The very first Sentani Lake Festival was held this year (19-21 June 2008), adding to the series of prestigious festivals regularly held in Papua, such as the Baliem Valley Festival and the Asmat Festival. Thanks to its success, it has now been included in Jayapura's annual calendar of events for future years.

What makes this festival so special is that it all takes place literally on spectacular Lake Sentani, which stretches 9,300 hectares at an elevation of just 75 meters above sea level. This enchanting panorama, long a favorite of tourists, will attract even more visitors with this annual festival.

The 24 traditional villages (Ondoafi) and thousands of local residents living at Sentani all came out to display their local specialties – dance, music, and boating acrobatics – all presented on boats circling the edges and corners of the lake and serving as mobile stages.

Throughout the three-day festival, the venue was packed with enthusiastic locals and foreign tourists. On the first day, the festival presented dances on boats. The dancers emerged from the corners and expressed their joy in the middle of the lake, and then came in closer to perform exciting dances on the shore so that the spectators could watch even more closely.
On the second day, they presented Battles on the Water–– a drama that is part of their life. And the third day featured a cultural parade on boats, as well as sacred ceremonies of the Sentani community, which are still part of their daily life.

Although this was the first time, the festival was already international; it was covered by international media, and one of the participants, from Australia, who played a traditional wind instrument, received an very special welcome.

There were also performances from other regencies in Papua, such as Asmat and Kaimana, displaying the great diversity of the province's culture, to the delight of the foreign visitors.

As well as expanding the range of tourism events in Papua, the festival, which was opened in person by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, is also meant to preserve the cultural values of the ancestors, which are a unique asset of the Sentani tribe, and in turn to promote the local community's prosperity through tourism activities. The Festival also supports the government's Visit Indonesia Year 2008 program.

The Lake Sentani Festival revealed the cultural wealth of the Sentani tribe not only through the attractions performed on boats but also through exhibitions of handicrafts created by local geniuses.

The festival was promoted beforehand at several international events, such as PATA Mart 2007 in Bali with the theme “Welcome to the Cultural Event Festival Danau Sentani” and at the Berlin International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Germany from 5 to 8 March 2008.

Majalah Garuda kembali mengadakan Garuda Clients Appreciation Night 2008 yang diselenggarakan di Hard Rock Cafe, EX Plaza Jakarta sebagai bentuk apresiasi dan penghargaan terhadap para kliennya.

Acara yang berlangsung selama hampir dua jam ini dihadiri oleh Asa Perkasa selaku Senior Manager Marketing & Promotion Garuda Indonesia dan staf Garuda Indonesia lainnya.
Dibuka dengan penampilan menarik modern dance, Garuda Clients Appreciation Night 2008 berlangsung sangat meriah. Acara tersebut juga dihadiri oleh para klien seperti TRAC, Gudang Garam, Toshiba, Bluebird dan para agency periklanan.

Dalam acara ini juga disediakan door prizes berupa hadiah-hadiah yang sangat menarik, seperti voucher menginap di Sol Elite Marbela, Kamandalu Resort, Bali Niksoma Resort dan Intercontinental Mid Plaza, jam tangan Bonia, voucher makan di Shima Restaurant serta tiket Garuda Indonesia Jakarta – Denpasar PP.

Dalam kesempatan ini diberikan penghargaan kepada beberapa klien dari Majalah Garuda sebagai bentuk apresiasi atas kerjasama yang terjalin dengan baik. Penghargaan ini diberikan dalam lima kategori, yaitu Best Partnership Client Category, Best Partnership Agency Category, Best Supporting Advertiser Client Category, Best Supporting Advertiser Agency dan Best Creative.

Best Partnership Client Category
- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication
- PT. Aerowisata International
- PT. Telkomsel

Best Partnership Agency Category
- PT. Dentsu Indonesia
- PT. International Matari Advertising
- PT. Perada Suara Productions (Megapro)

Best Supporting Advertiser Client Category
- PT. HM Sampoerna Tbk.
- PT. Serasi Autoraya - TRAC
- PT. Gudang Garam Tbk.

Best Supporting Advertiser Agency
- PT. Wira Pamungkas Pariwara Group
- PT. Perada Suara Productions (Megapro)
- PT. Advisindo Artistika

Best Creative
- Pfizer
- Bank Mandiri
- A Mild

The Aston Legend Villas, Sanur is situated in a graceful compound featuring six private villas with one, two and three bedrooms. Set in immaculate walled gardens, each villa has its own private pool, a semi outdoor lounge area with a gourmet kitchen, dining area which is open into the garden, and air-conditioned bedrooms with LCD TV and entertainment system. Bathrooms feature separate bathtub and exotic outdoor shower, as well as an extensive spa bath menu and luxurious guest amenities.

Modeled after traditional houses found in Bali and Java, the villas are built, furnished and decorated using local timber, tiles, fabrics and artifacts – blended with a modern-minimalist edge, guaranteeing guests a comfortable and memorable stay.

The public area landscape is both tropical and verdant – while overlooking the pool area. Guests can enjoy gracious dining in the open plan Caramel Restaurant where fine food of international and Asian recipes are served. Private chefs are also on hand to prepare meals within your villa – dine under the stars, by the pool or in the garden. Here, guests are ensured to be greeted with warm Balinese smiles and receive excellent service. Staff are trained to anticipate guest requirements and are eager to please while remaining subtly out of sight till required.

The Lomi Lomi Spa, located in the center of the garden, uses its own exclusively prepared oils and creams made only from the purest ingredients and offers an exotic menu of treatments. The unique furniture lends the spa rooms a sense of decadence, offering a seamless fusion between international amenities and local ambience - a place where serenity and spirituality are emphasized. Therapies can also be enjoyed at in one of two treatment rooms or in the privacy of your own villa.

For more information, contact:
Aston Legend Villas Sanur
Jl. Cemara 33, Sanur, Bali – Indonesia
T: +62 361 270567 F: +62 361 270562
E: info@astonlegendsanur.com
www.astonlegendsanur.com

This grand event, initiated by the Malaysian Tourism Ministry, involved 1600 participants to present the cultures of Malaysia and was witnessed over 50,000 spectators.

The event was also linked to the "Mega Fam" program in which Malaysia invited media, travel agents and other tourism industry participants from 47 countries, corresponding to the number of Malaysian tourism offices in the world, with a total of 690 delegates, including Indonesia. Through Mega Fam, the national delegations were sent to various tourism destinations in Malaysia, such as Sarawak, Sabah, Penang, Langkawi, Malaka, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor Baru.

Colours and Flavours of Malaysia 2008 is also part of the Visit Malaysia Year campaign and one of the top 50 national events in this year's calendar.

Through this event, Malaysia is also seeking to achieve its aim of attracting even more foreign tourists. These efforts have been quite successful in recent years. In 2007, Malaysia brought in 20.9 million tourists; with the various promotions strategies such as Colours and Flavours of Malaysia 2008 and Mega Fam, the target for this year of 22.5 million tourists. From Indonesia alone, Malaysia has set a target of 2 million visitors this year.

The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board also has marketing arrangements with neighboring countries with strength in the tourism sector, such as Singapore and Thailand. Malaysia is also expanding its promotion in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia.

Grand Hyatt Bali, part of the Hyatt family, marked the annual Hyatt event, "Celebrating Our People", from June 12 to 14.

This Hyatt International programme is celebrated globally, and devotes three consecutive days every year to recognising and acknowledging employees as the company's most important asset, reinforcing Hyatt's People Philosophy through various-based activities involving employees and their families.

Each Hyatt hotel pairs with a sister hotel to celebrate this event and Grand Hyatt Bali's sister hotel is Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, Hawaii. The highlight of the programme was a kids' and orphanage activity, and the planting of 100 palm trees by our Green Team, in line with Hyatt's commitment to the environment, called Hyatt Earth.

On June 13 Grand Hyatt Bali's Green team planted 100 palm trees in the East Village. These trees will be grown by the hotel and donated to the surrounding community once they mature. This is part of Hyatt's commitment to designing, building and managing innovative hotels that provide guests with authentic and comfortable accommodation that respects the natural environment and the local communities in which they operate around the world.

The three-day event at Grand Hyatt Bali was filled with fun activities, including a fun walk, early bird breakfast, hula-hula performances by our Executive Committee and Department Head members, and a Pasar Malam Festival on the Nusa Dua Peninsula.

For more information, please contact:
Dewi Karmawan
Public Relations Manager
Grand Hyatt Bali
Phone : + 62 361 77 1234
E-mail : dewi.karmawan@hyatt.com

No matter how many times I visit Aroma Coffee in Bandung, it's never boring. Yes, I'm a coffee freak, and the Robusta and Arabica that this coffee factory produces are truly fine, but there's another reason – the owner, Widyapratama, is so friendly.

One morning before six, I was outside photographing the shop, which was still closed. Suddenly the owner opened the door and greeted me. He'd never met me before, but he invited me in. "Come on in," he said, "We're just doing a roast."

First he took me into his coffee warehouse, packed full of sacks of coffee reaching nearly to the ceiling. He stores the Robusta coffees for five years before roasting, and the Arabica for eight years, "to lower the acidity," he explains. He says that by storing the coffee for these periods, its acidity is reduced by 20 percent, which makes it much mellower. However, this flavor-enhancing treatment also reduces the weight by one kilogram per sack per year of storage.

Widya, aged 58 and the father of two daughters, inherited the factory from his father, Tan Houw Sian, who founded it in 1930. Each day, he roasts around 200 kilograms of coffee. Aided by his two assistants, Widya himself does the roasting, with a German-made Probat roasting machine that is as old as the factory. The fuel is rubber wood, which he uses because it does not produce much smoke and does not affect the flavor or aroma of the coffee.

The best part of the process is when the coffee is done and the roasting machine is opened. It's shaped like a giant Roman helmet; inside is an iron ball full of coffee beans, which is rotated over the coals. When the roast is finished, the beans are poured out into a zinc vessel to cool.

After they are sorted again and any remaining bits of skin are removed, the coffee beans are stored in large cans and taken to the front of the store. He grinds coffee only as requested by his customers.

The shop is open from 8 am to 3 pm every day except Sunday. A 250-gram pack of Robusta costs only Rp 10,000, while the mocha Arabica is Rp 12,500.

He doesn't recommend buying too much at once. "Just buy one pack of each," advises Widya, who also teaches economics at Pajajaran University. "When you run out, come back and get some more, so you always have fresh coffee on hand."

And when I ordered two packs of coffee for my wife, who also likes coffee, he wouldn't even take my money. "No need, no need. Just consider it a present for your wife," he said with a warm smile.
Incredible....

Koffie Fabriek Aroma
Jl. Banceuy No. 51
Bandung 40111
Tel: 022-4230473
Fax: 022-4232648

At the time its cool climate, thanks to its location in the mountains, drove Jakartans to the city during weekends to escape the capital city's unbearable heat and humidity.

Bandung's excellent higher learning facilities, as exemplified by the University of Padjadjaran, University of Parahiyangan and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), made it a favorite among parents who wished to see their children equipped with the intellectual means to attain a bright future.

More than a century later, Bandung may not be as cool as it used to be. The city has given way to modernity and the trappings of a higher living standard, resulting in traffic jams and (some degree of) pollution.

It has, however, retained its allure among Jakartans, especially since the Cipularang freeway came into being in 2005. Shuttle minivans that now operate between the two cities every hour (virtually door-to-door) provide Jakartans with a better excuse to go Bandung.

Now, with number of quality accommodation, business and leisure facilities in place, Bandung is set to become a MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) city in its own right. It has developed many facilities and improved services in ways that have made Bandung one of the most preferred cities for MICE activities in Java, if not in Indonesia.

Lest one forgets, in 1955 Bandung was the site of the famous Asia-Africa Conference. Back then not even Jakarta had been considered as a candidate to hold the country's first ever international meeting of the highest magnitude.

Dozens of heads of state from two continents attended the historic gathering, which was celebrated 50 years later in the same city.

Last month the city was host to the International Youth Festival (IYF) 2008 attended by 130 participants from 36 countries.

Clearly, Bandung continues to make its mark as a MICE city. And a recent entrant into the realm of MICE is Aston Bandung Hotel and Residence (ABHR), which has just finished setting up new meeting rooms, namely Kulawarga, Kulawangsa, Tapodhana and Arimbawa 1, 2 & 3, that can cater for 10 to 150 people.

"All rooms are provided with free, high-speed internet access", said the general manager of ABHR, Imansjah Madewa.

"New additional meeting rooms, high speed internet connection and dedicated meeting services are suit the needs of MICE participants and business travelers."

ABHR complements the city's MICE scene as other international star-rated hotels have also been operating in the city for some time now. Meanwhile, modern shopping malls provide a respite to MICE participants, who are guaranteed to have a good time as they effortlessly combine work with leisure.