Multimedia Materials for the Balinese Language

Villas in Bali and the villas in Bali for rent, being the best accommodation for tourists in Bali, are not the only ones that are being constantly improved.

Today, the Balinese language will be seeing a technology boost as the first multimedia materials for teaching it will be released in Bali soon. This is after a non-profit organization, BASABali, has announced the said plans.

BASABali is an organization that provides electronically-based vehicles that allow the coming together of anthropologists, linguists, and videographers from the different parts of the world. Called BASA: Balinese Language Preservation Corp, it is based in Washington, D.C. With this project, experts from around the world come together to produce modern and engaging materials to teach the language. When the project is through, the result will be 24 dialogue-based videos, some language exercises and grammatical notes.

The move is a response to the sad truth that the Austronesian language of Bali is being used now only by 1 million, out of the three million, people in Bali. Additionally, the written script of the language is already endangered. This is primarily caused by globalization and tourism which poses the increasing need to learn the English language. Also, the preferred language of most Balinese people now is the national language which is Bahasa Indonesia.

“It represents tremendous progress for the Balinese language to be recognized as part of the universe of languages and for Bali to be well known not just as paradise island but also one that is rich which indigenous culture. The materials will help Balinese thrive even in the middle of globalization,” said Ayu Mandala, Project Manager of BASABali, on the importance of the project.

Through kickstarter.com, many supporters were able to pledge their help and the organizers were able to raise the money, including other forms of assistance. Through sparked.com, “desktop volunteers” will also be taking care of the website and e-learning modules.

Individuals can get the material for US$25 which will go to technical support, updates, and others.

As for non-profit organizations and community groups, they can have the material free of charge.

Stairs Villa Hotel to Break Ground in Bali

Another addition to the Bali villas and villas in Bali for rent is about to break ground in Bali, the island of the Gods. With the consistent rising tourist arrivals on this island in Indonesia, it is no wonder why entrepreneurs like Nicolas Panzani and Noel Cibriani would come to explore Bali and make it a target for making an “urban village”.

Now, the villa called The Stairs which boasts of 12 villas will open in Bali soon. The design is born from the artistry of Philippe Starck, a French designer and architect, along with the talent of John Perello who is an American painter and graffiti artist.

Guests who come to stay in this latest addition to the grandiose villas in Bali for rent will surely feel comfort, luxury, and style in one villa that boasts of modern design that does not compromise comfort. Amenities include a patisserie, restaurant, mezzanine biiblioteque, signature spa and gym, boutique, and bar lounge. And when you stay in the villa, you will be adorned with all the perks of a living space, dining room, office space, a swimming pool, and a terrace lounge.

And to give you that feeling of royalty and luxury, you have your own concierge and a gym coach to assist you in keeping fit while you stay in The Stairs villa.

"The Stairs, without a doubt, shall become the boiling bucket of energy, activity and intelligence of Bali, and perhaps more. The Stairs does not follow any type of trend in decoration and architecture; it is self-designed, just following the beauty of the Balinese soul and the future of the next centers of the world,” says Starck about his creation.

About Starck
Starck was born in January 18, 1949 and is also a product designer in addition to his being an architect. If he does not design structures, he creates consumer goods that are mass-produced just like the toothbrush and chairs.

He also designs yachts for the rich and has even designed an optical mouse for Microsoft.

Tallest Buddha statue to be built on Gilimanuk Bali

The Balinese people, known for being such spiritual people, are building what may be considered as the tallest Buddha statue in Bali.

The statue, built particularly in Gilimanuk, Jembrana, Bali, will cost about Rp 1 billion and is expected to become an addition to the tourist attractions in the island alongside the many villas in Bali for rent that display the Balinese artistry. It is planned to be unveiled this coming June 6.

The 25-meter high Buddha statue is constructed within the Empu Astapaka monastery.

According to Sudiarta Indrajaya, the Chairman of Bali’s Indonesian Buddhist Theravada Council, this statue is going to be the biggest of its kind today.

“This will be a new icon for Bali as the ‘Island of Dharma’,” he added.

About Gilimanuk

Gilimanuk is located in the west of Bali which is also considered a port town. It is where you can find quite a number of Muslims who have moved from Java.

Since Gilimanuk is a port town, people come here as it is the port for ferries that travel to and from Banyuwangi in Java. The travel takes only about 30 minutes but the loading and the unloading are the ones that take up much time. If you want to catch a ferry, remember that there is a ferry that runs every 20 minutes for the whole 24 hours. Fares are set at Rp6000 per person. Per car, it would cost you Rp95,000 and per motorbike, it would cost you Rp31,000.

To make sure that safety and security are monitored, there are longer cues since checking is imperative.

If you access Gilimanuk by land, you can do so by hailing a bemo or bus from Denpasar which will cost you Rp 30,000-50,000. This rate depends on the quality of your car so expect higher fees if you choose the better looking one. The travel would take about 3 hours.

Since the town is very small, there is nothing much to do and you can finish exploring the place within a day. With this, it is also recommended that you stay somewhere else as the accommodation options in Gilimanuk are limited and are usually availed by truck drivers. You can stay, instead, in any of the Bali villas found in Denpasar which is the closest area to Gilimanuk. Also quite a number of villas in Bali for rent can be found in Kuta, Nusa Dua, as well as in Legian and Seminyak, Bali.

Bali's New Airport in Kubutambahan

Due to the constantly increasing tourist arrivals in Bali, which can also be seen in the occupancy rates of villas Bali and villas in Bali for rent, the provincial administration has finally chosen Kubutambahan village to be the site for the new international airport that is to be built. Kubutambahan is located some 15 kilometers east of Singaraja in the Buleleng Regency in north Bali. This news eliminates the earlier speculations that the airport will be established in Gerokgak.

The decision was reached based on the feasibility study that was conducted last year by the central government. Center of the study are three places which include the Kubutambahan, Sangsit and Gerokgak villages. This was revealed by I Ketut Wija, head of the province’s economic and development affairs agency.

“Technically, considering the geographical conditions, wind speed, wind direction and other factors, Kubutambahan area is the best site for the new airport. There is also a large plot of land near the beach,” said Ketut.

It has been learned that because of this news, many businessmen have bought land from the Gerokgak village courtesy of middlemen who offered the residents very low prices for their land which they, then, sold to the rich businessmen.

As to when the airport will be built, the provincial government is still waiting for an investor.

As said, the airport is designed to accommodate the continually growing tourist arrivals to Bali who are mostly staying in the villas Bali and villas in Bali for rent.

According to date, there are about 12,771,874 tourist arrivals in 2011 alone. Of this, 6,594,830 are domestic passengers and 6,177,044 are international passengers.

According to Regent Putu Agus Suradnyana, the Kubutambahan village is the perfect site for the new airport because of its strategic location, as well as land structure.

As more tourists are predicted coming because of this plan, it is also seen that more villas Bali will be built to accommodate all these tourists coming in.