Bali still favorite holiday site for Aussies

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.