With 18,000 islands, a population of more than 200 million people, and some of the most diverse plant and animal life in the world, Indonesia really is a world unto itself, “the undiscovered country” that more and more travelers are discovering.
Although the tourism and meetings industry was hit hard in the last few years—Indonesia was a victim of the December 2004 tsunami and of terror attacks before and after the devastating natural disaster—business is back.
The first quarter of 2007 saw an increase of more than 14 percent in the number of foreign arrivals compared to last year. Recently, Indonesia Vice President Jusuf Kalla ordered the reopening of 12 overseas tourism promotion offices to support his goal of 7 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2008.
Although it may feel like it’s in a different world, the country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. By sea, it neighbors Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. Several airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, make it easy for attendees to get here.
Saraswati Subadia, associate director of sales-MICE at the InterContinental Bali hotel, explains that Bali is a popular destination for meetings and conventions as well as for incentive programs—and once you step off the plane, you’ll understand why.
Just south of the equator, Bali is a tropical paradise complete with lush jungles and tropical flowers, never-ending terraced rice paddies, relaxing white-sand beaches, and a great selection of luxury hotels and restaurants.
Overlooking pristine Jimbaran Bay, the InterContinental Bali is a beachside resort just south of the airport. Among the many choices of meeting and banquet rooms, attendees can choose one of the boardrooms for a small meeting (up to 20 people), which come with built-in projectors and Internet access. For larger receptions, the Puri Kencana Grand space, which holds 510 people, or the Pandawa Grand space, which has a capacity of 210 people, are good options.
On the northwest coast of the island of Java, the capital city of Jakarta is a blend of modern skyscrapers and relics of Dutch colonialism. The booming metropolis offers a wide selection of luxury hotels, including the Four Seasons, the Shangri-La Hotel and the Mandarin Oriental, which all offer meeting space. The city is also a shopper’s dream with its numerous luxury shopping malls--for Indonesian handicrafts, head to Sarinah Department Store where you can stock up on hand-printed batiks. For a little pampering, try one of the many spas at Plaza Semanggi.
To sample the many local delicacies, try Dapur Babah. The restaurant specializes in “Babah” cuisine, derived from the cross-cultural mixing of Chinese settlers and native Javanese women during the colonial area. At Kembang Goela, don’t miss the Dendeng Balado (crispy fried beef spiced with sweet and sour red chili) and the Ayam Mevrouw Lientje (grilled chicken with red chili sauce).
Once you’ve experienced the many beauties of these islands, you may find it hard to leave the diverse “world” Indonesia has to offer. Luckily, with 18,000 islands to discover, it will take many trips to see it all, so you’ll just have to come back.
