(2/6/2012)

The clock is ticking down on the start of Indonesia’s first open full marathon race in over 20 years is to be held in Bali on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

BII-Maybank Bali Marathon 2012 will feature Full and Half Marathon distances in addition to a 10K race. Team participation via the relay team category is also open to groups of friends, running clubs and corporate groups,

The race will begin and end in front of the Bali Safari and Marine Park in Gianyar passing through scenic Balinese countryside and traditional villages. Along the race route marshals in traditional Balinese dress and local orchestras will make this race unlike any other in the world.

Total prizes of over US$ 20,000, an international standard course and a line-up that will include an impressive array of elite international athletes is expected to draw 3,000 runners from Indonesia and around the world.

Race Date

Sunday, April 22,  2012
Start and Finish Line: Near to the Bali Safari and Marine Park


* 5 persons in one team.
** BII Credit Card Holders are eligible for an additional 25% discount.
For more information visit www.balimarathon.com or call Bali Discovery Tours who can help with race hotel arrangements and assist those who wish to register 0ff-line.

(2/6/2012)

The municipal government of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, has allocated Rp. 1.46 billion (US$162,000) to be divided amongst 419 community youth groups (Sekaa Teruna-Teruni – STT).

The resulting individual allocations of Rp. 3.5 million (US$389) will be used to construct Ogoh-Ogoh displays as part of Bali’s celebrations leading up to “Nyepi” - the day of absolute silence that ushers in a New Year on the Balinese calendar.

Hari Suci Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka 1934, which falls on March 23, 2012, is preceded by a night of Mardi Gras-like revelry in which elaborate papier mâché floats are paraded on Bali’s streets before they are abandoned, often set ablaze, before people retreat to their homes for a 24-hour period of reflective meditation in which all activity is prohibited.

The ogoh-ogoh floats involved days and nights of dedicated work by villagers who create large figures depicting monster, daemons and stage celebrities.

Fueled by copious quantities of intoxicating arak, young men, in traditional Balinese dress, carry the floats on their shoulders, sometimes resulting in contentious stand-offs when ogoh-ogohs from competing banjars encounter each other on Bali's narrow streets.

While no funds were provided to STTs in 2011, this year’s allocation reflects a new national political will in which tourism and the creative sectors are linked.

copied from www.balidiscovery.com

The terrible traffic congestion in Kuta, Bali may herald the final days for the iconic “Dokar” (Horse and Carriage).

Bali’s Dokars might be running their last laps

There is much concern with the chronic traffic congestion along Kuta’s busy beachfront (much of it caused by Dokars and Taxis)”. The estimated 42 dokars that work in Kuta are also finding the competition for customers extremely intense.

Equally intense is the competition for parking spaces along main roads from at which the horses can rest while waiting for passengers. “As a result, dokar drivers are having run-ins with the police and local authorities when they park in areas officially off-limit for parking.

Drivers have asked local authorities to consider the future of dokar operations in Kuta and create special traffic bays for their horse and carriages.

Meanwhile, there is a dwindling popularity of the dokar as a means of transportation. The message is clear – ride one while you still can!

Ubud, the bohemian and alluring town in the centre of Bali will come alive this month with the global literary elite at the Ubud Writers & Ubud Readers Festival to be held from October 5-9, 2011.

Under the banner "Nanduring karang awak: Cultivate the land within" — a line from the epic poem Gaguritan Salampahan Laku by Ida Pedanda Made Sideman – the literary glitterati will be encouraged to explore the great global common perceptions of mind and heart in just the perfect spot to do this with the stunning views on Mount Agung.

This year’s event has been saved thanks to a last minute sponsorship deal from ANZ Bank. The festival, which is now in the top six of such festivals, according to Harper's Bazaar, attracts an impressive array of writers from around the globe and draws devoted pilgrims in ever-greater numbers. Among some of the prominent names who will be coming to Ubud this year are: the Booker Prize-winner Ann Enright ("The Gathering"; 2007); self-styled "faction" writer Tash Aw; the Malaysian author of "Harmony Silk Factory" (2006) and "Map of the Invisible World" (2010); as well as Christos Tsiolkas, the controversial Greek-Australian author of "The Slap" (2009), who defended his use of vulgarity, arguing that critics are guilty of class bias and that he doesn't just write for the privileged. In total, the 2011 festival guest list features more than 80 writers from all corners of the globe, converging in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, for 5 days of celebration and inspiration.

Participants will engage in panel sessions, workshops, readings, literary lunches, performances, book launches, exhibitions, children events, Festival Club, and much more, temptingly located in Ubud's legendary hotels and charming cafes, restaurants, and temples. The festival will also be an opportunity to join in conversation with celebrated writers such as US novelist Alice Sebold; Australian musician, songwriter ,and wordsmith Paul Kelly; or Booker Prize winner DBC Pierre (IRE/UK); as well as to dine in sumptuous splendor, pencil in a workshop, explore writing fiction, editing in paradise, travel writing, brave a poetry slam, or wax lyrical with festival authors after dark at the Festival Club.

Discover writers from Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Denmark, Italy, France, Palestine, Hong Kong, Columbia, Japan, Samoa, Germany, Malta, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Egypt, India, Africa, Tunisia, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Simply the best literary and cultural experience of 2011, Janet de Neefe - the Festival Founder and Director - assures, "This is a diverse program that promises something for everyone, and will stimulate all the senses.”

For festival developments, subscribe to the newsletter at: info@ubudwritersfestival.com or visit www.ubudwritersfestival.com for all updates and ticket details.

The annual YAK awards have just been held in Bali. YAK is the “must have - must read” magazine featuring everything that’s hot and desirable in Bali. We’re delighted to say that many of our friends were category winners.

Here are the YAK Awards 2011 winning venues as voted for by the public

• Best Newcomer: Potato Head Beach Club
• Best Retail Space: Deus Ex Machina, Canggu
• Best Chef: James Ephram at Mozaic, Ubud
• Best Sunset Venue: Rock Bar at AYANA Resort and Spa
• Best Restaurant: Sardine, Petitenget
• Best Wine List: SIP
• Best DJ: Eric Entrena
• YAK Woman of the Year: Emily Bayliss, Potato Head Beach Club
• YAK Man of the Year: Dustin Humphrey, Deus ex Machina
• Best Community Service: Christina Iskandar, YPAC Handicapped Children
• Best Bar: Word of Mouth, Jalan Kunti
• Best Villa: The Edge, Uluwatu
• Best Spa: Karma Spa
• Best Fashion Label: BIASA
• Best Jeweller: Luke Stockley from House of Jemme
• Best Resort: Alila Uluwatu
• Best Ad Campaign: Biasa
• Best Event: ‘Empire of the Sun” at Potato Head
• Outstanding Achievement: Janice Girardi, BAWA Foundation for fight against rabies.