Asia World Indonesia News Bulletin Magazine - March 2018

NEWS BULLETIN ASIA WORLD INDONESIA

Airline & Hotel

Update

THE DERAWAN ISLAND EXPERIENCE Tour of the month

#ConnectingAsiaToTheWorld Issue #27|March 2018

18 16

24

CONTENTS HOTEL Revivo Wellness Resort

12

Element by Westin Ubud Bali sets to open in March 2018

14

Sudamala Resort Group is welcoming their newest property, Pondok Laut, into their family.

16

Ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle has been rebranded into Dvaree Diva Kuta Bali

17

The Bali Khama Resort and Spa Tanjung Benoa Ceased Operation

18

Sahid Hotels announces five new Indonesia locations

19

Favehotel Tasikmalaya boosts popular budget brand to 40 cities

20

TAUZIA announces the opening of its 2 POP! Hotels in Central Java

22

Wyndham launches resort in a dream destination

24

First Marriott branded hotel in Indonesia opens

25

25

20 CONTENTS AWI INFO

60

HR News

40

Marcel’s Favorite Recipe

58

SPECIAL NEWS 26

Airline Update Tribal people of Indonesia The Asmat

44

TOUR OF THE MONTH The Derawan Island Experience

60

This Month Events

48

General Manager’s

M E S S AG E Dear valued partners Welcome into the month of March

along the remote southeast coast

This month in Bali on March 17th we

around Agats. They are famed for their

celebrate the “Silence Day”. An annual

artistic. More details in this News Bulletin.

event where Bali island is completely

And I am also continuing to introduce

shutting down for 24 hours. More in this

our Teams to you. This month I would like

News Bulletin.

to introduce our Product Team member

We are also showcasing new hotels and

Putu Puspita Dewi to you.

hotel updates as well as airline news

And last but not least this months

in this edition and please check out

“Marcel’s favorite Indonesian recipe

our Hotels section and Airline Updates

for you to cook at home”…….this time

section to find out more.

a Main Course….the famous Gudeg

And this month I would like to introduce

of yogjakarta or Yogyakarta Jackfruit

you to the Asmat people, an ethnic

Stew. Bon appetite.

local tribe from West Papua which live

I hope you enjoy reading our latest News Bulletin.

Kind regards,

Marcel Barmettler General Manager

Ma

I hav

arch Hello

ve big plans for you

CEO Renato Domini|renato@asiaworldindonesia.com General Manager Marcel Barmettler|marcel@asiaworldindonesia.com

Business Development Manager Slava Dyugaev|slava@asiaworldindonesia.com Customer Service Manager Benjamin Pigneguy |benjamin@asiaworldindonesia.com Finance and Accounting Manager Maruli H. Hutauruk|maruli@asiaworldindonesia.com MICE Manager Wahyu Listyo Adi|wahyu@asiaworldindonesia.com IT Manager Paulus Wirya Adhi S|wirya@asiaworldindonesia.com

Logistics Manager I Gusti A.A. Sunu|sunu@asiaworldindonesia.com Manager Travel Designer & Reservations Africa and Europe Welly Jayapranatha|Welly@asiaworldindonesia.com Team Leader Americas, Australia & Virtuoso Ira Sukma Utami|ira@asiaworldindonesia.com Manager Travel Design & Reservations Asia / Middle East Ribut Dwi Santoso|ribut@asiaworldindonesia.com Manager Travel Design & Reservations France Rudi Sulistyawan| rudi@asiaworldindonesia.com

Team Leader Product Rina Dewi|rina@asiaworldindonesia.com Market Manager France Geoffrey Berdal|geoffrey@asiaworldindonesia.com Representative for Australia,New Zealand and Virtuoso Scott Cammell|scott@asiaworldindonesia.com The Americas Representative Douglas Vogl|doug@asiaworldindonesia.com

Questions & Feedback Phone: +62 361 722 188 Fax: +62 361 722 187 E-mail: info@asiaworldindonesia.com Address: Panorama Building 4th Floor, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 620, Denpasar, Bali, 80228 - Indonesia

Member of:

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.�

HOTEL News Latest news of the villas, hotels and resorts all over Indonesia.

10

Perspire and get inspired at Bali’s newest wellness resort.

REVIVO will open on March 30 in Nusa Dua with a strong focus on fitness, nutrition and holistic spa. REVIVO, which means “I’ll live again”, aims to help guests ‘soothe the spirit and rejuvenate the body’ through its comprehensive offerings.

N

ew luxury resort REVIVO is encouraging all guests to ‘live again’ come March 30 when its first property debuts in south

Bali.

Set on three hectares of land amidst the hills of Nusa Dua surrounded by a teak forest, tropical forest and the Indian Ocean, REVIVO offers 16 Balinese-style suites including two four-bedroom villas.

The wellness concept of REVIVO centers around three components: fitness, food and beverage and holistic spa.

At the resort’s 8,000-sqm fitness area comprising a yoga barn, martial arts hall, reformer Pilates studio,

gym

with

TRX,

boxing

and

kinesis

equipment, lap pool and outdoor park, guests can engage in workouts from various disciplines ranging from the hardcore (HIIT) to the gentle (yoga and Qi Gong).

12

H

ere, food is designed by the in-house nutritionist and chef, Aliwaulu, who will present organic highprotein dishes that are low in carbs, free from gluten

and offer a Balinese twist.

Spa facilities include five double treatment rooms, each with an outdoor bath, hydro jet Vichy shower beds, hot and chill plunge pools, a Jacuzzi, infrared saunas, steam rooms, an aromatic garden and a salt water floating pool.

While each retreat can be customized, there will be a regular schedule of programmes including detoxification, sleeping well and anti-ageing, which will range in duration from three to 14 days long.

“We truly believe that the holistic wellness offering, led by a team of experts in their respective fields, will raise the bar for a new level of luxury retreat in Asia,” said Gordon Oldham, founder, REVĪVŌ.

Bali will be the first location for REVĪVŌ Wellness Resorts. It will soon be followed by REVĪVŌ Wellness Cruise, Komodo Islands, in early 2019 and REVĪVŌ Château de Fiac, France in mid-2019.

13

Element by Westin Bali Ubud sets to open in March 2018 Ubud is a base for culture and also home to many restaurants, bars and cafes. Its streets sell goods created by the regions many artisans. Balinese Hinduism permeates Ubud life, with a combination of outwardly devotional religious practice and the more introspective philosophical aspects of Hindu religious beliefs. Everywhere you look around Ubud every day, there are ceremony, ritual and sacred offerings.

E

lement Hotels offers the

with soaring satisfaction scores.

essentials of balanced

Element by Westin Bali Ubud

travel for today’s standard

is ideally located to immerse

and longer-stay traveler who

yourself in Ubud culture; shop

does not want to compromise

for locally produced art and

on

design.

handicrafts; take in the lush

Element Hotels is grounded in

tropical views and the diversity

smart, environmentally friendly

of attractions during your visit

thinking,

to

comfort

from

and

its

products,

this

unique

destination.

services and programs to its

Sites worth seeing include the

physical spaces with flowing,

King’s Palace in Ubud town, the

multipurpose

that

Monkey Forrest, local museums

maximize space. Its vibrant,

and nearby rice terrace fields.

optimistic energy is contagious

Ngurah Rai International Airport

and has developers signing on

(DPS), is 1hr 30 minutes from

and guests eagerly approving

Element by Westin Bali Ubud.

14

areas

Element rooms Their property created an open, energizing environment with extra space, clean design and natural light. It’s more room to think, work, socialize, call your own – more space to live for life. Feel your best every day with the signature Heavenly Bed, spa-inspired bathrooms with all-refreshing bath amenities. Enjoy the flexibility of a user-friendly work space with easy access to power and data connections. Every room features a 43” flat-panel HDTV. Find your own space The design of Element by Westin Bali Ubud experience will give you everything you need to stay energized, active and whole.

Rise: Breakfast Wake up to our signature healthful breakfast, featuring Western and Asian cuisine, refreshing smoothies, wholesome granola, fresh fruit, gourmet coffee and more. Always complimentary.

Relax: Evening reception Join us for the Relax happy hour, our complimentary evening get-together, offered weekly. Each gathering features carefully selected food and beverage pairings and an opportunity to mingle.

Restaurant: Andong Teras All day dining venue with an open kitchen from 6.30 AM–10.00 PM. Located below the hotel lobby with access to pool side. Andong Teras serves only the freshest produce, straight from our onsite garden, and local produce from Ubud and Bali Island.

Rejuvenate: PancaMaya wellness Get pampered at “PancaMaya” wellness and spa with five treatment rooms designed for the ultimate in relaxation. All products are freshly made, utilized for all spa treatments featuring; body massage, body skin exfoliation, facial and more.

Motion: Fitness room Set your pace at “Motion”, our light-filled fitness room, with state of the art “LifeFitness” machines and convenient 24/7 access.

15

Sudamala Resort Group is welcoming their newest property,

Pondok Laut family.

S

, into their

udamala

Resort

Group

management has decided to add a new property to their

collection. Pondok Laut Bungalows, the quirky beachside property which boasts a Japanese theme recently joined the Sudamala Resort Group.

The bungalow is located at Amed Beach area. It offers just a handful or so of eclectically furnished rooms that make for a memorable stay.

16

Ibis Styles Bali Kuta Circle has been rebranded into Dvaree Diva Kuta Bali

I

bis Styles Bali Kuta Circle has been rebranded into Dvaree Diva Kuta Bali as of 1st February 2018. Their management has

decided to leave the Ibis network and joins the Dvaree Hotels and Resorts Group. Recognized as one of Thailand`s premier hospitality companies, D Varee Hotels and Resorts will officially be the group’s 1st operating hotel in Indonesia.

17

The Bali Khama Resort and Spa Tanjung Benoa Ceased Operation

T

he management of The Bali Khama Resort and Spa Tanjung Benoa

cease

has

announced

to

operational since February

20th, 2018. After more than ten years competing in hotel industry on Bali’s South Peninsula Tanjung benoa, the management of this luxury beach resort and villa has decided to bid farewell. On their journey, the won some prestigious awards such as Winners of Trip Advisor’s Award Of Excellence in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

18

Sahid Hotels announces five new Indonesia locations Sahid Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion on homeground with the signing of five new resorts in Bogor, Bandung, Pangandaran, Lombok and Gili Trawangan.

S

oft opening in 3Q2018, Sahid Resort Gili Trawangan Lombok, will sit on a four-hectare plot on the northwest tip of Lombok, comprising 50 villas, a

number of international restaurants, a swimming pool with a pool bar, glamping area, outdoor facilities and more features.

This joins the group’s portfolio of 19 hotels located in Wakatobi, Bintan, Lampung, Jakarta, Cikarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Pekalongan, Malang, Surabaya, Manado, Toraja, Makassar and Papua.

The most recent opening is the Wakatobi Patuno Resort Managed

by Sahid, featuring 33 rooms and 38 cottages, and located in the heart of Wangi-Wangi, one of four Wakatobi islands in Southeast Sulawesi.

19

Favehotel Tasikmalaya boosts popular budget brand to 40 cities.

The opening of favehotel Tasikmalaya marks Archipelago International (A.I.)’s seventh hotel opening in West Java, underscoring the popularity and demand for the company’s brands. Approximately 30 minutes from Wiriadinata Airport, the brand new favehotel Tasikmalaya is positioned at the heart of Tasikmalaya’s thriving business and commercial district.

“favehotel

is

expanding

nationwide at a rapid pace and we’re thrilled to introduce this

brand

to

Tasikmalaya.

With the opening of the hotel in Tasikmalaya, favehotel now has a presence in more than 40 cities around Indonesia and we look forward to continuing to serve our guests as we enter many new destinations in the future.” said Winston Hanes (below), director of operations of Archipelago International.

20

This select-service hotel offers 120 rooms, consisting of 76 Superior Rooms, 36 Deluxe Rooms, 4 Family Rooms and 4 Suites. Set to host meetings, exhibitions, and other corporate or social occasions, favehotel Tasikmalaya is completed by six meeting rooms and one ballroom with a capacity of up to 900 people.

Launched in 2009, favehotel is a pioneer in the smart and budget hotel space and has grown exponentially from less than five hotels to more than 50 hotels throughout Indonesia and Malaysia. Inexpensive, fresh, attractive, contemporary and simple are the attributes that make favehotels so surprisingly different and destined to become the favorite choice for smart, budget-minded travelers.

21

TAUZIA has announced the opening of POP! Hotel Pemuda Semarang and POP! Hotel Solo, in Central Java.

T

heir aim is to satisfy demand for budget hotels targeted to quality conscious

travelers

seeking

accommodation at affordable price.

POP! Hotels is a network of eco-friendly budget hotels; there are currently 23 properties in operation with another 15 scheduled to open by 2023 across Indonesia.

POP Hotel Pemuda Semarang opened its doors on 10 January with 134 rooms and 2 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 70 guests while POP! Solo opened on 15 January with 189 rooms and 4 meeting rooms with capacity up to 60 guests for meetings and private events.

Both hotels offer PitStop, a lobby and living space experience offering a blend of Cafe + convenience store.

PitStop operates 24 hours a day and is designed to become a public and interactive social hub for young business professionals and millennial travelers.

A series of ready-to-eat snacks are on sale, as well as rice boxes, sandwiches, pastries, pastas, and hot and cold drinks.

Benjamin Castel, Director of Operations POP! Hotels, said: “The opening of these 2 hotels marks the presence of POP! Hotels in Central Java to accommodate the growing business and leisure travelers in the region as it continues to develop.

“We have grown our network to 23 hotels in operations across Indonesia and we are continuing the expansion and bringing fresh modern approach to budget hotels.”

On Mengiat Beach, home of Ayodya Resort Bali, an intimate dinner for two on the beach promises to take your romance to a whole new level. As the sun sets, the beach transforms into a romantic atmosphere that will elevate you and your significant other to the mood of love.

Indulge yourselves on Valentine’s Day with an exclusive romantic dinner, offered in two different variations, as well as a vegan option.

23

Wyndham launches resort in a dream destination A second Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened in Bali, located near Dreamland Beach.

President and managing director of Wyndham Hotel Group South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Barry Robinson said, “The opening of our sixth hotel in Bali underscores Wyndham’s commitment to growing our footprint in soughtafter locations.”

The resort is a minute’s walk to Dreamland Beach, a coastline with unspoiled white sands, and home beach clubs and local cafes.

Opposite the resort, the New Kuta Golf Course offers golfers an 18-hole links-styled fairway terrain overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The resort is well-equipped for seminars, meetings or social events with four venues The 177-room Wyndham Dreamland Bali, owned by

available. The largest function room, which

PT. Accolades Lakshmi Resort, marks Wyndham Hotel

is flanked by floor to ceiling windows, can

Group’s sixth location on the island, joining Ramada Bali

accommodate up to 300 people for a seminar

Sunset Road Kuta, Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali,

or 250 for a banquet.

Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach Bali, Ramada Bintang Bali

Three small meeting rooms are available for

Resort and Ramada Encore Bali Seminyak.

boardroom discussions or breakout sessions.

24

First Marriott branded hotel in Indonesia opens “Indonesia is one of our fastest-growing source markets for both domestic and international travel and it is only fitting that the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel is in such a historic and culturally significant destination,” said Mike Fulkerson, brand & marketing, vice president Asia-Pacific, Marriott International.

M

arriott

International

opened

its

first

has

Marriott

branded hotel in Indonesia,

the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel.

“Indonesia is one of our fastest-growing source markets for both domestic and international travel and it is only fitting that the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel is in such a historic and culturally significant destination,” said Mike Fulkerson, brand & marketing, vice president Asia-Pacific, Marriott International.

All 347 guestrooms and suites are designed in the ‘Marriott Modern’ style, which includes the latest technology

Guests can tuck in to a local and international selection

and fast Wi-Fi connection to help guests

of food at three dining venues: all-day dining buffet

stay connected.

restaurant Yogyakarta Kitchen; Taman Sari Bar & Grill; and

The property also features impressive

the Lounge for casual cocktails.

meeting facilities with one boardroom,

There is a spa and outdoor swimming pool.

seven

pre-

Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel is located 20 minutes from Adi

function areas and a 1,870-sqm pillarless

Sutjipto International Airport, and an hour’s drive from

ballroom – the largest in Yogyakarta.

UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Borobudur Temple.

meeting

rooms,

several

24

AIRLINE UPDATES The latest news in the airline industry including airline trends, airports and market news in Indonesia

25

28

Garuda Indonesia to Fly Mumbai – Bali

T

he Indonesia National Flag Carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced plans to open direct flight services between Bali and Mumbai, India.

The State News Agency Antara reports that Garuda’s India plans reflect the fast growing number of Indian tourist visitors to Bali and the strong demand among Indian travelers for Bali as a holiday destination.

The head of cargo for Garuda Indonesia, Sigit Muhartono, while attending the inaugural flight from Xian (China) to Bali on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, said, “India represents an extraordinary market with a growth rate of 36%.”

Sigit said he hopes a successful launch of a Mumbai-Bali service would support goals to increase the system-wide income of Garuda by 14.5% in 2018.

Sigit revealed that in 2017, the total revenue of Garuda Indonesia reached US$2.9 billion with almost 50% of all income derived from international services.

In addition to adding an Indian service, Garuda has plans to widen its Chinese market by serving destinations such as Kumning, Shenyang following the inauguration of services Bali-Xian and Bali-Zhengzhou.

Judi Rifayantoro, an expert staff to the Minister of Tourism, welcome the declaration to start a Bali-Mumbai service, saying: “While there are indirect flight connecting Bali and Mumbai with intermediate stops in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, if Garuda opens a Bali-Mumbai service this will be very good.”

India now ranks as the third largest source of tourist visitors to Bali, increasing by 48.2% in 2017 over total arrivals in 2016.

No exact date has been given for the commencement of the new Bali – Mumbai flight service with Garuda Indonesia.

29

Indonesia Ranks National Carriers

The official rankings for OTP by

with Best On Time

• Nam Air OTP 92.62% over a total of 32,209 flights.

Performance

R

Indonesian airlines in 2017:

• Sriwijaya Air OTP 88.69% over a total of 67,673 flights.

• Batik Air OTP 88.66% over a total of

ecords

maintained

by

Civil

Aviation

Authorities have ranked 14 Indonesian airlines

in

terms

of

their

on-time

performance (OTP) – all delivering flights per their announced schedule more than 85% of the time.

As reported by Kompas.com, only one of the Airlines – NAM Air – managed to post the highest performance above 90% operating 29,832 flights with an OTP of 92.62%.

84,900 flights.

• Garuda OTP 88.53% over a total of 200,918 flights.

• Citilink OTP 88.33% over a total of 84,808 flights.

• AirAsia Extra OTP 77.42% over a total of 7,747 flights.

• Indonesia Air Asia OTP 75.94% over a total of 7,378 flights.

Four other airlines make up the 5 best airlines in terms of on time performance with Sriwijaya in 2nd place at 88.69%, Batik Air in 3rd place at 88.66%, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia at 4th place at 88.53%, and the Garuda subsidiary Citilink in 5th place with an OTP of 88.33%.

• Travel Express OTP 74.40% over a total of 9,287 flights.

• Susi Air OTP 72.65% over a total of 6,781 flights.

• TransNusa OTP 71.36% over a total of 737 flights.

• Lion Mentari OTP 71.32% over a total

Plans by Garuda to have the highest OTP were made

problematic

by

several

system-wide

scheduling breakdowns that caused havoc nationwide.

of 196,932 flights • Wings Air OTP 65.47% over a total of 108,278 flights • Kalstar Aviation OTP 58.1%% over

For all of 2017, the Directorate of Civil Aviation

a total of12,177 flights. Ceased

recorded an 8.5% increase the total number of

operations on September 30, 2017.

domestic flights flown at 828,608 as compared to

• Triguna Air OTP 42.49% over a total of

the 763,522 domestic flights flown in 2016.

8,784 flights.

As a whole, Indonesian airlines averaged an OTP of 80.14%, a figure that is 2.5% less than the 2016 OTP of 82.67%

29

Shorter airport train times to be expected: Jakarta

T

ravel time for the airport train connecting Sudirman Baru Station, South Jakarta and

Soekarno-Hatta

International

Airport in Banten will soon be shortened from 55 minutes to 38 minutes, as pledged by Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

Launched in December, the airport train is operated by PT Railink, the subsidiary of stateowned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II and state-owned railway operator KAI. To cut travel time, Sumadi said train operations at the Batu Ceper Station in Banten will be intensified, as it often sees a surge in commuters boarding the train there.

The government also plans to operate airport trains in three other cities – Padang in West Sumatra, Palembang in South Sumatra and Surakarta in Central Java – soon.

32

Work Starts on the Enlargement of the Parking Apron for Aircraft at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport

W

ork on the enlargement of the apron area at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport has formally commenced.

When

completed,

the

enlarged

apron

will stand on reclaimed land covering 48 hectares of ocean surface and be sufficient to accommodate parking for 10 aircraft.

The total cost of the project is put at Rp. 1.7 trillion.

NusaBali reports that the reclaimed apron area located on the western end of the runway in Bali is now officially under construction.

The airport’s management says the new apron over reclaimed land is targeted for completion in August 2018, in advance of the October International Monetary Fund-World Bank Summit set for Bali.

Work is also being done on increasing apron space on the eastern end of the runway and the creation of a VVIP terminal at the eastern end of the current airport. The two additional projects are still in the planning and bidding stage.

33

Qantas to fly daily between Melbourne to Bali starting June

T

ravelweekly.com.au reports that Qantas will operate a daily flight between Melbourne and Bali commencing June

23, 2018.

The new flight service, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, will complement the existing daily Sydney-Denpasar service.

Reflecting strong and growing demand for Bali among Australian travelers, the announcement of the new Qantas service comes as Jetstar has increased its MelbourneBali service from 10 flights per week to 2 flights per day.

Qantas flies a full service schedule with two classes of services, checked bag allowances, in-flight entertainment and inclusive food and drink service.

With the new service, between Jetstar and Qantas - the Qantas Group will operate 84 return flights per week between Bali and Australia.

The new daily Melbourne – Denpasar service commencing on June 23, 2018 will see QF45 depart at 4:50 pm local time and land in Bali at 9:10 Bali time.

The return flight QF46 leaves Bali at 10:10 pm landing in Melbourne at 5:55 am the following day.

34

35

Emirates to launch new Dubai-BaliAuckland service Dubai-based airline Emirates is set to launch a new Dubai-Bali-Auckland service starting June 14.

C

laiming to be “the only year-round nonstop daily flight between Bali and Auckland”, the service will use a Boeing 777-300ER offering eight first class

seats, 42 business class seats and 304 economy class seats.

The airline currently offers two daily services between Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and Bali, providing only business and economy seats.

“We’re pleased to introduce additional capacity to serve the strong demand for travel to Bali, and to Auckland. We are confident that our year-round service between Auckland and Bali will be well received by our customers, not only in New Zealand and Indonesia, but also from our global network particularly from markets like the [United Kindom], Europe and the Middle East,” said Emirates airline president Sir Tim Clark in a statement on Monday.

The aforementioned flight EK450 will leave Dubai at 6:55 a.m., arriving at Denpasar, Bali, at 8:20 p.m. local time and depart to Auckland, New Zealand, at 10 p.m. Meanwhile, flight EK451 will depart Auckland at 12:40 p.m., arriving in Denpasar at 5:55 p.m. local time and take off for Dubai at 7:50 p.m.

Besides Bali, Emirates also serves a Jakarta-Dubai route 18 times per week.

36

37

Banyuwangi as a New Gateway to Bali

– The Quick Way to Access Bali’s West and North, Now Poised to Become International Airport -

Banyuwangi’s Airport is on course to become Bali’s de facto second airport as it prepares to become an international airport in 2019.

Indonesia’s

Tourism

Minister

Arief

Yahya visited the Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi on Thursday, February 15, 2018, during which he praised the East Java destination as having fulfilled the three main criteria to become a world tourism destination, namely: world class attractions; a complete range of supporting amenities; and increasing ease of access.

As reported by Kompas.com, the Minister of Tourism said that it was likely that Banyuwangi would soon operate direct international flights

with

Singapore,

Malaysia,

and

Australia.

Yahya also said that Banyuwangi’s role as a landing port and parking area for VIP jets during the October 2018 International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting in Bali will represent a moment of “great momentum”

to

introduce

tourism to the world.

Banyuwangi

Banyuwangi welcomed 497,000 tourists in 2010, rising dramatically to 4.01 million tourists in 2016. International tourist numbers increased from only 5,205 in 2010 to 91,000 in 2017 - bringing Rp. 546 billion in foreign exchange to the national tourism economy.

M. Awaluddin, the CEO of PT Angkasa Pura II, who manage the Banyuwangi Airport, revealed that discussions and feasibility studies are being carried out in cooperation with the Australian airline Jetstar on possible flight service to Banyuwangi.

Angkasa Pura says Rp. 400 billion is needed to make Banyuwangi an international airport by widening and lengthening the current runway to accommodate larger jets.

Banyuwangi in East Java is only a short ferry ride from the Balinese Port of Gilimanuk and has the potential of improving accessibility by air to West and North Bali.

NI PUTU PUSPITA DEWI Products Assistant

In this edition, we proudly introduce you to our Products Department team member, Ms. Ni Putu Puspita Dewi.

She graduated from Law College Udayana University on Denpasar, Bali. Her career in tourism industry started when she joins Asia World Indonesia two years ago.

As part of Products team, she works closely with her Team Leader to create sophisticated and interesting products as well as organizing and updating all product details on the system. She also often communicate with suppliers to update pricing for upcoming years.

spends most of her time doing various sports especially Self Defense sports.

Feel free to contact Putu at: puspita@asiaworldindonesia.com

38

HR NEWS

In her free time, this silver medal winner for Pencak Silat,

37

40

JAKARTA International Java Jazz Festival 2018

The 14th Jakarta International Java Jazz

music festivals in Indonesia. They have some of

Festival will be held on March 2nd, 2018 at JI

annual festivals, such as Jakarta International

EXPO Jakarta. Java Festival Production as the

BNI Java Jazz Festival, Java Rockin’land, Java

event organizer of this annual event has more

Soulnation, Soundsfair.

than 13 years of experience in organizing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPyoUfn34w4

41

TRIBAL PEOPLE OF INDONE

The Asmat

42

ESIA

A

smat people who live along the remote southeast coast around Agats are famed for their artistic “primitive� woodcarving.

Modern civilization did not reach this area until recently. Agats has an interesting museum filled with woodcarvings and other objects. The area however is still largely untamed wilderness. Asmat crash received a boost in late 1960s under a United Nations supported project to encourage local craftsmen to keep alive their art.

The Asmat homeland comprises the rugged and isolated southern coast of Irian Jaya. It is an area of approximately 10,000 square miles and comprises mainly swamps and mangroves.

Ancestor figures were traditionally made only for the festival honoring Fumer-ipits. They wear a unique costume. Tourists demand, however, is as resulted to change to this custom. Previously, after the festival, the figure is discarded into the forests near a sago tree because it was believed that as the wood of the carving is deteriorated, the power of the ancestor was transferred to the sago palm.

Other ancestor carvings are designed as elements in larger carvings, such as canoe prows, paddles or ancestor poles.

The Asmat believe that all things have a spirit whether humans, animals, plants and even special locations such as a whirlpool or the bottom of a river.

They also believe that the world is divided between that which can be seen and that which is unseen which is the realm of the spirits. It is considered important to maintain a proper balance between the seen and the unseen. In this respect, birth and death balanced the population between the seen and unseen realms and one cannot take place without the other. This would manifest itself in disease, hunger, death and misfortune that will be caused by the unsettled spirits.

43

40

41

46

T

he start of “Caka” year - Balinese New Year – is celebrated by the Hindus over a course of six

Nyepi Ceremony

Balinese New Year

days, with the ogoh-ogoh parades after sunset

of day two and Nyepi, day of silence, falling on day three. On the 3rd day the entire Island comes to a standstill, with no scheduled incoming or outgoing flights from Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar (DPS).

Nyepi is a day that the Hindu Balinese dedicate completely to connect more deeply with God (Hyang Widi Wasa) through prayer, fasting and meditation with an additional layer of introspection of the Self, to evaluate personal values such as love, truth, patience, kindness, and generosity.

This religious ceremony is bigger and more lavish than any other in the year. There is a myth that, after the boisterous and active celebrations of day 1 and day 2, the Island goes into hiding to protect itself from the evil spirits, fooling them to believe that Bali, enveloped in an atmosphere of complete tranquility and peace, is a deserted Island. This myth dates back to the mythical times of evil spirits, Gods, superheroes and witches.

On Nyepi Day, Hotels are asked to cover their windows, all shops are closed, all! No light or candle will be lit in any Balinese home, no cars on the road, no motorbikes, no people. It’s indeed a special

Contrary to several other cultures all

experience, not only for the Balinese but also for all

around the world who celebrate the

the visitors and tourists that are on Bali during Nyepi

New Year with dynamic and sparkling

Day. If you are in Bali during Nyepi make sure you

festivities, the crowning point of the

do not plan any traveling or outside activities.

Balinese New Year 6 day celebration is

On the day after Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni,

a day dedicated to complete silence

social activity picks up again quickly, as families and

- NYEPI.

friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together.

Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, nonHindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens.

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Good to Know about Nyepi Nyepi is the most important and sacred Hindu holiday on Bali and is a general public holiday in the rest of Indonesia.

The famous ogoh-ogoh parades, where Balinese men (and boys) carry scary creatures of respectable sizes through the streets accompanied by noise and gamelan music is happening on “Nyepi Eve”, the evening of the second day after New Year.

Tourists and visitors are welcome to watch the parades, take pictures and witness this unique spectacle. Some of these ogohogohs are actually burnt after the parade.

On the actual day of Nyepi (3rd day of the 6-day festival) the entire Island is “closed”.

The roads are off limit to all types of motorized vehicles and people on foot! The airport is closed. All grocery, clothes and other types of shops are closed. For tourists and Balinese. Restaurants are closed. The Beach is prohibited. Basically anything other than being indoors is restricted.

While indoors the inhabitants must ensure that all audio devices are turned down to a minimum volume. As the day draws to an end and the sun sets, the curtains need to be drawn shut, with minimum light being used in ones living quarter. If an airplane was to fly over Bali, the Island would not be seen. To ensure that all the rules are obeyed local watchmen known as Pecalang (Nyepi Police) are deployed all over the Island.

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Nyepi Parade The evening before Nyepi day Balinese carry large Ogoh Ogoh through Bali’s streets. Already young kids follow the example of their fathers. The statues are up to 25feet tall and can be very heavy. With the help of a bamboo grid a large group of men carry the ogoh ogoh followed by Balinese gamelan musicians.

OMED-OMEDAN ‘BALINESE FESTIVAL OF SPLASHES AND SMOOCHES’

O

med-Omedan is a traditional festivity restricted to the village of Sesetan. It is held on the day

after Nyepi day, when the youth and whole sub-village of Banjar Kaja Sesetan take to the street where water is splashed and sprayed, and the highlight being two sides of the crowd in a tug-o-war-like scene with a pair in the middle ‘forced’ to smooch at each interval.

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PAGERWESI CELEBRATION

P

agerwesi is the concluding day for the ‘wealth’ series of celebrations.

It signifies spiritual ‘reinforcement’.

Its name, combining the words pager and wesi, suggests ‘iron fence’ in English.

Anything of high importance, the soul and spirit in this sense, should be protected from negative influences. The day is the final significant highlight in this series of holy days in Bali. It aims to protect the blessed subjects of spiritual assets celebrated in the previous days.

TUMPEK LANDEP

Ceremony in Bali

T

umpek Landep is a ceremonial day at which offerings are made for objects that are made of metal. The

ceremonies start in the morning hours at the village temple when people gather for special prayers and blessings. Afterwards, at

the

home

compounds,

additional

ceremonies and blessings follow at which offerings are made for the holy family keris that most families own, but also for cars and motorbikes. In these modern times, also other objects that contain metal, such as computers, may be subject to these ceremonies.

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PURNAMA KEDASA

10th Full Moon

T

his special full moon is considered highly significant amongst Balinese Hindus. Known as ‘Purnama Kedasa’

in the local tongue, the day coincides with many major temples celebrating in festive rituals, attended by thousands of devotees.

The famous mother temple, Besakih, holds a special ceremony known as ‘Betara Turun Kabeh’ on this special day, inviting the gods and deified ancestors for their blessings. A ‘melasti’ or purification pilgrimage usually takes place on the preceding Sunday, with processions carrying heirlooms and temple objects to holy water sources.

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Barong Dance Bali

Barong, masked figure, usually representing an unidentified creature called keket, who appears at times of celebration in Bali, Indonesia. For the Balinese, Barong is the symbol of health and good fortune, in opposition to the witch, Rangda (also known as Calonarang). During a dance-drama that includes the famous kris (heirloom sword) dance, in which deeply entranced performers turn swords on themselves but emerge unharmed, Barong confronts Rangda in magical combat. Barong is brought to life by two dancers encased in an ornately decorated harness. From the figure’s mask hangs a beard of human hair decorated with frangipani flowers, in which the magic power of Barong is thought to reside.

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Melasti

is a Hindu Balinese purification ceremony and ritual, which according to Balinese calendar is held several days prior to the Nyepi holy day. It is observed by Hindus in Indonesia, especially in Bali.

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Ingredients • 6 bay leaves (Indonesian: daun salam) • 3 kaffir lime leaves (Indonesian: daun jeruk) • 1 inch galangal (Indonesian: lengkuas), bruised • 2 lemongrass (Indonesian: sereh), bruised and knotted • 1 tea bag of black tea (optional)

• 75 gram palm sugar (Indonesian: gula Jawa) • 1½ teaspoon salt • 500 gram young jackfruit (Indonesian: nangka muda), cut into bite size pieces • 1 liter coconut milk • 4 hard boiled eggs (optional)

Grind the following into spice paste • 50 gram shallots (Indonesian: bawang merah) • 4 cloves garlic (Indonsian: bawang putih) • 8 candlenuts (Indonesian: kemiri) • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (Indonesian: biji ketumbar)

How to make 1. Place bay leaves, lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, tea bag, salt, palm sugar, and spice paste into a soup pot. If you have a claypot big enough to cook this, it will be even better.

2. Add jackfruit into the pot. Pour coconut milk into the pot, making sure that everything is submerged, bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat, add hard boiled eggs (if using), and simmer on the lowest heat setting possible until all liquid is fully absorbed by the jackfruit and eggs. Stir every 30 minutes or so.

This process should take about 4 to 5 hours.

4. Turn off heat, adjust seasoning as needed, some people really like their gudeg to be on the sweet side. Remove all the leaves. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature.

Gudeg

Yogyakarta

• Yogyakarta Jackfruit Strew •

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Tour of The Month

T

he 8 days and 7 Nights The Derawan Island Experience, is like the typical dream of

tropical paradise with seclud-ed white sand beaches, clear blue water and some co-conut trees providing some shade. Located in Berau district, of the coast of East Kalimantan and it is one of the bests diving spot in the world. Beautiful Maratua Is-land with white sand and great under water creature. Kakaban Island with Stingless Jellyfishes Lake and beauti-ful coral reef. Sangalaki Island place Green Turtle conservation. Visit Labuan Cermin to enjoy two layer lake and see Whale Shark at Talisayan. No need to mention, it’s features pristine nature!

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THE DERAWAN ISLAND EXPERIENCE

Activities • Explore Benua Baru Dayak Kayan Village & welcom-ing by Dayak Ceremony.

• Visit Pulau Bawan as the Orangutan Island in the Le-san River, afterwards a short jungle trek, upon the field condition, possibility to the waterfall, old Dayak grave and limestone cave.

• Snorkeling or relaxing at the beach overlooking the blue lagoon sea sun get down at Mertau Island • Sail to Sangalaki Island which is called the Capital of The Mantas Rays, Snorkeling & dive and explore the Turtle bay • Enjoy diving off Kakaban Island and snorkeling in its Lake.

• Watch the Whale Shark swimming & sightseeing at Talisayan Village.

• Swim in the lake, snorkeling and enjoy

Highlights • Benua Baru Dayak Village • Merasa Orangutan Jungle Trek • Maratua Island, Sangalaki Island , Kakaban Island & Derawan Island • Whale Watching at Talisayan village

the forest greenery around the lake at

• Labuan Cermin Lake

Labuan Batu Cermin.

• Kaniungan Island

• Trekking to Bidadari Waterfalls.

• Teluk Sumbang Village & Bidadari Waterfalls 59

Yogyakarta & Magelang, Central Java Cultural Tour Package

4D3N BOROBUDUR SUNRISE

Overview Jogjakarta or simply Jogja, is one of the foremost cultural centers of Java. Located at the foot of the still active Merapi volcano, Jogjakarta was in the 16th and 17th centuries the seat of the mighty Javanese empire of Mataram, from which present day Jogjakarta has inherited the best of traditions. Home to the Sultan of Jogja this city itself has a special charm and quiet refinement which seldom fails to captivate the visitor. Renowned as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, Indonesia style ballet, drama, music, poetry and shadow puppet shows. It is also known for its vivid contemporary art scene, and its gamelan music, which developed in the royal courts of the Sultans.

Borobudur Monument, one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. This huge temple complex dates back to the 9th century and together with Prambanan Temple is the largest draw card for visitors to Jogjakarta. From pure beaches to thousands of years old ancient temples with a unique combination of history, traditions, culture and natural forces making Jogjakarta a very worthwhile place to visit.

Highlights    

Borobudur Sunrise Prambanan Temples Candirejo Javanese Village Merapi Volcano

Activities         

Visit Borobudur at sunrise Participate in Javanese culture and daily life at Candirejo traditional village View Merapi Volcano from vantage point Witness the handmade batik making Visit the silversmiths in Kotagede Immerse yourself in Javanese culture at the Sultans Palace Visit Taman Sari or Water Castle Find a bargain at Beringharjo Market Visit Prambanan Temple

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