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Mark Footer

Ah, Bali; Island of the Gods – and broken bods.
Injuries sustained by foreigners riding scooters and larger motorcycles around the Indonesian island are so commonplace, some consider the collection of their bruises, scratches and muffler burns a rite of passage.
It’s as if you’ve not had the true Bali experience until you’ve come skidding off your bike – preferably without a helmet on. And getting hold of a machine in the first place couldn’t be easier: no driving licence, no insurance – no problem.
Freewheeling through the rice paddies is not a particularly new phenomenon. In 1989, when ex-model Pamella Bordes flew into Hong Kong pursued by a press pack keen to discover more about her role in a call-girl scandal then enveloping the British government, she arrived with obvious abrasions on her face.
6 predictions for change in Bali: how will the holiday island look in 2033?
“The former beauty queen, whose face was grazed in a motorcycle accident at her Balinese hideout last week, was admitted to Adventist Hospital in ‘satisfactory’ condition for observation,” reported the South China Morning Post.
As she recovered, the hacks in pursuit plotted their next move while holed up in a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel.

In an era in which the Post thought it important to note that the pressmen were able to secure “open lines to their editors”, foreigners were already coming a-cropper on motorcycles in Bali.
The problem has only become worse as more and more foreigners have flocked to the holiday isle, the lure of the wide open road with the wind in their hair proving ever more difficult to resist – even if that road is in truth fairly congested.
Accidents and even deaths have become common, although reports rarely make international news unless they are especially outrageous – such as a clip of a Russian Instagrammer who launched his motorbike off a dock as part of a stunt in 2020 – or someone prominent is a victim or perpetrator.
From porn stars and party animals to the mafia, Russian trouble in paradise
A clip that did go viral this month was of a shirtless American caught in a confrontation with policemen in Ubud.
The man, who Coconuts Bali identifies as Bryan Ronald William – “some kind of sexual empowerment coach” – was stopped for not wearing a helmet.
Shirtless, dreadlocked and well tattooed, he is shown arguing with the police, suggesting they target only foreigners and asking whether they are going to demand a bribe.
The police officers have clearly seen it all before.

And now, it seems, the authorities have had enough; they plan to bring in a ban on tourists and other foreigners renting motorbikes.
“Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, said that under changes to be imposed this year, foreigners would only be allowed to drive cars rented from travel agents,” reports The Guardian newspaper.
A fired-up Koster reportedly thundered, “As tourists, [you should] act as tourists, using the vehicles prepared by travel agents, instead of roaming around with motorbikes, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules], and even without a licence.”
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With little in the way of public transport on Bali, bikes play an important role in the mobility of the population, as is the case throughout the country. According to the Pew Research Centre, only Thailand and Vietnam have proportions of households that own a bike that are higher than Indonesia’s 85 per cent.
The suggestion foreigners may be deprived of this freedom has made some of them “furious”, according to news.co.au, which trawled social media for reactions:
“I visit Bali every year but if the scooters are banned I will not be coming back for sure,” said one Twitter user.
“Imagine if we banned selective people from the main mode of transport,” said another.
The obscure pleasures of 40-plus hours on an overloaded ferry in Indonesia
Some blamed locals for setting a bad example. One wrote: “To be honest, the locals need to give good example. Many local people still ride motorcycle without wearing helmet.”
A supporter of the proposed legislation tweeted: “Foreign tourists on motorcycles are a menace on the roads, especially Western tourists [who] lack nuances, alertness & awareness of driving and traversing the congested roads. Can’t master the art of zigzagging and handling of motorcycles and it’s a life skill experience.”
Call us the sheltered product of a nanny state, but wouldn’t the Bali authorities’ efforts be better spent making the roads safer for everybody, developing public transport and insisting every bike rider was subject to the same firmly but fairly enforced regulations, rather than reaching for draconian bans that are likely to have a negative effect on tourism?
Saudi Arabia plans launch of second flag-carrying airline
Eager to muscle in on some of the action Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways currently enjoy, Saudi Arabia is planning for the launch of its second flag-carrying airline (to ply the skies alongside Saudia).
Expected to be operational in early 2025, Riyadh Air was officially unveiled this month, and already has 39 Dreamliners on order.

Boeing is licking its lips at the prospect of further orders because “Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sees aviation as a key component of his ‘Vision 2030’ reform agenda to remake the petroleum-centred country, eyeing a more than tripling of annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the end of the decade”, reports Agence France-Presse.
The hope is that Riyadh Air will help the Saudi capital and its planned new massive airport to compete as a travel hub with Dubai and Doha.
However, some critics believe the regional market is already saturated. And we hate to think what a large new airline will mean for the environment and the world’s professed (pretend) net-zero goals.
The ‘Hello Murray’ promotional campaign sounds familiar
Hello, hello, hello, what’s all this, then?
The Hong Kong government probably spent squillions of dollars on coming up with the tagline “Hello Hong Kong” for the tourism campaign now in effect, and The Murray has only gone and pinched the idea for a campaign of its own.
Hong Kong’s lame attempts to attract tourists and talent smack of desperation
At least the management of the hotel in Cotton Tree Drive gives credit where credit is due: “To complement the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign by Hong Kong Tourism Board, The Murray is presenting the ‘Hello Murray’ campaign with a series of promotional packages,” says a press release.
Then again, perhaps the HKTB merely copied the campaign used by Turkey in 2022 to promote the nation’s new name: “Hello Turkiye”. Or the “Hello Dubai 2013” campaign. Or 2011’s “Say Hello to Canada” campaign.


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Asia travel

Bali motorbike ban infuriates foreign tourists – ‘If the scooters are banned I will not be coming back’

A foreigner rides a motorbike in Bali without a helmet, unlike the locals behind him. Photo: Shutterstock

Ex-model Pamella Bordes arrives in Hong Kong for medical treatment after suffering an accident in Bali, in 1989. Photo: SCMP

Tourists travel on scooters in Bali. Photo: Shutterstock

Riyadh Air is expected to be operational in 2025. Photo: Riyadh Air

Hotel loyalty programmes explained, and how to choose the best one for you

Almost every hotel chain, big or small, has a loyalty programme, but they’re not all created equal. Photo: Shutterstock

There are prime opportunities to leverage points to stay in one-of-a-kind properties around the world, like an overwater villa at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi (using Hilton Honors points). Photo: Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

Using points at a hotel chain with which you already hold status is the best value proposition. Photo: Shutterstock

Logos of four hotel loyalty points programmes. Photo: SCMP

Park Hyatt Niseko, in Japan. Photo: Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono

Spicy food in the Philippines? Yes, in Bicol, where you can even find fiery ice cream

Chef Virgie Garcia preparing Pinangat, Bicol, in the Philippines, February 2023.&#xA;&#xA;CREDIT: Mathias Falcone

Bicol is a peninsula in the south of Luzon Island in the Philippines. It is the home of the nation’s only spicy cuisine. Photo: Getty Images

Mount Mayon is the most recognisable landmark in Bicol. Photo: Mathias Falcone

The lounge and dining room in Casa Simeon. Photo: Mathias Falcone

An afternoon snack is prepared. Photo: Mathias Falcone

A view of Solong Eco Park with Mount Mayon on the horizon. Photo: Mathias Falcone

Sumlang Lake is a man-made body of water at the foot of Mount Mayon. Photo: Mathias Falcone

A craftsman works with abaca, a species of banana plant known as Manila hemp. Photo: Mathias Falcone

Abaca can be made into rugs, table runners and baskets. Photo: Mathias Falcone

Chef Virgie Garcia prepares “pinangat”, a type of street food. Photo: Mathias Falcone

Beer at the Oragon Craft Brewery. Photo: Mathias Falcone

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Bali’s authorities plan to bring in a ban on tourists and other foreigners renting motorbikes, instead suggesting they should hire cars from travel agents
The news has made some of those potentially affected ‘furious’, according to one news source, while others have blamed locals for setting a bad example


Tourists and other foreigners have reacted in fury to news that Bali’s authorities plan to ban them from renting motorbikes, instead allowing them to only rent cars from travel agents.


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Destinations known | Bali motorbike ban infuriates foreign tourists – ‘If the scooters are banned I will not be coming back’