Bali still favorite holiday site for Aussies

By Rob Goodfellow

WOLLONGONG, Australia (JP): Bali, "Tropical Paradise", "Island of the Gods", "The Morning of the Earth" has reclaimed its position as the number one holiday destination for Australians.

The latest report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that the numbers of Aussie visitors has increased dramatically in the last three months. This has been the sharpest rise in Australian visitors to Indonesia since the tourist boom of 1995.

The ABS report comes on the heels of last month's IRIS Research (www.iris.org.au) prediction that confidence was returning and visitor numbers were showing an exciting upward trend.

The tourist industry couldn't be happier. Kerry Timms, media spokesperson for Garuda Indonesia, confidently suggested that Australians have again realized the unbeatable value of Bali.

Great airfare and accommodation packages combined with Bali's natural appeal make the Island an irresistible holiday experience.

Garuda Indonesia is leading the way with the most cost- effective deals to Bali including a total of 28 flights a week operating from seven different Australian airports. Garuda Indonesia also has the greatest choice of direct services to Bali; and because most scheduled flights from Australia arrive in the early afternoon, holidaymakers have lots of time to relax and enjoy the surf, or take a stroll on the beach before sunset.

If the experts are excited, what about the visitors themselves? It is often said that the best customer is the one you already have. I interviewed five Australians who have been to Bali more than three times and asked them what keeps bringing them back.

Dr. Simon Leslie and his wife Margaret have taken their three children, Brendan (16) David (12) and Alexander (3) to Bali twice. Simon travels extensively as Australian director of www.doctorglobal.com. He has taken his family with him to New Zealand, the USA, Fiji, the Maldives and Western Samoa. However, Bali holds a special place in this family's heart as the ideal holiday destination.

Margaret was keen to say that the couple first came to Bali on their honeymoon, but later decided to bring the children too. "We love Bali because it is another world for us. Fiji has become too Western. The USA is out of the question because of the poor exchange rate. Bali is so exotic for Australians, yet it is safe, friendly, inexpensive, and it is only five and a half hours flying time from Sydney. This means that it is not too long on the plane for the kids".

"We have stayed at both the Pertamina Cottages and the Kartika Plaza, which were excellent. Our favorite restaurant is Warung Koppi on Jalan Legian," Margaret added.

Bill and Madge Carey are from Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales. They have been to Bali three times. However the span of their visits keeps getting longer.

Their first holiday was for 10 days, the second two weeks and the third over three weeks. The couple will be retiring soon and plan to spend two months of every year in Bali (especially during Sydney's cold and windy months of July and August).

Bill, a longshoreman is 55. Madge, who describes herself as, "very young at heart," is a nurse. They have been building friendships with their Balinese hosts for over a decade. "On our first trip we were invited to the wedding of a couple who worked at our hotel - The Garden View Bungalows. On the second trip they invited us back to their village near Ubud. We met the couple's whole extended family".

" By the time of our third trip they had had a baby. We were invited guests at a Balinese Hindu ceremony to bless the newborn. I don't know of anywhere in the world where guests are treated with such hospitality. We really feel at home in Bali," Madge smiled.

Neville Cruckshank aged 30 is from Brisbane. He has been to Bali surfboarding 10 times since 1990. He is a self-confessed "surf maniac". He has ridden all of the island's legendary breaks.

These days he surfs Bali for a week and then uses Kuta as a base for exploring breaks on the outer Islands, usually on one of the many surf yacht charters that operate from Benoa harbor.

"The island has consistent, great surf. I can live like a king and surf everyday for a month in Bali for about the same money as I spend in three days on Queensland's Gold Coast - and even then I can't be guaranteed that there will be any waves".

"I work as a bricklayer for 11 months of the year just so that I can go to Bali in June-July-August and surf my heart out for one month," Neville continued. "I have been to Bali 10 times and expect to keep coming back every year, forever. My favorite breaks are Kuta Reef in front of the Holiday Inn at Tuban and 'Shipwrecks' on Lembongan Island. On Lembongan, I always eat at Cafi 2001. It is world class".

"Last trip I had a short break from the waves and actually did something different. I went rafting with Bali Adventure Tours (b- a-raft@dps.mega.net.id). It was unbelievable fun. For an ordinary working man like myself, I cannot imagine where else I could have such a great holiday."

Affordable Garuda airfares, perfect consistent waves, delicious, inexpensive and exotic food, rounded off with perfect sunny weather everyday during the dry season months of May- October. "I love Bali and I'll be back", Neville exclaimed.

And if the ABS figures and the predictions of IRIS Research are anything to go on, a lot of other Aussies will soon be joining the Leslie family, Bill and Madge Carey and Neville Cruckshank.

The writer is an Indonesian cultural consultant to international business based at the University of Wollongong. He can be contacted by e-mail on sujoko@ozemail.com.au.