Garuda Indonesia cuts European flights

Due to the downturn of the economic conditions in Europe which has not shown any improvement in this current time and has been affecting to the declining market, Garuda Indonesia will reduce daily flights from Jakarta – Dubai – Amsterdam (Europe) from seven to four times a week.

Garuda, then, fly every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Jakarta, and every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Amsterdam.

To serve the Jakarta – Dubai – Amsterdam route, Garuda Indonesia operates an A330-200 with a capacity of 222 seats, consisting of 36 in business class and 186 in economy class.

Meanwhile, to cater the growth of market in Tokyo and Taipei flight and as Garuda Indonesia continues to broaden its network, particularly in the international sector, the airline will soon introduce new services, namely Denpasar – Tokyo (Haneda) which will be effective on April 27, 2012, and Jakarta – Taipei which will be effective on May 19, 2012.

Beginning in February 2012, Garuda Indonesia will also increase the frequency of Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur three times a day from the previously twice daily.

Garuda Indonesia will fly the Denpasar – Haneda (Tokyo) route five times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

Flights are scheduled to leave Denpasar (GA 886) at 15.30 WITA arriving in Haneda at 23.30 LT. On the return flight, GA 887 will depart from Haneda at 01.00 LT and arrive in Denpasar at 07.00 WITA.

To serve the route, Garuda operates an Airbus 330-300 which has a capacity of 257 passengers (42 in the executive class and 215 in economy class).

Hari Raya Galungan February 1-2, 2012

Balinese Official Holidays Announced

Governor Made Mangku Pastika has officially set 18 days in 2012 as “local holidays” celebrated by Balinese Hindus in addition to the 13 national holidays established by Jakarta.

The National News Agency Antara, quoted the provincial spokesman for Bali, I Ketut Teneng, who announced the following local Bali holidays for 2012:

• January 22-23, 2012 - Hari Siwa Ratri - two days set aside for reflection, the personal absolution of sins and rededication to the Almighty.
• January 31, 2012 – Penampahan Galungan I - the day before the official days of Galungan on which the Balinese “slay” their six personal daemons (Sad Ripu) of lust, greed, anger, drunkenness, confusion and confrontation.
• February 1 - 2, 2012 - Hari Raya Galungan and Umanis Galungan – the days to celebrate the victory of Goodness over evil.
• February 10- 12, 2012 – Hari Kuningan I, Hari Raya Kuningan I and Umanis Kuningan I – three days marking the end of the 10-day Galungan-Kuningan cycle.
• March 22, 2012 – Hari Tawur Agung Kesanga – A day of purification ceremonies marked by a night of festive merry-making and ogoh-ogoh parades.
• March 23, 2012 - Hari Suci Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka 1934 – The day of absolute silence in Bali to celebrate the Balinese New Year. Bali becomes a ghost town with airport, ports, business and traffic coming to an absolute standstill.
• March 24 – Ngembak Geni – the day of Nyepi used for friends and family to gather to ask and give forgiveness to one another. Also used as a day of traditional religious ceremonies. 
• June 16, 2012 – Hari Raya Saraswati – the Balinese Day in honor of learning and education.
• June 20, 2012 – Hari Raya Pagerwesti – a day of meditation and prayer in which Balinese build internal “walls” or defenses against the distractions and problems of daily life.
• August 28, 2012 - Penampahan Galungan I
• August 29 -30, 2012 - Hari Raya Galungan II and Umanis Galungan II
• September 16-18, 2012 - Hari Kuningan II, Hari Raya Kuningan II and Umanis Kuningan II

Kuta beach closed due to high waves

Strong winds and high tides along Bali’s coastline over the past two days have forced the Kuta Beach coast guards to close the beach to tourists.
The beach was closed Thursday after waves reached a height of three meters.
“Kuta Beach has been temporarily closed for tourists,” Kuta Beach coast guard unit chief I Gusti Ngurah Tresna said Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.
The coast guard has installed red flags along the shoreline and has announced the beach’s closure through megaphones.

Deal of the day: Ubud Guest House Kudos

Set amidst Ubud’s rice fields, Guest House Kudos offers rooms with sweeping views of the greenery. This hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, restaurant and free Wi-Fi.

The air-conditioned rooms at Kudos Guest House come with traditional Balinese décor and furnishings. Each room is fitted with a private balcony and en suite bathroom with hot shower facilities.

To relax, guests can enjoy a body massage, or take a stroll to Ubud’s town centre. The hotel provides car rental services and free parking. Laundry and dry cleaning services are provided upon request.

The restaurant serves a variety of local and Western dishes. Outdoor dining options are also available.

Guest House Kudos is 3 km from Ubud Market and Ubud Palace. Bali Bird Park is a 25-minute drive from the hotel.

Bentuyung Ubud, 80571 Ubud 


Book now: USD 30 deal of the day

E-Passport Gates Speed Things Up at Soekarno-Hatta Airport

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport debuted on Wednesday the country’s first automatic immigration gate for Indonesians possessing electronic passports to use when leaving and arriving in the country.

The new automated system allows electronic passport holders to bypass what is often a long line at the immigration counter.

The system, which currently includes two gates for international departures and eight for international arrivals, was opened at the international terminal by Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin.

“This is a step forward,” he said. “With these auto gates, I think Soekarno-Hatta has made itself an international airport with sophisticated facilities.”

The automated immigration gates are designed to expedite the immigration process through increased speed and efficiency.

Maryoto Sumadi, a spokesman for the immigration office, said that if necessary the gates could be operated manually by airport personnel.

The new automated system is linked to the immigration information management system at the immigration office, according to Maryoto.

There are 12,000 people who own electronic Indonesian passports, which are also known as biometric passports. The government has been issuing them since Jan. 26, 2011.

To use the system, electronic passport holders must carry a valid boarding pass with a barcode that follows the standard set by the International Air Transportation Association. Users must also stand between 1.2 meters and 2.2 meters tall.

The gate scans the passport and the barcode on the boarding pass, verifies the fingerprint and takes a picture of the passenger, all in less than three minutes.

Scanning the passport happens first, with the passport open to the page with the person’s photograph. Then comes the scanning of the barcode on the boarding pass.

After that, the passenger presses their required finger onto a screen for scanning. Finally, they must face a screen to get their snapshot taken. No dark glasses or veils that cover the face are allowed.

The passenger can then pass through the gate, which will not close before the person and their luggage make it through.

Maryoto said he expected similar systems would soon be installed at other international airports in Indonesia.

“We hope that the operation of these automated immigration gates will be able to enhance services for those who are leaving or arriving through the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport,” he said.

The high-priority airports for future installations, Maryoto said, are Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Juanda International Airport in Surabaya and Hang Nadim Airport on the island of Batam, just south of Singapore.