Bali Airport to Get Significant Upgrade
If you're heading out for Bali luxury holidays this year you'll probably notice construction work taking place in and around the Ngurah Rai International Airport. That's because the Bali Airport Management Company is in the early stages of a renovation project designed to accommodate the increase in tourists coming to Indonesian island. The project consists of four phases and will cost approximately $132 million. The first phase got under way in early February with the construction of new access roads and necessary infrastructure improvements.
Once road construction is complete, development will shift to building new parking areas in anticipation of the third phase, the brand-new terminal for international flights and the conversion of the current terminal to domestic flights. The fourth and final phase will be the construction of an automated baggage handling system that will bring the Bali Airport into the 21st century.
Currently the airport handles about 11 million passengers annually; a number that keeps growing at a steady pace. The new airport construction is expected to be able to easily accommodate up to 20 million passengers without missing a beat.
Bali officials stressed that the current airport is not yet at a breaking point. However, they say the expansion is necessary if the airport is to keep up with the pace at which new arrivals are coming. They insist it is better to begin the project now than wait until the point that the current airport is stressed.
As evidence of their position, the director of the company doing the work, Tommy Soetomo, says his crews have yet to miss a deadline because they're not encumbered by conditions of airport overcrowding. He fully expects to be completed no later than the 2013 deadline, but it may be sooner.
As a tourist destination Bali is enjoying moderate growth thanks to heavy development of its southernmost regions. Furthermore, interest has been sparked by several prestigious awards won in 2010. Travel and Leisure Magazine gave Bali the "Best Island Award" while the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran won "World Best Hotel Spas in Asia." Conde Naste's Traveller Magazine named the Ayana Resort and Spa the #1 spa in the world that same year.
Travellers to Bali should be prepared for a unique holiday experience unlike what you'd typically find in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean. Balinese tourism tends to focus on well-being and spirituality rather than simply raw pleasure. Many of the resorts create packages focusing on things like the now famous Ubud Hanging Gardens and journeys of self-discovery. And even when not participating in a specifically-themed program the spiritual aspect of Balinese culture is incredibly evident all over the island.
If you're looking for a different kind of holiday experience, one that could be easily termed "holistic", Bali may be the right destination for you.
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