Volcano eruption: Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau erupts suddenly sending ash and lava 50m into the air

The Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau erupted spewing cold lava, mud and ash 50 meters into the sky, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

The sudden eruption occurred while about 17 visitors were around the crater. Ten people were injured and were treated at a hospital.

Soldiers and police officers were dispatched and local residents and visitors were asked to evacuate in case of further eruptions, Nugroho said. The crater appeared to be quieter Monday morning, and all visitors to the plateau have been evacuated.

Sileri is the most active and dangerous among some 10 craters at Dieng Plateau. Its most recent eruption was in 2009, when it unleashed volcanic materials up to 200 meters (656 feet) high and triggered the creation of three new craters.

Dieng Plateau, located in the Central Java district of Banjarnegara, is a popular tourist attraction because of its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples. It sits about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level.

Soldiers and police officers were dispatched to the scene, while local residents and visitors were asked to evacuate the area in case of further eruptions. 

Of those sent to the volcano, at least two people were killed and several more remain missing after an Indonesian search and rescue helicopter crashed. 

The helicopter was carrying at least eight people including four crew when it hit a cliff in Temanggung, Central Java province, late Sunday afternoon, a senior official at the social affairs ministry said.

One Island One Voice - Bali's Beach Clean Up

If you're reading this it's probably likely you're either a regular traveler to Bali, or you might even be lucky enough to be an expat.

For those who don’t know Bali, it has its amazing beaches, surf breaks, resorts, villas and some of the best restaurants in the world, but it’s the essence of Bali – and the Balinese – that makes this destination so much more than just a holiday from reality.

For those who know Bali, they will have experienced that Bali is the one place where you can truly lose yourself; the culture, the atmosphere, and the warm-hearted people are some of the many reasons, you will become enthralled in what is, Bali.

Unfortunately though, as Indonesian tourism numbers have increased, there is now more debris and rubbish being discarded on the roads by street vendors, locals, and tourists than ever before. When it rain, and over the last few months it has definitely rained (A LOT) - the debris on the streets is washed into the drains and eventually ends up in our oceans.

Now debris and rubbish in the streets might not be something you notice much, but you need to remember that this rubbish is ending up in the ocean you swim at daily, or on the beach you walk along every morning...

Over the last few years, our team has always supported different causes in Bali, both large and small, and for a while now we've been trying to put together an initiative that could help make a difference to the beaches and waterways throughout Bali. We were told about this amazing day that is happening on February 19th, to help clean Bali's Beaches.

It's being run by some amazing people and businesses, including Melati and Isabel Wijsen - the founders of Bye Bye Plastic Bags - a social initiative driven by children, driven by the youth to get the people of Bali to say no to plastic bags.

When we found out that this campaign was backed by the Founders and sisters, Melati (15) and Isabel (13) Wijsen who started Bye Bye Plastic Bags we had to share it with our audience!

These girls were inspired by a lesson in class that talked about significant people who made a difference - house hold names like Nelson Mandela, Lady Diana, Mahatma Ghandi. They went home that day and thought “What can we do as children living in Bali, what can we do NOW.” Bye Bye Plastic Bags was born in 2013 and now has a volunteer team of 25-30 students from all schools around Bali, local and international. And has become a well known international movement of inspiration, youth empowerment, and of course, saying no to plastic bags.  To find out more about them, check out their TED talk, it's inspirational.

The event will be a single day, where we can all show our love for Bali by cleaning all of Bali's coastline in JUST ONE single day. February 19th, and we want all of our clients, supporters and fans to join this movement - 'ONE ISLAND ONE VOICE / SATU PULAU SATU SUARA'.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

As a collective movement of 15 organizations, they have chosen 20 locations around the islands coastline. Every location has a coordinator and volunteers to do a clean up on February 19. Different locations can have different starting times. But all on February 19.

Check the map below, for details and info of which coordinator to contact for the beach clean up, close to you. If you cannot make it to the beach, you can clean up your village, street & rivers.

PROBLEMS WILL NOT BE SOLVED, UNLESS YOU GET INVOLVED.

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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING?

• Hat
• Sunscreen
• A reusable bottle with water
• Gloves or a stick to pick up trash
• Your own rice bag to collect garbage
• Look for Penjor / Flag to recognize the start location
• A smile & good vibes

WHERE WILL THE TRASH GO?

• Eco Bali Recycle Station
• Re > Pal
• Waste Bank
• Pick Up by DKP

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LOCATION MAP

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Organized by:

The stunning INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT launches 'Rooms with a Soul'.

There is nothing quite like holidaying in Bali, and when it comes to experiencing 5 star resorts that can offer luxury but also maintain tradition, you know you are onto something special.

InterContinental Bali Resort are renowned for showcasing the best of Bali, with the essential components of Balinese Hindu philosophies,  imagery and symbolism prevalent throughout its design.

The Resort follows the principals of ‘Tri Hita Karana’, which is the balance and harmony between the three sources of life – humans, nature and God, while the architecture also honours the sacred axis between the holy mountain and the sea. The team at InterContinental Bali Resort now continue this tradition with a comprehensive guestroom redesign programme, which sets new standards for luxury accommodation in Bali and introduces world-class room technology. The first re-designed rooms are available to reserve now for stays from March onwards.

From the moment you arrive at InterContinental Bali Resort, you will be immersed in the island’s culture.

Enter the impressive lobby building, look up, and soaring overhead you will see a magnificent vaulted ceiling showcasing exceptional fan-rafter and open-truss craftsmanship, girded by sky blue and gold frescoes depicting Baruna, the guardian of the cosmic order, Goddess of the sea, and source of the rain and the rivers. The spacious interiors of the resort – from the public areas to the private guestrooms, villas and suites – are a gallery of natural textures, paintings and handcrafted features, all of which are the essence of Bali's style. 

Not only does InterContinental Bali Resort capture the spirit of Bali through its architecture, artwork, landscaping and interior design, but also through its famous Balinese hospitality and guest activities. The resort is proud to provide a platform from which guests can explore the local culture through a wide choice of activities and experiences ranging from Balinese cooking classes, gamelan music lessons, Balinese dance lessons, and Balinese art and craft making, to turtle release, temple visits, market and village tours, Balinese massage, traditional spa therapies, and the opportunity to enjoy Balinese dance performances and the delicious local cuisine.

The beachfront resort welcomes families with open arms with its extensive landscaped gardens offering a vast choice of leisure and recreational facilities, including six pools, tennis courts, a spa, and a 24-hour fitness centre. Additionally, the beautiful beach environment is a natural playground for adults and children alike, lending itself to numerous recreational pursuits from beach volley ball to adverse array of water sports.

The 35-metre Main Pool is especially family-orientated with a shallow water area for children; it is conveniently flanked by Jimbaran Gardens restaurant and Pool Bar, which makes for casual family-style poolside drinks and dining.  Additionally the two Fun Pools are ideal for children with two water fountains providing – as the name suggests – lots of fun, while the Fountain Pool is especially suitable for adults and teenagers, and quality family time.

Planet Trekkers kids’ club is structured as a mini-resort for kids aged from four to twelve years and designed to ensure that youngsters have as much fun when they are on holiday as their parents do. The club facilitates a dedicated, fully supervised and secure child-care center within a dynamic, fun and nurturing environment. Here, children can interact with other like-minded junior travelers and participate in a programme of child-orientated activities, with cultural and eco-leanings to keep them entertained for hours on end.

Set in its own private wing and secluded enclave within exquisite gardens, Club InterContinental is the resort’s premier accommodation category that truly defines luxury, an exclusive haven offering discerning modern travelers a ‘resort within a resort’ that further enriches the InterContinental Bali Resort experience. Stay at Club InterContinental Bali and relish an exceptional array of privileges and entitlements. These include exclusive access to the private Club Pool, and a choice of four different breakfast venues. An additional benefit of Club InterContinental is access to the dedicated lounge known as ‘Inspiration Space’ aimed at encouraging you to explore your passions through recreational pastimes that are a direct reflection of Bali, its artistic legacy, and cultural traditions. Furthermore, as a Club guest, you can enjoy unlimited visits to Club InterContinental Lounge, which is an elegantly appointed and refined sanctuary of social interaction and light fine-dining refreshments, operating 24 hours.

The endless pristine beach at InterContinental Bali is perfect for early morning walks, family time on the sand and indulging in the daily ritual of watching the beautiful Jimbaran Sunset. The resort also provides a variety of water sports, and with its relatively calm waters, our beach offers a safe place for swimming with children and learning new water sports activities. There is also a dedicated water sports center, a launch pad for fun water-based activities in the gentle waters of Jimbaran Bay. This includes anything from surfing to trying your hand at fishing from traditional fishing craft.

There is something for all ages and preferences, promising a fun mix of art, culture, sports and leisure to make the most of all aspects of the resort, fishing community and the island. Resort activities include village cycling tours, interactive Balinese cooking classes, sunrise yoga, or a chance to master the art of traditional Balinese dance, music and wood carving. There is also some equipment that you can rent, such as bicycles and body boards, and on-site leisure facilities like the 24-hour fitness center, six pools and tennis courts.

Stay at InterContinental Resort Bali, embrace and absorb the Balinese charm, and offers all of the ingredients for a family-friendly holiday; this is where lifelong family memories are made and you will find that when you leave the island a little bit of that magic will follow you home.  

For more information, visit http://bali.intercontinental.com/

The life of a Bali Dog and tips on how you can make a difference.

The roaming street dogs of Bali are as much a part of the Bali landscape as the incense offerings outside every shop or the old vodka bottles used for petrol.

Love em’ or hate em’, you’re not in town long before they’re on your radar - either because you want to save them all or you’re furiously avoiding them whilst branding each and every pup as rabid. That’s completely understandable considering most of them look like they can’t put down the crack pipe, all emaciated, skin in terrible condition with teeth that look like a burnt down fence.

‘Bali dog’ is the politically correct term for the stray dogs of Bali, and they often get a pretty bad wrap – That they are sexually promiscuous rabies carriers who take to the streets at night to brawl.

What you have to understand is that they didn’t choose the street life, the street life chose them. Born into poverty, dog owners often can’t afford sterilization, resulting in the rapidly growing Bali Dog population which means more and more dogs are taking to the streets, often getting caught up with the wrong pack.

Some are just a bit snappy (you would be too if your baby mamma just ran off with Snoop from across the road and left you to raise four puppies on your own). Territorial gang brawls are common as well as painful skin conditions such as mange and scabies which are caused by the climate and the spread of parasites from dog to dog.

Local governments organize culling of dogs on beaches and the streets using poisoning and shooting as a solution to the ever-growing Bali dog population - domesticated dogs are also often affected. Aside from culling, hundreds of dogs suffer horrible painful deaths each week to the dog meat trade, acts of cruelty, disease, motor vehicle accidents and basic neglect.

Some of these guys are so desperate to get off the streets that I’ve had them hop in the car to come home with me from the beach. I know they have some social problems but I’ve seen many of them rehabilitated into becoming functioning members of society.

My Bali dog Lucky who was rescued from the side of a busy road as a 1-month-old pup now has her meals hand cooked for her, has bi-weekly baths, struts the beach every day in a diamonte collar and refuses to sleep anywhere other than an air conditioned room. Within six weeks of having a safe place to sleep, decent food, lots of love and a few visits to the vet for some medicine, her once patchy fur which was covered in ticks and fleas has grown back shiny, healthy and thick. Her bony frame has become a meaty one and her street life is well in the past.

Not everyone can take a dog in but there are ways that you can help more dogs avoid neglect, disease, and painful deaths. The Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) facilitates an ambulance service, adoption programs, rabies programs, street feeding and humane population control. The Bali Bible supports BAWA and their humane management of Bali’s cat and dog populations to achieve levels at which all dogs and cats can be adequately fed and cared for, free from suffering. BAWA with donations is able to support and sterilize 60-70% of dogs in the Ubud area. The Bali Pet Crusaders are also doing a fantastic job of visiting villages in Bali with a mobile sterilization van, and get around to sterilizing hundreds of dogs each week.

Both are 'not-for-profit' and run by volunteers that are desperate to stop the suffering. If you’ve been touched by Bali Dogs, you can help stop the suffering too by donating. To find out more, visit www.bawabali.com or www.balipetcrusaders.org or contact Rosie directly to chat more about how you can help make a difference! 

Written by Rosie, one of our amazing account managers and her pampered hound, Lucky - pictured on the right :)

JUST IN: 6.8 earthquake has hit off Sumatra in Indonesia

Just in, a MAGNITUDE 6.8 earthquake has hit just off Sumatra in Indonesia, the US Geological Survey says.

A 'No tsunami warning was immediately issued'. The Bureau of Metereology has tweeted there is no threat to Australia.

Ideas to do in Bali on a Rainy Day...

Source: Icon photos

So it looks like you’re going to have some rainy days on your hands during your Bali trip. Bali is a mecca for beaches, nature and outdoor living but here are some activities to save for a rainy day.
 
Cooking Class: Balinese and Indonesian cuisine cooking classes are a great way to enjoy a meal. Bumbu Bali based in Nusa Dua takes you on an early morning visit to local vegetable and fish markets and the host Heinz reveals the answer to the chicken or egg question during the class. Transfers from some locations are included. Further North in Ubud there are plenty of cooking classes to choose from with many of the restaurants on the main streets advertising classes.

Yoga: Yoga is the perfect wet weather activity, with many yoga centres offering open air but undercover yoga shalas. Some of our favourites are Yoga Barn in Ubud, Desa Seni in Canggu and Seminyak Yoga. All studios offer beginner classes, so why not make a week of it.

Spas: Spa treatments at most spas are often more than half the price of what you might pay back at home. Even if you’re not usually a spa person, this is the perfect time to indulge in some guilt free pampering. We love Prana Spa in Seminyak, Cleopatra Spa on Batu Belig, Cozy Spa (multiple locations) and Taksu in Ubud. From body scrubs, hot stone, Balinese and slimming massages- you could easily busy yourself for an entire week.

Scuba: The weather can’t rain on your parade if you’re under the sea. Embrace your inner mermaid/merman and go where it’s wetter. Get in touch with La Manta Diving in Nusa Dua or Aqua Marine Diving in Seminyak. They are both Western run and will happily arrange everything from transport to equipment to first time dives. You will pay much less than at home, the water is warm and there is so much more to Bali than you ever knew.
 
Cinema: Beach Walk shopping center has a large movie theatre called Cinema XXI (http://www.balicineplex.com/2012/10/beachwalk-cinema-21-xxi-kuta-bali.html) showing the latest blockbusters (in English!). The also have a ‘Studio Premier’ theatre where you can watch films in luxury with seat service including food and drinks, blankets and seriously comfortable reclining chairs. All this for around $7USD per person, with the standard theatre costing around $4USD. At such great prices, it’s the perfect activity for the whole family. They even serve Choc Tops!

High Tea: A tower of beautifully presented finger food and cakes and pastries accompanies by tea or even a glass of bubbles. Has anyone ever finished the whole spread? High Teas can be great value for the amount of food you get. Our favourites include; the Métis Le Jardin High Tea, Caramel Patisserie in Ubud and at Biku there is also an option for a kids high tea.

Shopping Centers: For many, shopping is a huge draw card of a trip to Bali. Bali now has several shopping centers, Beach Walk and Discovery in Kuta with some great European chain stores, DFS Galleria offers luxury brands and duty free shopping, The Village Seminyak has many local designer boutiques for the best in resort wear. Equipped with shelter and air conditioning, it’s win/win.

Nail Salons: Not just for the ladies, many a male can be found in nail salons across Bali. We love Amo Spa in Seminyak and Think Pink Batu Belig. Lady Marmalade Nails in Seminyak also do High Tea packages including Biku High Tea and is perfect treat for kids.
 
Get photographed in traditional Balinese attire: For around $35USD you can be photographed in traditional Balinese costume, including make up. Most companies offer free pick up and drop off. It’s another fantastic way to embrace the local culture and have a laugh when you see yourself transformed into Balinese royalty.
 
Waterparks: In Bali there is currently Waterbom in Kuta and Splash at Canggu Club. Waterbom has just opened a number of new rides. You’ll be getting wet anyway so you might as well be plunging feet first into a pool from 16m at 70km an hour!
 
Sunday Brunch: Many of Bali’s top hotels now offer Sunday Brunches, where you can induldge in buffets of everything from fresh seafood, cuts of tender meat, antipastos and Willy Wonka worthy desserts. Don’t be fooled by the name, Brunches are a often a full day affair with most places offering free flow drinks packages including wine, champagne, beer and cocktails and use of their pool afterwards. Nikki Beach in Nusa Dua hosts a party following their Brunch every Sunday.

Canggu Club- Canggu Club is a great option for families, with Splash Waterpark, Bounce Trampolining and a Bowling Alley.
 
Café hoping- There are so many brilliant Western run cafes in Bali. Some serving great coffee, health foods or the latest craze, smoothie bowls. One can easily spend a day hopping from one café to another, with a book or a laptop to wait the rain out.
 
Fine Dinning- The ever increasing number of trendy fine dinging restaurants means you will be swamped for choice. Between Mamma San, Saigon St, Barbacoa, Merah Putih and many more you will fool like a true ‘foodie’. We’re excited for the Grand opening of the newest establishment on the must try list, Shanghai Baby. Grab your ‘bests’ out of your suitcase and order the iron from room service because these aren't flip flop and shorts type establishments.
 
Kecak Cultural Performances- If you want to feed on some culture, the traditional Kecak performances in Ubud, whilst touristy are still a wonderful snapshot of Balinese song and dance. Hotel Tugu in Canggu also does a more intimate performance every Thursday.
 
Shop for handicrafts- Ubud has a large handicraft market as well as many Art Galleries. The best way to visit these is to grab an experienced driver like our very own Agus (agus@thebalibible.com). Take an umbrella or poncho so you can stay dry when skipping from one shop’s awning to another.

Grab a cocktail- Potato Head or Sports Bar, watch the rain pass and be glad that you’re not one of the people that got caught out on a scooter!
 
Looking for something a bit more out of the box? Head to a Luwak Coffee plantation and try the famous ‘Luwak poo’ coffee. In Kerobokan there is ‘Escape Hunt’ real life escape game, Totem Challenge in Kuta, Trick Art gallery and a Timezone at Bali mall Galleria. Karaoke is also a brilliant group activity to get you all giggling.