Sa?djah’s father had a buffalo

Before I embarked on this trip, the thought of going to Indonesia brought back memories to my history lessons at school. Stories about trading on the spice route with caravels bringing back spices from the Far East. Coriander which we find in some of our Belgian beers, ginger, all kinds of peppers, tumeric powder, peanuts, cloves, curries and many more. Later in secondary school we read and studied some novels, set in this country. Like Max Havelaar by Multatuli from which comes the story of Sa?djah’s father and his buffalo... Or the humbling ‘De Stille Kracht’ (the Silent Force) by Louis Couperus of which the narrative was set in the Dutch East Indies, now Java, describing the end of an era of the Dutch colony. A story in fact about the proud Indonesian people who only see their god(s) as their master, and no other earthly beings.

It is difficult to describe a country just south of the equator that consists more than 17.500 tropical islands when you have not been there. From Sumatra in the North West which neighbors Malaysia and Singapore to the east, just south of the Philippines. The country straddles the equator between the Pacific and the Indian oceans and is therefore the world’s largest archipelago. Because of its location and geology, Indonesia is blessed with the most diverse landscapes, from fertile rice lands on Java and Bali to the rain forests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi to the savannah grasslands of the Nusa Tenggara islands and the snowcapped peaks of West Papua. Culturally, Indonesia fascinates visitors with its rich diversity of ancient temples, music, dances, rituals and customs which change from island to island and region to region. At every turn visitors feel truly welcomed by the warm and gracious hospitality of the Indonesian people.

Indonesia’s hotels are second to none with many located on white sandy beaches, overlooking lush green river valleys, or situated in the heart of the busy capital city of Jakarta or Yogyakarta. Little wonder so many frequently appear on the world’s top hotel listings. Convention centers are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and experienced hosts of international conferences including the Global Climate Change Conference in Bali, the World Ocean Conference in Manado and happening later this mont, the global gathering of the IMF at Nusa Dua.

The cities of Jakarta, Denpasar, Medan, Padang, Bandung, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Makassar are easily accessible with direct international flight connections. Many low-cost carriers regularly fly passengers to Indonesia’s towns and remote locations. These cities are hives of activities for business and leisure and a paradise for shoppers in search of international brands or locally produced goods.

Indonesia is also the country of the good life. Gourmets are assured of delectable spicy cuisine while for sheer relaxation, Indonesian spas are second to none when it comes to reinvigorating body and mind.

My trip started in Jakarta, administrative capital of the country on the island of Java. It’s a business city attracting corporate meetings as well as institutional events. Ovation has partnered since many years with a highly respected travel company called Smailing whose services go way beyond the traditional DMC services.

The old town center of the capital city still has some buildings reminiscent of its colonial path. Hotels range from the ‘usual suspects’ one would find in capital cities to some local heroes. All have a good and fair quality and price. But the same day I already continued my journey to Yogyakarta, arriving late at the iconic Phoenix Hotel, a ‘Signature’ hotel from the Accor group. Welcomed by the Swiss hotel manager Marcel Jacquat with whom I was able to share stories from our joint hospitality careers over dinner. Of course combined with a couple of glasses of Antinori’s finest (quite costly as taxation on alcoholic beverages is high in Indonesia). Marcel is a great guy, with his very personal vision on how to run a hotel to the benefit of its guests. You must look him up when you are in town – and do not forget to ask him about his office! Not only is the hotel historic but the ‘soft product’ is absolutely superb. Every staff member remembers your name. “Good morning Mister Hugo! What are your plans for today Mister Hugo?” The Phoenix is what authenticity and organic is about, in every sense of the words. The breakfast for instance is more of an experience than just a morning meal. All of this on the soft tones of two musicians playing traditional Javanese music.

The next day, before visiting some of the world heritage sites of Keraton and Taman Sari, I was able to discover the Grand Ambarrukmo, a large and excellent local convention hotel as well as the brand new, contemporary and fabulous Marriott. These two are the hotels you want to look at when you wish to bring a major conference to town.

Lunch was served at the Omah Dhuwur, a local restaurant with an excellent capacity for groups before we travelled on to the World Heritage site of Prambanan. It’s amazing how many Buddhist and Hindou temples one can find in Java which is primarily a Muslim country. Prambanan is a fine example and just as I did, I recommend you go there just before sunset. For conference or incentive groups I would recommend either a dinner under the stars within the historic site or from the other side of the river at Rama Shinta with the Prambanan Temple complex as the backdrop. The Ramayana Ballet Performance is a beautiful after dinner show but our partner Smailing will be happy to create a tailor made dinner event programme with cultural dances incorporated.

The next morning we had an early start for a long drive to Borobudur, one of the biggest icons of Java. We stopped at the Plataran Resort for lunch first. A lovely boutique property for small incentive groups or high quality FITs. The hotel has a small conference center and early in the morning you can see the sun rising over the Borobudur site.

Borobudur - even if you do not know it, you know it because the images of Buddha statues and stupas are so iconic! The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with relief panels and more than 500 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 perforated stupa each within sits a Buddha statue. I had this site for many years on my bucket list, ticked off now!

Upon my return to Yoghyakarta, it was time to check in for my flight to Denpasar Bali.

Bali

Nusa Dua means two islands and sits on the Southern Peninsula of the island of Bali. It is a short drive from the airport (now facilitated by a new highway avoiding the heavy traffic) and the capital city of Denpasar. I checked in to the Nusa Dua Beach Resort. This hotel must be the godmother of all five star hotels in Bali. But grandma still got the looks and is alive and kicking. The mature gardens harbor a set of fine dining restaurants, pools and the beach invites for morning strolls and yoga sessions.

The Nusa Dua Beach resort sits opposite the new Bali Convention Center which hosts the IMF in October 2018, welcoming 16.000 guests and dignitaries. It is the second (and largest) center. Next door to the Nusa Dua Beach Resort you still have the older but smaller convention center in association with the Westin.

A short drive took me north on the island to visit several temple complexes and palace in Taman Ayun and the Lake Tempel at Bedugui. On the way there we stopped for lunch at the Saraman Resort, a boutique hotel resort and villas overlooking the rice terraces which are famous for this region. On the way back we stopped in the beautiful valey of Jatiluwih, another world heritage site known for its terraced rice paddies. An excellent opportunity for a stroll and some great photos. Definitely a must do when you are visiting the island of Bali. As an alternative with groups Smailing suggests to tour the site on electro bikes as well.

Finally, we closed off the day with a visit to the Tanah Lot temple complex. This is the place for a romantic sunset for selfie kings and queens.

Day two on Bali was focused on venue visits and a couple of museums in Denpasar as well as some of the major hotels and resorts on the Nusa Dua peninsula. Every major brand has at least one hotel or resort complex in Bali and the quality level is high. Our first stop was at the Ayodya Hotel (for the old Hilton guys like me, this used to be the one). In the afternoon we visited the excellent and very contemporary in architecture Ritz-Carlton. A must do property for incentive groups where some of our clients already had great events.

Next door they are still finalizing a massive Kempinski which is due to open next year. Down the road I discovered the new Hilton, the Melia and a couple more. The last hotel visit was at the Mulia Resort and Villas. No worries if you need a lot of conference space or break out rooms - these people have it all. Other Smailing vetted hotels of particular interest for corporate or association groups in this area are the Intercontinental and the Melia.

The original plan was to take me to the Uluwatu temple complex for a sundowner and Kecac dance performance but I thanked for this as once is more than enough of this sort of entertainment in one week for yours truly. I’m a bit allergic to dinner shows and river cruises if I may be egoistic here.

Finally, Jimbaran Bay was waiting for us and I had a lovely fish and seafood dinner with Smailing’s director of sales, Barcelona born and raised Olga Aparicio who was telling me stories of her 25 years on the island including twelve with Smailing DMC. The beach stretches for more than a mile and you find shoulder to shoulder seafood restaurants all along the way. The formula goes as this: you choose your fish, gambas or lobster and have them grilled over a charcoal fire. Tables are set in the sand on the beach and local musicians come and entertain you for tips. The food is simple but excellent. Left and right fireworks go off for birthday celebrations or corporate events taking place. This is a great idea for a final night on Bali. Nothing luxurious or expensive but honest and straight forward. Make sure you arrive in time for the beautiful sunset!

The final day of my trip I met with the Ovation team at Smailing’s office in Sanur.

Conclusion of this Java & Bali immersion trip: I’ll be back! Smailing has been operating meetings, conferences and incentive programmes for many of Ovation’s clients and will certainly continue to do so in the future. The hotel stock is regularly renovated or rebranded and a couple of grand new properties are opening their doors soon. The mix of clientele is amazing. It is balanced with the business they get from Singapore and Hong Kong. Europe is almost as important as their Asian and Australian markets and business from the Americas is on the rise. With a lot of capacity, hotel prices are kept well in line due to the competition effect.

After organizing our SITE Global Conference in Bangkok next January, we should maybe be looking at Bali in 3 years… just asking for a friend!

Hugo Slimbrouck

Ovation Global DMC

SITE Past President

@Ovation Global DMC