similar for dinner & overnight.

D-02 : Labuan Bajo - Komodo Island - Labuan Bajo (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Pick up from your hotel, transfer to the harbour to catch the local boat crossing to Komodo Island. On Komodo start with trekking, walking through a typical green forest to explore the wild Komodo Dragons and other wild animal (deer, pigs, monkey, buffaloes and kind of birds). A local ranger will be leading you to this nature preservation. Lunch will be served on boat. Sail back to Labuan Bajo, with stop at Pink Beach for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing by unspoiled coral reefs and fish.

On arrival at Labuan Bajo transfer to your Hotel for dinner & overnight.

D-03 : Labuan Bajo - Mirror Cave - Bali (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel, and proceed for a city sightseeing, visit the local market and Mirror Cave (Batu Cermin). After that, direct transfer to the airport for a flight to Bali. On arrival in Bali, transfer back to your original hotel or next destination.

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Meet the Dragons 2D1N

2011-09-24T03:18:00.001-07:00

RINCA ISLAND ADVENTURE TOURS 2D/1N

D-01 : Bali - Labuan Bajo - Rinca Island - Labuan Bajo (Lunch/Dinner)

Pick up from your hotel in Bali and transfer to the airport, for a flight to Labuan Bajo (West Flores), approx 1H30M.

Arrival: meet and greet our local guide who will take you to the harbour and by boat cross to Rinca Island. Lunch will be served on the boat. At Rinca, start with trekking, walking through a typical green forest to explore the wild Komodo Dragons and other wild animal (deer, pigs, monkey, buffaloes and various kinds of birds). A local ranger will be leading you to this nature preservation.

Sail back to Labuan Bajo with stop at Bidadari Island for swimming snorkelling and relaxing by an unspoiled coral reefs and colourful fish.

Back at Labuan Bajo, dinner and overnight at GOLO HILLTOP HOTEL or similar.

Day 02 : Labuan Bajo - Mirror Cave - Bali (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel. City sightseeing, visiting local market and Mirror Cave, after that transfer to the airport for a flight to Bali. Upon arrival in Bali, transfer back to your original hotel.
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Bedugul Coffee

2011-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

#bedugul #bali #coffee #indonesia #travel #iniindo Bedugul is located in Central Bali, a bit north actually, a town on the way to Singaraja, if from Denpasar. A highland, fresh, cold air, with the iconic Pura Ulun temple by the Beratan lake, an icon of Bali. The lake is a crater, and nearby you'll find the Bedugul Botanical Garden. Further north lies Munduk, the origin of Bedugul Coffe. Bedugul Coffee is a trademark of http://bedugulcoffee.blogspot.com, a smooth, aromatic, not too bitter, "just the right" taste, tastes somewhere between heaven and earth, that's Bedugul Coffee. Wanna try ? Drop email to putrantos@gmail.com.
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Indonesia Vacation

2011-09-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

#bali #travel #holiday #indonesia #indonezja Any questions about travel to Bali ? Drop email to info@iniindo.com
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2011-09-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

Inspired by the color and movement of Bali, Italian artist Federico Tomasi has made the island his home. His work is now on display at the 54th Venice Biennale in Italy.
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Bali 5D4N

2011-09-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

#bali There's a vast amount of information on the web about Bali, and yet, those who plan to visit Bali still wonder about where to go and what to see in Bali. You can't be "too carefully prepared" if we talk about Bali, there are things to miss for sure.

Perhaps your plan was to see the nearby island, Nusa Lembongan, snorkelling, swimming, or sunbathing ... but the monsoon rain that poured since morning left you with no option but to sit in a lobby with a beer or coffee and a book, or perhaps notebook.

You may have the big map of Bali on the floor and marked the "must see" tourism objects, such as Bedugul's Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, Tanah Lot, Uluwatu cliff, Kintamani and Mount Batur, and so on, but you don't know how to get there or how many hours it takes from the hotel in Kuta where you are staying, to Bedugul.

To "understand" Bali it takes more than 5D4N.

Bali's "pulse" and beat is different from any other places on earth. You must open your eyes and your heart, see it, feel it, smell it, ask questions, talk to a Balinese aside from your guide, to really understand Bali.

And yet, you'll leave Bali behind with more questions to ask, even more than when you first landed at Ngurah Rai Airport weeks before.

That's Bali ! Bali is sublime.

That's why they, you, I, want to come, again and again, to Bali. Some even think of staying there for good. As if we've found the place that we've been searching for in our entire life. Utopia ?

No ! You'll find all types of individuals, good and bad, drug smuglers, drunk tourists, local pickpockets and criminals, cheaters, gigolos, prostitutes, and so on.

Unlike other places on earth, Bali is "just the right place". It is an island not too big not too small. As a matter of fact you can visit nearly all "objects", temples and places of interest etc in Bali within a day or two.

As a tourist, you haven't come to Bali just to see and look around and take pictures. You brought your mind and heart along with your body to Bali, and your alter ego starts to adapt while your conscious mind perhaps still neglects or denies.

Eventually, you begin to observe the Balinese culture and tradition, and you'll find a paralel line between Bali and San Francisco in the 60ies, hippies, flower generation, the "inner self" .... and all that stuff.

The difference is that in Bali it is not just a hype for a year or two, but goes on for generations.

Even for Indonesians, Bali is unique, from the beginning of time. There is a kind of harmony that equals to Japanese philosophy. Every single moment in Bali is accompanied by gods, spirits, or dewas, whatever it is called, that determines one's life direction, from sunrise till sunset.

5D4N is absolutely not enough time to "learn" all about Bali.
If you've got only such a short time to see Bali, then it's best to ask first, gather informations from internet, do some research, above all, ask yourself "what am I looking for", and come up with the answer.
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Sublime Bali

2011-09-20T10:16:00.001-07:00

In aesthetics, the sublime (from the Latin sublīmis) is the quality of greatness, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic, spiritual or artistic. The term especially refers to a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation.

Bali is sublime.
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Bai Travel News

2011-09-18T00:20:00.001-07:00

News

2 new results for bali

Bali's tourism boom creates haven for global drug gangs
Sydney Morning Herald
The Hindu enclave of Bali needs more expertise and technology to target increasing numbers of foreign drug traffickers, according to enforcement agencies. Photo: AFP BALI has become a haven for international drug gangs lured by ever-growing throngs of ...

Sydney Morning Herald

Marlon Gerber Wins Coca-Cola ISC Open Division and 2011 ISC Championship
Surfline.com Surf News
In an amazing final day of competition at the Rote Open 2011 presented by Billabong on the far-flung East Indonesian island of Rote today, Bali's Marlon Gerber and Tai "Buddha" Graham from Australia exhibited impressive displays of high performance ...

Bali Packages

2011-09-18T00:12:00.001-07:00

Web

1 new result for travel bali

Mackin Travel Cheap Holiday Ground packages to Bali, Malaysia ...
TravelTodayLah - Travel and Tour from Malaysia | Holiday and Vacation | Cheap Flights and Airfares | Travel Agent & Travelagent | Cruise Package.
www.traveltodaylah.com/.../mackin-travel-cheap-holiday-grou...

Nusa Lembongan

2011-09-17T20:30:00.001-07:00

#nusalembongan #bali From Bali, the fast boat drops you off at the main beach area, not far from the infamous Playgrounds and Lacerations surf breaks. North from there, you'll find a smattering of hotels and homestays fitting all budgets and travel styles.
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