Australian Tourists in Bali...

Australians love Bali! There seems to be very little doubt in that. Latest figures suggest that almost 1 in 4 visitors to Bali are now Australian. Australia has overtaken the Japanese as the most devoted travelers to the paradise that is Bali. in number terms, there are some 600,000 Australians visiting Bali out of a total of 2.53 million visitors.

The bombings of 2002 and 2005 are fading and as those more tragic memories fade there is an ever-increasing umber of Australians choosing Bali as their holiday destination of choice.

The reality is a simple one, and one that makes obvious sense if you think about it. A holiday for a family of four to Perth for seven days with hotel accommodation will set you back many more dollars than a seven-day holiday to Bali. Then again, there are cheaper overseas options for Australians other than Bali (or Indonesia), yet the numbers clearly show that the love affair Australians have with Bali shows no signs of subsiding any time soon.

Bali is a wonderful destination. But, anybody thinking of going should look at where in Bali they are going to visit. Quite simply if you can get out of Kuta, Legian, Denpasar and [more recently] Ubud then it is well worth the effort. I recommend Mengwi and Taman Ayun (family connection to the place), but there are plenty of places further afield worth the effort as well such as Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

Foreign Sex Tourism to Bali..

I read this the other day and sort of pondered whether to write about it or not. I pondered because writing about how the system fails so enormously might encourage pedophiles to chance their hand in the wild frontiers of child sex tourism that are the poor provinces of Eastern Bali. The most impoverished of the provinces; Singaraja, Buleleng, and Karangasem, are those that are most at risk.

Sadly, according to the report, it is predominantly Australians that are taking advantage of Bali's children and sexually abusing them. The reported figures are the tip of the iceberg as a great many of the outrages perpetrated against these children are never reported nor, if they are reported, ever pursued to prosecution. Nevertheless, this is not exclusively Australian perpetrators as there are offenders from all parts of the globe, including Europe (Germany, France, The Netherlands, to name but a few) and the US.

The problem though is not exclusively one of poverty, although poverty is a significant factor, but rather of apathy and corruption combined with an inordinate amount of red tape from a cumbersome bureaucracy that is not pro-active in protecting and supporting children who have been abused.

There were thirteen foreign pedophiles convicted of child sex offences in the period between 2001 and 2008. This does not seem like a large amount considering that there were more than 200 reported incidents of child sex abuse.  A local non-governmental organisation, Committee Against Sexual Abuse, estimates that there are some 150 pedophiles operating on Bali. It does not help that Singaraja does not yet record data relating to pedophiles or child sex crimes.

I appreciate that these crimes can be difficult to investigate and prosecute because not all children or their families are willing to report sexual abuse or suspicions of sexual abuse. I also appreciate that some families unwittingly sell their children into the sex trade in the belief that the "real" intent of the trafficker is to provide an education and a job. Then there are others who perhaps do this knowingly. However, what I cannot understand is why police would not want to investigate pedophilia in a more pro-active way considering that it is a known problem in the areas of Eastern Bali?

Although, in the big scheme of things I am probably less surprised than I should be that one can place a "price" on the violation of a child. Maybe it is just a simple case of everything has its price, and the price to turn a blind eye to the sexual violation of children in impoverished places is undoubtedly not that much.

Is the answer as simple as education and community outreach where men, women, and children are taught that it is not OK to be sexually abused in exchange for food or payment of one's school fees. There is no problem if someone wants to provide you food or fees for school as a gift, but this does not mean that you owe them the innocence of your children to pay off some alleged debt.

It would appear that the modus operandi is now one of "out of sight, out of mind" as pedophiles go further and further away from main urban areas in search of their victims.

What I do not get at the moment, and perhaps this is a lack of research, is why Australia is not more pro-active in pursuing Australian pedophiles wherever they may be found. Australia has laws on its statute books that provide for jail terms of up to 17 years and fines of up to AUD 500,000 for those convicted of child sex offences. The law has been drafted as such that the crime does not have to occur in Australia. The law simply states that anyone who engages in a sexual act with a child under 16 or grooms a child under 16 for sex is guilty of a crime, even where the offence is committed overseas.

The Australian Federal Police website includes a section on Child Sex Tourism and has forms to complete for those who have suspicions about Australians who may have committed a child sex offence overseas.

I am not sure what the point of this post is. It is an issue that bothers me and it is one that I think needs more attention. Perhaps, it is as a father of a young son I cannot fathom such an atrocity happening to him. Perhaps, it is because as an educator I feel a responsibility to ensure that children are safe and know what is acceptable and what is not, after all, our children are our future. Maybe, it is just that getting it out there will get us thinking about it and being more vigilant in our own worlds.

Singapore Casinos & Indonesian Gamblers...

It appears a good bet that some of the biggest and most consistent visitors to the new casinos opening in Singapore are going to be Indonesians. The Resorts World Sentosa is the first of two casinos to open its doors in Singapore. The casino is expected to be open today in order to capitalize on the celebrations surrounding the Chinese New Year. So, today is likely to be an interesting day for many punters as it might be a view into what sort of luck, or lack thereof, they are going to enjoy in the Year of the Tiger.

The second casino is the Marina Bay Sands which is affiliates with the Sands casinos out of Las Vegas. The Sands is not expected to open until April 2010, which means the Sentosa is certainly going to enjoy a bit of a head start.

It would be fair to say that it is not only going to be Indonesians of Chinese ancestry that may partake in a hand or two of Blackjack and Baccarat or a couple of rounds at the Roulette table, there is an expectation that Indonesians of all faiths and types of ancestry will take the plunge and part with some of their fortune in search of new fortunes. This is expected to include those of the Muslim faith.

Singapore is a prime destination for many Indonesians. It is close, and it remains a shopping mecca (this is in spite of the numerous malls and branded stores already in Jakarta) for the well-to-do Indonesians looking to spend a weekend away. The casinos provide a little something extra, for those who have shopped themselves out during the day, to do in the evening. Nothing like glamming it up and hitting the casinos and spending up big.

However, it might be worth mentioning that there are thousands (perhaps tens of thousands?) of Indonesian maids working in Singapore. A wander down Orchard Road on a Sunday afternoon is like taking a walk on a busy Indonesian street on any day of the week in that one hears a steady stream of Indonesian and local dialects such as Sundanese, Javanese, and some Batak thrown into the mix. The point being, will any of these maids be tempted to win their fortune by gambling their meager incomes on the flip of a card or the spin of a wheel?

The temptation of winning the "big one" is quite often too much temptation for some to bear. So, is it a fair question to ponder, has the Singaporean government put into place mechanisms to deal with not only the increased revenue they are expecting the casinos to generate, but also mechanisms to deal with the social problems that are going to arise as they relate to problem gambling?

Perhaps Draconian police measures are not going to be enough to keep crime rates down. Any increase in crime is going to make Singapore a less attractive place to visit. The reality is (or at least was) that I enjoyed going to Singapore for no other reason than it was sometimes nice to get a little respite from the chaos and pollution of Jakarta, and it was always nice to be able to walk down the road, in this case Orchard Road, late in the evening and feel safe as houses.

But, the 'interesting' point of the expected influx of Indonesians to the gambling tables of Singapore is that many of these gamblers are likely to be Muslims. Gambling is expressly forbidden in Islam. So, to engage in it would be somewhat sinful, particularly if one was doing it with the full knowledge that it was sinful. This has been the primary deterrent in legislating for a casino to be built in the Thousand Islands area off the coast of Jakarta; the sinfulness of gambling.

It is too bad that money from gambling is haram because the increased revenue that would most likely be generated from a casino in Jakarta could be used to offset the social problems that allowing gambling would create, but also direct some much needed funding to education and health programs to ensure that "all" Indonesians had access to some basic facilities (naive, maybe; but what has been put into place to date is not working, and has not worked, so what is there to lose?).

The combined intellect of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (Indonesian Ulema Council / MUI) has stated that to gamble is to sin. Gambling is expressly forbidden in Islam (and in Indonesian law) so any Indonesian Muslim would be in a spot of bother in Indonesia. However, Amidhan of the MUI, has offered up that the MUI is only concerned with Indonesian Muslims gambling in Indonesia because what Indonesian Muslims do while they are abroad is beyond the MUI's control. I guess this means that any Indonesian Muslim that gambles abroad answers directly to Allah and no longer to the MUI?

The casinos are not just casinos, but rather full-service fun, entertainment, and business venues that can cater to a broad range of interests and needs. The idea seemingly being that "you" can hold a business conference there, and there just happens to be a casino close by for punters to partake in their hobbies during the non-business related sessions of their trip. The Sentosa includes a theme park which makes it a family-oriented weekend away (or as the cynics have suggested - somewhere to dump the kids while mum and dad go and spend the kids' inheritance).

Singapore hopes that the imminent opening of the casinos will be a shot in the arm for recently dwindling tourist arrivals in the city state. Time will tell!

The "10-Pound Pom" Returns...

I have always thought the term was "10-quidder". My old man was a 10-quidder. What his motivations or reasons might have been in deciding to pack it all up in his homeland and head to the land downunder are irrelevant, but the rest, as they say, is history.

The original scheme was one adopted as a means of "encouraging" migrants from the United Kingdom to take a punt on heading to Australia in the period after the Second World War. And, the scheme ran through until the 1960s when my old fella made the fateful decision. A decision, I am sure, that he does not regret.

Ten quid at this point in time is the equivalent of about AUD 21. To qualify a person wanting to purchase a ticket must have a valid working visa in order to be able to work in Australia, and be willing to fly Qantas. The idea is that this is a way of boosting tourism to, and then within, Australia. I am not so sure that it will considering there are only 150 of these 10-quid tickets available on a first in, first served basis.

The tickers will be sold from STA Travel centers throughout the UK from 5 August 2009. However, seeing there are only 150 tickets available, they are not expected to last long. The expectation is the tickets will only last a few hours before being sold out. I am guessing that with some 35,000 Poms expected to gain working holiday visas that 150 tickets might only last a matter of minutes.

There are some additional conditions besides the visa one. Particularly, travel can only occur between 15 August 2009 through 30 September 2009 and 1 November through 30 November 2009. And, travelers can fly into Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane.

Those that miss out on the 10-quid tickets will get the next best Qantas special which is STG 679 of the equivalent of about AUD 1,400.

For anyone reading this in the UK and who has a valid working holiday visa and is yet to get a ticket to travel, then this might be the perfect opportunity to camp out and get a super cheap flight on Qantas to the land downunder and get your working holiday underway.

For anyone interested in learning more, there is a website, see www.statravel.co.uk/10poundpom.

Swine Flu, Tourists, Face Masks, and Indonesia

The Minister of Health (and Conspiracy Theories and Other Crazy Ideas) has decided that all tourists from swine flu affected countries must where face masks for the first three days after their arrival in Indonesia. It seems that the fact that 50% of the eight cases of swine flu or the A(H1N1) virus confirmed in Indonesia has tipped the scales in favour of all foreigners from all swine flu affected countries being required to don the face masks. This is presumably even the case if the incoming tourist successfully negotiates the thermal scanner (photo).

According to the Minister, this is a precautionary measure in order to prevent human-to-human transmission. Yep, I can see it now, the tourists from swine flu affected countries in the late night entertainment areas of Legian and Kuta painting the town red in their designer face masks. The question though is really one of enforcement. And, as the Minister of Conspiracy Theories points out, it is going to be a little hard to enforce the requirement for people wanting to go swimming, or perhaps eating, or drinking, or myriad of other pursuits that would undoubtedly be hampered by the mask.

The government recognizes that if it were to jump up and down in order to show that it was serious about this, then there could be a spanner thrown into the works of the slow but sure recovery of the tourism industry in places like Bali. Hence, there is no penalty if people choose not to wear the mask after they are given it at the airport.

This begs the question, "Why bother?"

This is especially so when the new "policy" is still unfunded and the Department of Health is still trying to ascertain where the funds are coming from to buy the masks that are going to be handed out for free. The true Indonesian entrepreneurial spirit would have been to tag an extra USD 5 on each visa on arrival to cover the cost of the mask. Let's face it, it is still cheaper to pay the fiver than it is to stand on principle and turn around and board the next flight back to wherever it is that you came from.

This brilliant policy initiative came out of a meeting chaired by the Coordinating Minister of His Own Family's Welfare (oops Peoples' Welfare), Aburizal Bakrie, who said the funds would be made available for the purchase of the masks.

This also begs a question, "Aren't there more important matters that require immediate funding?" It also possibly begs a second question, "When does the Minister think that his family companies and the government will get around to finalizing the Lapindo matter, particularly the outstanding payments to those affected by that disaster?"

Funnily enough, the Health Minister has indicated that she is particularly concerned by the huge numbers of Australian tourists that invade Bali annually. I noted in my previous post on swine flu that it was a perfect scenario for the doomsdayers, conspiracy theorists, and Commission I of the DPR to ratchet up the idea that swine flu was another attempt by foreigners to covertly usurp Indonesian sovereignty through the spread of disease.

This really is a case for the "Why Bother?" files. It is such a waste of money, particularly when the money can be better spent elsewhere.

Visa on Arrival -- Indonesia

The days of just fronting up at a port of entry into Indonesia, handing over your passport, and getting a 60-day visitor visa are long gone. The old system has been replaced with a visa on arrival system. The Visa on Arrival or VOA was Indonesia's move towards reciprocity, namely: if it is free for Indonesians to travel to your country then it will be free for you to travel to ours.

Charging a VOA fee was also a simple and easy way to create a cash revenue stream into state coffers. At USD 25 for a 30-day tourist visa it is not all that expensive and it does not involve all of the form-filling that one must do when the roles are reversed and Indonesians are traveling abroad. It is also pretty much sans any risk in comparison to most places that Indonesians travel where they are required to submit a form, pay an exorbitant non-refundable fee, and then pray that the visa gods shine on them.

The VOA system may have its flaws but if we are to draw comparisons with the costs and bureaucracy of other visa systems, then the VOA system is not so bad. Then again I have never had to get one :D

Bali and Bikinis

The Anti-Pornography Bill is still likely to pass this year. Although, it also seems likely that amendments will be made to ensure that cultural and ritualistic practices are even more explicitly protected than they are now. The provisions will also be amended to ensure that tourism in Indonesia's premier tourism centers such as Bali are not affected.

In essence, this means that Bali and other places that depend on tourism will allow the wearing of bikinis on beaches without there being a breach of the strict provisions on the showing off of one's flesh. Nevertheless, this might not be universal in that every beach in Bali is exempt though. I am certain there will be a push to see this limited to specific beaches and in specific locations.

Aside from the idea of criminalizing the wearing of bikinis being a stupid idea in light of Indonesia's desire to attract tourists and some USD 9.8 billion in tourist revenue in this self-proclaimed "Visit Indonesia 2008" year, it was interesting and promising to see Indonesians rally and organize into a force to oppose such a silly measure.

Perhaps now the government and the parliament can now turn their collective attentions to more pressing and serious matters. The photo is of Indonesian model, Davina Veronica, well at least that is what the link to this photo said.

Pornography and Indonesia

If recent reports are to be believed, then the controversial Pornography Bill (previously known as the 'anti-pornography and indecency bill) seems to be set to pass the House of Representatives soon. Some lawmakers are hailing this as some kind of prophetic Ramadan gift.

The bill is clearly a threat to the stability of the nation. The provisions appear to criminalize a good deal of Indonesian culture and will undoubtedly have a significant impact on tourism. For these reasons alone the current format of the bill needs to be re-worked in order to make the bill enforceable and not controversial. The provision provide for a little more than just prohibiting the publication of magazines like Playboy.

The bill poses significant threats to privacy as well.

There is opposition to the bill. Unfortunately, this opposition does not appear to be well-marshaled and it would seem the bill's supporters are likely to be bulldozing this through the Special Committee and to a vote on the floor.

Interestingly, Golkar through one of its lawmakers has suggested that the best course of action that may induce a rethink is if there was spontaneous rallies that provided vocal opposition to the bill.

The biggest issue is that the bill regulates morality. There will always be legal questions as to how far a government can go in regulating the morality of its citizens, particularly in the private sphere. The morality issue then gives rise to questions such as whose morals and how are these morals to be defined? To name but a few. There is little doubt that people support the idea of restricting or prohibiting access to pornography and indecency. What is in doubt is whether the current definition of either of the key terms is suitable for the purpose.

Another important question is whether there is a need for a specific pornography and indecency law. Most legal scholars would agree that the key offenses are already regulated in existing legislation, including the Criminal Code, Child Protection Law, and the Cyber Law (ITE). Some might argue that this is a lex spesialis law that deals with a very particular set of circumstances and offenses. However, this argument is moot in the sense that there are no arguments can be made that the provisions are not anything but mere duplication of provisions contained elsewhere.

With a definition of pornography like this:

"Pornography is any work that includes sexual materials in the form of drawings, sketches, illustrations, photographs, text, sound, moving pictures, animation, cartoons, poetry, conversations or any other form of communicative message"

it is little wonder that people have concerns.

Even greater concerns arise when the issue of enforcement is discussed. The bill would seem to allow an interpretation that suggest vigilante justice is permissible. The relevant provisions suggest that the community may take preventive measures. This is clearly different from the community having a mere reporting role where they suspect a breach may have occurred. If this indeed is an acceptable interpretation then you are going to have unqualified individuals and groups making legal determinations with regards to what constitutes pornography and indecency.

The stoning of Playboy's offices and the forcible closures of bars, pubs, and entertainment venues is just the beginning. Other places of indecency and pornography are likely to include museums and theaters.

A cold change is definitely in the air!

Terrorism Threat in Bali

The Gubernatorial Election in Bali is getting into full swing. One of the candidates, I Made Mangku Pastika, is a name that is familiar to many Australians touched by or interested in the Bali Bombings of 2002 and their direct aftermath. Pastika was the point man in many ways on the investigation that eventually resulted in the capture of the perpetrators of that evil.

Interestingly, Pastika has gone on the record to say that not enough has been done in the interim to secure Bali from future terrorist attacks. The increasing of this security is going to be one of the themes of his campaign it seems. Simply, Pastika's argument is that the level and quality of security on Bali does not meet international standards. The interesting part is that the US has recently withdrawn its travel warnings which suggests that the US, at least, considers Indonesia to be relatively safe for tourist travel.

Australia has so far been reluctant to lift its travel warning. The Australian government continues to cite reports of possible terrorist activity. If anything Pastika's statements will provide a little bit of breathing room to keep the travel warning in place. My take on travel warnings and in particular the Australian Travel Warning for Indonesia was that it was a legal document that the government would trot out to say, "we told you so", we will help repatriate you but you will have to pay all costs associated with that repatriation because we warned you and you ignored us.

Nevertheless, Pastika goes on to say that although he respects the Australian government's right to warn and protect its citizens, he feels that if tourists stay away from Bali then the terrorists have won. Only by continuing to come to Bali and to come in numbers, can we say to the terrorists, you lose! This has always been my position, to fold in the face of terrorism means that the terrorists win an undeserved victory over those of us who value freedom and tolerance.

Travel warning or not Bali remains a wonderful place to visit (Photo)!

Visit Indonesia 2008

I have written about the Visit Indonesia 2008 for other reasons earlier in the year.

It seems that the year is now in full swing and you can click on their site and get a calendar of events that you may attend if any should take your fancy.

There are events literally from Sabang to Merauke throughout the year. I am sure you will find something that catches your interest and to which you can attend. The link for the calendar is here.

The site is in English for those that are visitors and non-native speakers of Indonesian.

They are running a poll on the site which asks a couple of questions about the thing you would most like to have as a tourist. The clear winner at this stage is a free visa. This is followed by wanting discounts on airfares and hotels.

Indonesia is a wonderful tourist destination that is rich in history and diverse cultures. It is well worth a long visit. Indonesia is a big country and you will need either a long visit or a commitment to keep coming back to look at a different part of her each time you return.

In the 15 years that I have lived here I have been fortunate to see and visit many places throughout this vast archipelago. Yet, there is still so much more that I have not seen that I am likely to need another 15 years to knock over the rest of the sites and sounds.

I hope that the Visit Indonesia 2008 is a success.

Indonesia and Russian Tourists

Indonesia is on the final day of a three-day road show in Moscow at the Moscow International Tourism and Travel (MITT) fair. The idea is simply to promote the culture and value of Indonesia as a travel destination for Russians. Russian estimations suggest that there are some 40 million Russians that travel each year.

In 2007 the number of Russian tourists entering Indonesia was a touch under 47,000 after having peaked at just over 47,210 in 2006. You can do the math on that as a percentage of the 40 million or more Russians that are traveling each year but it is not a big number.

The answer to raising the numbers of Russian tourists who choose Indonesia as their travel destination of choice is direct flights between Russia and Indonesia. Currently, Russians and Indonesians traveling between the two countries must transit in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Amsterdam. Apparently, the 'having to transit' issue is one cited as being a deterrent to travel. If this is indeed an accurate reflection of the majority of Russians, then a direct flight makes sense in both the common sense and money sense ways!

Let's see what happens! A direct route might inspire me and the missus to fork out some hard earned cash but probably not during the winter! The direct flight would be about 18 hours if any one wants to know!

The photo is from my personal collection and was taken at Borobudur Temple in February 2008...still learning in the photography department (it is one of my better ones so far though)...

Tourism

Indonesia has designated 2008 as the "Visit Indonesia Year" with good reason as 2008 will be the 100th anniversary of the founding of 'Boedi Oetomo' in 1908. Boedi Oetomo was Indonesia's first concerted effort, and a first tentative step towards independence. Independence was finally achieved in 1945.

The Boedi Oetomo group and movement is identified as the moment of the indigenous population of the Dutch East Indies awakening. It is this national awakening that is to be traded on in the 2008 visit Indonesia campaign. There is much to see and do in Indonesia, of that there is no doubt, but with so much invested in this campaign you would think that a little more care would be taken.

There would have been no need to attach an expatriate native English speaker to the campaign just to prove read the advertising and campaign materials as there are many capable Indonesians who possess a technical appreciation of English far superior to some native English speakers I know. Unfortunately, it seems that none of those speakers are employed by the Department of Culture and Tourism. I am sure the Department could of found a native speaker to do the job for next to nothing or they could have called up one of the myriad private English language schools that dot the landscape of Jakarta such as English First.

Instead the slogan has become "Visit Indonesia 2008 celebrating 100 years of nation's awakening"...ummmmmmmmmmmm!

News reports suggest that the Department has recognized the grammatical error and is endeavouring to fix it. This is not going to be cheap as the government has already painted plenty of planes owned by the national flag carrier, Garuda, with the not so grammatically correct slogan. In addition to pulling down billboards and recalling other promotional material the costs of the campaign seem set to spiral upwards.

I think everyone should visit Indonesia, it is a wonderfully diverse place with much to offer new and seasoned travellers alike, irrespective of age. Simply, Indonesia caters to all tastes and budgets. Give it a shot you are unlikely to regret spending some of your hard earned cash here. Yet, I hope that if you do take the plunge and come to Indonesia you go to places other than Bali. Bali is nice and I love to go there myself but Indonesia is so much more than Bali - there are 17,000+ islands to choose from! But Bali always reminds me of one of my favorite tales...I once asked a friend when I was back in Australia for a visit whether or not they had ever been to Indonesia. The answer was, "No, but I have been to Bali!" I smile as I think about it now some ten years or so after it happened.

The error has probably been spotted by many but particular notice was taken after an article (commentary and analysis) was published in The Financial Times by John Aglionby

But the moral of this story and the lesson to all - proofread your work before you hand it in or publish it! (The photo is courtesy of AFP)