Suggested Itinerary For Bali

The proposed itinerary has been made on the personal experience gained here during our short duration visit to Bali (in our case, this period is usually only four - five days including a Sunday), it would be advisable to focus on the South/ SW region. This portion of Bali is assessed as the cultural focal point and most of the better temples are here. The triangular wedge shaped tourist hub of Seminyak - Legian - Kuta is next door to Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport, Bali and staying and visiting cultural centers and educational facilities in this triangle are the best possible in Bali. Island of Lombuk is next door just a short ferry trip away.

Proposed Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport by Air Asia Flight Number AK 364 from Kuala Lumpur at 7.20PM.

Completion of Visa On Arrival (VOA) formalities at the Airport.

Departure for selected Hotel and settling down (select and reserve rooms in Hotel off the internet – consult Lonely Planet).

Dinner.

Day 2

Breakfast by 8.30 AM.

Visit Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali, Denpasar.

(Travel time 30 minutes)

Visit Jagatnatha Temple, Denpasar.

(Travel time15 minutes)

Visit Bandung and Kumbasari Market.

Lunch

Visit Tanah Lot Temple.

Visit Pura Luhur Uluwatu for the Fire and Kecak Dances. Program commences at 5 PM.

(Travel time from Tanah Lot: 1 hour)

Watch sunset at Uluwatu.

Dinner on Kuta Beach.

Day 3

Breakfast by 7AM.

Visit Pura Besakih.

(Travel time: 1 hour 20 minutes).

Depart Pura Besakih at 10 AM.

Visit Ubud Market

(Travel time 1 hour)

Lunch

Visit Neka Art Museum, Ubud.

Depart for Teges Village, Ubud, for Mahabharata Dance. Commences 7.30 PM.

(Travel time: 15 minutes)

OR

Calonarang Dance Mawang Village, Ubud: Commences 7.30 PM

(Travel time: 15 minutes)

Dinner at Hotel


Day 4

Breakfast by 9 AM.

Visit Udayana University (Nias or Bukit Jimbaran Campuses relating to Cultural Studies).

Lunch

Visit Univeritas Hindu Indonesia, Denpasar.

(Travel time: 15 minutes)

Visit Agung Rai Museum, Ubud.

(Travel time 25 minutes)

Witness Legong Dance in Peliatan Village, Ubud. Commences 7.30 PM.

Dinner at Hotel


Day 5

Breakfast by 8.30 PM.

See Barong Dance: Kesiman, Denpasar. Commences 9.30 AM.

(Travel time 30 minutes)

Visit Puri Lukisan Museum.

Lunch

Visit Mount Batur: Bali’s second largest active volcano. Scenic Crater Lake at the base of the Mountain.

(Travel time from Puri Lukisan: 1 hour)

Dinner in the market place.

Back to hotel

Day 6

Depart for India



Note – I have not included the sea sport activities as these can be enjoyed any day that you choose. Bali offers some exotic beaches and it would be advisable to stay in one of the 5 stars in Nusa Dua which has its own beach.

Manuhar Sharma

India Accelerates Fighter Deal

         Defense Minister A.K. Antony says India’s much-anticipated choice in its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program could occur before the end of March 2012.  India wants to expedite the deal in part because Pakistan is expecting a speedy delivery of 50 JF-17 aircraft, which originally were to be spread out over two years, according to defense ministry officials.  Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar has been quoted saying that his country is seeking delivery within six months of the JF-17 Thunder single-engine multirole fighters, which were developed by China and Pakistan.  A Pakistan air force spokesman says the first batch of these aircraft will be handed over to Islamabad within weeks.  The agreement to expedite the delivery came as Pakistan’s prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, held talks in Beijing on May 19.    Antony has expressed discomfort over this development. “It is a matter of serious concern for us. The main thing is, we have to increase our capability — that is the only answer,” he says.  Last month, India short-listed the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale for the estimated $11 billion contract to provide 126 fighter jets (Aerospace DAILY, April 28). India rejected Boeing’s F/A-18E/F and Lockheed Martin’s F-16. Russia’s MiG-35 and Saab’s Gripen also were shut out.  The Indian air force is buying the MMRCA to replace its aging Soviet-era MiG-21 fighters, which date back to the 1960s.  “The negotiation for crucial commercial terms will begin next month,” says Michael Christie, senior vice president at BAE Systems India. BAE is part of the Eurofighter consortium, along with Alenia Aeronautica and EADS.  The first 18 jets will be bought in “fly-away” condition, and the remainder will be produced under license with a selected vendor in India.  According to sources close to the project, the government has initiated negotiations with the bidders on offset requirements. India has fixed offset obligations at 50%, requiring that half of the deal’s worth be reinvested in Indian industry. 

A few questions beg answer - Is there a correlation between aircraft purchase and elections? We may analyse procurement of Su-30s to study this. What is the hurry even if fifty JF-17 reach Pakistan in 2012? Can delivery of 18 aircraft solve the problem? How much of a time advantage can accrue if we accelerate the procurement process? What would be the financial impact of the decision? Is the existing procedure unnecessarily cumbersome? If so, what has been done to optimise it?

The cost of fuel

Supposedly a perennialy contentious issue, it has a recurrent impact on each household when they cook food, go for work or use electricity. Inspite of having so much of government we have so little of governance. Is it because of unweildy size of the establishment or because of convinience based use of the word 'democracy' to shield ineffectiveness or because of both? Truth is that people are not liking the sudden and unnatural price spikes in household staples like banana(60/kg) or petrol and someone may have to pay for it at the hustings. The general impression of the media is that it is motivated and each news item should be taken with a pinch of salt.

New Begining

Dear Friends,
Although the blog existed all the time, the last post was filed 11 months ago. I have now found time to revamp the blog in keeping with my current situation. I would be sharing interesting information with you on a more regular basis. I have posted my business card for information.
With this post the blog gets a new begining.
Yours truly
Vikas