Wikimania 2015 bids/Bali

Bali on Wikipedia: ace:Bali af:Bali ar:بالي bn:বালি zh-min-nan:Bali be:Востраў Балі bg:Бали bs:Bali br:Bali ca:Bali cs:Bali cy:Bali da:Bali de:Bali et:Bali el:Μπαλί es:Bali eo:Balio eu:Bali fa:بالی fr:Bali gl:Bali gu:બાલી hak:Pâ-lî-sén ko:발리 섬 hi:बाली hr:Bali id:Bali it:Bali he:באלי jv:Bali kn:ಬಾಲಿ pam:Bali ka:ბალი (კუნძული) kk:Бали аралы lv:Bali lt:Balis lmo:Bali hu:Bali mk:Бали ml:ബാലി mr:बाली ms:Pulau Bali mn:Бали арал nl:Bali (eiland) ja:バリ島 no:Bali nn:Bali pnb:صوبہ بالی pms:Bali pl:Bali (wyspa) pt:Bali ro:Bali ru:Бали sa:बाली stq:Bali sq:Bali scn:Bali simple:Bali sk:Bali (ostrov) sl:Bali sr:Бали sh:Bali su:Bali fi:Bali sv:Bali tl:Bali, Indonesya ta:பாலி te:బాలి th:จังหวัดบาหลี tr:Bali uk:Балі (острів) ur:بالی vi:Bali war:Bali wuu:巴厘岛 zh-yue:峇里 zh:巴厘岛

Bali Province (Indonesian: Provinsi Bali) is a province in the country of Indonesia. The province covers Bali Island as well as a few small neighbouring islands. The main island is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 34 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

• Currency: Indonesia use the IDR - Indonesian Rupiah (Rp). There are currency changing offices in Airport, banks, and authorized money exchange counters near the venue. Stores accept credit cards such as Visa and Master Card.

Because of its large denomination, don't be suprised if some not so expensive items could cost hundreds of thousand rupiah to million of rupiah. The trailing three zeros are often abbreviated with rb (ribu, thousand) or even dropped completely, and for more expensive items you will often even see jt (juta, million). The largest banknote is the red Rp 100,000, which may only be US$10 but is still inconveniently large for most purchases. Next in the series are Rp 50,000 (blue), Rp 20,000 (green), Rp 10,000 (purple), Rp 5,000 (brown), Rp 2,000 (gray) and finally Rp 1,000.

US dollars will be accepted, but are typically used as an investment and for larger purchases, not for buying a bowl of noodles on the street. Many hotels quote rates in dollars, but all accept payment in rupiah. If you pay any bill in Indonesia with a credit card it will be charged to your account in rupiah, regardless of the currency you were quoted. Money exchangers are very picky about bill condition, and pre-1999 dollars or any imperfect bills (ripped, wrinkled, stained, etc) will often be rejected.

Banks in general won't change any 1996 dollars. Be very careful dealing with moneychangers, who are very adept at distracting your attention during the counting process and short-changing you as a result. As a precaution, consider bringing a friend along to watch over the transaction very carefully. Be aware of moneychangers who offer great rates. They will quote you one price, and start counting stacks of Rp.20,000 notes, and ask you to count along with them. This is a ploy to confuse and shortchange you. If they realize you are onto them, they will tell you that they have to subtract 6-8% for "commission" or "taxes".

• Banking: Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common. Living cost in Indonesia is cheap, Rp 10,000 (about $1.11) will get you a meal or a packet of cigarettes or three kilometers in a taxi or two bottles of water. But as a foreigner who didn't speak Indonesian, it is often necessary to haggle and negotiate a minimum of 50%-70% off an initial asking price^[1].

• Shopping: While most commercial places close on Sunday in the West, it does not apply in Indonesia, being a Muslim majority country. Most of them even have the largest visitors in Sunday (and national holidays) and shopping malls often become VERY crowded on Sunday. So if you plan to go to Indonesian malls and shopping centres, weekdays (Monday to Friday) is the best time to visit. Shopping malls and commercials open at around 10 am, and street shops (and traditional markets) open as early as 6 am, and close at around 8 to 9 pm.

• Language: The language primarily spoken in Bali is Bali language and Indonesian language. Public signs are written in Indonesian language, occassionally with English. Indonesian alphabet consist of 26 letters exactly like English alphabet. Written phonetically with the Latin alphabet and with a fairly logical grammar, Indonesian is generally regarded as one of the easiest languages to learn, and A.M. Almatsier's The Easy Way to Master the Indonesian Language, a 200 page small paperback, is an excellent starting point. It can be found in any Indonesian bookstore for less than US$3. English is widely used in Bali as the tourism industry is one of the most important industries in Bali.

• Weather: The weather during July-August is hot and humid. The temperature ranges from 21-33 degree Celcius. Humidity level is normally between 75% and 100%. Wear light clothing and if necessary wear hat and sunglasses. Even though predominantly Muslim population, Indonesia, and Surakarta in particular, didn't have any clothing restriction, so you can wear anything you want modestly.

• Cuisine:Balinese cuisine is characterized by its unique. Balinese cuisine has a taste that is full of spices so delicious.

• Electrics: The electrical outlets in Indonesia use two round receptacles: CEE 7/4 (German "Schuko"), compatible with CEE 7/5 (French), CEE 7/7, and CEE 7/17 (Europlugs). It supplies up to 16 A/220 V 50 Hz.

• Communications: The major modes of mobile telecommunications include GSM and CDMA, and phone number could be bought at a nominal value on multitude of places. The country code of Indonesia is 62 and the local code of Bukittinggi is 752. From within Indonesia, you can dial (0752) followed by the telephone number you wish to dial.

• Time: The time zone of Bali different from Jakarta, which is Waktu Indonesia Tengah (WIB) or Central Indonesia Timezone (UTC+8).

Indonesia, officially Republic of Indonesia is the fourth largest nation, the most ethnically and linguistically diverse country (719 living languages^[2]), and the most populous Muslim country in the world. Located at South East Asia, it is the largest archipelago nation on earth, with 5 major islands: Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Jawa, and Papua, and more than 17 thousand islands and 400 volcanoes (the most in the world) -- more than 100 of them are still active -- that straddles the archipelago.

Indonesia has numerous ethnic group and diverse language group, from Malay, Chinese, Javanese, Batak, Sundanese, to Papuans. Because of that, virtually almost all Indonesian are bilingual and united by common language and identity, which is Indonesian language.

In the long history of the archipelago states, there were Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, Muslim sultanates, and animistic tribes that once existed within the border of Indonesia. The island of Java, in particular, has seen the succession of Hindu-Buddhist civilization (as seen in the Prambanan and Borobudur temple complex) to Muslim civilization, and the whole nation was colonized by the Netherlands for 3 and half century before briefly occupied by Japan during the Second World War and finally declared her independence at 1945. The culture of Indonesia, therefore, is a unique blend of Indian Hindu-Buddhism, Arabic Moslem, and Western modernization, while each ethnic also preserves their own unique culture, making Indonesia truly a melting pot of various indigenous and non-indigenous cultures. Indonesian cuisine, literature and arts are also affected by this exposure to various major civilization of the world. Indonesia is also home of some of the world's best beaches.

Technologically, Indonesia in recent (2010) BBC survery is regarded as the most entrepreneur-friendly country in the world, above US, Canada, India, and Australia.^[3][4] Thousands of startups have sprung here in the past decade. It has the third largest base of Facebook user and the largest base of Twitter user (one of every five internet users in Indonesia is using Twitter)^[5], yet Wikipedia has fairly low penetration. This trend was helped heavily by free promotions of both services by mobile vendors, and there's a lot of room for Wikipedia to enter and tap the pool of technologist and Wikipedian-to-bes that is growing in number here.

Bali Province is located on the island of Bali and includes several islands around it. At this time there is an international airport serving Bali. Ngurah Rai International Airport is an airport serving Bali. Ngurah Rai flights to and from major cities in Indonesia as well as major cities in East Asia, Australia and some cities in the Middle East and Europe.

Immigration authority will provide Free Tourist Visas (Free Visas for Short Visit) for a period of 30 days to nationals from 12 countries only on the basis of reciprocity.

Visa on arrival ($25^[6] -- could be attained on Minangkabau Aiport, Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport or Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport) valid for 30 days (and could be extended) is available to the citizens of 62 countries and one region:

Attendees from the country not mentioned above would need a visa to enter Indonesia. They should seek the visa from the Indonesian Embassy in their home country, or the nearest Indonesian Embassy if there is no Indonesian Embassy in their country.

Notes: ^[7]

1. Visa-free entries are only permitted via the following airports of entry:
   • Soekarno-Hatta (Jakarta), Ngurah Rai (Denpasar, Bali), Adisutjipto (Yogyakarta, Java), Juanda (Surabaya, East Java), Achmad Yani (Semarang, Central Java), El Tari (Kupang, West Timor), Hang Nadim (Batam, Riau Islands), Hasanuddin (Makassar, South Sulawesi), Husein Sastranegara (Bandung, West Java), Polonia (Medan, North Sumatra), Sam Ratulangi (Manado, North Sulawesi), Lombok (Mataram, Lombok), Sepinggan (Balikpapan, East Kalimantan), Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II (Palembang, South Sumatera), Sultan Syarif Kasim II or Simpang Tiga (Pekanbaru, Riau), Minangkabau (Padang, West Sumatra), Supadio (Pontianak, West Kalimantan) and Adi Sumarmo (Solo, Central Java).
2. All visitors entering Indonesia by way of visa-on-arrival (VOA) must have a return ticket out of the country on their person when passing through immigration into the country (E-tickets are acceptable). This is checked fairly often, and visitors without one may be deported — although more commonly the problem can be solved with a suitable "fine". However, obtaining a visa from an Indonesian embassy or consulate before traveling is also possible and will allow you to go through the immigration channel for visa holders rather than the sometimes congested VOA and Visa waiver channels at the immigration check-points. How to get visa on arrival? At the above airports/seaports, the following procedure should be followed to get your visa on arrival.
   • Before arriving, fill in the arrival/departure card. This card will be your visa application form.
   • When you arrive, go to the bank counter and pay the required amount for your visa. You will be issued a bar-coded receipt.
   • Take the receipt to the Visa on Arrival counter where your arrival/departure card, passport and receipt will be recorded by the officer. A visa sticker will be issued and stuck in your passport.
   • Proceed to the immigration counter for your passport to be stamped.
   • As always, there may be variations to this layout, especially at the smaller points of entry. Bank and visa counters may be placed together. Anyhow, your visa must be applied for before you reach the immigration counter.
3. Nationals of countries not listed above are required to apply for visas through the nearest Indonesian Embassy or consulate. Single-entry visas are valid for 60 days and fairly routine if pricy at US$50-100 depending on the individual country and prevailing exchange rates. Multiple entry visas are also available but, as the issuance policy varies in different embassies and is occasionally changed, it is best to inquire at your nation's embassy well in advance of departure. Normally, Indonesian embassies and consulates stipulate 3 clear working days for processing; however, applications may take at least one week to be processed.
   • The citizens of 17 countries need to obtain an approval from the immigration services head office, the Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi in Jakarta. The 17 countries are:   Afghanistan,   Albania,   Angola,   Bangladesh,   Cameroon,   Cuba,   Ethiopia,   Ghana,   Iraq,   Israel,   Nigeria,   North Korea,   Pakistan,   Somalia,   Sri Lanka,   Tanzania,   Tonga. Those affected must have a sponsor in Indonesia, either personal or company. The sponsor must go in person to the Immigration Head Office in South Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan) and must produce a photocopy of applicant's passport, a supporting letter and the applicant's photograph. When it is approved, the Immigration Head Office will send a copy of approval letter to the applicant.

Bali has a lot of hotels from budget to five star hotels. These hotels are scattered from the edge of the beach or in the mountains. However, it is advisable to stay in Nusa Dua where as most international events in Nusa Dua. The event ever held in Nusa Dua as the event of the ASEAN Summit and other important meetings.

1. Bali is an island tourist destination that is very popular not only in Indonesia but throughout the world.
2. Bali is used to receive international guests for events of international scale and events attended by VIP guests such as heads of state and head of government.
3. Bali has a unique culture that is not owned by other countries.
4. Bali location is close enough to the Wikimedia users from Asia and Oceania, particularly Australia.
5. Bali has a tropical climate which is quite cool in the mountains and warm in the coastal area.
6. In addition to Bali you can walk around Indonesia and destination location closest to Bali is Lombok with extraordinary beauty that is not owned by the other islands. In addition you can also visit the Raja Ampat, Papua, which has the most beautiful underwater beauty in the world and has the most aquatic animals and the most diverse and spectacular in the world. Selain itu anda juga dapat berkunjung ke Kepulauan Mentawai yang merupakan salah satu tempat berselancar terbaik di dunia.
7. Bali is a very good value location, visitors will find most things cost less, often much less, than at least the five preceding locations
8. One of the recurring problems for Wikimania is getting visas for all our potential attendees. On the Visa front Bali would be our best Wikimania since Buenos Aires in 2009.

1. Bali is probably a bit far away from Europe and America.

Add your name here if you're interested to help, either as local team or as online team

• Aldo samulo (talk) 10:03, 4 January 2013 (UTC) (online team)[reply]
• Bonaditya (talk) 03:23, 15 January 2013 (UTC) (online team)[reply]
• WindraQadriR (talk) 02:35, 22 March 2013 (UTC) (online team)[reply]

•   OK Aldo samulo (talk) 08:41, 29 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
•   OK ButtuHutagalung (talk) 08:43, 29 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
•   OK Bali is a great place. In Bali, it is common for tourist/guest to stay for some nights so we do not have to worry about technical things: hotel, transportation, communications/internet, because they're available there. For the conference, there are convenient venue/hall; and if you are a photographer, there will be plenty of moments to capture. I support this. :) —C5st4wr6ch (talk) 08:49, 14 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]
•   OK I am not sure if I am allowed to type here. Bali is very nice. It is near in Asia. It is very accessible. Taposa1 (talk) 03:40, 10 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]
•   OK--Dede2008 (talk) 09:34, 31 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Travel and tourism

• Wikivoyage: Bali

• English Wikipedia article on Bali