About Bali

Strategically located in the Southeast of Bali, the center is only 20 minutes away by car from the International Airport and has easy access to transport by taxi.

Bali enjoys a subtropical climate with an average temperature in June between 27C (80F) and 31C.

The official currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR/Rp) with Exchange offices and ATM machines easily available throughout the Island and at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The official language in Bali is Indonesian, but English is well-spoken in most touristic areas. The 32nd ICM Triennial Congress is the world ‘s largest midwives’ event ever held in Indonesia.

About Indonesia

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country with more than 17,500 islands under its territory. It has a tropical climate as it is located between Australia and Asia continent and is passed by an equator line. Given its abundant islands stretched over an extensive area, the country is divided into three time zones: GMT +7 for Western Indonesia Time (Sumatra, Java, Madura, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan), GMT +8 for Central Indonesia Time (South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara) and GMT +9 for East Indonesia Time (Maluku and Papua).

Up till 2016, Indonesia’s population is predicted to have exceeded 250 million people, making it as world’s fourth largest one. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which means unity in diversity, is the country’s national slogan that serves as life guidance for Indonesians. The slogan describes Indonesia as united amidst a number of different religions, hundreds of ethnic groups, and local languages coupled with various traditions and cultures.

More than 80% of Indonesians practice Islam and the remaining embrace Christianity, Hinduism, Buddha, Kong Hu-Chu, and native faiths. All of them are recognized by the government. Indonesia’s national language is Bahasa Indonesia with the English Language frequently used by its residents as the foreign language is included in the school curriculum. Some phrases in Bahasa Indonesia that are worthy of knowing are:

• Selamat Pagi (Good Morning)
• Selamat Siang (Good Afternoon)
• Selamat Malam (Good Night)
• Terima Kasih (Thank You)
• Tolong (Please)
• Apa Kabar (How Are You)
• Maaf (Sorry)
• Permisi (Excuse me)

Accessibility

Special arrangements will be made to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities. Participants with disabilities are kindly requested to inform the Secretariat of their requirements (see bottom of the page for contact information).

Bali Aga

There are three classifications of ethnic division in Balinese life. The distribution is based on waves of population migration to the island of Bali. Well, there have been three waves of population migration that have occurred on the Island of the Gods. The first wave took place in prehistoric times. The second wave occurred when the Majapahit kingdom spread Hinduism in the Nusantara region. While the third, the wave of migration took place when the Majapahit Kingdom collapsed and there was a process of Islamization on Java by another kingdom. Now, from the three waves of migration, the first two waves of migration are called the Bali Aga Tribe. Meanwhile, the people who came in the third wave were known as the Bali Jawi.

The Bali Aga Tribe people build their own residential area on the island of Bali. Usually, they choose to live in mountainous areas. They believe that the mountain is a stana of the almighty creator. So staying at the foot of the mountain can bring them closer to God. There are around eight villages that are home to the Balinese Aga. These are Trunyan Village, Tenganan Village, Pedawa Village, Tigawasa Village, Julah Village, Cempaga Village, Sembiran Village, and Sidatapa Village. Of course, the location of these villages is spread under the foot of the mountain in Bali.

For daily communication, the Bali Aga people use Balinese, but with a different dialect. You won’t find any similarity between the dialect spoken by the people of Bali Aga in Tenganan Village and those in Trunyan Village. Even so with other villages of the Bali Aga. The existence of these dialect differences make the Bali Aga Tribe even more unique and interesting. As for customs, the Bali Aga people still hold the original culture of their ancestors. Starting from rituals, ceremonies, community norms, to home architecture which are all written in awig-awig (customary rules). For example, the people of Bali Aga are only allowed to build houses from a mixture of red stone, river stone and ground stone. While the roof of the house must be made of piles of rumba leaves, which are known as good roofing material. So to preserve its culture, the people of Bali Aga Tribe are required to marry fellow villagers. They are not allowed to marry residents from outside the village. If this happens, the person must leave the village and not obtain the rights of his family.

Even so, it does not mean that the Bali Aga people do not open access to outside visitors to come to their villages. There are two Balinese Aga villages that are famous as tourist attractions, namely Tenganan Village and Trunyan Village. The way these two villages introduce themselves to tourists is through the arts. Tenganan Village often holds an annual event called the Tenganan Festival. In this festival the people of the Bali Aga Tenganan tribe will usually display a number of art attractions, such as the Pandan War. There is also an exhibition that presents the typical woven fabric of Tenganan Village, which is Gringsing Fabric. As for Trunyan Village, tourists are allowed to come see the unique villagers’ cemeteries, where the bodies of village people who had died were not buried, but instead were placed under a Trunyan tree.

Surely if you visit the two villages of the Bali Aga Tribe above during the holidays, you will get excitement and new knowledge. The important thing is, always remember to respect any customs and culture of the local community wherever you are.

Health Services

Anticipation

Indonesia is located in a tropical area that lies between Asia and Australia continent, between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is passed by an equator line. The country consists of islands and an archipelago stretching from west to east. It also holds straits and bays that make the country vulnerable to climate and weather changes.

During the 32nd ICM Triennial Congress in June, Bali’s temperature is predicted to reach -/+ 30 Celsius degrees. As such, all participants are suggested to stay hydrous. Don’t forget to bring personal medicines to make you fit to do all your activities.

Hospitals

Please find below a list of recommended hospitals if participants need treatments at the hospital:

Important reminders

Change money only at authorized money changers.

Leave important documents in the hotel safe.

Always keep a copy of your passport or ID with you.

Remember to save Rupiah for the departure tax (about $16 USD) at the airport.

Local Transportation

Transportation in Bali is cheap by any standard. Trans Sarbagita is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that serves passengers to Batu Bulan – Sanur – Kuta Central Parking Lot – Nusa Dua Resort Area, every 15 minutes from 05.00 – 21.00 hrs. The fee is IDR 3,500 or around USD 50 cents. The taxis start with a flag fall of IDR 7,000 or less than USD 70 cents, followed by 5,000 Rupiah/kilometer. From the airport to the congress venue in Nusa Dua, it will cost around IDR 150,000 (equiv. USD 12); whereas from Nusa Dua area to Kuta or Legian area will cost around IDR 200,000.

It is advisable to carry a small change as taxi drivers are often short of change. Taxis are operated from all major hotels and the airport with the rate varying according to the destination. Metered taxis with air conditioning are more convenient for participants. At all major airport terminals, inquiries about local transportation should be directed to the information counter. Furthermore, car and motorcycle rentals are also available. It is safe to use taxis to get around Nusa Dua. The recommended company is the Blue Bird Group.

Safety

The Government of Indonesia and the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center have put in place strong security measures for the ICM.

All congress attendees are required to register to ensure everyone has been cleared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Convention Center is an enclosed compound that requires all who enter to go through security checkpoints.

The Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center is located at Kawasan Nusa Dua Blok NW/1 (BTDC) Bali, 80363-Indonesia. Phone: +62 361-773000.

Telephone services

Telephone services are available in hotels, restaurants, and cafes.

Most GSM cellular phones will work with local GSM SIM cards. Vendors that sell GSM SIM cards, as well as recharge credits (pulsa) for local GSM numbers, are located throughout Bali. They are inexpensive—$10 to $15 will buy about 300 minutes of talk and text/2GB of data.

SIM cards will be available for purchase at the Convention Center and at the airport (international terminal). GSM vendors at the airport can provide local GSM SIM cards and registration services for your cellular phone for approximately US $6, or IDR 50.000.

Dialing instructions

The country code for Indonesia is +62

The local area code for Bali is 0361. Omit the 0 (zero) when dialing with the country code, followed by the phone number: +62 361…..

For international calls, dial 007 + country code + area code + phone number