Exploring Dhyana Pura Seminyak Bali
This morning I rode my motorbike to Arjuna immigration consultants in Kerobokan and asked my councilor Erni about the latest visa requirements for foreignors. She said they had heard the same rumors as tourists about the new 30 day tourist visa replacing the 60 day visa but had not recieved instruction from the government yet.
Erni said many Indonesian people as well as expats in the travel business were against this new move but Jakarta took no notice. Many Balinese locals, Indonesians from elsewhere and foreignors have invested time, money and a lot of effort developing tourist related services and products. With all this infrastructure in place the government should be bending over backwards to promote Indonesia and especially Bali as a great tourist destination. Tourists with money to spend and an outgoing ticket should be given a 6 month stamp on arrival ( and be thanked for coming! ).
I did a bit of promotional work along Jalan Dhyana Pura today which is loaded with bars and restaurants and is a big hang out for expats and tourists.
Passing an alley I saw this young lady walking down it splashing ceremonial water left and right from a tray. Today is Pager Wesi and Aris, the young lady had just come from the temple which is at the end of the alley. I asked what Pager wesi celebrated and Aris said various gods.
Typing in my bedroom the sunny midday has been replaced by clouds and rain. The humidity was climbing I could tell and in an hour or so the downpour might be finished. My lunch today : 2 slices of toast and Vegemite and a cup of green tea.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
I called the Indonesian Consulate in Houston and the woman working there knew about it.
She said that she didn’t know when it was going to be implemented.
One thing I found interesting (I spoke with her about half an hour) was that she is 100% for the visa charge, but 100% against the 60 days to 30 days. She said that letting tourists stay for only 30 days and then kicking them out makes absolutely no sense.
Like me, she knows that having tourists spending money in Bali for twice as long can only be good for the economy.
Let’s hope that there are some local business owners in Bali with a lot of political clout that will be flying off the handle (I’m sure they already are) on this one and that this ridiculous decision gets reversed.
Nice wite Nick, but hey, Vegemite for lunch!. Okay with crispbread and a salad and good glass of orange juice. Couple of points Nick: One *bitch* the Indo Govt has is that their travellers to Oz must pay a AUD$100 visa fee upon entry, BUT, they are allowed to stay for SIX MONTHS!. The other point I thought about was do you remember they were pouring over 3,000 officers and squads into Bali for the bombing trials. Well, perhaps they think that travellers should pay these costs. Thus, the excuse given for the change in visa regs ‘IN THE MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY’.
Spoke to friends in Bali, they have not really heard much about it………. (if anything). But Balinese friends here (Melb Aus) are very angry & upset. I guess once you can see things from a different perspective??? Not just be influenced & forced to believe untruths…??
Looks like it will take some time to finalise the entire logistics of it all, but I heard it will probably get the go ahead to begin as of May!!!
Just read the Jakarta Post and it has an interesting article about this visa crap. Go to http://www.jakartapost.com and then click on ‘National’ on the left hand-side to read article.
I read somewhere that they are already collecting the 50 bucks.
Don’t know if this is true - perhaps it’s the immigrasi folks lining their pockets.
This whole thing STINKS!
Jason
Waikiki, Hawaii
Jason, I have no doubts they are lining their pockets!. What people should do at DPS when they arrive and pay this ridiculous extortion fee IS to ask for a receipt. No doubt they will find a scrap of paper to scribble on!.
Nick,
I love this blog and it’s killer to hear from people all over who dig Bali.
I don’t know if it’s just my computers or not, but when I look at the forum postings it has been looking kind of funky! I can only read half of it and need to highlight it with the cursor to read it all.
Maybe it’s just my crappy computer.
Anyway, I hope you’re digging up some good inside intel on this visa crap.
Keep up the great work!
Jason
Waikiki, Hawaii
Jason,
IE 6.0 has a bug and it is happenning to me too…we are working on fixing it. Thanks for letting us know that you have it too. Chris is busting his butt to fix it asap.
So there is still NO DEFINITE answer???
Barrie tried the Consulate & Foreign Affairs, but as you say they are all to busy or have taken their phone off the hook!!! It is like dealing with Immigrasi in Bali!!!!
The Travel agents know about it, but have not been told when it begins as they have sold CHEAP YEARLY tickets & now this tax has since come out & about, what will happewn to these tickets holders etc upon arrival? So Apparently they are not yet prepared to state a date it begins!
Looks like a waiting game!