Obama wants to visit Ubud on low-key Bali vacation: Bali official

Former American President Barack Obama wants to stay in Ubud during his vacation in Bali, according to a Bali official.

Obama, rumored to be joined by wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia, along with other family members, is scheduled to arrive in Bali today and will stay until June 28.

Heading later on to Jakarta to open the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress, which will run July 1-4, Obama will make another stop first in Yogyakarta, local media has been reporting. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also invited Obama to come to the presidential palace in Bogor.

While Obama’s five-day trip to Bali has also been widely buzzed about, up until Thursday, Bali police and military seemed not to be sure how to handle the visit since full-on security detail requests had apparently not been made.

It turns out, that’s because Obama wants to keep his trip pretty low key—unlike Saudi King Salman’s holiday earlier this year with a 1,500 person entourage.

Obama, will however, get a personal greeting from Bali’s governor, Made Mangku Pastika, at the airport.

“It’s not a private visit, but will still do SOP security, but we are limited. There will be no (welcome) dance, they will shake hands directly in the car and head to the place (Obama) will be staying,” Dewa Putu Eka, a staff member for the Bali Provincial Government, told Tribun Bali on Thursday.

Obama’s plans are still tentative because it’s a ‘leisurely’ trip and not a business one, but he did apparently make some requests: that he stay in jungle town, Ubud and that there be no mass media at the airport.

“They will stay at Four Seasons in Ubud. It was Obama’s request to stay in Ubud. Later, they will arrive by private vehicle,” Eka said.

The plane carrying Obama and entourage will land at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport around 5:55pm, according to Eka.

It’s speculated that the former president will visit Tampak Siring, home to a holy spring water temple.

Obama, of course has a special connection with Indonesia, having lived in the country during his childhood from 1967 to 1971, until he was sent to live with his grandparents in Hawaii.