Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bali has again been named the world’s best island by the readers of U.S. magazine Travel+Leisure.

It is the fifth time the popular resort island has topped the list and it was also named Asia’s best island for the seventh time.

In the top islands ranking, Bali was followed by Hawaii’s Kauii and Maui and the Great Barrier Reef Islands in Australia.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said he had not been certain Bali would win considering the 2002 and 2005 bombings on the island.

“I had a strong feeling, but the bombings made me not so sure. But it turns out tourists still think Bali is the best among other islands in the world,” he told The Jakarta Post in Garut, West Java, on Thursday evening.

(more…)

Greetings from Bali Hilton International!

First of all, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for your generous support since the opening of the hotel for the last 16 years.

A part of an overall plan of continues improvement, the hotel management is proud to announce that effective September 1st 2006, the Bali Hilton International will be re-branded as “AYODYA RESORT“.

The ownership, management and staff of the hotel will remain unchanged and the re-branding will take place without any interruption to the hotel’s operation or guests’ comfort. All contracts and commitments of the Bali Hilton International will continue to be honored under our new trading name.

(more…)

The historical period of Bali is divided into three sub-periods which includes :

a. The Ancient Period ( 800 - 1343 AD)

The collections from this period that are displayed: stupika, the miniature of a stupa (Buddhist temple) made of clay and there is a stamp or tablet inside. The tablet is written with Pranegari script in Sanskrit language containing Buddhist mantras. A great number of stupikas were found in Pejeng village and Tatiapi, Blahbatuh village (Gianyar) which can be traced back to 800 AD, and it was the first writing ever found indicating the beginning of Bali history. Also displayed findings of this age of stone and bronze statues (arca) such as : Arca Dewi Tara, Arca Manjucri and others as the media for worshipping the divined king’s spirit. Trading system had also been going on in that period, proved by the remains found such as : gold and silver currencies and perforated Chinese coins. Photographs of architectural remains from the period are also displayed such as : Gunung Kawi temple, Gua Gajah/Elephant cave and Yeh Pulu temple.

(more…)

The Sheraton Laguna resort has just completed its US$7.5 million renovation in July with more refurbished facilities.

Some 270 rooms were completely refurbished and all rooms now come with 42′ inch plasma TVs.

The Sheraton Laguna will be changing its name to The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali from September 1 onwards.

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The main elements of the offering are seven duck eggs and one sandat (Canangium odoratum) flower with complete, undamaged petals. A growing number of Balinese believe that the offering would alleviate the impact of imminent natural disasters.

“There is nothing wrong with presenting an offering, is there?” Della said.

That Tuesday evening, she had just finished placing the offering on the ground before the main gate of her family compound in western Denpasar. Earlier, she had placed another offering, a pejati, comprising mainly of rice, egg and coconut, at the ancestral shrine of Rong Tiga.

(more…)

The ground floor of Denpasar Building displays various pre-historical and historical collections of Bali consisting of relics and artifacts. Those collections are displayed in accordance with their periodization as follows:

1. The Pre-historical Period
This period is classified into four sub-periods, namely:

A. The hunting and early food gathering (Paleolithicum)
1,000,000 - 200,000 B.C.

The people in this period lived in wondering and always moved from one place to another to get a more fertile soil. Their equipments that were used for hunting or cutting things made from stone, still very simple in shape and coarse, called kapak genggam and kapak perimbas (hand axe). These collections have been found at Sembiran and Trunyan villages.

(more…)