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The popular Indonesian holiday island of Bali welcomed its first direct international passenger flight in two years when a Singapore Airlines plane landed at the Ngurah Rai International Airport on 16 February 2022.

The flight carried 109 international travellers and 47 Indonesians, reported AFP citing the island‘s governor Wayan Koster.

“I hope that in early March, there will be no more quarantine obligation for tourists as long as they comply with health protocol requirements and show negative test results on departure and arrival,” the governor said at a press conference.

Bali begins welcoming foreign tourists

More flights expected by March

Foreign travellers with whom AFP spoke to were upbeat following their arrival at Bali. Expressing hope for tourism, they said that they were waiting for this opportunity to visit the holiday destination famous for its beaches, temples and forests.

According to the governor, Australia’s Jetstar Airways could be among others which would resume flights to Bali by March.

Meanwhile, Bali Hotel and Restaurant Association chair Rai Wijaya expressed hope that there is little reason to worry as long as health protocols are being strictly adhered to.

“We are aware of the increasing and fluctuating Omicron variant cases, but as long as we are strictly implementing health protocols, we should not be worried,” Wijaya said.

Even though Bali has started reopening to foreign tourists, visitors are required to quarantine at one of the 27 designated hotels on the island for a period of three to seven days.

A long-awaited reopening

On 31 January 2022, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan informed the press of the Indonesian government’s decision to open Bali to all international travellers starting 4 February.

The decision came three months after Indonesia allowed nationals from select countries to enter Bali and the Riau Islands.

At around the time, tourism minister Sandiaga Uno reportedly said that there have been no direct flights since the limited reopening in October 2021.

On 3 February, a Garuda Indonesia flight from Japan’s Narita International Airport landed in Bali with just 12 people on board, six of whom were Indonesians and the rest Japanese. According to Nikkei Asia, the head of the Bali Tourism Board, Nyoman Gede Gunadika, said that the Japanese nationals arrived on business visas since Indonesia had neither restarted its visa on arrival process nor had a tourism visa scheme.

But rising Omicron-variant cases led the Indonesian government to impose new restrictions and temporarily ban foreign visitors through Jakarta airport four days later.

(Main and Featured images: Sebastian Pena Lambarri/@sebaspenalambarri/Unsplash)

The post Foreign Tourists Return to Bali in First International Flight appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The world-famous tourist destination of Bali will reopen to all international travellers starting 4 February, an Indonesian minister said on 31 January 2022. By Manas Sen Gupta

Speaking at a news conference, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan also said that the quarantine period required for fully vaccinated travellers into Indonesia has been reduced to five days from the earlier seven.

How the reopening of Bali progressed

The October limited arrivals

The decision to reopen Bali to all foreign travellers comes three months after Indonesia allowed nationals from a handful of countries to enter Bali and the Riau Islands.

The countries included in the previous plan were China, South Korea, India, Japan, New Zealand, the UAE, Italy, France, and Spain among others.  

Travellers at the time had to undergo mandatory quarantine at their own expense and present proof of hotel room reservation for the same.

It was the first time in 18 months Bali had been opened to foreign travellers. But tourism minister Sandiaga Uno, reportedly said that there have been no direct flights since the limited reopening in October 2021.

Singapore-Indonesia travel bubble

The island of Bali is one of Indonesia’s biggest tourist destinations, known for its beaches, lush green landscape, and temples. Reports say that Bali drew just over 6 million visitors in 2019.

The pandemic-era restrictions have however broken the back of tourism in Bali. But things are looking up for tourism in Indonesia.

Last week, Singapore announced that people travelling from the city-state to the country will not have to undergo quarantine.

Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinating Minister For Economic Affairs of Indonesia, had on 24 January said that a travel bubble between Singapore and the resort islands of Batam and Bintan in Indonesia will be created starting 25 January 2022.

Some restrictions do remain, such as that visitors to Nongsa in Batam and Lagoi in Bintan will not be allowed to leave for other parts of Indonesia. 

Main and Featured images: Nick Fewings/@jannerboy62/Unsplash

The post Bali to Reopen to All Foreign Travellers Starting February 4 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Blending exquisite sustainable design, immersive experiences and a true escape in the natural surroundings of blissful Bali, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, is sure to delight all visitors seeking a holiday with a difference. Due to open its doors in an untouched part of northern Ubud in late 2021, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, features […]

A look at how some leading interior designers are changing the way they think about residential interiors in the current pandemic.

The post Top 4 Post-Pandemic Residential Design Trends in 2021 appeared first on LUXUO.

Unity in diversity, the new space will complement the artist’s savoir-faire with Indonesia's finest craftsmanship.

The post East Meets West: Cyril Kongo Celebrates Craftsmanship in Bali appeared first on LUXUO.

Explore islands near Bali. If you are planning a trip to Bali DO NOT miss a trip to some of the nearby islands. Tourists flock to Nusa Lembongan for diving and snorkelling. Nusa Penida Island…

“Heaven on Earth” My favourite place to stay when travelling?  A luxury villa always tops my list, especially if it is in a resort with all the amenities and staff on hand to look after…

Imagine having a luxury villa to call home.

Award-winning development company Selo Group announced its latest project: Precrafted designer villas that are sustainable and cost-effective yet spare no luxury. Where? Anywhere in Indonesia you please.

For the realists, a dream home in an exotic location sounds almost too good to be true, especially when the idea is literally built from scratch. “Managing the process of building a property can be daunting with the number of factors to consider, from hiring builders and contractors to dealing with delays,” says Andrew Corkery, CEO of Selo Group.

The prefabricated aspect of Selo Group’s villas takes the stress off your big plans. “We take care of all the essentials and offer a seamless path to owning a luxury villa in Indonesia, an incredible destination.”

[caption id="attachment_211641" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Selo Group's precrafted designer villa, which is essentially a prefabricated property, is sustainable and cost-effective without stinging on luxury.[/caption]

Head of Design Nino Osljanac leads the design team with more than 15 years of experience in architecture, interior design and master planning. Osljanac proves himself as the man for the job with a specialisation in designing luxury hotels, resorts and bespoke villas. His portfolio, is a masterpiece of award-winning hospitality properties across Asia.

Each villa is an invitation for panoramic views with floor-to-ceiling windows, an open layout with a private pool and deck, kitchenette and expansive living spaces. Designs have themes in mind, from Southern California-like charm to surf cabins. And, you can choose to have built a studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom villa.

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Sustainability is highly prioritised from the get go of Selo Group’s precrafted villas. The villas are built off-site inside a custom facility eliminates exposure to the elements and minimised construction waste. With materials manufactured in advance, the villas take a shorter time to build than other traditional villas. This is also how the project is able to save costs, where extended labour services and unforeseen charges are avoided. Any excess materials are then recycled in-house.

It could take a couple of weeks onwards to have the prefabricated villa fully set up in its home address.

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Keen? The next step is to head to Selo Group’s website where the buying process begins with choosing your preferred villa type, manufacturing upgrades and add-ons, and then an assembly option. Once complete, you can add the villa to shopping cart and submit the order — like how you would for your usual online shopping. A Selo Group team member will then reach out to you (because you know, it’s a pretty massive purchase) and get your dream home on its way to becoming a reality.

Selo Group’s precrafted villas are available from $650 USD per square metre. More information here.

This story first appeared on Prestige Malaysia

The post Here’s How You Can Own a Sustainable, Prefabricated Surf Villa in Bali appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Inside the World’s Most Exotic New Hotel

Nestled in the heart of lush green forests, our unique tented camp sits in harmony with the surrounding nature. Inspired by the early European settlers from the 1800s, architect Bill Bensley designed Capella Ubud, Bali as a tribute to their spirit of adventure.

Capella Ubud, Bali is set within a dramatic terraced landscape, with prominent rice paddies...

Bali has it all – from cascading waterfalls to lush forests and idyllic beaches. There is truly something for everyone. For those wanting complete rest and relaxation, beaches are plentiful, and luxury resorts are stationed all over the island. For the adventurers, you can snorkel, scuba dive, and trek there. Yogis will enjoy the yoga […]

The post Why You Should Travel to Bali for Your Next Holiday appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.

A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.

On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.

Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.

On land and sea

These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.

The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.

Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.

The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."

The post Ronald Akili on Bali’s First Creative Village — Desa Potato Head appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

10 essentials for your Bali Packing list: As many Bikinis and Swimsuits as possible Beach cover up – I love the Heidi Klein coverups Silk Kaftan –  Cool to wear in the heat and take…