Cheap Vacation News

Long Visa Lines at Bali’s Airport Prompt Calls for Urgent Change from Law Makers and Tourism Leaders.

Bisnis Bali reports that despite a total of 26 visa on arrival counters at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, long delays of as much as two hours are being encountered by those landing during peak traffic hours.

Between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm when as many as 1,200 passengers land appears to be the time slot worst affected. Assuming an average of 2.5 minutes to process each visa on arrival and the full operation of 26 visa counters, this translates into lines that can take almost two hours to clear just to complete the visa purchase process.

This calculation of possible delays was put forth by a member of Commission B of the Badung House of Representatives (DPRD-Badung), Wayan Puspanegara, who said: “With this condition, the tourists will certainly be bored. This is like a bad dream, not in keeping with the happiness the tourists seek.” Read the rest of this entry »

Cheap airfares and a strong dollar are fuelling a tourist drought in Margaret River, according to The Australian Financial Review.

West Australians are swapping glasses of Margaret River chardonnay for cocktails at a Bali poolside this festive season as the strong dollar and airline price war make travelling to the Indonesian island more attractive than ever.

In stark contrast to last year, Margaret River’s hoteliers have been forced to offer discounts or incentives to combat softer than usual demand.

Just 12 months ago it was near impossible to find a spare room in Margaret River, when a depressed dollar and the financial crisis prompted West Australians to holiday in their own backyard.

But this year the financial crisis is in the rearview mirror, the dollar is about 30 per cent higher and a price war between airlines has made travelling to Bali relatively inexpensive.