Tag: Bali

Rescuers race to save animals from Bali volcano

by Yulius Martoni Agence France Presse KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AFP) — Volunteers are risking their lives to save tens of thousands of animals left at the mercy of a rumbling volcano on the tourist island of Bali, making perilous trips into the red zone to relocate them. Mount Agung, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August, causing some 144,000 people to evacuate their homes over the past […]

Bali volcano belches steam, sulphur as more evacuees flee

KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AFP) — A rumbling volcano on the holiday island of Bali is spewing steam and sulphurous fumes with more intensity, heightening fears of an eruption as officials said the number of evacuees had topped 144,000. Mount Agung, 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963 — a potential blow to the island’s lucrative tourism industry. The […]

Palawan recognized by travel magazine as best island in the world; Boracay a close third

(Eagle News) – Palawan has again been recognized as the best island in the world, with fellow Philippine destination Boracay at a close third. Palawan obtained a 93.15 rating from readers of the travel magazine “Travel + Leisure,” paving the way for the province to clinch the title for the third time. The beautiful island was given the same recognition by the travel magazine last year and in 2013. Boracay earned an 89.67 rating, more […]

Tourists panic as quake rattles Bali

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AFP) — Tourists fled their hotels in panic on Bali Wednesday after the popular Indonesian holiday island was rattled by an early morning earthquake. The 5.5-magnitude quake struck inland about 10 kilometres (six miles) northeast of the Balinese capital, Denpasar, and not far from the concentration of holiday resorts in the south of the island. There were no reports of casualties and damage after the quake struck just after 7:00 am (2300 GMT […]

Bali tourist boat blast kills two foreigners, injures 18

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AFP) – by Yulius Martoni An explosion on a speedboat in Bali left two foreigners dead and 18 other tourists injured Thursday, sparking dramatic scenes as rescuers rushed to haul stunned and bloodied holidaymakers off the vessel. Dazed passengers, many covered in cuts and bruises, were taken to medical centres on the Indonesian holiday island after the blast, with TV footage showing them being carried on stretchers to ambulances and lying in hospital beds. […]

Holiday paradise is hell for Indonesian children

  (Reuters) — Bali, a paradise for holidaymakers is a living hell for local children who are at risk of being sexually harassed, activists warn, as they called for stricter law enforcement to protect the vulnerable amid booming tourism. One 14-year-old, called “S” to protect her identity, learned her lesson the hard way. She is one of the alleged victims in an ongoing trial in Indonesia, where prosecutors say Australian suspect Robert Andrew Fiddes Ellis […]

Illegal bird trade threatens Indonesian species: report

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Tens of thousands of endangered Indonesian birds are being sold illegally at markets across the country, a wildlife trade watchdog warned Thursday, flouting laws aimed at protecting these species from extinction. Wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC recorded nearly 23,000 birds for sale at five markets in three major cities on the main island of Java. More than two dozen species identified in the survey were fully protected under Indonesian law, meaning […]