Bali Travel Newspaper Vol. I No. 21-22

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no 21 • nopember 26-desember 11 ○

Dung and paper are two words you never imagine will come in a single sentence. But this year the Bali Safari & Marine Park makes it possible and real, namely by the opening the Safari Poo Paper Factory Continue on page I V

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II ○

Green Corner

No 21-22/I/November 25- December 10 ○

Tri Hita Karana

”All-Inclusive”

THK is a life philosophy which is covering all aspects of business or life, nothing excluding By Jan Hendrik Peters STRATEGIC ADVISOR THK FOUNDATION

erything on Bali, but don’t forget that a THK Award is not for sale and that’s exactly why organizations are eager to fight for it.

THK ALL INCLUSIVE THK AS INK-SPOT You may safely say that I am an enthusiastic follower and promoter of the philosophy of THK. It would be implausible to pretend otherwise. In each issue of this journal I have written an article during the last two years, in which I reflected on many aspects of this THK philosophy and its impact on tourism and daily life of the Balinese. This issue of Bali Travel Newspaper is special because it coincides with the yearly ceremony of the official presentation of the THK Awards to all organizations that more or less successfully implemented THK in their activities. All kinds of organizations are involved: hotels, resorts, villas, specific tourism objects, schools, hotelschools and universities, and –not to forget- government offices. And this process of extension will continue and will finally also include the traditional village (desa adat) and the organization that takes care for the irrigation system (subak) that both can be considered as icons in which THK has already been practiced for ages. It has to be the ambition of the THK Foundation to involve all organizations on Bali. That’s a hell of a job and can only be realized step by step, because you need many professionals for a righteous assessment of each organization. The assessment teams, each consisting of 3 experts in respectively spiritual, social and environmental, will judge the performance of each organization. This functioning as a team prevents arbitrariness and makes sure that a well-considered and fair judgment will be given. Objectivity, expertise and fairness are the characteristics of a THK team. Often people are saying that with money you can buy ev-

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Everywhere I discussed the relevance of THK, I perceived some persistent misunderstanding that I want to clear up. If not, this misunderstanding would be a handicap in developing THK as life philosophy of all Balinese. Some people assume that THK is something specific, something extra you pay attention to as a specific activity or as a specific project. This assumption is widespread but to my opinion fundamentally wrong. THK is a life philosophy which is covering all aspects of business or life, nothing excluding. Just following the rituals is simply not enough. In hotels with an all inclusive formula guests have to surrender and trust the hotel, placing the success of their entire holiday in the hands of the employees of the hotel. Balinese people who surrender to the all inclusive THK philosophy do even more. They trust their whole life to the spirit of THK. Accepting THK as your guide in professional and personal life means that you are aware of the subtle balance between spiritual, social and environmental. In respecting these three dimensions coherently, men finally find peace and happiness, while businesses will achieve sustainability and society as a whole becomes sustainable. But again, sustainability will only be achieved as long as balance is respected between the three dimensions of THK. When in a hotel much has been done regarding spiritual and environmental, but the quality of human resources is poor and employees are much more considered as costs

and not so much as assets, this hotel will not deserve a THK Gold Award. This will only be attainable when at the next assessment the hotel can prove that they changed their policy regarding human resources and are investing in employees instead of considering them as necessary costs that have to be reduced in order to increase the profit on behalf of shareholders.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP The principle of THK as all inclusive implies that whatever you are planning to undertake on Bali, it has to be implemented in the spirit of THK. Or you can say that without respecting THK as framework for the development of certain programs or policies, these are already bef o r e h a n d doomed to fall through. Foreign investors would do wise in exploring Balinese society before starting any activity. If they would overlook the THK as life philosophy of the Balinese, they will experience that their investment will be lost. And after this blunder it will be difficult to create a second chance because of the distrust by the Balinese. Let me give you an example just to demonstrate how important it is to explore the Balinese society and what can happen when you disregard the philosophy of THK as the framework for new business. A successful restaurant owner with several restaurants in Amsterdam decided all of a sudden to stop with his business in The Netherlands, starting new business on Bali. With much money in his pocket he bought a restaurant in Sanur which he remodeled into a restaurant, specialized in authentic Indonesian food and focused on tourists, especially those from The Netherlands. In the past he has

Accepting THK as your guide in professional and personal life means that you are aware of the subtle balance between spiritual, social and environmental.

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proved to be a successful business man, so why not prove it again on Bali. As a professional the Dutch entrepreneur had made a solid business plan and he was optimistic about making profit in his new restaurant on Bali. But he made one big mistake by overlooking the Balinese culture. The restaurant made profit from the very beginning and the Dutch entrepreneur was convinced that he was on the right track. But this perception was just illusion. His mindset was completely based on typical western values with disregard of the values which are related to Hinduism. Even after a half year he did not know about the THK and disqualified all rituals and ceremonies as not relevant for running a restaurant. In the second half year the relationship with his employees worsened by not permitting his employees to participate in all kinds of ceremonies in their villages. From that moment on the business went down and the optimistic Dutch entrepreneur changed into a disillusioned man. Before the first year was finished, he sold his restaurant and returned with his wife to The Netherlands, trying hard to find a new job, which is not easy in a time of recession. My comment can be short. This Dutch businessman neglected completely the differences that exist between the East and the West. He came to Bali with western norms and values and refused to adapt to the typical Balinese culture. No wonder he came in conflict with his Balinese employees. Sometimes he lost control over his emotions which resulted in a loss of control over his employees. Much more could be said about his inability to handle Balinese employees. This has been the real reason of his failure to become successful on Bali. The last time I visited his restaurant I felt the tension between the Dutch owner and his................................................ CONTINUE ON PAGE V


General Info ○

III

No 21-22/I/November 25- December 10

MOST INNOVATIVE ECOTOURISM PROJECTS 2011

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Greentraveller publishes its tops of the 2011 tops Sleek contemporary furnishings and boutique bathrooms are all well and good say Greentraveller, but for many of Britain’s upmarket holiday companies – not to mention their customers – green credentials are now as important as designer add-ons. The 2011 green list ranges from places to stay to transport initiatives, festivals, and adventure and conservation holidays. All are pushing the boundaries of what green travel means.

Little White Alice

Nature Travels

Car Free Walks

PLACES TO STAY:

SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAYS

TRANSPORT

Little White Alice, Cornwall

La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras

B-bug, Brecon Beacons

The houses are a mix of wood and stone, sleeping two to eight; some have wood-burners, private decks, wet rooms and bespoke willow work, and there’s an art studio offering lessons. A wind turbine produces most of the cottages’ electricity, ground source heat pumps provide underfloor heating, and solar panels hot water.

Tregulland, Cornwall The place is effectively off-grid for heating and water, thanks to a huge biomass boiler that keeps the indoor freshwater pool at a balmy 26C, as well as heating a steam room and outdoor hot tub. Its 16 acres of woodland stream and lake are great for spotting otters and migrating birds. 15 minutes to the beach at Trebarwith Strand and a little further to Crackington Haven for cliff-top walks.

The Green House, Dorset Solid wood furniture was made using trees felled by storms or tree surgeons, rain water’s harvested for irrigation, and the restaurant uses local, organic food, and only organic and biodynamic wines – energy comes from solar panels and a combined heat and power unit.

Fattoria San Martino, Tuscany, Italy Meals are organic, locally sourced and vegetarian; heating and hot water are solar-powered; and guests can relax by the property’s natural pool.

DAYS OUT/VISITOR ATTRACTIONS California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, US Partly solar-powered and insulated with recycled jeans, it houses the world’s largest all-digital planetarium, its deepest living coral reef exhibition, and a four-storey-high rainforest. But its prize exhibit is its 2.5-acre living roof, the largest swath of native vegetation in San Francisco.

FARM:shop, Dalston, London “The world’s first farm in a shop”, as

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Six indigenous communities host travellers in palm-thatched ecolodges. They will transport you by dugout canoes through the rainforest as you tick off each adventure. Profits from the enterprise go direct to the villages.

Nature Travels, Sweden Kayaking around the Koster Islands, ski touring on the Jämtland Triangle, and timber rafting down the Klarälven river are among the adventure holidays available with Nature Travels, a UK tour operator of small-scale, low-impact trips. It is operated in Sweden using local guides and services.

Sicilian Experience, Italy The scheme encourages locals, especially the young, to take pride in their heritage and promote local traditions. Organic gardening is flourishing and you can expect to find local olive oil, preserved vegetables and organic jams in your apartment. Traidcraft Meet the People Tours, worldwide. While exploring the country, you stay with the small-scale farmers who make fairtrade products.

Village Ways, India and Ethiopia Beginning at Binsar, a wildlife sanctuary in the Himalayan foothills, you take gentle, guided walks from village to village, staying in guesthouses and eating home-grown vegetarian food. Village ways offers walking holidays in five locations in India and two in Ethiopia; a project in Kenya is under way for next year.

FARM:shop Dalston describes itself, is an experiment in urban agriculture that combines a cafe and arts venue with a mini fish farm, rooftop chicken coops, indoor allotments and a polytunnel to grow as much food as possible in what was once a derelict shop. While the space hosts regular tastings, parties and events, the produce grown on the site is also served in the cafe, in dishes such as fresh tilapia with hydroponic chilli and tomato chutney. Devised by Something & Son, an ecosocial design practice, it aims to roll out the concept around the UK.

The cute open-sided b-bugs have a fabric roof, a top speed of 30mph and a range of 20 to 25 miles. They’re charged using electricity generated by local micro-hydro schemes and use only 3kWh for every 20 miles, which the owners say equates to only three miles in a standard car. Accrington Eco Station, Lancashire The first truly “green” railway station building on the UK network opened in Accrington in December 2010. It was built from recycled stone, photovoltaic cells provide some of the station’s electricity, hot water is solarpowered, and harvested rain water is used for flushing toilets. The building houses a ticket office (operated by Northern Rail), but its purpose is also to spread the green message, via an education resource centre. Glastonbury Festival, Somerset Ticket-holders who arrived at the 2011 festival by public transport or bike were given a Green Traveller lanyard which gave them discounts on meals and Tshirts, and access to solar showers and compost toilet

Car Free Walks, UK This is a website on which users share walking routes that can be reached by bus, train, coach or ferry. Grid reference, elevation profile and OS map link is given for each, with information on accommodation, pubs and cafes. Users can rate walks and add their own routes to the growing database. Prizes are offered for the best submissions.

Party Neuf, Monmouthshire Party Neuf has pioneered the solar-powered music scene, providing non-fossil fuel energy for lights, PA sys-

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Great Gorilla Project tour

COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION Ewaso Lions Warrior Watch, Kenya In Kenya’s northern Samburu region, young men are trained to work in conservation as part of the Ewaso Lions Warrior Watch program, which aims to address the anomaly whereby the people who spend most time out in the bush are the ones who have least input into decision-making that affects that environment. Great Gorilla Project tour, Uganda One of several projects run by Way Out Experiences, a UK-based volunteering holiday specialist, the Great Gorilla Project tour puts a neat twist on the usual conservation holiday. Volunteers don’t record data or monitor animals directly. It’s all about spreading the message about gorilla conservation by taking a two-week trip to Uganda to help screen conservation documentaries. Regional good food guide, Spain The aim is to help its customers find local ingredients from shops and markets, and to point the way to the best local restaurants, from tapas bars and country tavernas to Michelin-starred restaurants. Guests can pick up some “fried milk” in a village bakery, or head for Mondoñedo to shop at Rei de las Tartas, the King of Cakes. More i n f o : h t t p : / / www.greentraveller.co.uk/greenlist (Valere Tjolle, Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Get your copy at a special offer price, 07 November, 2011)

tems and stages for 26 years at venues including Glastonbury.

Centre for Alternative Energy, Powys CAT has evolved from a 1970s outdoor laboratory to an internationally renowned visitor centre, with dozens of exhibitions on just about every eco technology under the sun. There’s a playground too, and it’s an interesting place to visit even if you’re not planning to live in a straw bale house any time soon. Come by train (the nearest station is Machynlleth) and entry is half price.


IV ○

Cover Story

No2121-22/I/November 25- December 10 no • nopember 26-desember 11 ○

’Poo Paper’ Factory in Bali Conjuring up Dungs into Beautiful Paper

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ung and paper are two words you never imag ine will come in a single sentence. But this year the Bali Safari & Marine Park makes it possible and real, namely by the opening the Safari Poo Paper Factory, Saturday (Nov 5). This first recycled paper factory in Indonesia was opened by the Regent of Gianyar, Tjokorda Artha Ardhana Sukawati. November 5, in Indonesia, set forth as the Day of National Flowers and Wildlife Love (HCPSN) was celebrated in Bali by the opening of the unique recycled paper factory. Present at the opening of the factory located in the Bali Safari and Marine Park were children of primary schools in the vicinity of the plant. On that day was also launched the ‘Green Safari’ namely a fun and exciting activity with the green and environment-related theme such as clean water, recycling programs, planting trees, feeding elephants and other animal as well as presentation of education throughout the day.

SAFARI POO PAPER FACTORY

should be exemplified, at least the initiative to process the waste not just for the environment but also for the world,” said the Regent of Gianyar, Tjokorda Artha Ardhana Sukawati. (BTNewspaper/PR/Krisna)

tect and preserve the Bali Mynah, a beautiful and rare bird found only on the Island of Bali. In the meantime, the elementary school students from three villages namely Lebih Village, Medahan Village and Serongga Village were invited to join in the activity by providing eco-friendly games and decorating the tree of hope where they could put their invocation related to the environment. Hans further revealed that Bali Safari & Marine Park as the best conservation organization in Indonesia had a great responsibility to contribute something that could inspire people to take part in pre-

serving the environment by reducing waste and reusing it into something creative and valuable. “It is a remarkable innovation processing the waste into a profitable product. This breakthrough

Safari Poo Paper Factory is located in the park so the raw material is very easy to get. The factory is able to turn the selected dung into beautiful organic handmade paper and can be used for various purposes, mainly the unique gift trinkets like books and so on. “Safari Park Indonesia is at the forefront of wildlife education and conservation and has commitment to protect the environment for all living beings which inhabit, such as the Sumatran tiger and elephant,” said Hans Manansang, General Manager of the Bali Safari & Marine Park. Bali Safari was also dedicated to pro-

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Around Bali ○

V

No 21-22/I/November December11 10 no 21 • nopember2526-desember ○

CONTINUED FROM PAGE II ........the Dutch owner and his employees and could see from his attitude that he felt superior to his employees. In most star-rated hotels on Bali the foreign general manager appoints a Balinese manager to handle the human resources. I am not sure, but it would have been much better when the Dutch owner had appointed a Balinese restaurant manager who would have been familiar with Balinese culture and would have known how to handle the Balinese employees. But unfortunately, remorse is easy after the event.

OUT OF BALANCE One of the characteristics of THK is to balance under all circumstances between the three dimensions and to intervene if necessary. To level the gap between rich and poor among the Balinese is probably the first challenge THK is confronted with. In this respect you will find that Bali is complete out of balance and that as long as this difference in welfare among the Balinese exists, the credibility of THK is at stake. How is it possible that on Bali where people are adhered to the philosophy of THK, the welfare is so unfair divided between the haves and have-nots. You would never expect that on the small island of Bali with so much luxury and so many star-rated hotels

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and villas, many people have difficulties to survive and young children of poor people often have to live in orphanages because their parents have no money to provide sufficient food and education. International tourists visiting Bali are always shocked to discover that on Bali, in glossy brochures referred to as the Island of the Gods, many people in the North, East and West of the island are living in poverty. That’s really not what they expected when they decided to spend their holiday on Bali. As in so many places in the world the fight against poverty and the guarantee of a decent life for all deserve top-priority also on Bali. Just to play a waiting game would be in conflict with THK and would severely damage the image of Bali as Island of the Gods or that of Bali Paradise on Earth. To be successful in bridging the gap between rich and poor and to provide a decent life for all Balinese and not just for the happy few, all key-players in tourism have to cooperate as one team, no one excluded. I am positive that based on specific programs the budget of the tourism industry will be more than sufficient to level the welfare gap on Bali. If you keep in mind that Bali tourism is flourishing thanks to the richness of culture and the beauty of nature mainly in the rural areas with the traditional villages and irrigation systems as unique experiences, it goes without saying that the profit

of tourism should also benefit the people living in these rural areas.

SPECIFIC PROGRAMS At the moment two specific programs are in the process of implementation, namely community-based tourism and community-based home care. Both programs are focused on improving the quality of life of the villagers. Community-based-tourism is aiming to generate income, while community-based-home care will improve the social welfare and health of the most vulnerable group in the community, the elderly and ill people. The considerations for implementation of community-basedtourism are clear and have already been discussed in several articles in Bali Travel Newspaper. The considerations for the introduction of home care for the elderly are relatively new. As in housing the 3 most important conditions are location, location, location, and in services people, people, people, for home care these are: in the community, for the community, by the community. As a consequence of the double ageing the number of elderly people in Indonesia will grow exponentially. The number of elderly in Indonesia at the moment is already more than 20 million, which will increase to 75 million people in 2050. Since the family planning was introduced, the number of children decreased to 2.4,

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so relatively there are more elderly people, who also become older, because of better healthcare. This means less children to take care of their parents. Moreover many young people go to the city looking for a better life, while elderly stay behind in the rural area. This development of an ageing society is not only applicable to Indonesia as a whole, but also to Bali. If not anticipated in time, the ageing society will become a burden. It is the responsibility of society to take care of elderly, so they will not feel neglected, isolated and lonesome. The way society is taking care for the elderly, can be seen as a criterion for the quality of life in society. Providing home care with professional home care teams is the right thing to do, because elderly need our respect and care. They are reluctant to leave their homes while their children and relatives feel worried to leave their parents home alone. With home care elderly can continue to live in their own house, in their own community. This is in line with the all inclusive philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. All inclusive in the spirit of Tri Hita Karana means that not only attention is paid to people who are still dynamic and living in their prime, but also to the vulnerable in society, such as the young children in the first phase of their life and the elderly in the last phase of their life. Both need our care and protection.


VI ○

Around Bali

No2121-22/I/November 25- December 10 no • nopember 26-desember 11 ○

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Flood Aid for ASEAN Solidarity President of Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in his welcoming speech, on the opening of the 19th ASEAN Summit in Nusa Dua Bali, Thursday (17/11), expressed his concern on the flood striking several ASEAN countries. The flood has caused great material losses, even hundreds of lives. “The aid that Indonesia has provided is

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no other than to show solidarity amongt ASEAN Countries”, added said President Yudhoyono. ASEAN Summit, according to President, will be discussing the development towards the achievement of ASEAN Community 2015 and the implementation of ASEAN Charter, comprising of three ASEAN Community Pillars and ASEAN Connectivity.

Moreover, the ASEAN leaders will be discussing the topic of ASEAN and broader region, covering ASEAN external relationship and East Asia Summit. The ASEAN leaders will also discuss the topic of ASEAN Community in the global community of nations as well as exchange the viewpoints on the current development and the latest situation in the region, global economy recovery, G-20 food and energy security, climate change, as well as issues that are relevant to ASEAN. This summit is expected to produce several documents, including Bali Declaration on ASEAN Community in Global Community of Nations

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The president also expressed his gratitude and appreciation on the full support of all ASEAN member countries during Indonesian chairmanship. The successful convening of the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta as well as SEA Games 2011 in Palembang and Jakarta are realized because of this support. “With the support the endorsement, we have made many achievements since the convening of 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, May 2011, I believe the same support will be given on this 19th ASEAN Summit in Bali,” he said. (BTNewspaper/MC ASEAN)


Around Bali ○

VII

No 21-22/I/November December11 10 no 21 • nopember2526-desember ○

BALI AVIATION

The Booming Skies of Indonesia Indonesian airlines are in a period of accelerated growth, despite the looming debt crisis that threatens aviation in Europe and the United States. The national flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia through the end of 2011 will add three Boeing 737-800NGs and one Airbus 330-200, and three Airbus 320s for use by their subsidiary Citilink. According to Emirsyah Satar, the CEO of Garuda Indonesia and the chairman of the National Air Carrier Association (INACA), said, “until the third quarter of 2011, airline passenger growth worldwide was only 3.7% while the growth in domestic air passengers in Indonesia stands at 15%.” Addressing his own airline, Emirsyah said that Garuda Indonesia held a 39% market share of

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domestic passengers, an increase of 5% as compared to the same period in 2010. Meanwhile, Garuda’s share of the Indonesian international passenger market is 32%. Officials from the Ministry of Transportation see great potential for growth in the Indonesian passenger market with current domestic passenger totals representing a figure equivalent to only 10% of the entire national population. At the same time, according to the official, Indonesia’s middle class continues to grow. Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport, is located in southern Bali, 13 km south of Denpasar. It is Indonesia’s third-busiest international airport. (BTNewspaper/balidiscovery.com/net)

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The Zlatogor soft Vodka is traditional Ukraine Vodka, loaded with a spicy, clean aroma, soft, slightly sweet in flavour, smoth with a medium to full weight. And made with a high quality alcohol & specially treated water from artesian that been used in production of medicinal mineral water. Zlatogor brand now has


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no 21 • nopember 26-desember 11 ○

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