12 Must-Do Things in Bali

From water-sports to shopping, the island of Bali has it all. Pamper yourself with a chocolate spa treatment before partying the night away at one of its trendiest nightspots, all this while squeezing a gourmet meal in between. Here are some of the must-do things in the Islands of God.

Photo credit – Sean McGrath

Hide Away

No trip to Bali is complete without experiencing the hillside tranquility of Ubud. Fresh off winning the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Magazine award as the World’s Best City, the small hill-side town is now abuzz with tourism and renewed popularity. However, there are still spots to relax and unwind. Head to Dirty Duck Cafe (Warung Bebek Bengil) for a tasty serving of crispy, deep fried duck with mouth-watering sambal on the side. Various trekking and cycling tours are also available for you to take through the maze of never-ending terraced paddy fields.

Photo credit – Stella Blu

Dress Up

When it comes to shopping in Bali, there is only one place for fashionable trendsetting locals who knows not to judge a book by its cover – Seminyak. This shopping area on the southern coast of Bali is filled with fashionable treasures waiting for you to unearth. BIASA is the undisputed queen of fashion, a chapel of cool selling classics for grown ups and a few flirty styles for the younger crowd too. Other local favorites are Paul Ropp, Papillion, Innuendo and Flamingo, which you can read further in our exploration of Seminyak.

Photo credit - Metal Marna

Arts & Crafts

The arts and crafts scene in Bali is well developed and highly sought after in the international market. Numerous artists have made Bali their home, drawing from the colorful culture and charming island life Bali has to offer as their inspiration. Balinese wood carving is popular amongst tourists, and you can find some of the best in business at Tegallalang, Pujung and Sebatu. For elegant ceramics, Jenggala Ceramics in Jimbaran is the place to go. The spacious gallery, just 10 minutes away from the airport, offers world-class, locally made crockery at reasonable prices, in a wide range of designs.

Photo credit – yummiec00kies

Surf’s Up

While Bali is no longer a frontier surfing destination, it still boasts some of the best surfing spots in the world. It has over 20 top quality breaks on the southwest and southeast coast of the island, and there are a wide range of breaks to cater all skill levels. Beginners can head to Kuta Beach to enroll at the various surfing schools available, while other areas, such as Uluwatu and Padang, offer world-class reef-breaks for those of higher skill level.

Photo credit - chee.hong

Dolphin Watch

Tourists can head towards Lovina, 3 hours north of Kuta, which is famed for their dolphin sight-seeing tours. These tours leave the main beaches each morning at dawn, with the price usually set at Rp75,000 per person. If you are in a group, chartering your own boat maybe a more worthwhile option.

Photo credit - ValerioVeo

Sip a Good Martini

For Bali’s best martini, drop into the legendary Naughty Nuri’s Warung on Jl Raya Sanggingan, a 10-minute drive west from the centre of Ubud. The classic chilled martini and margaritas are some of the best you’ll find on the island, and they also serve a mean pork ribs. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing, a perfect way to while away your afternoon after a tiring day.

Party Away

If partying is high on your list then the Kuta Beach area is where you want to go. Here, the party starts late at around midnight and goes on all night into the wee hours of the morning. Think noisy discotheques full of drunk tourists and locals, with various dance shows to draw in the crowd. Hulu Cafe prides itself as “the only real gay bar in Bali”, and has drag shows three times a week which can be quite fun. Casablance, Peanuts, Bounty Ship, M-Bar-Go and Sky Garden are a few of the numerous watering holes in the area ready to serve you whatever drinks you may want.

Pamper Yourself

As the bastion of luxury travel in South East Asia, Bali boasts some of the world’s best in the art of spa pampering. Kayumanis Private Villa & Spa offers the ultimate indulgence – a pampering of chocolate spa treatment. It combines traditional Balinese massage using chocolate oils, followed with a chocolate scrub, chocolate bath, chocolate facial and finally, a serving of chocolate ice cream to top it off at the end. Plenty other hotels and villas offers high-quality Balinese massage using special medicated oils to help you relax and unwind.

Photo credit - Metis

Eat Like a King

Bali is home to some of the finest restaurants in the region, offering high-end culinary treats mixed with the great island atmosphere and friendly face. Over the years, there have been a few mainstays, such as the legendary Ku De Ta, Sarong Bali, and Kafe Warisan (which is now revamped as Metis). The price is steep, but like they always said, you do get what you pay for.

Photo credit - Mr Wabu

Water Sports

Tanjong Benoa is Bali’s premier water-sports hub, with various activities available for you to choose from. Parasailing, snorkeling, jet-skis, wake-boarding and banana-boats are but a few of the choices available here. There are also white-water rafting operators further up north, near Ubud area, with the the Telagawajah and Ayung River being two of the most popular options.

Photo credit - Ilse Rejis and Jan-Noud Hutten

Scuba Diving

There are quite a few scuba diving sites around Bali. Some of the popular ones are – wreck-divingat Tulamben in the east, the serene reefs around Menjangan Island, and drift diving off Nusa Penida in the south. For beginners there are also various dive centres affiliated with PADI and SSI offering introductory courses.

Photo credit - Flashpacking Life

Climb Mount Agung

Mount Agung is the highest mountain on the island of Bali, which holds a huge spiritual significance to the people of the island and is home to the Temple of Besakih. There are three climbing routes up the mountain, and all are quite difficult and only suitable for the physically fit. The rewards however, are most definitely worth it, with some awe-inspiring views of the mountains across flat rubble plains. Getting a local guide is a must, with fees varying from USD40 to USD100 depending on how you arrange the guide, the route taken and the level of English expected of the guide.

source:Unearthing Asia

ISL vs LPI, Brand Marketing

Perseteruan antara Indonesian Super League (ISL) dan Liga Primer Indonesia (LPI) semakin seru. Dari kacamata branding atau pembangunan merk, fenomena ini sangatlah menarik.

Arifin Panigoro

Kita ingat bagaimana pro dan kontra yang sama terjadi beberapa tahun yang lalu ketika Pertamina membuka diri terhadap persaingan global. Alih-alih takut penjualannya terpuruk dan dikalahkan oleh pesaing, Pertamina justru melakukan pembenahan diri. Mereka mengganti logo legendarisnya dengan bantuan sebuah konsultan global dengan nilai ratusan juta rupiah.

Itu baru awal, belum termasuk renovasi pom bensin yang lebih modern, bersih dan bersahabat. Mereka juga tidak lupa memperkenalkan program "pasti pas" yang secara perlahan tapi pasti berhasil membangun kepercayaan konsumen terhadap citra dan paradigma Pertamina yang lama.

Contoh lain, pada skala yang lebih kecil, adalah persaingan antara Gado Gado Boplo vs Gado Gado Cemara. Kompetisi dua (merk) restoran spesialis gado-gado yang berbasis di Jakarta itu adalah dengan berlomba memberikan servis dan pelayanan yang terbaik bagi pelanggan. Fokus keduanya bukan lagi hanya membuka outlet baru tapi bagaimana menjaga kualitas outlet agar tetap konsisten.

Masih banyak contoh "kompetisi sehat" lainnya yang akhirnya justru membuat industri tersebut berkembang lebih baik. Dalam bukunya yang ditulis ditahun 1776, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith mengatakan bahwa hanya dengan pasar terbukalah masyarakat akan mendapatkan keuntungan paling maksimal dan bermanfaat.

Persaingan, misalnya antara Sariayu vs Mustika Ratu, Blue Bird vs Express, Hypermart vs Carrefour, Indomaret vs Alfamart, Coca Cola vs Pepsi, Honda vs Toyota, justru akhirnya membuat industri bersangkutan semakin maju dan berkembang. Industri yang maju dan berkembang pasti akan memberikan keuntungan yang lebih baik bagi masyarakat.


Hikmah perseteruan ISL vs LPI

Kembali kepada pokok perseteruan dua kompetisi sepakbola di Indonesia ini. Ke depan, diharapkan kedua liga tersebut akan berlomba membuktikan bahwa merekalah yang terbaik. Inovasi-inovasi baru mungkin akan tercipta, kualitas akan terus meningkat dan keuntungan akan semakin bertambah.

PSSI vs LPI

Memang, pada mulanya intensitas percekcokan ini akan meninggi, namun sejalan waktu kedua kubu akan sadar bahwa daripada menghabiskan waktu untuk saling serang dan saling tuntut lebih baik untuk fokus pada kompetisi masing masing dan berupaya menunjukkan kepada publik bahwa merekalah yang terbaik.

Sebagai sesama "merk lokal" justru kompetisi tersebut akan membuat merk yang bersangkutan teruji dan tidak mudah rontok. Untuk dapat menang dalam persaingan solusinya sederhana. Bagi PSSI, mereka harus berani membuka diri dan melihat ke dalam antara lain kelemahan yang selama ini menjadi ganjalan. Untuk itu evaluasi menyeluruh perlu dilakukan.

Riset independen penting dimulai terhadap semua stakeholder mulai dari fans pendukung, pengurus, mitra hingga sponsor. Tujuannya adalah untuk dapat melihat keinginan dan harapan yang selama ini diinginkan para stakeholder.

Kemudian PSSI harus dan berusaha untuk dapat merealisasikan keinginan tersebut dengan memperbaiki perangkat-perangkat yang menjadi sumber permasalahan. Bukan hanya itu, penting juga bagi PSSI untuk mencitrakan kembali dirinya sesuai dengan persepsi yang diharapkan oleh publik. Di sinilah tantangannya.

Ada pendapat bahwa citra kompetisi yang dijalankan oleh PSSI seperti saat ini jauh dari harapan publik. Untuk mengubah hal tersebut tentu tidak mudah. Persepsi yang telah tercipta cenderung sulit dihapuskan. Butuh waktu dan anggaran yang tidak sedikit.

Tapi di sinilah kekuatan PSSI. Dengan sumberdaya yang berpengalaman, dan dukungan resmi baik secara nasional dan internasional serta sejarah liga yang panjang, PSSI seharusnya mampu memperbaiki eksistensi mereknya. Daripada menghabiskan waktu untuk mengkoreksi dan menentang liga lain yang merupakan pesaing, lebih baik PSSI segera melakukan langkah-langkah pembenahan.

Sebaliknya, LPI harus menggunakan momentum ini untuk mengambil hati penggemar sepakbola nasional. Bagaikan seorang bayi, saat ini LPI baru akan mulai membangun kompetisinya sendiri. Persepsinya bisa dikatakan masih nol besar. Artinya, akan lebih mudah bagi LPI untuk membangun citra kompetisinya karena publik belum memiliki sebuah memori pencitraan terhadap LPI.

Selain itu secara skala, LPI bisa dibilang "lebih kecil" dibandingkan LSI-nya PSSI. "Lebih kecil" -- dalam teori pembangunan merek -- bisa lebih menguntungkan karena akan lebih mudah untuk dikontrol dan diperbaiki bila ada kesalahan.

Namun LPI harus berhati hati karena dengan pengalaman minim dan harapan publik yang begitu tinggi justru dapat membuat merk LPI akan terpuruk apabila harapan tersebut tidak menjadi kenyataan. Oleh karenanya, strategi yang bisa dipilih LPI adalah membangun merknya secara perlahan namun konsisten.

Program pencitraan tidak perlu dipublikasikan dahulu secara maksimal di tahun pertamanya. Justru mungkin lebih baik anggaran publikasi dipergunakan untuk menganalisa dan membuat regulasi regulasi yang dapat menyempurnakan liga tersebut di tahun-tahun mendatang. Menjalankan liga adalah sebuah masalah detil yang besar. Dengan "ukuran kecilnya" LPI akan lebih cepat dan fleksibel untuk melakukan terobosan dan perbaikan yang diharapkan.

Hikmah dari perselisihan ini adalah secara tidak sadar telah terjadi sebuah refleksi bagi kedua belah pihak untuk memperbaiki ekuitas atau kualitas merek masing masing. Semoga urusan gonjang-ganjing ini dapat segera diakhiri dan kedua belah pihak segera focus untuk melakukan hal terbaik yang akan atau selama ini mereka janjikan kepada publik sepakbola nasional yakni sebuah tontonan dan kualitas liga yang bermutu.
Selamat berkompetisi dan maju terus merk Indonesia!

Nugraha Besoes

Sumber: detik.com

Banjir Dahsyat di Queensland, Australia

Seasonal flooding across eastern Australia has been widespread and devastating this spring - their wettest on record. Cyclone Tasha came along two weeks ago, and dumped even more water on Queensland. Hundreds of thousands of people in an area the size of France and Germany combined are now affected, and at least nine people have been killed so far. Authorities are working to evacuate some communities and airlift supplies to others as the water level is expected to continue rising over the next two days and 38 regions were declared natural disaster areas. Collected here are photos from the recent flooding around Australia and its effect on residents and animals. (33 photos total)

A wallaby stands on a large round hay bale, trapped by rising flood waters outside the town of Dalby in Queensland, Australia on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010. Days of torrential downpours have left parts of central and southern Queensland state inundated, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, cutting off roads and forcing the entire populations of two towns to evacuate. (AP Photo/Anthony Skerman)

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The swollen Burnett River cuts the sugar cane town of Bundaberg in two and submerges Harriett Island on December 30, 2010 after entire towns in Queensland state were inundated by the worst deluges in decades. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Rising floodwaters spread across the runway of the airport at Rockhampton, in eastern Queensland, Australia on January 2, 2011. (MECHIELSEN LYNDON/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A snake crosses the Capricorn Highway which is under floodwaters 6km south of Rockhampton, Australia on January 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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An emergency personnel boat motors past a street sign partially covered by floodwaters 6km south of Rockhampton on January 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Houses in the town of Theodore, about 410km (255 miles) north west of Brisbane, Australia, are partially submerged by flood waters in this January 1, 2011 picture. (REUTERS/Queensland Police Service) #

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Cattle walk through flooded crops near the town of Theodore in Australia's state of Queensland January 2, 2011. Large parts of Australia's coastal northeast were flooded on Sunday in a spreading environmental disaster as thousands of residents fled their homes to avoid the runoff from a Christmas deluge. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz (AUSTRALIA - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS) #

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A main street in the flooded town of Theodore, Australia is used as a helicopter landing zone as residents are evacuated in this January 1, 2011 picture. (REUTERS/Queensland Police Service) #

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Bruce Dalton cleans mud from the recently submerged Spinnakers bar and restaurant on the banks of the swollen Burnett River in Bundaberg as flood waters begin to recede on January 1, 2011. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Rising floodwaters spread through the low-lying suburb of Depot Hill in Rockhampton, in eastern Queensland on January 2, 2011. (MECHIELSEN LYNDON/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A girl falls in the mud as her sister and father remove damaged belongings from their home affected by floodwater in Bundaberg, Queensland January 1, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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A police vehicle is halted by flood debris across a road near the town of Injune, about 480kms (298 miles) northwest of Brisbane on January 1, 2011. Floods that have inundated 22 Australian towns and forced more than 200,000 from their homes headed towards the northeast coast on New Year's Day, forcing further evacuations and warnings of 30-ft flood waters. (REUTERS/Queensland Police Service) #

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Partially submerged railways to transport coal are seen near the town of Emerald in Australia's state of Queensland January 2, 2011. Large parts of Australia's coastal northeast were flooded on Sunday in a spreading environmental disaster as thousands of residents fled their homes to avoid the runoff from a Christmas deluge. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Workers of a hardware store start to clean up after being affected by flood waters in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia on January 1, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Farm crops are seen flooded near the town of Theodore in Queensland, Australia January 2, 2011. Large parts of Australia's coastal northeast were flooded on Sunday in a spreading environmental disaster as thousands of residents fled their homes to avoid the runoff from a Christmas deluge. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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A small plane takes off from a portion of the flooded runway at the Rockhampton airport in the state of Queensland January 2, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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A coal ship waits to be loaded at the port in Gladstone, Queensland January 2, 2011. Torrential rains and flooding are set to cut rail supplies of coal for another week from inland mines to Australia's third-largest coal export terminal Gladstone, forcing the port to run down already-depleted inventories. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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A fish is seen on the Capricorn Highway, which is partially submerged under floodwaters, 6 km (3.7 miles) south of Rockhampton, January 3, 2011. Military aircraft flew supplies to an Australian town slowly disappearing beneath floodwaters on Monday, as record flooding in the country's northeast continues to cut coal exports and devastate wheat production. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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This aerial photo taken on December 31, 2010 shows the Fairbairn Dam spilling into the Queensland town of Emerald, illustrating the extent of flooding across the area. (JONO SEARLE/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Agricultural machinery is seen on an isolated island surrounded by flood waters near the town of Emerald in Australia's state of Queensland January 2, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Ann Mara uses a kayak and a rope to tow a kangaroo through floodwaters near Wellington, Australia. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and officials have been scrambling to pluck stranded motorists from cars and surround vulnerable homes and businesses with sandbags as Australia's attorney general declared 45 communities along the country's east coast disaster areas Friday, Dec. 10, 2010, following weeks of drenching rains. (AP Photo/Lake Burrendong Sport and Recreation Centre, Tracy Woods) #

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Rodney Dowton ferries a boatload of kangaroos through floodwaters near Wellington, Australia. (AP Photo/Lake Burrendong Sport and Recreation Centre, Tracy Woods) #

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A swollen river is seen near the town of Tumut, 400 km (250 miles) south-west of Sydney, December 9, 2010. Torrential rain is wreaking more havoc across eastern Australia, with flash floods continuing to cause problems for residents, according to local media. (REUTERS/Wolter Peters) #

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Buildings are submerged in floodwaters in a neighborhood in Rockhampton, Queensland on January 2, 2011. Large parts of Australia's coastal northeast were flooded on Sunday in a spreading environmental disaster as thousands of residents fled their homes to avoid the runoff from a Christmas deluge. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Christopher Roth tries to salvage what he can from his parents' flooded home in Bundaberg on December 31, 2010. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Local teenagers make the best of ther conditions after heavy rainfall hit the the capital region on December 9, 2010 in Queanbeyan, Australia. (Andrew Taylor/Getty Images) #

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Scott Wogandt and his son Mitchell kayak past flooded cars in Bundaberg on December 31, 2010. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A pair of shoes lie in the mud after flooded waters start to receded in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia January 1, 2011. Flood water rose across Australia's northeast on Friday, covering an area bigger than France and Germany combined, inundating 22 towns and stranding 200,000 people, and closing one of the country's major sugar export ports. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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A worker from emergency services walks through the Capricorn Highway, which is submerged in floodwaters, 6 km (3.7 miles) south of Rockhampton, January 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Flood waters cover the land near Warwick, Queensland on December 28, 2010 as entire towns were inundated by the worst deluges in decades. Torrential rains following in the wake of tropical cyclone Tasha have swollen rivers and flooded scores of farms and homes in the northeastern state of Queensland. (JEFF CAMDEN/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A half-drowned brush-tail possum seeks shelter in an up-turned caravan on the banks of the swollen Burnett River in Bundaberg as flood waters begin to recede on January 1, 2011. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Signboards are partially submerged by floodwater in Bundaberg, Queensland December 31, 2010. (REUTERS/Daniel Munoz) #

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Six-year-old Jake Thompson looks at flood waters that have engulfed Alexander Street in Bundaberg on December 31, 2010. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) #

Mobil Pertama John Lenon Dilelang

John Lennon owned the Ferrari for less than a year after passing his driving test in 1965, at the height of Beatlemania

Mobil pertama John Lenon yang bermerek Ferrai akan dilelang bulan depan (5 Feb. 2011) di rumah lelang British Auction House dan diharapkan laku $180,000,-

Bonham, dari British Auction House, mengatakan bahwa Ferrari warna biru mengkilap keluaran tahun 1965 berjenis GT 2+2 Coupe dan merupakan mobil pertama pentolan legendaris grup Beatles yang dibelinya sesaat setelah sang legenda lulus ujian mengemudi tahun 1965. Pada saat itu John Lennon dan teman-temannya juga sedang merilis hit mereka "help" dan "Ticket to Ride".

Rumah lelang juga mengharapkan mobil tersebut bisa laku lebih dari harga harapan yaitu antara 120,000 hingga 170,000 pounds (186,200 hingga 263,800 dollar).

John Lennon hanya sempat memiliki mobil tersebut selama kurang dari 1 tahun karena dia lebih menyukai limousine Rolls Royce Phantom V nya yang dia beli tidak lama dari Ferrai birunya. Sulit dilacak siapa pemilik Ferrari tersebut setelah Lennon. Pada tahun 1990an, Ferrari tersebut direstorasi ke bentuk aslinya oleh yang saat ini akan melelangnya.

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