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balitravel_80.indd I

4/22/2014 12:05:27 AM

II

COVER STORY

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

“Treasure of the Archipelago” A SPECTACULAR tradi onal and modern contemporary dance performance which bring the audience in a journey to witness the treasure of Indonesia. “Devdan – Treasure of the Archipelago” is a show that you shouldn’t miss while in Bali. The word DEVDAN comes from Sanskrit ‘Deva’ and ‘Dhana’, meaning “God’s Gi .”

The Indonesia’s treasures are God’s gi s for Indonesian people.

Through spectacular dance performance that lasts 90 minutes, the audience can see the diversity of cultures in Indonesia from the treasure chest that found by children who separated themselves from their group ac vity to Bali. They will bring the audience from Bali going to Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and the last is Papua.

The Bali Scene showcases a celebra on of harvest season, kite flying season, crema on ceremony, and the world-famous fire Kecak dance. The Sumatra Scene looms full-color bustling street market, performers dancing for the rain, and villagers weaving beau ful Songket fabrics. The transcendental rela onship between human beings and the Creator is given highlight in the Saman dance, followed by the solo silk aerial acroba cs.

The Java Scene takes you to an ancient township in the Central Java where a fight breaks among the warriors. The anxiety subsides as the fallen warrior is given a second chance and a royal princess with her band of chambermaids enters to restore peace and harmony.

The Borneo Scene opens with two lovers in the depth of the forest expressing their youthful feelings against the gravity, and ends with a group of young Borneo maidens moving in lively spirit, luring the audience to dance along. Last but not least, the Papua Scene presents high-spirited villagers celebra ng a fes val. The scene ends with percussive performance played skillfully by two male villagers, along with dazzling fire dance.

In addi on to the diversity and uniqueness of the tradi onal dances, costumes and music from around Indonesia, deliberately blended into the performance is contemporary music and “hip hop” dance, making the show very dynamic and entertaining for audiences of all ages from around the world. This high-energy show is performed on a purpose built stage that is full of special effects including world-class ligh ng & sound, fire effects, superb aerial acroba cs, different types of smoke and fog and at one point it even rains inside the theatre.

Explore the genuine heritage and beauty of Indonesia with the show’s contemporary songs and dances, accented by drama c and thrilling ac on. This is the one and only show in Indonesia which located at Bali’s most pres gious entertainment area, Komplek BTDC Nusa Dua. “Devdan – Treasure of the Archipelago” is playing at Bali Nusa Dua Theatre, an air-condi oned theatre

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with 700 seats. Showing four mes weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7pm. Make sure to book your seat early and be ready for “once in a lifeme” experience.  BTNewspaper/Vina Agus ne/PR

r

Publisher : Wisnu Wardana; Publicists: Jan Hendrik Peters, KG. Dharma Putra; Chief Editor : Wisnu Wardana; Asisten Chief Editor:Dwi Yani; Journalists/contributors: Anak Agung Ngurah Krisnayana; Asisten Wartawan: Ariek PW, Rudi, Opiek; Marke ng:Made Yudha; Secretariate: Dewi; Address : Jl. Mela 43 Denpasar, Bali-Indonesia ; Phone/fax: (0361) 227610 Email: infobalitravelnews@gmail.com; Jakarta : Bambang Hermawan, Villa Pamulang Mas, Blok C9/4, Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan ; Yogyakarta : Titah Pratyaksa (083 1190 19410); Pekan Baru : Yulizar Zainal (085374963884); Bank : BPD Bali KCP. Kamboja No. 0370115000510 A/N Biro Promosi & Pengembangan Pariwisata Budaya K12-I.61-13

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TRAVEL TRENDS

No. 80 ď Ź April 25 - May 10, 2014

III

Top Ten Travel Trends for 2014 BENCHMARK Hospitality Interna onal, a leading US-based hospitality management company, announces the “Top Ten Travel Trends for 2014� as observed through a survey of the company’s extensive database of professional travel agents. In a Benchmarkcommissioned study, over 20,000 travel professionals were provided a comprehensive survey on consumer and business travel in 2014, for review and submission to an independent market research firm for compila on and analysis.

Hospitality industry experts domes cally and interna onally, Benchmark introduced two of the hotel industry’s newest consumer brands in February: the Personal Luxury Resorts & HotelsÂŽ and the Benchmark Resorts & HotelsÂŽ collec ons. “The objec ve for this research study of travel professionals,â€? said Ted Davis, chief marke ng and sales oďŹƒcer for Benchmark Hospitality Interna onal, “was to gain insights into current and an cipated travel trends, and also solicit candid observa ons on how our company’s Personal Luxury and Benchmark Resorts collec ons can be er serve the needs of the travel community.â€?. Davis con nued with, “We greatly value our partnerships with travel professionals and take a sincere interest in understanding their needs and how we can be er serve them and the changing travel expecta ons of their customers.â€?

Trend #1: The Travel Industry is Poised for Strong Growth! Eight out of ten travel agents surveyed are highly upbeat about industry

growth through 2014 and beyond. Over half are projec ng “strong growth.�

Trend #2: Leisure Travel Leads The Way Nearly 75 percent of growth in travel is leisure related, with half of this growth coming from the luxury segment. It’s travel at a personal cost, however. A quarter of the travel professionals felt that the line of demarca on between business and personal travel is further blurring, with many execu ves bringing work with them on family and roman c vaca ons -- aided in large part by advances in communica ons technology.

Trend #3: The Specter of Direct Bookings What keeps travel agents up at night? It’s not terrorism aec ng travel, or elevated costs or even OTA compe on. It is customers

increasingly bypassing the agents and booking directly. TAs see this as the greatest poten al nega ve eect on their business in 2014.

more important for travelers than the number of stars or diamonds a property achieves. Free Internet access is seen as a traveler’s right!

Trend #4: Hit the Beach, See the World A er six years of the greatest recession in living memory, travelers are ready to pack their bags, drop in a beach towel, and see the world. TAs are seeing strong expenditures in domes c beach-related travel – nearly 50% and with par cular emphasis on Hawaii, the south and southwest, which following the winter of 2013-2014 may not be a surprise. Caught up on their tan, leisure travelers are boarding planes and heading abroad with the remaining 50% trekking across the Atlan c to Europe. Those who s ll need more sun are flying south to the Caribbean or on to South America.

Trend #8: Hotel Websites Sell An a racve, appealing and user-friendly website with a direct booking op on generates reserva ons.

Maybe not a surprise to most, but what is interes ng is that travel agents use this method 34% of the me for making reserva ons (GDS is 38% of TA bookings). You can toss your fax machine, though; it’s used for bookings only 1% of the me according to the study.

Trend #5: Who is Spending? It’s the Boomers by far. Nearly 60% of travel agent bookings last year were from this group of consumers, followed by Seniors and GenXers both coming in at about 15% of bookings. The much focusedon Millennials account for less than 9% of travel expenditures for the year. Boomers may be spending, but they s ll demand value for the dollar. Nearly 50% of travel professionals view rate as the cri cal factor in the consumer travel decision process.

Trend #6: Online Travel Reviews and their Eect It’s huge, according to TAs, and growing.

An overwhelming number -- 80% -- feel we’ve only seen the beginning of this consumer phenomenon. And over 50% of the travel agents surveyed use these online reviews in determining booking decisions for their customers.

Hoteliers and airlines take note!

Trend #7: Most Important Features at Hotels & Resorts Well, yes, loca on is #1 for apparent reasons. But #2 isn’t free parking, or the availability of spa services, or numerous other possible traveler concerns. It’s Free Internet, and proper es that con nue to charge for this service should take note that this is deemed

Trend #9: This Changes Everything! Well over half of the travel agents responding felt a paradigm shi occurred when the world went mobile. With around the clock accessibility, pop-up travel deals, immediate rate checks and even securing direc ons on your phone en route to a des na on has given travelers, for the first me, the world at their finger ps no ma er where they are on the globe. Hotels and resorts without mobile sites are le in the dust. A few key words from the TAs: mobile sites should be relevant, brief, readable, and forma ed for ease of use.

Trend #10: Advice to the Hotel Industry from Travel Agents Ok, maybe not oďŹƒcially a trend, but this is increasingly top of mind with travel professionals and they wanted to share these words of advice with hoteliers: Keep your rooms and water glasses clean. Replace worn carpet. Invite us over -- FAM trips are back and there’s no be er way for us to meet you and experience your property. Never forget the importance of customer service, ever! Partner with us for a win-win. We understand what “incidental revenueâ€? means, but please don’t nickel & dime our customers. Your websites are beau ful, but we urge you to have your vital informa on just one click away. Always deliver value. And finally, we’ve said it before and we’re saying it again – travelers want Internet access to be FREE! ď ś BTNewspaper/ Benchmark Hospitality Int’l

! " #$%&$' ( ) *&$ +' , -$ . + ' /// &$' ( ) *&$ +' , -$ K12-I.18-13

balitravel_80.indd III

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4/22/2014 12:05:39 AM

IV

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

AROUND BALI

HARRIS Riverview Launching “Kampoeng Nusantara” HARRIS Hotel & Residences Riverview Kuta Bali launched their new weekly dinner and entertainment event, named “Kampoeng Nusantara”, located at main pool area of HARRIS Riverview with the concept of tradi onal food of Indonesia.

Kampoeng Nusantara is a thema c event created by HARRIS Riverview which will be held every Friday star ng 06PM. Catered for in house guests, as a dining op on for individual or groups, family gathering, Kampoeng Nusantara offers tradi onal menu with live music performance in the relaxing ambience of our main pool area.

To introduce this event, HARRIS Riverview was invi ng Travel industry partners and guests. “I wanted to take the opportunity of the launching to thank you our partners, guest for their support to HARRIS Riverview and also for the privileged moment to experience our new event and feel the spirit of HARRIS Riverview Team” said, Lae a SUGANDI, General Manager, HARRIS Hotel & Residences Riverview Kuta Bali.  BTNewspaper/Si Nur-MarComm

K2-V.56-13

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4/22/2014 12:05:43 AM

CEREMONY

No. 80 ď Ź April 25 - May 10, 2014

V

Tumpek Bubuh (Porridge for Plantation) TUMPEK bubuh or “a day of porridge�, how Balinese named this day that always falls on Saturday, Kliwon, Wuku Wariga (26/4), but some called it as Tumpek Wariga or Tumpek Uduh. Balinese Hindus celebrate a ceremony to honor environment, especially planta on.

This day is marked simply by a visit to a garden or planta on owned by respec ve individuals adhering to the Hindu religion. They take an oering that contains of porridge (why they called this day as Tumpek Bubuh- bubuh means porridge).

The planta on owner and his family members pray to God with the hope that the plants growing in their garden will produce a lot of good quality of their fruit. Balinese Hindus believe that the plant have equal rights for reincarna on as well as human although the plant belonging to the lowest level of existence, is able only to live in stages without the ability to move or walk as is the case with the two other creatures from the higher classes. Human beings belong to the most prominent creature because they possess three elements: the ability to think, to speak and to act. On the other hand, animals possess only two elements: ability to think and to act.

Tumpek Bubuh begins the series of Galungan religious ceremonies that represents respect to the earth. It is conducted 35 days (or

a month according to Balinese calendar) ahead of the Galungan ceremony. Tumpek Bubuh cons tutes an expression of gra tude to God as the ruler of the floral domain, also the wish for Sangkara the god to always bestow fer lity.

The thriving growth of plants is the key

to human survival on the earth. The organizaon of the Tumpek Bubuh ceremony thereby embodies the religious values targeted at environmental conserva on. Since me began, the ancient legends have provided the Balinese with guidance to establish a harmonious rela onship with their natural environment and the universe. The ceremony might also draw more and be er concern for the natural environment and ecological issues. Viable and preserved ecosystem ensures sustainability; otherwise, the terrestrial life will face ex nc on.

Through Tumpek Bubuh, Balinese Hindu

prac ses environmental conserva on. Their seriousness stands probably parallel to that of environmentalists around the globe. Do not be surprised if you see a trees wrapped with checkered cloth around the trunk and oerings lain at the foot. It is a proof of the Balinese respect to natural environment.

Tumpek Bubuh is only one link in a chain of Balinese religious observances connected to environmental conserva on, maintenance of the earth’s fer lity and life of harmonious rela onship with the nature. This prac ce deserves exemplariness to preserve the natural environment world-wide. ď ś BTNewspaper/*

K12-II.66-14

email: info@wapadiume osroom@wapadiume K12-VIII.25-13

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K12-V.35-12

4/22/2014 12:05:46 AM

VI

FOOD & BEVERAGE

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

Food of the Balinese  From “Lawar”, Roasted Suckling Pig to KFC FOOD, for the Balinese, is not only something to sa sfy the belly. For them, food is also cons tutes offering to Sang Hyang Widhi (God). It is on account of this, food is created by Sang Hyang Widhi to maintain the survival of human beings so they are also obliged to express their gra tude by presenting offerings. Therefore, when the Balinese complete their cooking they do not eat it directly, but take aside a li le amount of it, then arrange in such a way on a banana or coconut leaf. This offering is called banten saiban.

A erwards, the offering is put onto the fireplace or stove, rice bowl, water jug then con nued to family shrines and some other sacred places up to the path in front of entrance gate of the house compound.

Eventually, they eat together with their family.

The typical Balinese food is easy to remember are lawar (minced meat with assorted vegetables) and babi guling (roasted suckling pig). Lawar can be made of various meats such as pork, beef or others then mixed with vegetables and special spices. It

is immensely delicious and hot. Meanwhile, babi guling is roasted pig that has been scrubbed and inserted with spices. Its flesh is well done and skin is crispy (easily digested) makes one addicted to taste more.

In ma ers of food, Balinese can adapt to their environment quickly. Since Bali has developed into an interna onal tourist des na on, they have been accustomed to the taste a variety of Western food like pizza, hamburgers, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) et cetera, likewise their drinks vary such as beer, Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, whisky and so on. It does not rarely happen that in a party held by a rich Balinese, many of those foods men oned above are served and become selected menu for the invitees.

Similarly, in the variety of cakes, the Balinese also have some typical cakes such as jaja uli, jaja begina, kelepon, jaja kukus, satuh, dodol, iwel, wajik, tape ketan (fermented white s cky rice) and so forth.

These typical Balinese cakes are used for ceremonial ingredients and now they are readily on sale in tradi onal markets. Yet in keeping with the development of mes, different kinds of breads that originate from the West have commenced to become appe zing food for the Balinese.

Even in certain limits, there have been breads sold at supermarket that are made use for offering ingredients, the Balinese immediately adapt not only in their daily

lifestyle that emulates tourists’ but also in their pa ern and kinds of food they consume. Don’t be surprised if during your

vaca on in Bali you find Balinese people enjoying many kinds of food from all over the world.  BTNewspaper/*

K12-II.42-13

Pura Tanah Lot

Pura Pakendungan

Dewi Sinta Restaurant Tanah Lot, offers a wide rings of Balinese, Indonesian and Chinese food as well as seafood and European cuisine prepared by our experienced chef. Dewi Sinta hotel has 27 guest rooms of three Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are available a different types: Standard, Deluxe and Suites. la carte or buffet style.

Phone : +62 361 812933 Fax : +62 361 813956 E-mail : reservation@dewisinta.com Website : www.dewisinta.com K12-I.12-13

balitravel_80.indd VI

K12-I.43-13

4/22/2014 12:05:50 AM

PRESTIGES  Hatten Wines

Wins 2 Bronze Medals at Wine & Spirits Asia Wine Challenge HATTEN Wines comes home with two medals from the Wine Style Asia (WSA) Wine Challenge 2014 in Singapore, for Tunjung Sparkling méthodechampenoise and its semi sweet muscat, Alexandria.

Both wines have won medals and recommenda ons in the past, and for Ha en Wines’ 20th anniversary year, these two locally grown and produced wines are once again great symbols of excellence for the Balinese winery.

“I am very proud of these medals once again. We are entering these interna onal compe ons merely to tell the world of wines that we exist and we make wine in Bali. By par cipa ng in these compe ons, we intend to be a proud ambassador of Bali. When we win medals, the ef-

fect is much greater than just a wine medal, it’s my staff in Kuta, Sanur and my vineyards people, the farmers we work with who get celebrated.

Amongst wines of so many ‘wine countries’ we prevail. That is extraordinary,” says IB Rai Budarsa, owner of Ha en Wines, who celebrates 20 years of winemaking in Bali this year.

WSA Wine Challenge is a wellestablished compe on in Asia where wines submi ed from around the world are evaluated by a dis nguished panel of judges that represent accurate characteris cs of the Asian palate. The previous edi on held in the year 2010 and 2012 have seen labels from a mul tude of wineproducing countries and regions taking part, making it the key pla orm for interna onal wineries, producers,

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

importers and traders to have their wines acclaimed. With Asia’s growing apprecia on and consump on of wine, this coming edi on was highly an cipated by the industry as they eagerly await the winning wines that will best sa sfy the palate of the Asian market.

Anne e ScarfeMW, was the Chief Judge of WSA Wine Challenge 2014. Based in Singapore for 18 years, she is a wine buyer and a respected restaurant consultant with clients in London and across Asia.

She runs regular tas ngs and master classes for both trade and consumers and is a Spanish specialist. Anne e is acclaimed as one of the region’s top wine consultants and a highly experienced judge who has par cipated in numerous compe ons held around the world, including China, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and United Kingdom. She is also a regular member on tas ng panels for several consumer magazines, and is a WSET and Bordeaux educator.

Other judges on the panel were: Subhash Arora, a prolific wine writer, author, journalist, interna onal judge, speaker, consultant, educator and a wine club promoter. He is the Editor and major content provider

of delWine and is also the India Correspondent of Meininger’s Wine Business Interna onal, Germany; Fongyee Walker is the co-founder of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consul ng, a fully independent wine consul ng company that specializes in wine educa on and bilingual wine journalism; Nikki (Visootha) Lohitnavy, Director of Vi culture and Winemaking Opera ons, GranMonte Vineyard and Wines, Thailand; Roderick Wong, President Malaysia Sommelier Associa on; YohanHandoyo, wine writer and educator; Jean-Bernard Baudron, Training & Development Manager, The Warehouse Saigon Annam Group, Vietnam; Dr. Michael Lim, Independent Writer and Editor of The Travelling Gourmet™, Singapore; Kenny Leong CSW, Independent Writer and Editor, Founder of The Word Count, Singapore.

Defying the popular no on that growing grapes and producing quality wine in the Asian tropics is near impossible, Ha en Wines has managed to establish a successful wine trade while gathering some interna onal recogni on. Founded in 1994 by Ida Bagus Rai Budarsa, the first and only true Balinese winery, Ha en Wines brings a taste of Bali

VII

to hotels and restaurants tables all over Indonesia. Voted in the top 10 for fastest improving producers in Asia, Ha en Wines is commi ed to interna onal standards of quality and taste.

The old concept is that hot climates are not favourable for grape growing, but as the owner of Ha en Wines points out, “what is most important for vines is underground water, which we have in our vineyards. The pergola system we use takes care of providing shade to the grapes – and workers and allows us to have a few varie es of grapes which are not tradi onal wine grapes, but have made us some great wines over the last 2 decades.” Ha en Wines uses local grapes to produce its wines, from its own vineyards in North Bali (Buleleng Regency). In its own vineyards, Ha en Wines grows the local black grapes – the Alphonse Lavallée French table grapes and white grape varie es (Belgia and ProbolinggoBiru). These varie es are grown in vineyards along the North Coast of Bali, and need no dormant periods as wine vines do, hence the possibility for Ha en Wines to produce wines yearlong. It is at the winery in Sanur, where the knowledge and experience of Australian Winemakers James Kalleske come into play. This solid team of the Australian ar st winemaker and Balinese owner, have now two brands under their watchful eye.

In 2011, in its par cipa on at the Singapore Wine Style Asia, Hatten Wines was awarded a Silver and Bronze medals for Alexandria its semi sweet muscat and the two Pineau des Charentes methods called Pino de Bali. Previous medals and accolades include a commenda on for the Rosé at a Portuguese compe on and a Bronze medal at the London Wine & Spirits Compe on in 2003. In April 2012, Ha en Wines comes home with a medal at the Wine & Spirits Asia Wine Challenge in Singapore, winning a Silver medal for its dry white wine Aga White.  BTNewspaper/PR

Office : Jalan Raya Sesetan No. 516 Denpasar - Bali www.abi-bali.com

Jl. Cipayung II, No.19 Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan 12180 HP. 088808347385, Flexi. 021 8859964 Email: redaksi@bisniswisata.co

advertising & subscription contact

(0361)227610 K12-II-68-14

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VIII

AROUND BALI

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

Supports the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign AT a media event March 21st 2014, held at U Paasha Hotel in Seminyak, Ha en Wines announced the amount of the proceeds given to the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign, a er a one month ‘pink’ wines promo on to support to organiza on’s work. For the month of February 2014, the Rosé, Jepun Rosé Sparkling wines proudly wore a pink ribbon, as did all the personnel of Ha en Wines to a ract a en on on the breast cancer awareness campaign of the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign. Parts of the

proceeds of sales of these wines, are offered to the organiza on to support its awareness and support ac vi es. Ha en Wines owner Ida Ayu Somawa was present to present the dona on of over 12 million Rupiah to the commi ee of the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign.

Ha en Wines usually chooses the St-Valen ne’s day events to promote its Rosé wines in February, but for 2014, choose to support the campaign by adding pink ribbon icons to its bo les, announcing the dona on to the Bali

K12-III.25-13

Pink Ribbon Campaign. As the Breast Cancer awareness month is October worldwide, Hatten Wines’ choice of February to promote the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign offers a second media highlight this year for the organiza on, in Bali. One of the 20th anniversary campaigns of the winery, is to give back to the community which has supported it during its 20 years of wine making in Bali.

Addi onally, Ha en Wines received the Pink Ribbon Campaign organiza on at the office for a demonstra on of self-examina on, iden fica on of symptoms and explana on of treatment possibili es, empowering the personnel to educate their siblings and friends and self-examine. This presenta on is only one of the services offered by the Bali Pink Ribbon Campaign, and is available for all companies, free of charge.

The Bali Pink Ribbon was founded by Gaye Warren, a Bri sh breast cancer survivor who has lived in Jakarta for more than twenty years. Following her own treatment for breast cancer and her husband’s re rement, they moved from Jakarta to Bali. Shortly therea er, Gaye discovered that the infrastructure in Bali for making women aware of breast cancer was almost non-existent, not with standing profes-

sional medical exper se being available on the island with at least two hospitals offering breast cancer treatment to pa ents.

As a member of the Bali Interna onal Women’s Associa on, Gaye and two friends persuaded the Chairlady of BIWA to start a fundraising campaign for breast cancer awareness in Bali. From that small seed, the four of them developed a Pink Ribbon Walk prototype in Bali, based on Gaye’s experiences of the Pink Ribbon Walks in Britain. The Bali Walks, which started in 2009, have become the main fundraiser for the breast cancer awareness campaign and are more and more being customized to accommodate the Balinese culture and tradi ons.

“I am very proud of Ha en Wines suppor ng this organiza on. We had them over in our offices for an awareness presenta on to our staff which was really great. Some of our employees had doubts about their own health and their ques ons were answered by the doctor present. The awareness presentaon is something all companies should have, and it’s free. Suppor ng this organiza on for ‘our’ women’s health is a must,” says Rendy Rustam (Public Rela ons of Ha en Wines).  BTNewspaper/PR

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4/22/2014 12:05:57 AM

ASEAN NEWS

City Focus Key to the HIV Response DURING an official visit of the UNAIDS Deputy Execu ve Director, Jan Beagle to Indonesia, na onal and provincial municipal leaders, development agencies and civil society organiza ons underlined the importance of scaling up and inves ng in city-based HIV strategies as a cri cal ac on towards accelerating progress in the AIDS response.

Speaking with the Na onal AIDS Commis-

sion Director Dr Kamal Siregar, Beagle stressed the importance of focusing on city-based HIV responses at a me when the majority of people living with HIV and from key popula ons at risk reside and/or work in municipal centers. Dr Siregar noted how scaling up programmers and efforts at the city level will enable greater reach to people in need of HIV services, especially among key popula ons at higher risk.

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

IX

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia is one of the provinces with highest numbers of new HIV infec ons in Indonesia. The es mated number of people living with HIV in the city as of 2013 is approaching 100 000. According to na onal surveillance data, es mated HIV prevalence among key popula ons at higher risk in the city is higher than na onal averages with 56.4% prevalence found among people who use drugs, 17.2% among men who have sex with men and 10.5% among female sex workers.

Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Health echoed the need to make ci es central to HIV responses no ng that city popula ons o en contain large numbers of young people and that youth focus and engagement for HIV is also cri cal.

Enhanced city-based focus was also welcomed by the Secretary General of the Associaon of Southeast Asian Na ons (ASEAN), which is spearheading the ASEAN ‘Ci es ge ng to Zero’ ini a ve. Mee ng with Ms Beagle, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh stressed how the ‘Ci es ge ng to Zero ini a ve’ is focusing on 13 ASEAN ci es and municipal areas—which account for large propor ons of HIV burden in their countries (including three in Indonesia)—to catalyze country ac ons towards the achievement of the 2012 ASEAN Declara on on Ge ng to Zero New HIV Infec ons, Zero Discrimina on, Zero AIDS-related Deaths.

UNAIDS is working to increase the focus on city-based HIV responses. Ci es and their importance within the HIV response will also be

discussed at the Interna onal AIDS Conference to be held in Melbourne, Australia from 20-25 July.

“We need to expand comprehensive HIV preven on and treatment in ci es to reach the maximum amount of people. We also need to replicate quality and proven city programmes – to from one city to another to help faster and be er scale up,” Kamal Siregar, Director of the Na onal AIDS Commission of Indonesia “In our ASEAN ‘Ci es ge ng to Zero’ ini ave, the enrolled ci es have been very ac ve and enthusias c. Learning about similari es and differences between the ci es on HIV issues is very important. We are documen ng the experiences and this will be released later this year,” ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh “From a programme coverage perspec ve and from an effec ve investment perspec ve, increased focus on ci es and metropolitan areas can make an important impact. Ci es in Indonesia have significant experiences to share that highlight both successes and challenges,” UNAIDS Deputy Execu ve Director, Jan Beagle.  BTNewspaper/humas

K12-III.28-12

K6-I.65-14

Blok T, Kawasan BTDC, Nusa Dua Bali - Indonesia P : +62 361 849 8020 F : +62 361 849 8021 email : reservation.nusadua@grandwhiz.com

K12-IX.63-2013

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X

GREEN CORNER

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

 The Case of Mountain Tourism

Overcoming Seasonality to Support Economic Diversification

OVERCOMING seasonality to strengthen the compe veness of mountain regions also as summer des na ons was the topic at the centre of the 8th edi on of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism.

Interna onal experts iden fied sustainability, innova on and accessibility as key success factors to address this challenge (Andorra la Vella, Andorra, 9-10 April 2014).

The seasonal distribu on of tourism ac vi es is highly uneven in most mountain des na ons, with the main turnover concentrated in the winter season in contrast with a clear decline of demand during the summer. Overcoming seasonality is key for both a more even spread of the economic benefits of tourism and to reduce environmental pressure on des na ons.

Mountainlikers: New Trends in Moun-

tain Tourism for the Summer Season, the theme of the 8th World Tourism Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism, addressed the need for mountain des na ons to iden fy new marke ng strategies and develop a more diverse tourism offer to remain compe ve throughout the year.

Opening the Congress, the Prime Minister of Andorra, Antoni Mar , stressed the direct link between innova ve tourism products and economic diversifica on: “The tourism strategy driven by the Government of Andorra is perfectly in line with the theme of this Congress. Andorra is currently aiming to further diversify our snow and mountain tourism offer with other compa ble ac vies in the areas of wellness and conference tourism, among others.”

Developing new approaches to moun-

tain tourism is of strategic importance, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Visitors are increasingly interested in mountains in search of new experiences linked to nature and sports. Combined with the need for mountain des na ons to adapt their tourism offer to the impacts of climate change and expand the tourism season, now is the perfect me for des na ons and operators to look into new products that will expand and adapt the tourism season while crea ng sustainable tourism experiences”.

Environmental sustainability, the ac ve engagement of local communi es, crea ng new experiences for visitors to enhance desna on compe veness, and state-of-theart facili es for increased accessibility, were underscored as cri cal to diversify tourism products, which should also incorporate

innova ons ranging from the latest developments in outdoor sports and ac vi es to mobile applica ons.

The Congress was organized by UNWTO and the Government of Andorra, in collabora on with the parish of Andorra la Vella. Gathering more than 450 par cipants from 31 countries, the Congress was the biggest event of its kind so far, a clear sign of the growing importance of mountain tourism.The next edi on of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism will be held in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, in 2016.  BTNewspaper/pr

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SUPPLIER ADDRESS : Jl. Danau Tamblingan No. 216, Sanur Denpasar 80228, Bali - Indonesia Phone. +62 (361) 281745 Fax. +62 (361)289549 E-mail : widiani_bali@yahoo.com K12-I.13-13

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GREEN CORNER

No. 80  April 25 - May 10, 2014

XI

Bhagavad-Gita, Song of God

By Jan Hendrik Peters Strategic Advisor THK Founda on

The top in world literature The Bhagavad-Gita, also called Gita, is the sixth part of the Mahabharata. It is one of the oldest and most beau ful books of world literature, and it is called the Bible of the Orient. The age of the song is esmated to be around 2500 years old.

The Gita begins before the start of the climac c Kurukshetra war, where the Pandawa prince Arjuna becomes doub ul on the ba lefield. Realizing that his enemies are his rela ves, beloved friends and revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer and guide, Krishna, for advice. Responding to Arjuna’s confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his du es as a warrior, elabora ng on a variety of philosophical concepts.

At the last moment before entering ba le, the great warrior Arjuna begins to wonder about the real meaning of his life. Why should he fight against his friends and rela ves?

Why does he exist? Where is he going a er death? In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna, Arjuna’s friend and spiritual master, brings his disciple from perplexity to spiritual enlightenment by explaining about the nature of life and death. There are three paths to salva on: the yoga of knowledge, of ac on and of surrender.

Universal truth The Bhagavad-Gita is a doctrine of universal truth. Its message is universal, sublime, and non-sectarian although it is a part of Hinduism.

The Bhagavad-Gita as such is easy to understand in any language for a mature mind. A repeated reading with faith will reveal all the sublime ideas contained in it. A few abstruse statements are interspersed here and there but they have no direct bearing on prac cal issues or the central theme of the Bhagavad-Gita. It imparts the knowledge of the Supreme God and answers two universal ques-

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ons: who am I, and how can I lead a happy and peaceful life in this world of duali es. It is a book of yoga, the moral and spiritual growth, for mankind based on the cardinal principles of the Hindu religion.

The message of the BhagavadGita came to humanity because of Arjuna’s unwillingness to do his duty as a warrior because figh ng involved destruc on and killing. Non-violence or ahimsa is one of the most fundamental tenets of Hinduism. All lives, human or non-human, are sacred.

This immortal discourse between the Supreme Lord, Krishna, and his devotee friend, Arjuna, occurs not in a temple, a secluded forest, or on a mountain top, but on a ba lefield on the eve of a war that is recorded in the great epic Mahabharata, as described before.

Arjuna’s dilemma A er Duryodhana unlawfully took possession of the en re kingdom of the Pandawas and refused to give back even an acre of land, the big war of Mahabharata was inevitable. All media on by Lord Krishna and others failed. The Pandawas were unwilling par cipants. They had only two alterna ves: fight for their right as a ma er of duty or run away from war and accept defeat in the name of peace and non-violence.

Arjuna, one of the five Pandawa brothers, faced the dilemma on the ba lefield whether to fight, or run away from war for the sake of peace. Arjuna’s dilemma is, in reality, a universal dilemma. All human beings face dilemmas, big and small, in their everyday life when performing their du es. Arjuna’s dilemma was a big one. He had to make a choice between figh ng in the war and killing his most revered guru, very dear friends, close rela ves, and many innocent warriors who fought for the other side; or running away from the ba lefield for the sake of preserving peace and non-violence.

The main objec ve The en re seven hundred verses of the Bhagavad-Gita describe a discourse between Lord Krishna and the confused Arjuna on the ba lefield of Kurukshetra near New Delhi, India, in about 3,100 years BC. This discourse was narrated to the blind king, Dhritarashtra, by his counsellor, Sanjaya, as an eyewitness war report.

The main objec ve of the Bhagavad-Gita is to help people who are struggling in the darkness of ignorance, to cross the ocean of transforma on and reach the spiritual shore

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of libera on while living and working in the society. The central teaching of the Bhagavad-Gita is the a ainment of freedom or happiness from the bondage of life by doing one’s duty.

It inspires people to remember the glory and greatness of the Creator and do their duty efficiently without being affected by the results even if that duty may at mes demand unavoidable violence. Some people neglect or give up their duty in life for the sake of a spiritual life while others excuse themselves from spiritual prac ces because they believe that they have no me. God’s message is to sanc fy the en re living process itself. Whatever a person does or thinks ought to be done for the glory and sa sfac on of the Creator. In order to gain a spiritual frame of mind, personal discipline, austerity, good conduct, selfless service (karmayoga), yogic prac ces, medita on, worship, prayer, rituals, and study of the scriptures, as well as the company of holy persons, pilgrimage and self inquiry are needed to purify the body, mind, and intellect.

O n e m u st learn to give up lust, anger, greed, and establish mastery over the mind and five senses (hearing, touch, sight, taste, smell) by the purified intellect. One should always remember that all works are done by the energy of nature and that he or she is not the actor but only an instrument. One must strive for excellence in all undertakings but maintain equanimity in success and failure, gain and loss, and pain and pleasure.

Different interpreta on Unlike any other religious scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita delivers its message in the center of the ba lefield. The choice of such an unholy ambience for the delivery of a philosophical discourse has been an enigma to many commentators.

Most of these commentators interpret the Bhagavad-Gita allegorically.

In this view the Gita’s subject is the struggle within man, the effort for self-mastery that every human being must wage if he or she is to emerge from life victoriously. Arjuna is seen as an allegory of atman, Krishna as an allegory of Brahman, Arjuna’s chariot as the body and Dhritarash-

tra as the mind filled with ignorance.

Or the ba le is interpreted as an allegory in which the ba lefield is the soul and Arjuna, man’s higher impulses struggling against evil.

In general, the war is seen as the struggle, which is constantly going on within man who has to choose between good and evil.

The Bhagavad-Gita as spiritual guide The call for selfless ac on (karma-yoga) in the Bhagavad-Gita inspired the leaders of the Indian independence movement. No book was more central to Gandhi’s life and thought than the Bhagavad-Gita, which he referred to as his spiritual dic onary. During his imprisonment in 1929 Gandhi wrote a commentary

on the Bhagavad-Gita, which was translated into English and published with a foreword by Gandhi in 1946.

Mahatma Gandhi expressed his love for the Bhagavad-Gita in these words: “When doubts haunt me, when disappointment stares me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of external tragedies and if they have not le any visible or invisible effect on me, I owe it to the teaching of the Bhagavad-Gita.

Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day”.

The performing arts on Bali The performing arts (wayang kulit, tradi onal dance, film) are

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considerably influenced by Hindu literature. A popular subject for wayang kulit is the story of Bhima Suci, in which Bhima, one of the five Pandawa brothers, is sent by his teacher to find holy water. The story is quite simple. In heaven Bhima meets a number of people who have been sent there for reward and punishment according to their karma. The discussion focuses on what they did in their previous lives to merit such reward or punishment. And this, of course, offers a theological and moral lesson, which is easily understood by the audience.

Nowadays the Hindu stories can also be seen on TV, in which the roles of Lord Krishna, the Pandawas and the Kurawas are played by famous ac-

tors. The same phenomenon can be seen in the West where famous epics such as the Odyssey, King Arthur and Julius Caesar have been transferred to popular movies, providing history and adventure in one performance.

Hindu literature has humanized Hinduism among the ordinary people some 2500 years ago, as it s ll does nowadays. Hinduism was once only accessible for the priests, but Hindu literature has changed that situaon forever. It is remarkable that the popularity of Hindu literature has not diminished over me and that the modern Balinese are s ll as interested in Hindu literature as their ancestors were long me ago.  Source: Jan Hendrik Peters, Wisnu Wardana, November 2013, Tri Hita Karana, the Spirit of Bali, published by KPG (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia)

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XII

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No. 80 ď Ź April 25 - May 10, 2014

EVENTS

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