News & Updates
18 July 2005
The abstract booklet in pdf format is available here.
18 July 2005
Latest news reports suggest that the opening of the new Minagkabau International Airport has been postponed indefinitely. So it seems like we'll be passing through the old Tabing airport after all.
13 July 2005
Sometime in July, the new Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) is supposed to start operating, replacing the old Tabing Airport. But of course, things are flexible, and the precise date of the changeover won't be known until it happens, and perhaps not even then. Latest rumour is that there will be a trial run at MIA on the 14th, and if it succeeds, the move will take place on the 23rd. So if this is actually the case, most ALT VI participants will arrive at Tabing and depart from MIA: great fun for collectors of airports. Presumably, your pilot on the flight to Padang will know which airport to land at, and as for your return flight, we will do our best to try and find out which airport you should be heading out to.
13 July 2005
The price of Excursion A, on Monday afternoon, has gone up to 150,000 Rps per person; but you'll be getting lots more for your money. Departing the Bumi Minang at 15:00, we'll begin with a tour of the town; then, at around 17:00, we'll head out to a really beautiful fishing village (white sand beach, coconut palms, green mountain backdrop) to watch the sunset. Then there will be a sumptious feast of home-cooked Padang food (soft drinks and beer extra), followed by a display of traditional Minangkabau martial arts. Registration for Excursion A, and also Excursion B the day after, will take place alongside the regular ALT registration.
5 July 2005 Indonesia is a country of great diversity not only for languages but also with respect to electric socket and plug shapes. Most sockets in Padang are of the "two round hole" variety common in Europe, also known as Types C/F in the standard classification described in the external website accessible here. However, the sockets at the Bumi Minang hotel are of the "three rectangular hole" variety like in Great Britain, also known as Type G.
5 July 2005 As noted in the Practical Information section, internet access in Padang is problematical. However, participants staying at the Bumi Minang hotel and in possession of their own laptop will be able to access the net through dial-up to Telkomnet Instant, a national dial-up internet service that does not require registration:
| Dial-up number: | 080989999
(at the Bumi Minang you'll need to add the prefix 9 plus a comma to obtain an outside line) |
| Username: | telkomnet@instan |
| Password: | telkom |
The cost will be added to your regular hotel phone bill. In principle, this service is available from anywhere in Indonesia, however most cheaper hotels in Padang will not provide a phone with direct dialing service.
1 July 2005 Advanced online registration is now closed. People who are not yet registered may register at the conference venue at the times mentioned in the programme.
18 June 2005 Numerous changes have been made to the programme.
15 June 2005 As of today, citizens of 14 more countries may obtain visas on arrival in Indonesia: China, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Austria, Ireland, Kuwait, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Egypt and Greece. The extension of the visa-on-arrival facility to two additonal countries, the Netherlands and Sweden, is "still being processed": probably too late for ALT VI.
11 June 2005 A poster advertising ALT VI is available here. Please feel free to make and distribute as many copies of the poster as you like.
21 May 2005 The Bumi Minang Hotel has informed us that their 45% discount will be on offer only if you make your reservations before the 7th of July. For reservations made after July 7, a 40% discount will be available.
4 Apr 2005 Some participants have been experiencing difficulties making their hotel reservations at the Bumi Minang by email or fax. If all else seems to be failing, please contact Diana Safitri <max at biz.net.id > and she will make the reservations for you over the phone. Rest assured that there are more than enough rooms for everybody.
31 Mar 2005 With reference to information on the How to Get to Padang page, Bernard Comrie writes: Booking the Tiger Airways over the internet was not unproblematic, but I think I succeeded in the end (and I got an e-mail confirmation from Tiger Airways). Some of the following information may be useful for other users. On my Mac OS X, I couldn't get the Tiger Airways web site to work using either Safari or Internet Explorer, but it did work with Mozilla. I got the outward flight for SGD 9.98, but for the return they bumped the price up to SGD 19.98; with tax, that comes to SDG 97.96 (or about 50 euros), but then Singapore airport is one of the few that is actually worth the tax! And the fare is still a bargain.
30 Mar 2005 No casualties or damage were reported from Padang in the aftermath of the 8.7 Richter-scale earthquake that was centered off the island of Nias late in the night of March 28. While some residents slept right through it, others were shaken out of their beds, and some panicked and fled to the mountains, fearing another tsunami like the one that struck Aceh and other parts of the Indian Ocean last December 26. However, life has now returned to normal in Padang.
30 Mar 2005 Tiger Airways have just announced that, beginning in May, they will be flying from Singapore to Padang three times a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. And if you book before April 1st, you can fly for SIN $ 9.98. Check out their website at www.tigerairways.com.
24 Mar 2005 The full programme has been posted on the programme page.
18 Mar 2005 Today's news contained an announcement to the effect that Indonesia has decided to relax its immigration policy in some areas (while tightening it up in others). The most significant change from our perspective is that the list of countries enjoying "visa on arrival" facilities will be expanded to include, among others, the Netherlands. However, it was not clear when these changes would take effect. Further information will be posted here as it becomes available.
9 Mar 2005 Silkair will be resuming their twice weekly flights from Singapore to Padang. See the By Air, Via Singapore section on the How to get to Padang page.
1 Mar 2005 Online registration is now available. (1 July 2005: online registration now closed; register in person at the venue)
1 Mar 2005 We have just managed to obtain a further 5% reduction in the room rates for the Bumi Minang Hotel. Updated prices will be posted shortly.
25 Feb 2005 Please note that due to an unexpectedly large number of submitted abstracts, the meeting will begin in the morning of the 21st, rather than at midday. Further details will be announced shortly.
Jan 2005 Sumatra
Disaster Update
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