No Bingle bungle worries for Bali's 'Mr Tourism'
(22 January 2007)

Bali's very own Lara Bingle and the star of the highly successful 'Where the Bali hell are you?' campaign, Ketut Suarmadijasa has assured the Balinese tourism industry he won't, alike his famous Australian counterpart, be hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Now a household name in Bali, Ketut is quite used to being stopped in the street and asked by locals and tourists alike if he is the 'Where the Bali hell are you?' boy.

Better known to his friends and family as 'Mr Gary', 41-year-old Ketut hasn't let things go to his head and says his new found fame won't change his life.

But he does admit his ego came under a fair bit of pressure this month when the Sunday Jakarta Post magazine featured him in a comic strip depicting the 'Where the BaIi hell are you?' video clip.

A professional tour guide for 15 years, Ketut hails from Tabanan in western Bali where he enjoys traditional village life with his wife and two children.

And while his Australian counterpart is reportedly busy living it up in nightclubs and on yachts with high profile Australian personalities, non-drinking, non-smoking Ketut said Ms Bingle can keep it.

"You won't catch me on Jamie Packer's yacht with a supermodel on each arm or creeping out of a nightclub at dawn" he said.

"To be honest I'd rather be at home sipping a nice cup of ginger tea after a bloody good game of badminton."