Jatiluwih village too popular for its own good

A small village in Bali is paying the price for being included on UNESCO"s World Heritage List.

Jatiluwih village, 50 kilometers west of Denpasar, is finding its new fame a challenge as streets are blocked by tour coaches, vans and motor-cycles.

UNESCO listed the village because of its stunning views of multi-tiered paddy fields, but roads to the village are narrow and badly damaged with potholes.

Ketut Ariyasa, a driver from a travel agency, told Bali Daily that many tourists had lodged complaints about public toilets.

"Many tourist attractions (in Bali) do not have decent public toilets for visitors. Some of them do, but they were dirty and smelly," he said.

Foreigners who visit Jatiluwih are now required to buy an entry ticket for Rp 15,000 (US$1.60) for an adult and Rp 10,000 for a child.

Al Purwa, chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies Association, said luxury hotels and villas were not enough to support Bali"s tourism.

He said the Bali administration would have to think about upgrading road access, harbours, public facilities, immigration services and other related issues.

"Tourism is about every aspect of the island"s life," Purwa added. (TravelMole)