Bali News / Local Updates of Bali

Buleleng officials do not have strict standards to determine setback rules from the ocean edge. BisnisBali reports that citizens living along Baruna Beach near Pemaron Village in Buleleng are growing increasingly concerned with the impact of hotel and villa development which ignore the 100 meter set back rule from the high-water mark establish by law for the province of Bali. North Bali tourism investors who undertake development of seaside acreage are accused by many long-term residents in Buleleng as destroying the local environment while denying access to precious beach areas used for traditional ceremonies. Read the rest of this entry …

Buleleng Government Security Team finds security lacking at many North Coast hotels and villas. Bali Post reports that a monitoring team from the regional government in Buleleng has discovered a number of private villas operating illegally as well as commercial accommodation providers, hotels and commercial villas lack adequate security precautions. In the view of the security team, this condition places tourism guests visiting Bali’s North at personal risk. Information provided from members of a monitoring team from the Cultural and Tourism Service, underlined an inadequate level of security. This particularly concerned the audit team as regards “Melati Hotels” and “Pondok Wisata” operating in remote areas along the coast and the backing foothills. Read the rest of this entry …

Pastika calls for dialog and a stop on issuing new building permits for new Bali villas in Pecatu and Uluwatu. Chairman of Bali’s Provincial House of Representatives (DPRD-Bali), Ida Bagus Wesnawa, has lashed out in the local press at reports that Bali’s Governor Made Mangku Pastika plans to revise the 2005 zoning regulations. Read the rest of this entry …

Bali by the numbers: January – August 2008, each and every month a record-breaker for Bali foreign tourist arrivals. August foreign arrival figures for Bali continue the year-long trend of operating in record territory with 187,584 visitors counted at Bali’s airport, a 12.57% improvement over August 2007 (166,633). This makes August 2008 the best August on record in Bali tourism. Read the rest of this entry …

Police and military tighten security measures at all Bali sea and air gateways. Kompas daily reminds passengers using the ferry crossing from Ketapang (East Java) to Gilamanuk (West Bali) to be sure to bring an official form of identification or face the risk of being denied entry to Bali. Read the rest of this entry …

Badung regional government to re-evaluate environmental impact of shifting sand from Geger beach of Nusa Dua to Kuta beach. The Badung regional government in Bali has acquiesced to community demands and, at least temporarily, halted sand dredging activities off Nusa Dua’s Geger Beach. As reported on balidiscovery.com , an ocean-going dredger has been working over the past days moving bottom sand from Nusa Dua to the badly eroded beaches of Kuta. Read the rest of this entry …

St. Regis Bali Resort is now open for business. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. formally opened the doors of its latest resort - The St. Regis Bali Resort located in the Nusa Dua Complex, an elite beach enclave on the Southern tip of Bali. The St. Regis Bali Resort features 79 luxurious, oversized suites, 42 private villas and two exclusive residences – all complemented by world-class restaurants and bars, a signature Remède Spa, a wedding chapel, ballroom and state-of-the-art meeting space. Owned by PT Pacific Resorts Buana Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Rajawali Corporation, newest resort of Bali occupies a beachfront location offering views of the Indian Ocean and adjoining Bali Golf & Country Club. Read the rest of this entry …

Four days of fund and entertainment events at Nusa Dua titled Green Tourism is about to come. Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) is again hosting the Nusa Dua Fiesta within the Nusa Dua Complex October 10-14, 2008. Costing an estimated Rp. 1 billion (US$108,700) and supported by 20 stakeholders, 13 hotels and 7 tourism operations - the festival will once again feature cultural performances, live musical performance, sporting events, contests and product exhibitions.

Among the exhibitors at the Nusa Dua Fiesta 2008 are 41 government departments, 17 provincial governments, 29 regional governments, 16 hotels, 3 government departments and one private enterprise. The theme for the current year is “Green Tourism” a direction for the event inspired by the United Nations Climate Change Summit held at Nusa Dua in December 2007. Read the rest of this entry …

Hard Rock Hotel Bali holds body painting competition. Hard Rock Hotel Bali held its annual Body Painting Competition, via a series of qualifying rounds conducted each Wednesday in August and with the grand finals held in September 2008. The Center Stage was host to an event which saw steady-handed young artists apply paints to minimally-dressed female models. The artists were given only one hour in which to complete their paintings covering the entire body of the models. Read the rest of this entry …

Much touted Padang Bai – Nusa Penida ferry service ceases operations just eight months after launch. Beritabali.com and Bali Post report that the RoRo or Roll-On Roll-Off ferry service connecting Padang Bai the neighboring smaller island of Nusa Penida has ceased operations effective September 13, 2008, due to a lack of operating funds. Nusa Jaya Abadi vessel operated by PT Palmars was introduced by the regional government of Karangasem to travel the 13 kilometer distance between the two ports as a means to address the depressed economic state of offshore island community in Bali. Read the rest of this entry …