Latest news with #DenpasarInternationalAirport
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
I spent 2 months working remotely in Bali. I didn't unwind until I visited another island nearby.
I had already visited Bali many times, and I'm a big fan. But over the years, as its fame has spread, it has become busier. Bali's iconic charm and unique energy are still there, but they now coexist with big crowds and heavy traffic. During my time there, I relished much of what Bali has to offer: yoga, massages, sound baths, authentic spiritual traditions, gorgeous style, and delicious food. I found pockets away from the crowds in the less-developed regions of Bangli and Sidemen. But after a few weeks in Ubud and south Bali, I found myself craving peace and quiet — specifically, a break from the ever-present sound of motorbike engines. Luckily, I had planned to wrap up my time in Indonesia with a weeklong side trip to the nearby island of Sumba with a friend. Overpopulation was no longer a problem Sumba is a 90-minute direct flight from Denpasar International Airport. It's about twice the size of Bali, has one-sixth of Bali's population, and a fraction of its tourists. It's also known for limited WiFi and cell service across large swaths of its undeveloped territory. There's no signage on the main roads indicating the island's scenic spots, making it hard for visitors to find them without a local guide. We hired a guide my friend found through Facebook, and we're glad we did. Sumba's natural beauty lived up to our expectations. The rock-framed sandy coves, the turquoise lagoon, the landscapes of velvety green hills, and the waterfalls left my friend and me in awe. We were charmed by goats lounging by the side of the road and by horses meandering across expanses of golden savannah. And most of the time, we had the sights all to ourselves. Sometimes, groups of local kids would come over to talk to us. The roads were free of traffic. Along with the absence of tourists and traffic came the absence of extensive food and massage options, which we had grown accustomed to in Bali. I never found wine or cocktails anywhere in Sumba, though I imagine they're available at the handful of 5-star hotels on the island. Most people in Sumba didn't speak much English, including our guide, so we needed translation apps to communicate most of the time. When there was no cell service, we had to resort to hand gestures. And punctuality? We found out that it's not a thing in Sumba. Our driver tended to show up 15 to 20 minutes after our agreed departure time, then order himself a coffee before we left, then stop to pick up his breakfast at a roadside shop or get gas. He was an excellent drone videographer and photographer, though, which helped make up for his relaxed sense of time. A true mental reset Our four-day guided Sumba road trip covered a lot of ground. After the road trip, we spent three nights at a boutique hotel on a deserted stretch of white sand beach in East Sumba, about an hour from the airport, and it was there that we found total relaxation. Shaded by tall cemara trees, the temperature was perfect both day and night. We were lulled to sleep every night by the sound of gentle ocean waves lapping the shore. Our hotel, Cemara Beachfront Suite, was $80 per night and came with great service. The staff brought us tea with little desserts every afternoon and were always ready to provide any extras we asked for to make our stay more enjoyable. Except wine. Next time, I'd bring a bottle or two in my suitcase, along with a good book. The attentive care of the staff and the idyllic setting allowed us to completely unwind and fully enjoy just being there. We could have happily stayed much longer.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
I spent 2 months working remotely in Bali. I didn't unwind until I visited another island nearby.
After working remotely from Bali for two months, Sonya Moore was craving peace and quiet. She traveled with a friend to the neighboring island of Sumba. The natural beauty, lack of traffic, and smaller number of tourists made for a great getaway. In March, I decided to take advantage of my flexible schedule and spend two months in Bali, working remotely and exploring the island. I had already visited Bali many times, and I'm a big fan. But over the years, as its fame has spread, it has become busier. Bali's iconic charm and unique energy are still there, but they now coexist with big crowds and heavy traffic. During my time there, I relished much of what Bali has to offer: yoga, massages, sound baths, authentic spiritual traditions, gorgeous style, and delicious food. I found pockets away from the crowds in the less-developed regions of Bangli and Sidemen. But after a few weeks in Ubud and south Bali, I found myself craving peace and quiet — specifically, a break from the ever-present sound of motorbike engines. Luckily, I had planned to wrap up my time in Indonesia with a weeklong side trip to the nearby island of Sumba with a friend. Overpopulation was no longer a problem Sumba is a 90-minute direct flight from Denpasar International Airport. It's about twice the size of Bali, has one-sixth of Bali's population, and a fraction of its tourists. It's also known for limited WiFi and cell service across large swaths of its undeveloped territory. There's no signage on the main roads indicating the island's scenic spots, making it hard for visitors to find them without a local guide. We hired a guide my friend found through Facebook, and we're glad we did. Sumba's natural beauty lived up to our expectations. The rock-framed sandy coves, the turquoise lagoon, the landscapes of velvety green hills, and the waterfalls left my friend and me in awe. We were charmed by goats lounging by the side of the road and by horses meandering across expanses of golden savannah. And most of the time, we had the sights all to ourselves. Sometimes, groups of local kids would come over to talk to us. The roads were free of traffic. Along with the absence of tourists and traffic came the absence of extensive food and massage options, which we had grown accustomed to in Bali. I never found wine or cocktails anywhere in Sumba, though I imagine they're available at the handful of 5-star hotels on the island. Most people in Sumba didn't speak much English, including our guide, so we needed translation apps to communicate most of the time. When there was no cell service, we had to resort to hand gestures. And punctuality? We found out that it's not a thing in Sumba. Our driver tended to show up 15 to 20 minutes after our agreed departure time, then order himself a coffee before we left, then stop to pick up his breakfast at a roadside shop or get gas. He was an excellent drone videographer and photographer, though, which helped make up for his relaxed sense of time. A true mental reset Our four-day guided Sumba road trip covered a lot of ground. After the road trip, we spent three nights at a boutique hotel on a deserted stretch of white sand beach in East Sumba, about an hour from the airport, and it was there that we found total relaxation. Shaded by tall cemara trees, the temperature was perfect both day and night. We were lulled to sleep every night by the sound of gentle ocean waves lapping the shore. Our hotel, Cemara Beachfront Suite, was $80 per night and came with great service. The staff brought us tea with little desserts every afternoon and were always ready to provide any extras we asked for to make our stay more enjoyable. Except wine. Next time, I'd bring a bottle or two in my suitcase, along with a good book. The attentive care of the staff and the idyllic setting allowed us to completely unwind and fully enjoy just being there. We could have happily stayed much longer. Sumba's wild beauty and serene relaxation provided the perfect complement to Bali.
Metro
7 days ago
- General
- Metro
Brits face firing squad for 'smuggling cocaine inside Angel Delight sachets'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Three British people face the death penalty after being charged with smuggling nearly a kilo of cocaine into Bali. Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 28, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, were detained at Denpasar International Airport after customs officers flagged suspicious items in their luggage. Prosecutors said the contents of 10 sachets of Angel Delight in Collyer's case and seven desert packets in his partner's baggage tested positive for cocaine. The 993.56g is worth an estimated six billion rupiah (£270,000). Two days later, Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, was arrested in a sting by police pretending to stage a delivery in the parking area of a hotel in Denpasar. He is being tried separately. If convicted, the trio face the death penalty. Convicted drug smugglers in Indonesia are sometimes executed by firing squad. The drugs were brought from England to Indonesia with a transit in the Doha international airport in Qatar, prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara said. Ponco Indriyo, the Deputy Director of the Bali Police Narcotics Unit, previously told reporters the trio successfully took drugs with them into Bali twice before being caught. After the charges against the group of three were read, the panel of three judges adjourned the trial until June 10, when the court will hear witness testimony. Both the defendants and their lawyers declined to comment to media after the trial. About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. More Trending A British woman, Lindsay Sandiford, now 69, has been on death row in Indonesia for more than a decade. She was arrested in 2012 when 3.8 kilograms of cocaine was discovered stuffed inside the lining of her luggage at Bali's airport. Indonesia's highest court upheld the death sentence for Sandiford in 2013. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: First picture of 'loving' teenager who died after motorbike plunged into canal MORE: 'I'm a reformed drug smuggler – this is how mules will be feeling on flights' MORE: Sainsbury's shoppers still losing millions of Nectar points in widespread scam
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
All we know on three Brit drug smuggling suspects facing death in holiday idyll
Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, her boyfriend Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 28, and fellow Brit Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, have all been held in Indonesia on drugs charges for the past four months A British woman, her boyfriend and another man have all been accused of smuggling almost a kilo of cocaine into Bali, hidden inside Angel Delight sachets, from the UK. The trio - Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, her boyfriend Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 28, and fellow Brit Phineas Ambrose Float, 31 - go on trial next week in the Bali capital Denpasar next week and are facing the death penalty if found guilty. In Indonesia convicted drug smugglers are usually executed by firing squad. According to data by Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, around 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including British gran Lindsay Sandiford, now 69. She has been on death row in Indonesia for more than a decade. She was arrested in 2012 when 3.8 kilograms of cocaine was discovered stuffed inside the lining of her luggage at Bali's airport. How were the British trio caught? Stocker, from Gillingham in Kent, and Collyer were arrested together on Saturday, February 1. They had landed at Denpasar International Airport and were stopped at customs. They had travelled from the UK, with a stopover in Doha in Qatar. Officials claimed to have found suspicious items in their luggage disguised as food packages, when their luggage was passed through the x-ray machine. Prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara told the District Court in Denpasar at a pre-trial hearing that a lab test result confirmed that 10 sachets of Angel Delight powdered dessert mix in Collyer's luggage combined with seven similar sachets in his Stocker's suitcase contained 993.56 grams of cocaine, worth an estimated 6 billion rupiah - approximately £272,500. Two days later, Indonesian authorities arrested Float after a controlled delivery set up by police in which the other two suspects handed the drug to him in the parking area of a hotel in Denpasar. Why were their bags searched at customs? The group successfully smuggled cocaine into Bali on two previous occasions, according to Ponco Indriyo, the Deputy Director of the Bali Police Narcotics Unit. He told the press conference that the trio had been caught on their third and final attempt. They have now been in prison for four months awaiting trial. What happens next? Today, the charges against all three were read to a panel of three judges. They are accused of drug smuggling. The panel adjourned the trial until Tuesday, June 10. The court will then hear the full case against them and witness testimony. It is not known if the accused will have a chance to speak or whether they deny the charges against them. If they are found guilty they could be sentenced to death. Back in May, Thomas Parker, from Cumbria was sentenced in Bali to 10 months in jail on for drug offences after a charge that could carry the death penalty was dropped. He had been was arrested in January at a villa near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, after he allegedly collected a package containing drugs from a motorcycle taxi driver on a nearby street. Police officers said Parker was 'acting suspiciously' while he collected the package, according to the court document. He allegedly discarded it in a panic and fled when police approached him. A lab test confirmed the package contained slightly over a kilogram (2.326 pounds) of MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy. During the police investigation, the 32-year-old electrician was able to prove that he did not order the package. It was sent by a drug dealer friend, identified only as Nicky, whom Parker had known for around two years and spoke to regularly through the Telegram messaging app. Police reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death sentence, to the less serious offence of hiding information from authorities after investigators determined that the package was not directly linked to him.
