"INDONESIA: Discovering BALI & BINTAN (Island)" Indonesia by Krystynn

The Year 2001
This trip will always be very special to me because it's the last time I'll see this whole bunch - together. My ex-colleagues from a Dutch bank... Sniff.

If you, like me have reached the stage of being so sick of pushing through throngs of people on the streets and queuing up for everything that if you need to go without such "conveniences" in life - in exchange for some peace and quiet... please stand up.

O.K, let's calm those frazzled nerves by heading to the unspoilt islands of BALI and the beautiful Club Med resort village of RIA BINTAN. Crystal clear waters, golden sands and sandy beaches, next to no one... man, this is surely Paradise on Earth!

There are basically two Club Med villages in Indonesia. One in Bali and the other in Ria Bintan, the latter being the most luxurious (5-star category) Club Med in all of Asia. The rest can be found in Australia, Europe and the Caribbean. The 5-star categories have telephones, TV sets and mini-bar in the rooms.

Before I proceed any further, here's a little brief introduction on the exotic country of Indonesia.
(Info courtesy of the official website of Club Med @ http://www.clubmed.com)

Indonesia is made up of six main islands - Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Bali, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya and 30 smaller archipelagos.

In total, there are 13,677 islands; 3,000 of which are inhabited and stretched over a 4,828km area. The ethnic diversity of these Indonesian islands spawns a variety of cultural and religious festivals including christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic.

The Club Med circus school ;-)

INDONESIA FACTFILE:

The name Indonesia was derived from "indos nesos", meaning islands near India, The country is in fact the largest archipelago in the world with a thousand islands, 17,508 to be precise, spread in an area between the Asian continent and Australia, and between the Pacific and the Indian oceans. The islands are inhabited by many tribes with diverse culture and languages, although there is a national language spoken
throughout the country, namely Bahasa Indonesia. It is thus appropriate, that the country's motto is Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which means:

Unity in Diversity. Their state philosophy is Pancasila, or the Five Principles. This year is the country's fiftieth anniversary of independence.

Full country name: Republic of Indonesia

Area: 1,904,000 sq km

Population: 209,774,138 (growth rate 1.6%)

Capital city: Jakarta (pop 9 million)

People: There are 365 ethnic and tribal groups. The principal ones are Acehnese, Bataks, Minangkabaus (Sumatra); Javanese, Sundanese (Java); Balinese (Bali); Sasaks (Lombok); and Dani (Irian Jaya)

Language: Bahasa Indonesia (plus 583 dialects), English

Religion: 87% Muslim, 9% Christian, 2% Hindu

Land Area: 1,010,443 sq KM

Climate: Tropical

Average temperature: 21 - 33 degrees Celcius

Mean annual rainfall: 700 mm

Annual population growth: 1.7%

Visas: 60-day stay without visa

Health risks: Dengue fever, giardiasis, hepatitis, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, paratyphoid, rabies, typhoid :-(

Time: There are three time zones: Sumatra, Java and West & Central Kalimantan are seven hours ahead of UTC; Bali, Nusa Tenggara, South & East Kalimantan and Sulawesi are eight hours ahead of UTC; and Irian Jaya and Maluku are nine hours ahead of UTC

Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz

Weights & Measures: Metric

Tourism: 4 million visitors per year

Monetary Unit: 1 Rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen

Main Exports: Oil and gas, plywood, textiles, rubber, palm oil

Internet domain: .id

International dialling code: +62

Info courtesy of: The Indonesia Tourism Board & http://news.bbc.co.uk website.

Padi Fields... Bali

RIA BINTAN:

The latest CLUB MED resort in Asia is located in the island of (that's right) Ria Bintan - set amidst 435 acres of beautifully preserved nature stretching alongside the most beautiful beach of the island.

BALI:

Bali is an island unlike anywhere else on earth. It's no wonder this magical island has been constantly voted into the top 3 vacation spots in the world by major travel magazines. Its culture overflows from its temples and into the streets, where artisans of every kind continue traditional methods of handicraft that have been passed down for generation after generation.

The most famous of the many Balinese cultural traditions are its poetic and ornate dances, which employ a graceful and highly-sophisticated gestural language to narrate traditional stories and legends.

Bali's natural beauty is also as startling as its cultural riches. The Bali Barat National Park, which dominates the entire west end of the island, is home to one of the world's rarest and most beautiful birds. Don't miss this attraction. The beaches of Bali are undeniably world famous. Skinny dipping? No problem. Just find a secluded spot and you should be fine.

Please come back again (later) for the pics and text. :-) Yes, I'm still in the midst of uploading my pics. I'll try to find time to upload the rest of my pics. It seems that I can never really seem to find enough time these days to complete my pages. Thousand apologies!