Indonesia Travel Guide

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What Everyone's Buying in Bali: Kopi Luwak Coffee Packets

Where: Bali, Indonesia
May 13, 2013 at 12:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

Welcome to "What Everyone's Buying," a new series on souvenirs, wherein we investigate what tourist trinkets are the hottest selling in hotspots around the world.

Kopi Luwak. In the movie "The Bucket List," it's the favorite drink of Jack Nicholson's character; he calls it "the rarest beverage in the world." We wouldn't exactly say that, but it is pretty rare and not to mention expensive, with a reputation as being only for connoisseurs.

Of course all this makes it a terribly in-demand souvenir purchase for tourists to Bali, though purchasers may not always realize how it's made: an Indonesian civet (like a possum) eats a certain type of coffee berry. Its digestive system digests the meat of the berry, adds enzymes to the bean inside, and then poops out the bean. These beans are then collected, cleaned and sterilized, roasted and ground into coffee powder.

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A Lion Air 737 Goes for an Accidental Swim in Bali (Crash Photos and Details)

April 13, 2013 at 5:52 AM | by | Comments (0)

Just before 5:10am EST this morning, it was reported that an aircraft had gone into the water off the runway at Bali's Airport at 15:10pm local time. That was a simple newsflash, but additional details have emerged in the minutes since, and here is what we know:*

· Update (12pm EST): It is now confirmed that the plane didn't overshoot the runway, but landed short of it. This would mean that the 737 landed too early (versus too late, with an overshoot) and thus hit the water just before the runway. The number of passengers has also been solidified; there were 101 passengers and 7 crew, all surviving.

· The aircraft, a Lion Air Boeing 737-800 (registration PK-LKS), was operating a flight from Bandung, Indonesia to Denpasar/Bali, Indonesia when it landed in the ocean.

· Both ends of the runway at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) are bordered by the ocean. The 737 was unable to stop before continuing off the edge and into the water on the runway's western end [See Update above]. The force of the landing caused the rear area of the fuselage to break, just behind the trailing edge of the wing.

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Where To Go With Your Tax Refund: Bali

Where: Bali, Indonesia
March 7, 2013 at 11:02 AM | by | Comments (0)

Tax day is coming, and you're probably excited...but not because you look forward to sifting through receipts and credit card statements. You're excited because you're getting a fat refund. Probably. The economy may be on its way back up, but you should try to stretch that tax refund as far as you can...like with a little "you did a great job last year" trip—a Tax Refund Vacation.

With what we can only hope is winter's final squeeze on the majority of the 'Lower 48', this blizzard is one of the best reasons to escape the blustery weather is to plan a vacation to a tropical location which gets you way far away, albeit with a few sleepless flights. While many come to mind, one in particular we would recommend highly: Bali.

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Oh Boy. Bali Considers Banning Bintang and All Booze

Where: Indonesia
January 7, 2013 at 2:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

...And not just the Balinese beer, but wine, vodka and any other adult libation. A new piece of legislation has been brought to the parliament of Indonesia asking for the potential ban of alcoholic beverages on the tropical vacation island and across the rest of the Muslim country.

If you have ever been to Bali, you know how ridiculous this whole topic sounds. The island is a tourist mecca attracting travelers with daydreams of sitting poolside sipping on a fruity cocktail made from fresh squeezed fruit juice. If relaxing is not part of your itinerary, there are storefronts and cafe-fronts full of sunburned Westerners enjoying a cocktail or beer. Even our own trip last year was dotted with some interesting cocktails and other beverages, both alcoholic and kiddie-safe.

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The Adventures of Travel Cat: Indonesia's Gili Islands

November 7, 2012 at 2:03 PM | by | Comments (0)

Kitty cats. They rule the internet and, whether we realize it or not, pretty much the world too. Ever noticed how cats sometimes stake out the coolest spots in a city? This new feature—Travel Cat—focuses on exactly that. Submit a photo to be featured by tweeting or Instagramming it to us (details below).

Travel Cat spotted in: the Gili Islands off Lombok, near Bali, Indonesia

This week's Travel Cat comes from Jaunted reader and Twitter friend Natalie Cola (@nataliecola), who says of this kitty island variety:

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Inside Garuda Indonesia's Executive Lounge at Bali-Denpasar Airport

October 3, 2012 at 10:57 AM | by | Comments (0)

Saying good-bye to a tropical island like Bali is not easy, but if you are flying on Garuda Indonesia the trip to the airport can be a bit more bearable if you have access to the airline's Executive Lounge.

The Executive Lounge is reserved for travelers flying in business class (Executive Class) on a Garuda flight or those flyers holding gold and platinum status. As we'd bought our own Executive Class tickets, we escaped the chaos of the airport and bid fond adieu to our Bali island getaway. And believe us, the airport is pretty chaotic with limited places to sit and very few food outlets.

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No Pain in the Ash for Us While Flying Over This Volcano

Where: Indonesia
September 12, 2012 at 3:12 PM | by | Comment (1)

We've said it before so just in case you didn't hear it the first time, when flying to a new destination if you can snag a window seat, do it. Your family and friends will thank you when they're forced to flip through countless photos on your Facebook page.

Our recent trip to Singapore was no exception. More specifically, our Scoot flight offered more plane-window Kodak moments then our camera battery could take.

This particular flight takes us over the dead center of Australia and onto the vast volcanic archipelago of Indonesia.

As soon as one set of small islands would pass our viewfinder, our journey brought us to the next unique grouping of islands, all looking more and more tropical as we neared the equator.

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AirAsia is Big Ballin' and Shotcallin' in Indonesia

Where: Indonesia
August 1, 2012 at 10:06 AM | by | Comments (0)

It isn't often we see airline balance sheets so much in the black that they can acquire entire other airlines at the drop of a hat. Except that's exactly how things played out for AirAsia last week when it went to the ATM and bought its competitor, Batavia Air.

What the Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia did was fork over $80 million cash for the Jakarta-based Batavia. $80 million. In big ballin' bills. Yep, no interest rates, no late payment fees...cash.

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New Airline Alert: Indonesia's Batik Air

Where: Indonesia
June 12, 2012 at 11:21 AM | by | Comments (0)

Indonesia has just gotten even more accessible for travel to their tropical paradise. With the introduction of a premium subsidiary, Lion Air will try to go head-to-head with the national flag carrier, Garuda. Batik Air is planning to get their birds in the sky by March of next year.

Usually, we see premium airlines creating low-cost offshoots, but this the exact opposite. Lion Air is the low-cost carrier while Batik will be the one with higher ticker prices and, to go with it, high levels of service. It's to be based out of Jakarta, flying to South and East Asian destinations and Australia.

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Wanna Go to Bali? Bring Your English Skills and School Supplies.

Where: Bali, Indonesia
June 6, 2012 at 2:31 PM | by | Comment (1)

Bali residents may live in paradise, but that doesn't guarantee them a lifetime free from poverty. Families that struggle to provide also struggle to educate their children, which is where you can help.

Some volunteer organizations have been working towards giving children in Bali the education they deserve, including i-to-i Volunteering.

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Swim, Surf, Lunch, Tan, Plane Spot, Repeat. That's the Bali Formula.

May 23, 2012 at 10:08 AM | by | Comments (0)

We have a little secret, and it involved airplanes, seafood, blue waters and, if you've got 'em, binoculars. It's the secret to what is probably the best place to plane spot on the exotic Indonesia island of Bali: the south seafood warungs of Jimbaran Bay.

Finding it was a total fluke. We weren't even trying to plane spot, we swear! We were hungry. We heard the Jimbaran seafood warungs (super casual, mostly outdoor cafes) were good. We heard the ones on the southern end of the big beach were great. Now what makes them excellent: a perfect viewing angle for watching all variety of airplanes take off from Bali-Denpasar Airport's runway that juts out in the ocean.

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Air Asia Takes Their Ads to the Beaches of Bali

May 11, 2012 at 2:17 PM | by | Comments (0)

Let's say you've just flown to...ohhh....Bali, Indonesia. The beach, the sunset, the tropical fruits, the warm temperatures and the laidback atmosphere already have you thinking of your next vacation. Whether you know it or not, you're making decisions and being influenced by the leisure branding around you, and doesn't Air Asia know it.

Air Asia, the Malaysia-based low-cost carrier, flies into Denpasar-Bali (DPS) from Darwin, Perth, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Bandung, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. In Bali, you'll find them advertising on roadside billboards of course, but also all along Seminyak and Kuta beaches, thanks to their plastering their logo atop umbrellas of some beach chair vendors.

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