Guide to Bali

Road Map for Exploring Bali

2007-07-09T22:34:00.000+07:00

Bali is a criss crossed with roads of varying quality. Many tourists as well as expats stick to the main roads and sometimes miss out on some spectacular scenery. It can be tempting to get off of the main road and go exploring, but also worrying for someone not familiar with Bali and on a short time frame. The thing you have to figure out is what roads will lead to great things, but are also navigable and suitable for cars. Fear not, help is at hand in the form of a widely sold map.

The Periplus map of Bali is one of the most common maps used here, easily identifiable by its yellow and red cover. With a single map covering the whole of Bali, Area Maps of South Bali, Kuta Area & Legian Area, Sanur, Ubud Area, Nusa Dua & Tanjung Benoa, Lovina, and City Plans of Denpasar, Klungkung, Candidasa, Singaraja and Gianyar, the map covers a lot.

Roads are detailed using different colors on the main map (thick orange for the Bypass Ngurah Rai, light orange for main roads connecting towns, white for secondary roads and grey for the tiny local backroads. Looking at the white colored roads one thing stands out to me, they are all great routes with lovely scenery, not heavily touristy and driveable with good road surfaces. Some of these white roads are my favourite routes in Bali. They include:

•Klungkung to Selat via Sideman
•Kintamani to Rendang via Suter
•Candi Kuning to Kintamani (Pura Tegeh Koripan) via Petang and Catur.
•Ubud to Kintamani via Sayan and Payangan.
•Rendang to Bangli via Bangbang and Tembuku
•Kintamini to Bondalem via Dausa
•Lake Buyan to Mayong via Munduk

All these routes are awesome, easy to find and to drive. There are others too marked in white and they are all winners. You can pick up a Periplus map at Bintang supermarket in Seminyak and bookstores including Periplus at Made’s Warung Seminyak, Carrefour and Discovery Shopping Mall.

One of the most pleasant rides I did recently was a trip to Kintamani via Ubud, Sayan, Payangan. This fairly straight route is a 40km shot up to the crater. Stopping on the way to get my fleece on, the blue skies and cold mountian feeling refreshing, I passed rice fields, fmaily temples and an array of village life in action. At the crater rim a right turn circled the SW edge, with magnificent views of Lake Batur, Gunung Batur and the sweeping scenery outside the crater.

Following the route around led to Penelokan, site of the highest density of tourist restaurants. Bright sunny weather meant this Sunday was busy with Balinese locals, the scene at Penelokan obviously the place to be seen if you are from that area. Looking at a map of the area one will see many main roads leading south from the Batur crater, but by passing Penelokan and hooking a sharp left, one will immediately be on a lovely narrow, forested route affording views of the inside of the crater overlooking the southern part of Lake Batur.

This route leaves the crater rim after 4 kms and heads south to Rendang. The whole way is forested with views of Gunung Agung, clear this last weekend, off to the left. Several kms south of the village of Rendang, there is a right hand (westward) turnoff for Bangli. This little route is super cool, with twists and turns, hairpin brends and unspoilt landscapes. You will reach Bangli after another 12kms. Road conditions on this entire rooute are good and an SUV will have no trouble making it, although my preferred mode of transport would be a slow cruise on motorbike. ()

Nusa Lembongan Bali

2007-07-09T22:31:00.000+07:00

Thinking of going to Nusa Lembongan this weekend. Seems reasonable seeing as I haven’t been there before. Nusa Lembongan is one of the places in Bali I can’t ride my bike to.

Nusa Lembongan in the smallest of the 3 islands situated across the Badung Strait to the SE. It is a center for surfing with 3 breaks (Shipwrecks, Playgrounds and Lacerations) and is also a diving spot.

Items needed when staying in local guest houses in Bali. Having stayed in local guest houses in East and West Bali in the last couple of weeks, my memories of backpack travel have been restored. Cold water showers, bamboo walls, flimsy doors and mosquitoes are all part of the experience. Added to the usual stuff in my bag (spare clothes, map, penknife, moneybelt etc.) I take a packet of mosquiotes coils, a lighter and a couple of candles. Many of the cheaper bamboo style losmans (guest houses) give you a small lock for the door to your room. There is a Master lock under my motorbike seat, which is chunkier than those locks.

Dealing with the shortcomings of local guest houses isn’t a big deal, but remembering to take a few extra bits and pieces can make life easier. A flashlight is always handy, as is a sink stopper. Towels are sometimes provided, sometime not. Mosquito net are usually aprt of the deal, but in my opinion its also good to smoke out your room with a coil and use a fan, as just one mozzie can make life unpleasant. Bring your own soap too, as some of the older guest houses still have shared bathrooms.

Nusa Lembongan has 20 or so places to stay, ranging from budget guest houses to the Waka Nusa Resort in Mushroom Bay, probably the best place on the island. According to Rough Guides, Linda Bungalows (0812/360 0867) and Nusa Indah (0366)24480, both budget guest houses, are good value.

Getting to Nusa Lembongan is easy with a range of boat options. Local boats sail from Sanur, Kusamba and the port of Benoa (Bounty Cruise). Luxury boat operators will get you out to Nusa Lembongan on one of package deals that includes lunch, snorkeling and maybe an overnight stay. Prices vary wildy, with the local boats from Sanur charging 40,000-50,000rp and the luxury outfits charging $50-$90. Charter boats are aslo available but they tend to be small and not super safety oriented.

Perama also does a boat to Nusa Lembongan, which must be booke the day before. The boat leaves from Sanur (end of Jl. Hang Tuah) at 10.30am each day and arrives at Jungutbatu at 12-12.30pm. ()

A Balinese Folktale: Kaki Tua

2007-07-09T22:28:00.000+07:00

Kaki Tua (old man) had a fine fat cow which he was very proud of. He refused to lend her when the village wanted to borrow her for the work in the rice fields. One day, the cow strayed into the garden of Bedag, and began eating up his plants. He tried to kill her but he only succeeded in wounding her. The villagers heard of it, and again asked Kaki tua to lend his cow, just to tease him. This time he consented and went to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. The people said they heard a great thud in Bedag garden; perhaps it was the cow falling down. And sure enough, Kaki Tua did find the cow lying there wounded. He asked the people to help him, and after three tries they managed to get her on her feet. Then they said a charm over her, and this was the song they sand as the charm:

Tinkle-tinkle goes Samplangan’s bell, all set with rubies.
Here comes Ida Bagus Nyoman and sits cross-legged.
The white horse goes trot-trot along the beach.

After that the cow was able to stand up properly. They took her to bathe in the river, and the cow drank to much water, swelled and died. Kaki Tua was furious and beat the villagers till they cried for mercy. ‘I will forgive you, if you find the man who wounded my cow.’ So they promised.

They met Bedag on the road and bound his hands and brought him along. The kris with which the cow was wounded was given to Kaki Tua, but just as he was about to strike they let Bedag loosed. Kaki Tua was frightened, and ran away, and Bedag was after him. Kaki Tua called the people to catch his enemy, and promised to spare his life if the cow is brought to life again, Bedag promised, and brought a balian (witch doctor). Suitable offering are made: fruit, rice cakes and spitted mosquitoes. In the middle of his prayer the balian became possessed and said that the offering was not enough. ‘What more must there be?’ ‘baris tumbak’, said the possessed witch doctor, baris is danced, and he resumed his prayer. Again he became possessed. ‘there must be a Rejang’, rejang is danced. More prayer, more trance. This time Gandrung performance was ordered. After this the prayer went off smoothly and the cow is brought to life. (BaliWWW)

Muran Teruna Ceremony

2007-07-09T22:25:00.000+07:00

In accordance with Usaba Sambah series of ceremony (a month-long series of ceremonies which is held in the fifth month of Tenganan calendar) that is held in the ancient village of Tenganan, a special ceremony for the youth known as Muran Teruna is held. This ceremony is held once every three years which includes several of activities conduct by the youths of three sub-villages in Tenganan.

The word “muran teruna” consists of the word “muran” which derived from the word “uran” means “participant of activity” and the word “teruna” which means “youth.” In the Muran Teruna ceremony, each sub-village sends its maidens to be chosen by its own bachelors as a partner to participate in the series of the ceremonies which will last until late at night.

The ceremony usually begins late in the afternoon with gifts exchange between the three sub-village of Tenganan (Patemu Kaja, Patemu Tengah, and Patemu Kelod). The main gift is called “Bungan Base” or “flower of Base plant.” It is a kind of decoration made of beautifully cut young coconut leaves with flower and butterfly-shaped gold decoration on the top. The additional gift is a kind traditional food placed on banana leaf. After give exchange ceremony is over, the bungan base is placed in front of the sub-village meeting hall with other additional decoration such as mirror or lion statue.

The ceremony is continued with “matabuh” activity in which two bachelor spill a small amount of liquor to the ground accompanied by Selonding orchestra. After the patabuhan ceremony is over, the bachelors and the maidens gather in their respective sub-village meeting hall, two representations of the bachelor party give a present of small amount of liquor to the representations of the maiden party who seated on the swing which is erected near the meeting hall, the maiden representations receive the gift and drink it ceremoniously and spill the rest of the liquor to the ground.

After this, the bachelors sit in a row on the ground in front of the meeting hall. The bachelors are given a small amount of liquor to be drunk, after drinking the liquor the bachelors unsheathe their respective Kris and hold it in front of their chests still in cross-legged sitting position. The maidens are also given a small amount of liquor to be drunk ceremoniously and a small offering is put on each maidens crown then the maidens go up inside the meeting hall and stand there.

One by one, after giving a present of offering to an official the maidens step down to the ground and dance the abuang dance in turn accompanied by selonding orchestra. They dance in front of the decorations which are placed in front of the meeting hall, when the dance is over the maiden retreat to left side of the decoration, watching their friend performance. When the abuang dance session is over, the bachelor sheathe their kris and stand up, then the maidens stand in a row on the left side of the decoration and the bachelor stand on the right side.

Two representations of the maidens go to the swings and sit there and two representations of the bachelors stand on the either side of the swings. They perform a symbolic swinging activity three times, and then they retreat to their respective line. Then the maidens and the bachelors walk circling the grand swing and the decoration in opposite direction. After circling the swing and the decorations three times they move to another meeting hall to perform exactly the same series of ritual except the exchange of the gifts.

Since there are three meeting halls, there will be three groups of youth (each group consist of a band of maidens and a band of bachelors). Each group perform the first series of ceremonies in its respective meeting hall for example the patemu kaja group hold the first series of ceremonies in its own meeting hall and the second series of the ceremonies in the patemu tengah meeting hall, and the third series in the patemu kelod; the patemu tengah group also hold the first ceremony in its own meeting hall and the second and the third series of ceremonies in other groups meeting halls. The groups swap the place so each group will perform the series of the ceremonies in three meeting hall.

There are also several branches of various fruit plants complete with their fruits called “tetubuhan” planted in each meeting hall as a gift for the group of maidens and bachelors from other meeting halls to be picked.

After the groups of maidens and bachelors finish their performance in other meeting halls, the come back to their respective meeting hall and hold a meeting (pesangkepan) there as the conclusion of the Muran Teruna series of ceremony. (BaliWWW)

Rejang Dance at Tenganan

2007-07-09T22:22:00.000+07:00

On Thursday, 6/28/2007, my boss and I had the rare opportunity to witness the Rejang dance at Banjar temple in ancient Tenganan village. Pak Mangku, the community leader of Tenganan, told us that the Rejang performance will start at 4 P.M so at 3.30 we went to the Banjar temple, but as any other areas in Bali, the concept of “punctuality” was definitely unknown here.

The dancers arrived in the temple at 5 P.M, dozens of girls in their finest attires walked slowly to the temple. The procession of these beautiful maidens was an attraction by itself; dressed in sacred gringsing clothes with gold flower crowns, and other gold accessories, bright colored sashes wrapped around their hips; these young girls walked majestically in the soft light of sunset guarded by their parents or brothers. They gathered in the middle courtyard of the Banjar temple, waited for the village’s musicians. The musicians appeared one by one in their Sunday-best clothes and took their position in the gamelan pavilion.

As soon as the musician began to play the Rejang melody; the dancers take their position in the center of middle courtyard of the temple. They stood in three lines, the younger dancers stood in the front while the older one lined up behind them. My boss and I waited patiently for the dance to begin but after 10 minutes of waiting, the dancers still did not show any sign of dancing movement, the dancers just stood still in the center of courtyard; some are playing idly with their sashes.

First, we thought that the musicians played the introducing melody but after another 10 minutes of waiting with no indications of dance movement from the dancers; we were sure that the melody was not introducing melody, it was too long for an introduction. We were puzzled, fortunately, Pak Mangku, the community leader, was around, so we asked him, ‘Pak Mangku when will the rejang begin?’ his answer was very surprising, ‘the dance is on, it’s about to finish in no time.’ The dance was finished right after Pak Mangku finished answering our question.

We were surprised; we have seen Rejang dance before in other areas of Bali, we expected to see the slow and elegance movement of Rejang, smooth movements of the feet combine with hands movements as soft as caressing breeze. But this Rejang was an exception; the dancers just stood in lines and played idly with their sashes. Pak Mangku told us that the movements of this Rejang consist of holding, lifting and dropping the sash that is wrapped around the dancer hips with the left hand. So there were movements but the moved sporadically, it was looked like the dancers were playing with their sashes. My boss told me that we always have to expect the unexpected in Tenganan, even for a Balinese.

The Rejang was finished but Pak Mangku told us to stay, a trance dance was scheduled after the Rejang dance. Five minutes later, the musicians played another melody, the Rejang dancers gathered once again in the center of the middle courtyard of the temple. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a priestess with her attendance appeared among the Rejang dancers, the entranced priestess dance hand in hand with her attendance while the Rejang dancers shouted to them. The attendant handed a tray of offering to the priestess and retreated behind the onlookers. With her eye closed and hand clutched tightly on the tray of offering the priestess danced madly in the center of the courtyard.

Suddenly, a cry was heard among the onlookers, a priest came out brandishing a kris, stepped into the center of the courtyard and danced side by side with the priestess. The entranced priest sometimes with all his strength stabbed his chest with the kris or tried to cut his hand, but no wound inflicted. The Rejang dancers shouted louder when the priest stabbed himself, the priestess kept on dancing with the tray of offering in her hand.

After stabbing himself for the third times, the priest retreated to the inner courtyard of the temple. His place was taken by another entranced priestess; the second priestess was given a tray of offering and danced side by side with the first one. After dancing for a while both of them were ushered to the inner courtyard. Unfortunately we had no opportunity to witness the performance of the entranced priest and priestesses in the inner courtyard. Soon after the priestesses were escorted to the inner courtyard the musicians played a closing melody and the “unexpected” Rejang of Tenganan was over.(BaliWWW)

Galungan in Bali: June 27th 2007

2007-06-27T15:40:00.000+07:00

Here in Bali we are on the eve of an important day. Today (June 27th) is Galungan and most local people will be heading back to their villages for a day to participate in ceremonies with their families. Galungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means “When the Dharma is winning.” During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan.

Occurring once in every 210 days in the pawukon (Balinese cycle of days), Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese. During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them. Those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.

Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan ‘holiday’ the day before, where the family is seen to be busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. While the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven ‘banten‘ (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men of our village usually wake up well before dawn to join with their neighbours to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion.

Then the finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, and molded onto sate sticks that have been already prepared by whittling small sticks of bamboo. Chickens may also be chosen from the collection of free-range chickens that roam around the house compound. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of ‘lawar‘ dishes. While much of this cooking is for use in the offerings to be made at the family temple, by mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, it is time for the first of a series of satisfying feasts from what has been prepared.

While the women continue to be kept busy with the preparations of the many offerings to be made at the family temple on the day of Galungan, the men also have another job to do this day, once the cooking is finished. A long bamboo pole, or ‘penjor‘, is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali the visitor can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.

On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.

The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their ‘Sunday best’ as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.

Tourists visiting Bali might spend a little extra time admiring the temples and penjors that line every street. Pura Sakenan, the temple on the island of Serangan, is the site of one of the big ceremonies for Kuningan. Tourists may visit as long as they were a sarong and sash. (BaliBlog)

Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka: Founder of Gandhian Ashrams in Bali

2007-06-27T15:37:00.000+07:00

“Let us live simply so that others may simply live”
M.K. Gandhi

The lifetime achievements of Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka (1921-2002) are impressive and bear testimony to her unfailing faith in the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi. Mother of six boys, in her early married life she became a high school principal then a university lecturer in English. She served as an Member of Parliament in 1968 in the New Order parliament of Indonesia’s President Soeharto and again in 1999, at the age 0f 78, in the Reformation Parliament of President Abdurahman Wahid as the Hindu regional representative. She was a founding member and , eventually, honorary president of the World Council for Religion and Peace and a board member of several international and domestic social organizations. In 1994 her tireless work earned her Gandhi Peace Award of the Jamnal Bajaj Foundation in India for her ‘dedication to peace and promoting Gandhian ideals outside India’.

Gedong Gandhi Ashram, Candidasa
On an idyllic site next to Candidasa beach on Bali’s east coast, where a spring-fed lake runs into Indian Ocean, a piece of sacred land was purchased by Oka couple as a family retreat. Soon the true potential of this land became apparent when, becoming disillusioned with the lack of achievements in parliament, Ibu Gedong resolved to work at ‘grass root’ level and, to this end, established her own ashram. In 1976 she thus began to bring her Gandhian beliefs into practice.

The ashram aims to translate Gandhian Hindu priciples of living into action and promotes a life of simplicity, self sufficiency and service to the local community. With ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth) and karuna (compassion) as guidelines, swadeshi (self-sufficiency) can determine our social and economical strengths. Consistent with these ideals the ashram is home for all faiths.

Most of the ashram members come from disadvantaged families from nearby villages but there are also those from other island such as Java, Lombok, and Sumba. All are provided with board and lodging, schooling and pocket money for which they, in turn, maintain the ashram and its gardens and look after the guests.

Guests provide a large part of ashram income. There are currently two bungalows ready to serve the guests. Guests are encouraged to take part in the ashram life and , for those who wish, there is a volunteer scheme whereby visitors can contribute useful skills, such as English teaching, computing, gardening, etc and pay less for their keep. In all cases, advance notice is required for arrangements to be made for visitors needs.

Some of the ashram’s current activities are
• A kindergarten for local children which also provides them with a free lunch as a way of promoting healthy nutrition.
• An acupuncture clinic for both local people and visitors.
• Rice and vegetable growing.
• A modest kitchen garden using organic growing techniques.
• A computer room with internet access
• Traditional weaving which has recently been revived to make cloth and scarves.

Since its inceptions the ashram has gained reputation as a place where people from all walks of life cross paths – holidaying guests, backpackers, seminar participants, visiting academics, scientists, artists, etc. many lasting friendships have developed from these chance meetings, all touched by the experience of Ibu Gedong’s ashram. It is hard to describe the atmosphere the ashram engenders – the puja chant, agni hotra fire purification ceremony, the morning yoga, the interactions between members, and visitors, the pervasive meditative feeling, the delicious vegetarian meals, the sound of the sea with the lake alongside – one simply has to experience it.

For further information, please contact:
Post: Gedong Gandhi Ashram, Candidasa, Karangasem 80851, Bali, Indonesia
Phone & fax: +62 363 41108
Email: gandhiashram@yahoo.com
Web: www.alphalink.com.au/-oka/ashram/

Gedong Gandhi Ashram Educational Fund, GGAEF.
This trust has been set up by a group of international ashram friends to fund the educational needs of deserving ashram members. It is based in New Zealand and further inquires, or donations, can be made as follow:
GGAEF c/o Terry Cox
4 Kamahi Street
Stokes Valley
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 563 8989
Email: terrycox@globe.net.nz (BaliWWW)

Sendratari Tantri

2007-06-27T15:36:00.000+07:00

Tantri can be classified as an individual genre in Balinese literature, deals mainly with fables; Tantri is similar to Aesop’s fables in Western literature. In its story, the Tantri usually gives moral teaching, promoting good deeds and wise judgement.

On Saturday, 6/23/07, a theatrical performance based on Tantri story entitled Sadhu Kerti was performed in Bali Art Festival by Semara Kusuma Troupe from Payangan, Ubud, Gianyar Regency. This performance was led by I Nyoman Dharma, S.Ag, musical accompaniment was composed by Dewa Putu Berata, S.S.Kar, and the choreographer was Ni Wayan Serini, S.Sn.

Here is the synopsis of the story: Deep in a peaceful forest, on the slope of Mount Kawi lived a hermit, Dukuh Suladri and his daughter Ni Kusuma Sari, side by side with animal and plants in harmony. Dukuh Suladri and his daughter were befriended with all animal in the jungle.

Meanwhile, in a village lived a hunter named I Wayan Buyar, he killed many animals and destroy the forest. He went to the forest and killed animal for food and fun.

One day, I Wayan Buyar met Ni Kusuma Sari in the forest. He wanted to rape her but a tiger, friend of Dukuh Suladri and Ni Kusuma Sari appeared, saved her and attacked I Wayan Buyar.

I Wayan Buyar was almost killed by the tiger, but the wise Dukuh Suladri saved him and forgave all his wrongdoings. I Wayan Buyar promised to stop hunting; this made the forest on the slope of Mount Kawi peaceful once again. (BaliWWW)

Pamurtian: The Raging God

2007-06-27T15:33:00.000+07:00

Gods and goddesses in Balinese culture is not immune to the emotions, they can be happy sad or in rage, that is why Balinese strive in many ways to please them. Beautiful offerings, sacred ceremonies, delicate gamelan music, superb dances performance, and sweet singer voice when reciting ancient romances (kakawin) are just small parts of Balinese efforts to please the gods and goddesses.

When gods and goddesses are happy they will bestow prosperities and blessings to all inhabitants of the world. Balinese believe that when the gods and goddesses are happy they will appear in beautiful forms complete with all signs of good luck and protection, with sweet smiling faces and friendly gestures.

However, when gods and goddess are in rage, they will appear in “pamurtian” forms. The word “pemurtian” is derived from the word “murti” means “form”. The pemurtian is a terrifying forms of gods and goddesses, they will appear with demon faces, usually has more than five heads, twelve hands each caries a celestial weapon ready to strike the wrong-doers.

Pemurtian form of gods and goddesses has a special place in shadow puppet performance. In the shadow puppet performance, pamurtian form is associated with divine appearance of gods and goddesses to protect the universe from the evil force of raksasa (demon or giant). In the shadow puppet story, when the force of virtue appears in the verge of defeat, a god or goddesses will appear in his or her pemurtian form to help the force of virtue and conquer the force of evil.

The double role of gods and goddesses in pamurtian forms, as punishers and saviors makes the pemurtian is highly revered by Balinese, not just give them a sense of justice is always enforced but also the sense of security. The Pemurtian form though sometimes appear very frightening but it is not something that is out of control but an almighty force that is need to restore the balance between the positive and negative force. (BaliWWW)

Villa Coraffan, Canggu

2007-06-27T15:27:00.000+07:00

Villa Coraffan, is a newly completed holiday property in Bali’s Canggu district, conceived with a desire to create the most inspiring base from which to enjoy the area’s magnificent views.

Completely surrounded by rice paddies, Villa Coraffan was meticulously designed with an eye for modern, tropical elegance. White Palimanan stone walls and rich Merbau wooden floors were chosen for each room to fuse the dignified tranquility of a temple with earthy warmth.

Coraffan’s gardens feature an array of exotic trees and plants carefully selected and nurtured to honor the spirit of the island’s renowned beauty. Coraffan is as ideal for solitude and relaxation as it is for parties or other social functions.

Set around a five-by-17-meter infinity pool, each of Coraffan’s bedrooms has a spectacular view. The villa has an open-air living room with a sound system and equipped bar. Other common areas include a fitness room, a detached viewing platform ideal for morning meditation or yoga as well as late afternoon cocktails, and a detached dining area surrounded by balconies.

Coraffan’s air-conditioned TV room has a full bathroom so that it can be used as a fifth bedroom if needed. Coraffan also has a fully appointed kitchen with staff quarters and a parking area with a security post. (BaliWWW)

New branding for Bali tourism industry

2007-06-22T21:05:00.000+07:00

Branding is important to any industry. Putting an image in people’s minds and working it is what drives business. The whole ‘Bali aura’ is exactly that, conjuring up an image from the 1940’s of a tranquil tropical island, unspoilt by industry and rich in cultural tradition. Add on some idyllic scenes and a few topless local women in sarongs and you’ve got a package.

Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.

New tourism brand invokes Bali of peace

Following six months of intensive research, which included direct interviews with hundreds of Balinese residents and foreign visitors, the local government has finally unveiled its new tourism brand for the resort island.

The new brand is expected to unite the tourism industry under a single flag and battle cry in an effort to elevate the vital economic sector, which had been paralyzed by two terrorist attacks, environmental degradation and the locals’ increasing resentment toward tourism development.

“We hope this brand will give us new energy in our struggle to recover the industry, which for decades has been the backbone of the island’s economy,” Bali Tourism Agency head Nurdjaya said.

The new brand — comprising a logo, a tagline and a series of strategic recommendations — centers around the vision of making Bali known as “The World’s Place of Harmonious Peace”.

Teguh Mahasari, the engine behind the so-called Bali Reborn team responsible for preparing the new tourism brand, said the vision was the key, recurring message conveyed by a large majority of the research participants.

“It genuinely reflects the true aspiration of the Balinese people as well as the visitors’. Harmony, balance, peace and spirituality are several major themes that kept appearing in our interviews with people from a wide spectrum of society,” she said.

In the course of their research, the Bali Reborn team interviewed 900 Balinese individuals, from Hindu high priests to academic scholars, and from farmers to housewives in every regency of the island.

The results showed that over 50 percent believed “paradise” or “heaven” was the image that most correctly described Bali. This was followed by “balance” at 26.5 percent of respondents then by “harmony” at 21.9 percent. Curiously, “vacation” was only selected as the most suitable image by 16.5 percent of respondents.

Moreover, they also listed temple, culture, traditional customs and arts as the island’s most precious heritage. A staggering 73.5 percent majority viewed the temple as the perfect icon to represent Bali.

Meanwhile, 37.3 percent of 327 foreign visitors to Bali recalled “Island of the Gods” as the island’s most popular tagline. Only a minuscule 5.8 percent considered it to be Bali is My Life”, the most recent tagline, as popular.

“The team analyzed and interpreted the findings and then came up with this new brand,” Teguh said.

The brand concept was based on the ancient Balinese Hindu principle of Tri Hita Karana, the harmonious and balanced relationship between three primary elements: mankind, nature and God.

“That’s the philosophy behind our triangular-shaped logo. The triangle perfectly captures the stable relationship between the three elements,” Teguh said.

The spiritual nature of the brand is further reflected in the colors of the logo — red, black and white, the colors respectively associated with the Balinese Hindu trinity of Brahma, Wisnu (Vishnu) and Siwa (Shiva).

The final touch was the tagline “Shanti, Shanti, Shanti”, obviously taken from the daily Balinese Hindu prayer of Tri Sandhya. Literally meaning peace, shanti and its repetitive chant is a sacred invocation for a reign of peace in the three worlds — the under, middle and upper.

“Frankly, we want this brand to inspire the Balinese as much as the foreign visitors. With the increasing internal conflicts among Balinese, the people of this island needs peace as much as any other in this world,” Teguh stressed.

– I Wayan Juniartha

Bali’s image / aura is well understood and a recent survey among Balinese locals supports the idea that the local culture / icons represent Bali the best, over let’s say a ‘beach resort’. Bali’s customers come from all over the world and seek different things entirely. There are the party groups from Australia who come for the beach, shopping and evening pub crawls. The surfing crowd rarely goes more than a mile inland and the culture seekers sometimes avoid the Kuta / Seminyak scene altogether. So its a pretty mixed bag. In my opinion the image is not the problem. The problem is getting the image in front of enough people and dealing with some of the nonsense that goes on in Bali.

Points to be dealt with for marketing:
Bali is the most unique island in the world physically (diving, surfing, massive mountain calderas with fresh water lakes) and culturally (Bali has experienced a cultural transition with influences from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and a colonial period). Bali also has world class hotels, some great restaurants, spas and nightlife locations. Most people on their first visit to Bali are unaware of this. A friend of mine who has travelled extensively thought Bali was just another version of Phuket, palm trees, hotel and a beaches. The message needs to be put out there to make people realize their interests / needs / wants will be catered for.

Points to be dealt with locally:
If a tropical beach is part of your marketing plan then you had better take care of it. More villas mean more pollution and much of it goes straight into the ocean. Who wants to swim on Kuta / Legian / Seminyak beach if its a toilet?

Start working on an island wide garbage strategy. The 2 current strategies (chuck garbage everywhere or burn it) aren’t working. Chucking plastic garbage down every street and stream do nothing to help the tourist industry. Burning plastic garbage creates a really unpleasant situation, especially for the locals who have to breathe the air. On a recent trip to Gunung Batukaru, I rode through Tabanan after dark. For miles the air was a toxic fog of straw, plastic and other garbage. Locals burn small fires in the drainage gullies outside their houses to rid them of mosquitoes. They also pile on some garbage. When everyone is doing this tit creates a noxious atmosphere that is entirely unhealthy and unappealing. Heading up the mountain the air clears quickly, but you have to wonder what the people are thinking.

Local corruption:
This is an ongoing problem and is directly responsible for many of Bali’s problems. The roads deteriorate quickly because the materials used to make them are not sufficient. When a contract gets passed down for a new road, large chunks of funds get diverted, leaving only part of them money to finish the job. Road surfaces and the amount of tar used get slashed and so the road surface will no last. This mechanism is at play in the local education, with insufficient funds for materials. Without a decent education Balinese locals have to get in line for job behind the better educated Javanese who come to manage many of Bali’s hotels.

Seems like the tourist industry is a like a pack of headless chooks, but maybe this new branding is a start for something more constructive. (BaliBlog)

Accommodation in Sanur Bali

2007-06-22T21:01:00.000+07:00

Here is a short guide to accommodation in Sanur, featuring budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation options.

Sanur is a quiet version of Kuta that offers a decent selection of accommodation options. You won’t find the mega resorts of Nusa Dua, but will discover a price selection, with many small personal places situated close to the beach.

•Budget:

Agung & Sue Watering Hole
Jl. Hang Tuah 37,
North Sanur
(0361)288289
Family run budget place located 250 meters from the beach on Jl. Hang Tuah. Ideally located for people wanting to catch a boat the next day for Nusa Lembongan. Rooms are set in blocks, the better ones having AC.

Agung & Sue Watering Hole II
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 36,
Semawang
(0361)270545
Located 200 meters away from the quiet section of beach at the Blue Oasis Beach Club in Semawang. Budget rooms with fan and others with AC and family rooms. Clean rooms set in small compound with pool.

Coco Homestay
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 42
Sindhu
(0361)287391
Located 600 meters from the beach on busy Jl. Danau Tamblingan. Eight budget rooms with cold water / fan in family run place. Great for people looking for the absolute cheapest price.

Enny’s Homestay
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 172,
Semawang
(0361)287363
Located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan in Semawang. Enny’s is 600 meters from the beach and Hardy’s supermarket. Budget place offering 7 rooms, very clean and comfortable. Choice of cold water / fan or hot water / AC.

Jambu Inn
Jl. Hang Tuah 57
North Sanur
(0361)286501
Located right next to the beach at Jl. Hang Tuah. Easy to find as its next to the Diwangkara Hotel and less than 200 meters from Museum Le Mayeur. Nice garden with pool, 7 bungalows with porch and lounge. Choice of fan or AC.

Keke Homestay
Gang Keke 3 (look for Jl. Danau Tamblingan 96)
Sindhu
(0361)287282
Located down a small gang 600 meters from the beach. Budget rooms with cold water / fan. Five rooms in all, good for people who want a very cheap place in the center of town.

Luisa Homestay
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 40
Sindhu
(0361)289673
Very cheap place offering 13 fan rooms, some with hot water. Close to other cheap backstreet accommodation located 600 meters from the beach.

Pondok Prima
Gang Bumi Ayu 23
Sindhu
(0361)286369
Located on a small gang off of Jl. Danau Tamblingan in Sindhu. Very centrally located and just under 1km from the beach. Good selection of rooms and large bungalows. Pool & restaurant on premises set in nice garden. Choice of fan or AC.

Simon Homestay
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 164d
Batujimber
(0361)289158
Located 600 meters from the beach in Batujimber, just off of the main street down a quiet lane. Six family run rooms offering fan or AC.

Yulia Homestay 1
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 38
Sindhu
(0361)288089
Located on the main street across from the market in Sindhu, next to other cheap places. There are 23 good value bungalows in a family run compound, some with hot water, all with fan.

•Mid-range:

Respati Bali
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 33
Sindhu
(0361)288427
Located in the center of town in the busy main street. Six bungalows very well maintained in compound that extends to the beach. Pool, restaurant and AC rooms.

Rita
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 152
Batujimber
(0361)282630
Located close to the main street in Batujimber. Good value bungalows complete with a small kitchen area, TV and AC.

Hotel Segara Agung
Jl. Duyung 43
Semawang
(0361)288446
Located 2 minutes from the beach, on a peaceful lane in Semawang. Sixteen attractive bungalows in lovely garden and swimming pool. Rooms are large with choice of fan or AC. Family rooms available.

Swastika
Jl. Danau Tamblingan128
Batujimber
(0361)288693
Centrally located next to the Hardy’s supermarket in Batujimber. Large place with 78 rooms arranged in bungalows. The name denotes the Buddhist ‘wheel of the sun’ symbol. Choice of fan rooms which have garden bathroom, or AC rooms with garden view gazebos mostly. There is a good pool and the garden is very nice.

•Luxury:

Bali Hyatt
Jl. Danau Tamblingan
Semawang
(0361)281234
Located on the beach in Semawang. Set in 36 acres and featuring wonderful gardens, tennis courts, swimming pools and spa. Rooms are quality with hot water / AC. Families can have 1 child under 12 stay in their room for free.

Griya Santrian
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 47
Sindhu
(0361)288181
Located close to the action in Sindhu. Collection of 96 bungalows in expansive garden. Property extends down to the beach, 4 restaurants and a swimming pool. All rooms have hot water / AC.

Inna Grand Bali Beach
Near Jl. Hang Tuah
North Sanur
(0361)288511
The most high profile hotel in Sanur, due to its height and size. Choice of rooms set in main building or cottages. Restaurant, 3 swimming pools, tennis courts. Families can bring 2 children under 12 years for free if they share the parent’s room. All rooms have hot water / AC.

La Taverna
Jl. Danau Tamblingan
(0361)288497
Located on the beach in Sindhu. Decent bungalows in unique style, though not as luxurious as some of the other places. Nice verandas over looking the gardens, swimming pool. Rooms are all hot water / AC.

Hotel Sanur Beach
Jl. Danau Tamblingan
Semawang
(0361)288011
Massive place with 425 rooms located in Semawang at the extreme southern end of Sanur. Luxury place with swimming pools, tennis courts, spa, watersports center. Luxurious rooms all with hot water / AC.

Segara Village (Desa Segara)
Jl. Segara Ayu
Sindhu
(0361)288407
Located next to the temple in Sindhu. Selection of rooms styles with the choice being the upstairs garden-view bungalows. Gardens extending to the seafront, with swimming pools, tennis court, kid’s club, restaurant. All rooms with hot water / AC.

Tandjung Sari
Jl. Danau Tamblingan 41
Sindhu
(0361)288441
Centrally located on the beach in Sindhu. A high-end place featuring 28 private compounds with cottages. Antique Chinese floor tiling, Javanese furnishing and garden bathrooms. Swimming pool and beach-side restaurant. All rooms with hot water / AC. (BaliBlog)

Geringsing: Sacred Cloth of Tenganan

2007-06-22T20:59:00.000+07:00

From a tiny village of Tenganan comes the rare geringsing cloth that put this little village among the best in textile technology. The geringsing cloth with its double ikat technique – a method in which resist patterns are applied to both the wrap and the welt before weaving, so that the final pattern appears only on completion – is the most spectacular ever produced by the textile art in Southeast Asia.

When someone encountered the geringsing for the first time, he is immediately captivated by the mute color of geringsing. Geringsing combines red and reddish brown tones, eggshell and dark blue or violet. These mute colors are obtained from natural pigment of outer layers of sunti root (morinda citrifolia) and indigo. The geringsing threads are dyed and cross-dyed several times with the natural pigments to achieve the wanted color and pattern. Since the geringsing is woven in loose tabby from cotton yarns, it produces certain uniformity in appearance.

All kind of geringsings share a basic pattern in which the cloth is divided into two corresponding ‘head’ portion at either end, serves as a frame for a large central panel that is in turn subdivided by arrange the motifs in various ways. Various motifs are used to fill the large central section. For example groups of geometric and abstract floral motifs may be repeated over the whole of central panel, horizontally, vertically or along the diagonal. Some kinds of geringsing have a quite different form of central section for example, the geringsing wayang type has large four-pointed stars with a crenellated motif surrounded by four scorpions devide the main field into semicircular segments. These segments contain stars, emblems, architectural elements, animals and Balinese wayang kulit (shadow puppet) figure.

For the residents of Tenganan village geringsing is not just an ordinary cloth, it is a sacred fabric which full of magical power to protect the wearer. The word ‘geringsing’ is derived from the word ‘gering’ means ‘pestilence’ or ‘plague’ and the word ‘sing’ means ‘no’, it means geringsing possess the magical power to ward off harm wrought by natural or supernatural enemies, and confer invulnerability on the bearer one.

Geringsing not just use for protection but also as a mark of the community membership, it is an incontestable evidence that the wearer belong to the village of Tenganan. Geringsing has become a kind of proprietary mark of Tenganan, a cloth that serves as a social insignia with which Tenganan residence adorn themselves whenever they received guest from neighboring village or when they go outside the village to visit a friend or pay homage to certain temples.

Some materials for this writing are taken from the book “Textile of Bali”. (BALIwww)

Mudra: Sacred Hand Gesture

2007-06-22T20:56:00.000+07:00

When someone encounters a Balinese high priest (pedanda) in action, one can hardly miss the beauty of his or her hand gestures. This hand gestures are known as mudra. Mudra has been used by both Hindu and Buddhist priests for thousands of years. The word “mudra” means “sign” when the high priest utters the sacred incantation, his or her hands make certain gestures as signs to express the words of sacred incantation with movements.

In Bali mudra is called “patanganan”, or movement of the hand. These hand movements are part of three elements that must unite in order to communicate with God. These three element are mind (the memory of sacred incantation (mantra), voice (the utterance of sacred incantation), and movement (hand gesture that translate the sacred incantation into movement).

Balinese high priest use mudra in officiating a ceremony or cleanse his mind before officiating a ceremony. Mudra is also used for welcoming God, presenting offering to God, achieving something, or increasing healthiness of the body.

It is said that the Balinese dances is made based on the beauty of the mudra. But the most obvious influence of mudra can be found in the ancient statues of Bali. The hands of these statues were made various kind of mudra (sacred gestures) for example cin mudra (hand gesture to calm the restless mind), vakhayana mudra (hand gesture when speaking), sudarsana mudra (hand gesture when giving instruction), jnana mudra (hand gesture of contemplation), dhyana mudra and yoga mudra (hand gesture of meditation), vitarka mudra (hand gesture when giving lesson), bodhyagiri mudra (hand gesture when holding something), bhumisparsa mudra (hand gesture of calming the world), vara mudra (hand gesture of giving a bless), abhaya mudra (hand gesture of removing all obstacle), vismaya mudra (hand gesture of dismay), anjali mudra (hand gesture of giving homage), suci hasta mudra (hand gesture of pointing something), etc. (BALIwww)

Mantra: Incantation

2007-06-22T20:50:00.000+07:00

No ceremony, ritual, or offering is believed to be accepted by God without proper incantation (mantra) is chanted by a qualified priest or high priest to summon God from heaven and beg Him to accept the essence of the offerings and witness the ceremony or ritual. Balinese considered the mantra that is chanted by the priest as “finisher” (pemuput) of the ceremony, without it all offerings just a heap sewn coconut leaf, foods, fire and water.

The word ‘mantra’ means ‘form of thought,’ mantra is considered to be the original form of a thing, an immortal form, a formula that cannot be destroyed, and the source of all immortal form. Mantra is believed to be the first language of human, and as the first and the right language mantra serves as sacred expression that is used in a ceremony. Mantra is a holy vehicle which connects the devotees with God. Mantra contains the holy name of God and since His power is believed to be united with His holy name, mantra can be used to summon God or at least personification of His power to descent to the world of human.

Mantra consists of combination of sacred characters, arranged in one way or another to create a certain sound. In order to give the wanted effect, mantra must be sounded in a right way, according to its rhythm (svara) and sound (varna). Mantra has its own vibration and sound, if it is translated into another language, mantra lost its rhythm and turn into an ordinary sentence. Successfulness of a mantra also greatly depends on the holiness of the one who utters the mantra.

Though mantra that is used in Bali is countless in number, but it can be categorized into four groups based on the effect of the mantra:
1. Siddha (mantra that bestows a success)
2. Sadhya (mantra that full of help)
3. Susiddha (mantra that finishes the work)
4. Ari (conquer the enemy)

Mantra is used for various purposes such as attain salvation, worship the manifestation of the God, worship the ancestor spirit, communicate with gods, communicate with ghost or other spirits, summon power or ability from a super human (purusottama), summon God to accept the essence of offering and witness the ceremony, neutralize negative force, exorcise the evil spirits, cure a disease, create holy water, destroy plants, animal, and humans, control plants, animals, humans, spirits and gods, negate the effect of poison, and purify the body. (BALIwww)

Holy Water: The Backbone of Balinese Hinduism

2007-06-20T09:54:00.001+07:00

The most important part of all Balinese ceremony is a Holy water. Holy water accompanies every act of Hindu-Balinese worship from individual devotion at household shrine to island-wide ceremonies. Holy water acts as an agent of the power of a God, a container of a mysterious force. It can be cleanse spiritual impurities, fend off evil forces, and render the recipient immune to the attacks of the negative, or demonic, influences. In Bali, holy water is not a symbol, it a material container of mystical power, and as such, is sacred and holy in and of itself. The holy water strengthens and purifies everything it touches. Although there are many kinds and potencies of holy water, no matter where or by whom it is made and no matter whether its quantity is great or small, holy water is always a sacred and powerful agent.

The Balinese call holy water toya, from medium Balinese word for “water,” and often the High Balinese tirtha will be used. These are never confused with ordinary water, however, which everyone calls by its low Balinese name, yeh. The uses and potency of holy water vary according to how it is made, its source, and who makes it. The more powerful the mantra and the more elaborate the offering use to make it, the more mystic energy it contains. The more sacred the place from which it is obtain, the greater the sanctity of the holy water. The more exalted the status of the person who makes it, the greater its magical power.

Holy water is use in many different ways and need not always be the most powerful variety. The supply kept in the several shrines of family temples need not come from as remote or high as source as, say, the holy water needed for cremation or temple festival. And sometimes holy water from specific temple may be preferred because that temple emphasizes a particular manifestation the Hindu deity and that manifestation is the one to whom an appeal is being made. All holy water is sacred but some kinds are more powerful, more appropriate in a given situation than others.

Holy water requires special handling, it must be treated with respect and deference. The most powerful holy water from the most sacred source, prepared with the most magical mantras and most elaborate offerings by most exalted priest loses its power if treated casually or disrespectfully. On the other hand, clean water from the well of a house compound placed in a new container in the shrine of an ordinary family temple becomes powerful and effective holy water if the feeling of the user toward it are properly reverent.

The holy water must be kept in a clean container and must be handled with great respect. People often use a bungbung – a section of bamboo culm closed at one end and open at the other – to transport holy water. Ordinary large glass jars, with loose-fitting glass top, are quite commonly use. Villager often transport holy water in ordinary drinking glasses or bottles. These should theoretically be brand new and unused. Typical red clay pot are often use for temporary storage in temples where demand for holy water.

Any container of holy water is always held and passed to others using only the right hand. The container should be held as high as possible as it is being handled, preferably higher than heads of others nearby. If placed on the floor, step over, or handled excessively, holy water will loose its mystical power and be rendered in effective. Containers of holy water are usually store in the shrines of family and public temples.

Holy water is so essential of Balinese life that it is impossible to list all its uses. Those who are sick are made well by balians or pamangkus or pedandas who clean the spirits of their patients with holy water. A Balinese undergoes such as cleansing before and after any major trip. Everyone of the rites of passage involves the use of holy water. Shrines are sprinkled with it everyday. Those who go in trance are bought back from this state with holy water.

And one of the most devastating things that can happen to a family is to be denied access to holy water from the village temples. This is a dreadful punishment for a person who has been expelled from his banjar because of failure to comply with the religious or customary laws. Because it is so serious, it is not a common punishment. It means, in effect, that the person so expelled is ritually dead. And this applies not only to him but also to all members of his family.

Most of the materials for this writing are taken from Fred B. Eiseman, Jr’s Bali Sekala and Niskala Volume I. (BALIwww)

Magic in Bali

2007-06-20T09:47:00.000+07:00

Magic in Balinese life is an integrated part of daily life, there is no clear distinction between the real phenomenon and magical one. There is no word for “miracle” in Balinese language, since in everyday life; Balinese do not differentiate between miracle and common phenomenon. All phenomenons however strange it is, has an explanation and the favorite explanation from a Balinese for a weird event is “the imbalance” between the positive and negative force produces this strange event and a kind of ceremony is needed to restore the balance.

The adjective “sakti” that means “magically powerful” is the key word and the favorite word in Balinese magical. Everything that sakti (magically powerful) is deeply revered by the Balinese out of fear or respect. “Kesaktian“, is the noun form of the adjective “”sakti” (magically powerful), a word, that means “magical power”. On this noun, “kesaktian” (magical power) all Balinese magical activities is centered on. “Kesaktian” (magical power) is not something to be ridiculed or handled improperly. Used only by powerful people, it can be turned against anyone at any time, to his possible harm or even death. It is a powerful force, not to be trifled with. The “kesaktian” (magical power) is a secret art, no Balinese in his right mind will talk about this matter freely, a conversation of this matter is usually avoided. A Balinese who has many knowledge and ability on this subject will tend to keep quiet and refuse to admit that he knows something in relation with the “kesaktian” (magical power).

Balinese believes that “kesaktian” (magical power) can be acquired through four different ways.

1. By buying a “kesaktian” (magical power) from a Balian (witch doctor).
To obtain an instant magical power someone can buy an amulet, usually a drawing of sacred image and characters on a piece white cloth or for more powerful “kesaktian” (magical power) the Balian (witch doctor) will draw sacred characters all over the buyer’s body and give a magical power to the characters with a chant of sacred mantra and a particular offering.

2. Inheritance from the parents
Parents with a “kesaktian” (magical power) will transfer their “kesaktian” (magical power) to their child who accompanies them in their last moment (dying). This is the most dangerous “kesaktian” (magical power) and will likely to harm other people since the child does not know that he/she posses a “kesaktian” (magical power), and does not have any control to his/her newly inherit legacy.

3. Gift
A “kesaktian” (magical power) can be acquired trough a meditation in a sacred or spooky place such as in cemetery, cave, gorge or forest. God or other spiritual being will bestows the “kesaktian” (magical power) as a reward for his/her meditation. Sometimes a particular god will choose a person to become His servant. The chosen person will be given a “kesaktian” (magical power) usually a shamanistic power as reward for his/her services.

4. Study
A “kesaktian” (magical power) can also be acquired trough a deep and serious study on the palm leaf manuscripts. The manuscripts that contain a lesson on how to acquire a “kesaktian” (magical power) is called “Lontar Kawisesan“, the manuscript of power. A qualified teacher is needed in this learning process since the knowledge of “kesaktian” (magical power) is a dangerous knowledge, many Balinese end up with death or insane as result of studying the knowledge “kesaktian” (magical power) without a proper guidance. Before learning this secret art, the student has to purify himself/herself trough a certain ceremony, called “pawintenan” ceremony. Balinese believes that without this ceremony the knowledge of the “kesaktian” (magical power) will not enter the student mind since his/her body is still spiritually dirty.

The “kesaktian” (magical power) as the other things in Bali, is double-edged. It can bring many benefits to the people if it is used properly and can harm people, crops, or animals if falls to the wrong hand. (BALIwww)

Calonarang - Most Well-known Tale of Bali

2007-06-20T09:42:00.000+07:00

At the beginning of 7th century, a Balinese prince, the great Erlangga, became the king of a Javanese in east Java, the Kingdom of Daha. His mother, Mahendradatta, was a Javanese princess who ruled Bali with her Balinese husband, Dharmodayana, until the husband, suspecting her of practicing evil magic, exiled her to the forest.

When Erlangga’s father died, leaving Mahendradatta as a rangda or a widow, she conspired to use her band of pupils trained in the black arts to destroy Erlangga’s kingdom. Her chief grudge against Erlangga because of fancied insults to her beautiful daughter, Ratna Menggali – the noblemen of Daha had refused her in marriage for fear of her mother’s evil reputation and the failure of Airlangga to prevent his father ( Dharmodayana) to marry again.

Calonarang (Erlangga’s mother who practising evil magic) went with her pupils to the cemetery and they prayed and danced in honor of Durga Bhairawa, the deity of black magic, to help them destroy Daha. The goddess appeared and danced with them, granting her permission, warning the witch, however, to preserve the center of the kingdom untouched. The witches danced at the crossroads and soon people fell in great numbers.

Discovering the cause of the epidemic, Erlangga ordered his soldiers to go and kill the witch. They stole into her house while she slept and stabbed her in the heart , but Calonarang awoke unhurt and consumed the daring soldiers with her own fire. The witch went once more into the cemetery and danced with her pupils, dug out corpses, cutting them into pieces, eating the members, drinking the blood, and wearing the entrails as necklaces. Durga Bhairawa appeared again and joined in the bloody banquet, but warned Calonarang to be careful. The witches danced once more at the crossroads and the dreadful epidemic ravaged the land, the vassals of Erlangga died before they could even bury the the corpses they bore to the cemeteries.

The desperate king sent for Mpu Bharada, the holy man from Lemah Tulis, the only living being who could vanquish the witch. Mpu Bharada planned his campaign carefully. He sent Bahula, his young assistant, to ask for the witch daughter’s in marriage. Highly flattered, the mother gave her consent and after a happy and passionate honeymoon, Bahula learned from his wife the secret of Calonarang’s power. The possession of a little magic book which he stole and turned over to his master. The holy man copied it and had it returned before the disappearance could be noticed. The book was a manual of righteousness and had to be read backwards. The holy man was then able to restore life to those victims whose bodies had not yet decayed. Armed with the new knowledge, he accused the witch of her crimes, but she challenged him by setting an enormous Banyan tree on fire by a single look of her fiery eyes. Bharada foiled the enraged witch by restoring the tree, and she turned her fire against the holy man. Unmoved, he killed her with one of her own mantras, but she died in her monstrous form and Bharada, to absolve her of her crimes and enable her to atone for them, revived her, gave her human appearance, and then killed her again. (BALIwww)

Balinese Stage

2007-06-20T09:40:00.000+07:00

Before we talk about a Balinese stage, let us take a glance on what Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary has to offer on the word ‘stage’ in the context of theater – a raised area, usually in theater, etc. where actors, dancers, etc. perform. When we apply this definition on what is called stage by the Balinese, it is clear that there are only few stages in Bali. But when we define the word “stage” as Balinese define it – place to perform a performance, everywhere is a stage in Bali. For wherever there is a space to dance, to mount a play, there is the Balinese stage.

A stage in Bali can be the hamlet meeting hall (bale banjar), the temple court, the ground outside the temple, the courtyard of Balinese house, the outer courtyard of a palace, sometimes it maybe the village street, the football or volleyball field. Sometimes its floor is bare earth, covered by with palm leaf mating; its roof is the sky or an overhanging tree or as a shelter from sun and rain, a ceiling of woven coconut leaves supported on the pillars of bamboo. The décor maybe the gateway of a palace or temple, or the flight of steps leading up to it, or if there is no gateway available a temporary décor made of bamboo and cloth in the form of a door will do just fine.

As there are only few stable theaters, most of the stage properties are portable ones. There is the curtain in Arja, Topeng and Jauk, there are lances and umbrellas of Barong play, Gambuh and Baris and a Calonarang performance has a male papaya-tree, which must always be planted on the dance ground, as a favorite place for the witch and her disciples to play.

The Balinese stage is static, the change of scene, for example in a drama performance do not involve the change of stage’s décor. The conversation of the characters alone indicates where they happen to be at the moment; in a forest, on the sea shore, in a market place, palace court, or grave yard or journeying from one place to another. Peasants tramping round the stage are always on their way to the rice fields, or possibly put their trouble before the king, a king or guards will probably denote a palace; witch transformation or the great witch Rangda herself indicates a graveyard; women with offerings sign at a temple.

The progress of a journey is suggested by words, glances and deviations over very restricted space of the dance-ground. Things are seen afar, they grew nearer and finally the illusion given arriving at a distant place, though the end is the same as the beginning. Demons or divinities followed on their course through the air. The décor of Balinese stage is in the mind of the spectators.

Balinese stage is just a place for performing the performance. The actual stage is in the mind of the spectators since no décor can surpass the beauty of human imagination. (BALIwww)

Leko: Balinese Social Dance

2007-06-20T09:35:00.000+07:00

Leko is a type of social dance, may be a flirtation dance as a matter of fact. In old days, Leko was a palace dance, designed for the entertainment of the king, nowadays it is a popular social dance that anybody can enjoy and participate. It is performed by a pairs of female dancers and usually involves the audience. Leko can only be found in Western part of Bali, in the regency of Tabanan and Jembrana.

As any other dance performance in Bali, Leko performance is preceded by presenting a set of offering for the success of the performance by the priest or the elder of the troupe. After the process of presenting the offering is finished, the semara pagulingan orchestra which accompany the Leko performance play an introduction melody usually without a dancer. The musical accompaniment of Leko is not always the semara pagulingan, Leko troupe from Jembrana regency used bamboo instrument orchestra (tingklik or rindik).

When the introductory of the accompaniment orchestra is finished, a pairs of female dancers step out and stand in the middle of the stage, the accompaniment orchestra played introductory melody to the dancers. The dancers dance introductory dance for around 20 minutes.

At the end of introductory dance session, the ngibing (dancing with the audience) begins, accompanied by a special, very lively composition played in fast tempo. Each of the dancers carries a loose scarf in one hand and fan in the other. When the dancers begin the session, men shout from all over the audience, urging the dancers to choose from among them. Each dancer improvises with several men, in turn. When the dancers go out into the audience to select their partner, each dancer designates the lucky man by tapping him with her closed fan.

Once the male reaches the stage, the dancer wraps her scarf around his waist, and the two perform together for few minutes. Some men, better dancers than others, are permitted to dance longer than the rest. It is characteristic for the male partner to take the lead, and a good Leko dancer is esteemed for her skill following closely and responding deftly to dance overtures of her partner. The man usually attempts to get very close to the dancer but she always darts away in time to evade him. When the man wants to stop he unwrap the scarf around his waist and returns it to the dancer. (BALIwww)

Walking on the beach in Seminyak Bali

2007-06-18T02:50:00.000+07:00

Living in Bali offers certain advantages including proximity to the beach. Not being a beach goer, my tan is the same as it was back in England, but having access to the fresh air is a pleasant thing. This morning Ika told me the tide was high and the waves seemed big. Investigating a while later it was true, the beach had mostly disappeared and the tide was way in. The predictions of stormy weather didn’t materialize although it is overcast.

In Indonesian the word for beach is pantai, the most famous beach being Pantai Kuta. As you get further up the coast, the amount of beach side development and beach activity drops off dramatically. In Seminyak in front of La Lucciola / Pura Petitenget, you’ll get wandering salesmen selling watches and kites, but other than that its just expats walking their dog and resort tourists lounging in front of their hotel.

I was taking the photo, the guy with the umbrella had to scoot up the slope as a swell charged in. So easy to get swept away if you’re not careful. Most surf shops handout free tide-charts, which will give you the schedule for the upcoming couple of weeks. For early morning beach runs you want the tide out (low tide) so the beach is wide and flat. There are little estuaries that cross the beach in Legian / Seminyak (I won’t say what comes out of some of them) and at low tide you can skip across them without getting your ankles wet. At high tide you’ll be knee deep, so I wear sandals.

Favourite places in Seminyak to enjoy a beach-side breakfast / lunch include KuDeTa (nice breakfast selection for 70,000rp) and La Lucciola.

For people staying in Seminyak hotels, a pleasant morning walk might be to stroll along the beach from Jl. Oberoi to Jl. Dhyana Pura, then head towards Jl. Seminyak and around to Jl. Oberoi. You’d get the fresh air of the beach and the interesting sights on the street. The loop will take about an hour. Best done a dawn as the temperature climbs fast.

Temples in Padangbai Bali

2007-06-18T02:49:00.000+07:00

Padangbai has 5 major temples, Pura Dalem, located downtown, Pura Segara located next to the beach in between town and the main beach, Pura Telagamas, Pura Silayukti and Pura Tanjungsari in the eastern end of Padangbai.

Pura Dalem (the temple of the dead) is where cremation ceremonies happen. Pura Telagamas sits behind Pura Silayukti and is connected by a pathway. Pura Silayukti was the home of a priest named Empu Kuturan in the 11th Century and there is a 3-roofed meru (tiered structure) inside the temple.

A path from Silayukti leads to an ancient shrine overlooking the ocean. The shrine has a candi bentar (Balinese split gate) and some ancient rocks wrapped in cloth. A turtle shaped sarcophagus sits above the waves below.

Pura Tanjungsari is dedicated to Empu Bharadah, Kuturan’s brother who together with his brother spent time at the early Besakih temple site. These temples could make a an interesting hike after a morning at the beach. Simply go along the beach road to the end and up around the headland. Remember to bring a sarong and sash.

The padmasana: Balinese Lotus Throne

2007-06-18T02:47:00.000+07:00

Balinese temples differ slightly in their layout, but retain many similar elements. The most important part of of the pura (temple) is the jeroan (inner courtyard). The most important shrine in the jeroan is the padmasana, or Lotus Throne. Balinese Hinduism has many Gods, with many incarnations for example Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (the Creator, Protector and Destroyer). They also believe the Supreme Deity is Sanghyang Widi Wasa. During the Galungan festival, the most important festival of the year, the Gods, and souls of their ancestors come down to Earth to sit in the jeroan receiving worship. They must be honored with ceremony, music, offerings and dance.

Sanghyang Widi Wasa is given a stone seat (Lotus throne) atop a sculpted tower. This padmasana (tower) is always located in the kaja-kangin corner of the courtyard, which is the closest point to Gunung Agung. The whole tower is supported on the back of the Cosmic turtle, or Bedawang, which carries the world on its back. What a wonderful imagination the Balinese have! The Bedawang has 2 helpers in the form of snakes. These are Naga Basukih and Naga Anantaboga and are part of the Balinese creation myth. In the temple I checked out south of Ubud, they had a little golden figure of a man at the top of the tower, symbolizing fertility it seemed.

Speaking of Cosmic Turtles, a class I took years ago used this little story to illustrate the subject of recursion.

After a lecture on cosmology and structure of the solar system, William James was accosted by a little old lady who told him his view of Earth rotating around the Sun, was wrong.

“I’ve got a better theory.” said the little old lady. “And what is that madam?” inquired James politely. “That we live on a crust of Earth, which is on the back of a giant turtle.”

“If your theory is correct madam.” he asked, “what does this turtle stand on?” “You’re a very clever man, Mr. James, and that’s a very good question.” replied the little old lady. “But I have an answer to it.” “And it’s this: the first turtle stands on the back of a second larger turtle, who stands directly under him.”

“But what does this second turtle stand on?” persisted James. To this, the little old lady crowed triumphantly, “Its no use Mr. James, it’s turtles all the way down.”

Adapted from J.R. Ross (1967)

Maybe the little old lay had been to Bali.

Enter the Dragon: Komodo Indonesia

2007-06-18T02:46:00.000+07:00

Most kids love pets and in western countries we’re talking about cats & dogs. Here in Indonesia the wildlife is a bit more diverse and sometime doesn’t take to the young ones as expected. As the China Post reports, one unlucky lad got too close to a Komodo dragon.

Komodo dragons are the world’s largest lizards (though some Seminyak expats could give them a run for their money) and possess razor sharp teeth. Their mouths are a bacteria pit, containing more than 60 different disease inducing nasties (sounds like my ex-girlfriend). Deer and other mammals are prey to this creature and after one vicious bite, nature and the humid climate take care of the rest.

On this occasion the 3 meter, 166kg gecko ambushed the little lad in the dunny, giving him no chance. Villagers on Komodo report the lizards are usually okay. Komodo island is the place to see the dragons in their natural habitat. If you want to visit the national park there you’ll have to go via Flores or Timor, since there is no airport / accommodation on Komodo.

Looking for a Cheap Hotel in Bali

2007-06-18T02:43:00.000+07:00

Bali has 20,000 hotel rooms supposedly. Today is December 20th, which is high-season. That means prices are increased and rooms are harder to get. My friends from Oregon wanted to change hotels this morning. The Puri Cendana in Seminyak was nice, but they didn’t want to pay the 300,000rp price tag. Their combined requirements were, a cheaper place, close to the beach, AC, pool, double beds. At 7.30am I took the car back to the shop on Jl. Padma Utara, and walked home. Arriving at the Puri Cendana an hour later, Ollie and I jumped on my motorbike for a tour of the accommodation in Legian and Kuta. I had some places in mind, but he wanted to see the rooms.

We also needed to know the availability and current inflated price. It was an interesting exercise for me. Starting off in the Padma area in Legian and working our way across Jl. Melasti to Jl. Benesari, we viewed maybe 6 places all in the 250,000rp range. When a decent place has a restaurant, hot water, pool, AC and its high season, you are looking at 250,000rp+. I think many backpackers get it in their mind that Bali is cheap and expect 40,000rp a night. You can get that, but for a small guest house with no pool, restaurant, hot water, AC.

I knew the cheaper places would be on further down Jl. Benesari and Poppies II. We checked both of those streets and Poppies I, never really finding the prefect balance between pool, room and cost. Finally we decided to settle for two places, the Suka Beach Inn, that had a pool, twin beds and AC, for 150,000rp, for Toby and Maya, and the Beneyasa, which now has some AC rooms, double beds on the 3rd floor, for 120,000rp per night, for Ollie & Asia.

Having a motorbike allowed us to hit a dozen or more places, check out the rooms, talk about price, and get on to the next place. At this time of year (wet season) its hot and humid. You will be much better off with AC. After May and up to October a fan room will do. On many occassions, Ollie and I talked about price with the staff, them allowing us to leave without going for a cheaper rate. This shows me they know they’ll get customers.

Advantages of staying in these type of guest house rooms, is that you are close to everything. The beach is a 5 minute walk, bars and restaurants are within a 30 second stroll off of the property.

Museums in Bali

2007-06-17T21:09:00.000+07:00

MUSEUM BALI
Address : Mayor Wisnu Street,Denpasar
Opening Hours : Sundays-Thursday: 08.00-15.00, Fridays 08.00-12.30, Saturdays and public holidays closed
Facilities : Exhibitions and bookshop

MUSEUM PURI LUKISAN
Address : Jl. Raya Ubud, Bali
Opening hours :09.00-17.00 dailly
Facilities : Exhibitions and bookshop

NEKA ART MUSEUM
Address : Jl. Raya Sanggingan,Ubud
Opening hours :09.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Art Gallery,gift shop

NYOMAN GUNARSA MUSEUM OF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Address : Jl. Pertigaan Banda No, 1, Takmung, Banjarangkan, Klungkung
Opening hours :10.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Museum library, gallery

THE BLANCO RENAISSANCE MUSEUM
Address : Jl. Campuhan, Ubud
Opening hours :09.00-17.00 daily including weekends and public holidays
Facilities :The maestro’s studio, Mario Blanco’s gallery, library

MUSEUM RUDANA
Address : Jl. Cok Rai Pudak 44,Peliatan,Ubud
Opening hours : 10.00-17.00
Facilities : Art gallery, art studio and bookstore

AGUNG RAI MUSEUM of ART
Address : Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud, Bali
Opening hours : 09.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Art gallery, and book shop

MUSEUM PENDET
Address : Bale Bali,Nyuh Kuning, Ubud
Opening hours : 10.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Galleries and meeting room

MUSEUM SIDIK JARI
Address : Jl. Hayam Wuruk 175, Tanjung Bungkak Denpasar
Opening hours : 10.00-17.00
Facilities :Galleries, book shop

PUTRAWAN MUSEUM OF TRIBAL ART AT ALAM PURI VILLA
Address : Jl. Trenggana 108, Penatih, Denpasar
Opening hours : 10.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Museum shop, library

RUNA JEWELRY MUSEUM
Address : Banjar Abiansemal, Lodtunduh, Ubud
Opening hours : 10.00-17.00 daily
Facilities : Museum shop

MUSEUM SUBAK
Address : Sanggulan Village, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Tabanan
Opening hours : Monday to Saturday 08.00-16.30, Fridays: 08.00-13.00, Sunday and Public holidays closed

MUSEUM LE MAYEUR
Address : Hang Tuah Street, Sanur
Opening hours : Sunday to Thursday 07.30-17.30, Fridays: 07.30-13.00, Saturdays and holidays closed

MUSEUM BULELENG
Address : Veteran Street,Singaraja
Opening hours : Open daily except public holidays

GEDONG KIRTYA
Address : Veteran Street, Singaraja
Opening hours : Monday to Thursday 07.30-03.30, Friday 07.00-12.30, Weekends and public holidays closed
Facilities : Art gallery, book shop

PURBAKALA ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM
Address : High Street, Tampaksiring
Opening hours : Monday to Thursday 08.00-03.00, Friday 08.00-12.00

THE DIOROMA MONUMENT TO THE STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLE OF BALI
Address : Niti Mandala, Denpasar
Opening hours : Monday to Friday 08.30-04.30, Weekends 09.00-04.30, Public holidays closed

HEROES OF MARGARANA CEMETERY AND MONUMENT
Address : Kelaci Village, Tabanan
Opening hours : Monday to Friday 08.30-12.00, Sunday and public holiday closed

A Balinese Folktale: Dewa Kuning

2007-06-17T21:06:00.000+07:00

A peasant of Manggis had a beautiful daughter called Ayu Manggis. She went with her father to the market at Gelgel to sell firewood. Now it came to the ears of the King Baturenggong that the smell of herurine was so delicious that even bees and bumble- bees were attracted by its fragrance. When he heard this he desired to possess her, for she must surely be of divine birth.The king commanded her father to give her to him, but he refused, for she was his only for a moment.

He made love with her while the father waited, after which he gave her back to him. And the king said: ‘if she has a daughter, let her keep the child. If it is a son, he shall come into the palace’ and she bore a son but she did not tell him who his father was, but kept him for herself. And when he grew up he asked after his father, and she said: ‘you have no father,’ and the boy said ‘how can that be? Every banana has to be planted. Whoever planted me is my father.’ So then she had to tell him. And when he heard who is his father was he went to Gelgel. And in Gelgel, under a great tree, was a stone on which the king sat when he gave audience.

And the small boy sat down on the stone. In vain the courtiers tried to chase him away, he would not move. So the headman went and told the king. And the king called the child to him and said: ‘how dare you sit upon that stone?’ whereupon he sat down beside the king and said: I am the son of Ayu Manggis, and you are my father.’ The king was delighted and took him into the palace among all his other children. And at night, when all the children were asleep the king saw one child’s head shining in the dark. But he could not see which, and when he brought a light he could no longer see the shining. So he made a mark with chalk. And next morning he saw it was his new son. And he called hi Dewa Kuning.

The minister Gusti tegehkuri went to Gelgel to ask if one of The Baturenggong’s family members would rule in Badung. And the king said he had a son called Dewa Kuning, and that he would send him. So the boy went to Badung and became the darling of all the people.

But Tegehkuri had a son too, and grew jealous of the boy, for he feared that his family might fall out of fashion. He assembled all his people and said: ‘If Dewa Kuning were to become king, none of you would ever have a chance again. I am of opinion that he should be removed before it is too late.’ So the palace was surrounded, while Dewa Kuning was in his room amusing himself with a slave-girl. And she persuaded Dewa Kuning to let her wrap him up in a mat and carried him out.

And e was taken care by a Gusti (nobleman), who had very beautiful daughter, Ayu Pahang. Dewa kuning fell in love with her, and was easily persuaded to marry her. And there was great feast made. According to the custom a present of food was sent to tegehkuri. And when he heard about the wedding he was very angry with his vassal Pahang, and made war on him. And Kuning fled with his wife to Alas Bangkal near Gianyar, and began to make garden and a graveyard there.

And because he was very popular many people settled around him, and soon a whole village sprang up, of forty households. And Ayu Pahang, while bathing, found a kris in the river bank. She washed it in the water-spout, and immediately the water dried up. And Kuning name it Thristy Giant (Raksasa Bedak).

Now Baturenggong’s brother, Sengening ruled in Klungkung. And his son went to Sukawati and built himself a palace. He had two sons called Patemon and Made. And the prince was very ill with swollen neck, but his children completely neglected him. Kuning, who was very kind-hearted, went to Sukawati to look after him, while his own children thought nothing but cockfights. And before he died Sengening said to Kuning: ‘in return to your kindness I bequeath to you my talisman, since my own children are not worthy of it.’ It was a palm leaf manuscript called Pamuter Bumi (the turning of the world). Then he died.

After the cremation his children came and took possession of all their father rice fields. But Kuning carried away the talisman to Bangkal to his house. And all people of Sukawati had much respect for him than they had for Sengening’s own sons. Kuning built a new palace on the place where a pedanda family lived. And they called it Gria Anyar (new house). Gusti Ayu Pahang had son named Dewa Manggis I and his descendants go down to the sixth generation became the King of Gianyar.

Bali Calendar of Events 2007

2007-06-17T20:58:00.000+07:00

January 2007

1 New Year's Day
20 1 Muharram 1428 H - Moslem New Year

February 2007

17 Tumpek Kandang - Special day of thanks for the gift of livestock
18 Chinese New Year

March 2007

16 Mekiyis or Melis - a purification ceremony held in welcoming "Nyepi". It is a long procession of Hindu adherents carrying temple effigies and other sacred symbols, heading to beaches or springs where the purification rituals are held, Throughout Bali.
18 Tawur Agung Kesanga - Held to welcome Nyepi holiday at every family compound; followed by procession of Ogoh-Ogoh (huge monster / evil dolls)
19 Nyepi - Balinese New Year; The I Saka New Year 1929, the day of absolute silence for Hindu followers
24 Tumpek Wayang or Tumpek Ringgit - Special day of thanks for the gift of Art.
31 Mohammed's Birthday - Moslem Holiday

April 2007

6 Good Friday - Christian holiday on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
8 Easter - Christian holiday to commemorate the resurrections of Jesus Christ
14 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge
18 Pagerwesi - Special day for meditation to enhance balance in the world
28 Tumpek Landep - Special day of thanks for the gift of metal

May 2007

13 Kuningan - Believed to be the ascendant day of ancestral holy spirits and deities, back to the eternity
17 Ascension Day - Christian holiday on the 40th day after Resurrection of Jesus Christ

June 2007

1 Vaishakha - Buddhist holiday to celebrate the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism
1 Tumpek Uduh or Tumpek Pengatag - Special day of thanks for the gift of fruit-bearing plants
Mid Bali Art Festival XXIX - Exhibitions and Art Performances at Bali Art Center, Denpasar, until Mid July
27 Galungan - Praying for the victory of virtue (Dharma) upon evil (Adharma)

July 2007

7 Kuningan - Believed to be the ascendant day of ancestral holy spirits and deities, back to the eternity
28 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge

August 2007

11 Isra Mi'Raj Prophet Mohammed - Muslim holiday to commemorate the 'enlightenment Day' of Prophet Muhammed
17 Indonesia Independence Day - A public holiday throughout Indonesia

September 2007

15 Tumpek Kandang - Special day of thanks for the gift of livestock

October 2007

13-14 Idul Fitri - Muslim festival to end fasting month
20 Tumpek Wayang - Special day of thanks for the gift of Art

November 2007

10 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge
14 Pagerwesi - Special day for meditation to enhance balance in the world
29 Tumpek Landep - Special day of thanks for the gift of metal

December 2007

31 Idul Adha - Moslem holiday known as cattle sacrifice and hajj pilgrim
25 Christmas - Christian holiday to celebrate Jesus Christ' birthday
29 Tumpek Uduh - Special day of thanks for the gift of fruit-bearing plants

Canggu: The Expat Frontier in Bali

2007-06-17T20:49:00.002+07:00

Canggu is the coastal strip stretching from Kerobokan up to Tanah Lot. The classification of what Canggu is changes somewhat as areas get developed, but if you say you live in Canggu, amonst people will get thre idea. Back in 2003 there were not many people living in the Pererenan area, now that has changed with villas popping up like mushrooms. So what has Canggu got to offer and why do people move there?

Canggu can be accessed in 2 main ways from Kuta / Seminyak, firstly by taking Jl. Raya Canggu and locating the turnoff you need towards the beach and secondly, taking the ‘back way’ via Jl. Petitenget, to Jl. Batubelig, passing Desa Seni and the Canggu Club. People who have moved from the Seminyak area out to Canggu often say it takes them back 20 years, with the village scene, the ricefields and a totally different reality. For people working in the Kuta / Seminyak area, Canggu offers the last place you can realistically live and still commute to work each day.

Surfers are quite familiar with Canggu as the coast there has a small selection of beach breaks, enjoying bigger swell than down in Kuta. Expats make up the largest foreign influence in Canggu, renting villas for an extended period and living a quieter life than in Seminyak.

The first part of the Canggu area you’ll come to is Brawa. Following Jl. Raya Canggu from Kerobokan will get you to the turn off in 10 minutes, or you can take the ‘back way’ and navigate the local potholed roads to get over there. On the way to Pantai Brawa you could choose to go through Canggu Permai, the collection of alleys that is home to Javanese immigrants and other Balinese. Canggu Permai really feels like a Indonesian slum, rather than a village, but right after the kampung you are back in the rice fields.

Jl. Raya Batu Bolong leading to Canggu surfing beach and the elegant Hotel Tugu. Jl. Pantai Batu Mejan leads to Batu Mejan beach (Echo Beach) and the small selection of warungs there. The star attraction is The Beach House, serving western food and drinks, with live music and open air bbq on Sunday evenings. There is a sign for The Beach House on Jl. Raya Canggu to help you find the place. You’ll have to pay a parking fee of 1,000rp to the Balinese guys manning the barrier, but its worth the good time. Several hundred meters back fom the beach is a line of villas for rent, including Villa Tepikali and Villa Manggis.

Pererenan beach is aonther surfing spot with a selection of villas close by. Navigating your way around Canggu can be tricky at first, particularly at night, as the whole area is a mixture of Balinese villages that all look alike and rice fields.

The newest and most exciting project to come to Canggu is the Canggu Club. This place is a huge construction that jump out of the rice fields after you take the ‘back way’ via Jl. Batubelig. You’ll have to decide for yourself if you like large expensive sport facilities in the middle of a traditional setting, but the place is impressive.

Expats with kids often like Canggu because the Canggu school works with the Canggu Club’s sports facilities. Canggu offers less distractions than Kuta / Seminyak and could be a good place for a family.

Accommodation in Canggu

•Bolare Beach Hotel
(0361)730258
Mid-range place located between Batubelig and Brawa beach. Decent rooms with hot water / AC. Nice garden and restaurant.

•Pondok Wisata Nyoman
0812/394 5967
Budget place located at Pantai Pererenan close to the beach. Fan rooms and easy access for surfers. Surfwatch Cafe is right there.

•Tugu
(0361)731701
Located on Batu Bolong beach, this place offers a high level of luxury and an original style. The dining room is like a Chinese fantasy, with statues and antiques, around one long table. Accommodation is a set of teak houses elegantly furnished. Includess pool, spa, restaurant.

•Wanna Villa
(0361)730263
High-end accommodation at Brawa beach. Private luxury villas with all the mod-cons.

Pros for living in Canggu:
•Ricefields and long empty coastline
•Village style environment
•Cheaper rents than in Seminyak
•More cool new places cropping up, such as Sukerti’s, Canggu Club, The Beach House.
•Plenty of villa options
•The surfing
•Fresh air and not much traffic.

Cons for living in Canggu:
•The ricefields are getting smaller every year due to villa construction.
•One aspect of living in a village style environment is people know your business. If you plan on an active social life, you may not appreciate this. Some westerners do not adapt to living next to a village environment.
•Your eating options are limited and require a drive.
•Any nightlife activity requires a 20 minute+ drive there and back.
•The beaches in Canggu tend to be windswept and not overly attractive.
•Strong currents make swimming a hazard.
•On occassion the surf will contain sewage in certain places.
•Canggu itself is quiet, but Jl. Raya Canggu is at best a racetrack and at worst gridlock.

For people on holiday, 2 places to check out for dinner are Sukerti’s at Pantai Brawa, and Desa Seni close to the Canggu Club.

Exploring the Highlands of Bali

2007-06-17T20:49:00.001+07:00

Exploring a new place is a big part of the excitement for newcomers. Bali is accessible to first time visitors and the only thing you have to do to have an adventure and to escape the tourist scene is to get your own wheels. Forget day trips to Ubud and Kintamani, the good stuff is off of the main roads and exploring at a slow pace yields the best results. Hiring a car with driver is easy, simply tell a car rental place the day before what kind of car you need and for how long. Trips of several ways are no problem and the driver’s wage should be around 60,000rp-70,000rp over the price of the car rental, per day.

The mountain areas around Gunung Batukaru are some of the most stunning in Bali, main roads running north-south between Mengwi / Bedugal and Antosari / Pupuan. There is also another decent road from Tabanan through Penebel to the temple and hiking trail at Pura Luhur Batukaru. The hike to the summit of Gunung Batukaru takes 5-6 hours from the temple, the route being tree-covered most of the way, becoming clear at the summit. Those wishing to camp overnight on Gunung Batukaru might prefer to get clear of the tree line to avoid leeches. The views from the top of Batukaru at night must be amazing, given its central location in Bali and lack of people hiking. Once off of the main roads small often potholed roads appear, providing the east-west link and allowing locals to navigate the region and conduct inter-village commerce.

Once off of the main roads at night time there is no lighting, apart from the occasion local shop or house. Stars shine brightly on a clear night, the Milky Way and the Southern Cross dominant. Once off of the main roads there is no chance of finding a petrol station, but local road side petrol racks provide a safety net.

Driving north from Antosari through Pupuan and favourite lunch stop is Sanda Butik Villas, a lovely spot owned by Ted from Holland, set in a old coffee plantation. It was the Dutch who planted the cocoa and coffee in the highlands, to feed their love of both.

Around 5kms short of the junction with the Munduk road, is the small village of Kereran Pakranan (08 16 07S, 115 58 02E). At the roadside is a small bamboo shack selling drinks and a wooden platform for taking photos. The valley into which the village looks is quite lovely, rice fields occupying the flat land where forest once stood. The winding route down to Seririt on the north coast of Bali features beautifully fertile scenery, which reminds one of the size of the island and the fact that there are places that are still unspoilt and untouched by tourism.

Hot tips for Indonesian food in Seminyak Bali

2007-06-16T17:27:00.000+07:00

Living in Bali means a lot of things, including getting used to and appreciating Indonesian food. I enjoy Indonesian food twice a day, just not at 7am and definitely not the greasy kind. There are a coupe of favourite places that I have shared with other friends who have been equally impressed.

Finding places that are affordable, have a good selection, serve tasty food and are reliable is the trick. Its okay finding a cheap nasi goreng, but you’ll get sick of it after a couple of times. The 3 places I’ll mention offer great food for a low price.

•Warung Murah
Jl. Double Six
This place is open daily from around midday through evening. There is a large display case of vegetable, fish, chicken, sate and other items. A set of silver trays contain steaming hot potatoes, sapi rendang (sliced beef in spicy coconut sauce), Balinese chicken and fish. They also have some evil green sambal which will burn a hole in the sole of your boot. A plate usually costs me 16,000rp and its always good.

Locating Warung Murah is easy. Heading towards the beach on Jl. Double Six, go past the left hand turn off and look out for the warung with the large Marlboro sign on the right.

•Warung Kolega
Jl. Petitenget
This warung specializes in lunch. Opening around 11am the best time to go is between then and 12 noon. The crowd rolls in at noon and you’ll have to line up. Food selection features a whole array of vegetables and meats in various sauces, cooked in Javanese style. Great ikan sambal and bbq chicken. A large plate of food might cost 15,000rp.

You can get to Warung Kolega by following Jl. Oberoi round past Hu’u another couple of minutes, or take Jl. Petitenget from the traffic lights in Kerobokan and follow it round for a couple of minutes. Warung Kolega is the busy place with the blue sign.

•Ayam Bakar / Ikan Bakar
Gang Plawa (across from Jl. Dhyana Pura)
This little place is located down the lane between the Sunset Rd and Jl. Seminyak, on the right side. Seating is at low Indonesian style tables, or at the western style table in the middle. The ayam bakar (grilled chicken) is great and the ikan bakar (grilled fish) is fun to get into. Everything is eaten without the aid of cutlery and served with rice and lalapan (raw vegetables) and hot sambal. I took 5 adults and 2 kids in there the other week for dinner. We had 8 ayam bakar, 2 ikan bakar, 2 plates of tempe and tofu, 6 portions of rice and lalapan plus 7 drinks. Total price 135,000rp.

Give these places a try, they are all winners!

Bali Arts Festival

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The Bali Arts Festival is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty. On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, "kreasi baru" (new creations) from the dance schools of Denpasar, as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.

It is a month long revelry that perhaps no other place in the world can put up on such a low budget as the Balinese. Not only is their traditional culture alive and well, but they have a tremendous pride in it.

It begins in the villages, where the seka or cultural groups are selected and organized at the regency level, vie with each other to perform the Arts Festival and thus display in front of a large audience the uniqueness of their village of birth and resting place of their ancestors.

The Bali Arts Festival is the Denpasar cultural event of the year, perhaps it would no be too far fetched to suggest that it is the cultural event of Indonesia. The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed.

The History of the Bali Arts Festival

When tourism took off after 1965, the Balinese insisted that it followed cultural guidelines: if tourism was to be accepted, it was to be a cultural tourism, or "pariwisata budaya".

As the Balinese put it: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea become national policy, as part of a larger revping of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Bali (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educed Balinese. It led, on the one side, to the creation of enclave resorts such as Nusa Dua to limit the direct impact of tourism, and on the other, to a long haul cultural policy aimed at nurturing and preserving the traditional agrarian culture while adapting it to the demands of modernity, and in particular of "cultural tourism".

At the village level, local music groups, dances and other cultural events were inventoried, then supported by a series of contests at the district and regency level. The ensuing competition energized the cultural life of villages, whose "young blood" was already being drained to the city by the process of economic change and urbanization.

Schools of dance and art were created, in particular the Kokar conservatory and the STSI School of Dance and Music. Beside research, these schools replaced the traditional master/disciple relationship by modern methods of teaching; standardized the dance movements, produced new types of Balinese dances for tourism and modern village entertainment. Most important, it enabled former students to return to the villages as teachers, where they diffused, beside the creed of cultural resilience and renewal, new dances and standardized versions of old ones.

Many of the performances are held at the amphitheater which can hold up to 6,000 spectators, in a temple-like stage.

Each year, the Bali Arts Festival, beside the fed classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new "dance choreography" is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into "colossal" Sendratari Ballets.

The main challenge to the Arts Festival is obviously economic in nature. As village life is increasingly feeling the strains of monetary considerations, dancers, musicians and others cannot be expected to continue participating simply for the sake and the pleasure of it. As costs soar, new sources of financing have to be found. The obvious answer is the private sector and in particular the tourism industry. The greater task then is to convince the hotels, travel agencies and tourist guides to be more participatory in the Arts Festival rather than to their own sponsored events.

Considering the pride the Balinese have in their culture, and the adaptability and dynism they have always demonstrated, this little hurdle can be overcome. Trust the Balinese. They will eventually succeed to transform their tradition into a modern, Balinese culture of their own.

Venue of Bali Arts Festival

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Bali Art Festival will soon begin; this festivities and feasts of art and culture will last for a month long in a sprawling five hectares complex of Art Center (Taman Werdhi). This Art Center complex, commenced in 1969 and officially opened for used in 1973, is located in Jalan Nusa Indah, Denpasar.

This complex has two entrances, on the left, is “Rinchui Sakura” gate with reminisce of Japanese style architecture. On the right side is a Candi Bentar split gate, the Candi Bentar represents greatness combines with awareness, and it is usually found in temple and palace, at the border of village, district and regency. It can also be found at entry point of Bali such as at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The Art Center Complex houses various buildings for various purposes. These five traditional Balinese style buildings are masterpieces of talented architect Ida Bagus Tugur. The buildings are connected with a pathway, with ponds, gardens and bridge among them.

Each of the five buildings is respectively known as “Mahudara Mandhara Giri Bhuwana” is used as the main building for art exhibition; “Oncecrawa” is used for occasional workshops and exhibitions; “Amertha Saraswati” is used as a library; “Ardha Candra” is used for open air performances and “Ksirarnawa” is used for indoor performances.

In addition to these five buildings, there is a open air hall known as “wantilan”; it is used to hold performances where intimacy between performances and audience is desired, for example in Joged dance. A floating pavilion (Bale Kambang) is also can be found in this complex. The Bale Kambang is situated on a pond with beautiful views of pond and its surrounding gardens – the garden itself is named Udiyana Ratmala. Three statues are found at the eastern perimeter of the pond; the statue of Bhagawan Gangga flaked by the image of Dewi Gangga Soma, protector of rivers, lakes and seas; and the statue of Dewi Giri Putri, protector of mountains and springs.

There are also several resting places (Bale Bengong) situated on the side of the road that divides the complex into two and parallel with the small river inside the complex. These resting places have excellent views of the gardens, river and the main courtyard.

Lack of parking place especially during Bali Art Festival is no longer a problem. Traditional Youth Organizations (sekaa teruna) of the surrounding hamlets provide and manage several parking places around the Art Center Complex.

Flower and Balinese

2007-06-16T17:09:00.000+07:00

Flower, for Balinese, is a primary need. Tons of various kinds of flowers are used for various purposes such as material for offerings, decorations for ceremonies, medium of praying, and accessories for Balinese traditional dress especially the headdress. Flowers are withered easily; it makes the need for flower is a constant need that has to be fulfilled everyday.

To fulfill this huge constant need, a typical Balinese yard or backyard is usually filled with flower plants and they are planted in one way or another, creating a garden of flower. But home planted flower are not enough to fulfill this massive need so Balinese open flower plantations especially for the flower that are needed for offering.

Not all kinds of flower are used, only ones. Sometimes bright colored flower are also used. Some flowers are forbidden to be used, for example flower that grows in the cemetery, or bad-smelled flower. Flower that is used for offering can only be used once since God has take away all their essence when they are offered.

Flower that is used for offering is always the fragrant or the bright colored one; for the decoration, a bright colored one is in demand; flower that is used for medium of praying should be the fragrant one; and for accessories, white colored flower is the preferred one.

Why flower are widely used as an offering in Bali? The reason for using flower is clearly stated by the personality of the Godhead in Bhagavad-Gita: 9:26

patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah

or in English:

when someone present leaf, flower, fruit, and water with love and devotion. I will accept it.

The beauty and the fragrant scent of the flowers that are used for offering, express the beauty and sweetness of Balinese’s love and devotion to God.

Poleng: The Color of Bali

2007-06-16T17:07:00.000+07:00

Poleng, or chessboard pattern of alternating black and white squares is surely the most distinguished motif of Balinese cloth. One can hardly miss the presence of a poleng cloth around him due to the striking contrast of colors used in the motif. But poleng is not made for attracting attention of the onlookers, it express Balinese point of view towards life.

Since Poleng is the national color of Bali, it can be found virtually everywhere in the island. Poleng clothes are usually wound round big tree trunks, big rocks, statues and shrines. Banners, flags, and umbrellas that are used in a procession of the ceremony sometimes made of poleng clothes. Poleng clothes are also used by the Balinese traditional security forces (pecalang), poleng cloth is considered to be an obligatory part of pecalang outfits. There is also a warrior dance (baris) which is called Baris Poleng. As its name suggests, the dancers’ apparels consist predominantly of poleng clothes.

Poleng cloth is always associated in a way or another to the realm of netherworld. Shrine that is decorated with poleng cloth is usually the shrine dedicated to the spirit of the place where the shrine located, not for gods. Rangda, the personification of negative force of the universe, queen of evil, wears a poleng shawl and when Rangda mask is kept in the box, it is wrapped with poleng cloth. The giant paper doll, ogoh-ogoh, which depicts the evil spirit, is usually dressed with poleng cloth. Stone temple guardians which stand to the left and right of the entrance door of the temples are also wrapped with poleng clothes.

But, what is the significance of poleng cloth? The chessboard pattern of alternating black and white squares of poleng signifies Balinese concept of rwa bhineda, a Balinese view of mutual dualism that make up the whole world. In other word, it is about two opposite thing that depend on each other to exist, such as day and night, low and high, dry and rainy season, bitter and sweet, black and white, etc. Balinese believe that the balance of this mutual dualism will brings prosperity and peacefulness to the mankind. This concept of balance is expressed perfectly by the poleng cloth – the number of white square is always equal with the black one.

Tropical Fruit of Bali

2007-06-13T04:17:00.000+07:00

Bali has an abundance of fruit with many varieties that are a lot more interesting than just your average apple or orange. Tropical fruits come in strange colours, shapes and textures, yet each is quite exotic in its own way.

Just about everyone seems to enjoy the mangosteen which has been referred to as the ‘Queen of Fruits’. Slightly smaller than a tennis ball with a deep purple skin, the inside reveals 4-8 pinky-white edible segments that are delicately sweet.

One of the oddest looking tropical fruit in Bali is the rambutan, also known as hairy fruit. This reflects the fruits most unusual skin of soft rubbery spines that are crimson in colour. Inside is a single piece of sweet translucent flesh that surrounds a woody seed. The whole segment is pooped into the mouth and the tangy flesh nibbled off leaving only the inedible seed.

Another unusual fruit is the salak, which is recognized by its teardrop shape and brown scaly snake-like peel. The fruit inside consists of a large segment and one or two smaller lobes that tastes pleasantly crisp with the consistency of a carrot. Salak is not a remarkable tasting fruit, yet it grows abundantly in Bali’s drier regions and is readily available at the local marketplace.

The seasonal fruit called durian is a great favourite within the Asian community and because it is such a delicacy it can be quite expensive. Known for its pungent odour that many Westerners find quite offensive, this controversial fruit is often banned from hotels and restaurants. Durian generally comes in the shape of a coconut, often larger, with a thick pale green outer rind that is covered with sharp thorns. Once cut open with a butcher’s cleaver, the inside reveals sections of creamy pulp that surrounds large seeds.

Banana, mango, papaya, pineapple and coconut are also some of the types of tropical fruits that are plentiful in Bali. A platter of seasonal fresh fruits or a delicious blended juice makes a refreshing holiday breakfast.

Bale Banjar: Hamlet Meeting Hall

2007-06-13T04:16:00.000+07:00

Hamlet, or Banjar in Balinese language, is the center of Balinese social and political life. Every Balinese is member of a banjar community, he has an obligation to attend all banjar activities, failure to attend these activities will be punished with fine and constants failure will result exclusion or banishment from the banjar, it means no body will help him when he holds a religious ceremony, especially the big one.

All the banjar’s activities are conducted in the public meeting hall of the banjar, known as bale banjar. The bale banjar is the social center of the hamlet, when there is a temple ceremony has to prepared, the Bale banjar is very much alive with the preparation of the ceremony. Men are busy preparing foods for the feast, women are frantic preparing the offering for the ceremony. Everybody is busy, and the Bale banjar is rock from the bottom to the top. But when there is no banjar activities conducted, the bale banjar is the best place for chatting and resting; people can play ping-pong or chess, watching TV, discuss the village or hamlet affairs while caressing the fighting cock; The bale banjar is like a clubhouse, and people can be seen loitering in the shade there almost any time of the day.

How is bale banjar look like? The bale banjar is usually a large, open structure with a raised concrete floor, and a roof supported by pillars. Some bale banjars is equipped with a stage for performances. Some are large and fancy decorated with carved stone, other are modest but functional. Some bale banjar have conical roofs but most bale banjar in urban area has flat concrete roof that be used as additional space for various activities. The bale banjar normally has a kitchen, where the food is cooked for large feast. There may be a storage room for dance costumes or musical instruments.

The bale banjar always has a signal drum (kulkul) tower; it may be a tower on the bale banjar or in separate structure; it is the used to summon members for various purposes depends on the cadences and rhythms that are beaten out on the drum. The bale banjar also has a temple, it is usually with two or three shrines dedicated to the God and Bhagawan Penyarikan, the secretary of God and the deities of the community welfare.

The bale banjar is easy to recognize; it is usually the biggest structure in the neighborhood; a white board with the name of the banjar written on it is erected in front of the bale banjar, minimize the effort needed to recognize it.

In Good Hands at the Bali International Triathlon

2007-06-13T04:08:00.000+07:00

Bali's Best Massage Practitioners to Provide Complimentary Massages at Finish Line of Bali International Triathlon.

The participants traveling from around the world to participate in the inaugural Bali International Triathlon 2007 have a special treat in store for them when they cross the finish line on Jimbaran beach on June 24, 2007.

Talented masseurs from Bali's internationally renowned massage center - Jari Menari will be on duty providing brief revitalizing massages at a special pavilion near the finish line. "Jari Menari" translates from the Indonesian to "Dancing Fingers," an apt name for the wonderful range of therapies offered by this leading Bali company. Practitioners from "Jari Menari" are trained to let rhythm, flow, and long connective strokes guide the inspiring sessions The mostly male staff is known for massage sessions that offer strong, firm, consistent pressure – and their guests become instant converts to the many therapeutic benefits of massage and frequent visitors.

Harper's Bazaar has labeled Jari Menari home of Bali's Best Male Massage while Vogue place a visit there as one of the things to be included on a "must do" list during a visit to Bali.

Soothing to tired bones and muscle, Jari Menari is also calming to the mind and eye. The Spa on the main road in Seminyak has a zen-like Japanese design engineered by Guy Morgan of GKA Associates which emphasizes simple lines, clean uncluttered spaces, natural light and the sound of falling water.

The inspiration and vision of its founder, Susan Stein, Jari Menari arrived in Bali in 1996 incorporating her professional expertise in a wide range of massage disciplines. Now, nearly 12 years later, Jari Menari consults and trains massage practitioners for a world-wide base of clients.

Jari Menari at the Bali Triathlon

Working from the massage tents at "race central" from early morning on Sunday, June 24th until the close of festivities in the early afternoon, the Jari Menari team will be offering short massages free-of-charge to racers on a space-available basis. Starting from just before 8:00 a.m. – race central will also be home to musical performances, free Häagen-Dazs ice cream, food and beverage tents and tents operated by local companies and organizations.

Join the fun on race day Sunday, June 24, 2007 at the Coconut Grove, adjacent to the Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay. Races will begin gathering from 7:00 a.m. for the race's start at 8:00 a.m.

We Must Go Down to the Sea Again

2007-06-13T04:06:00.000+07:00

Balinese Gather on West Bali's Shoreline to Pray for Cleaner Oceans and Healthier Coral Reefs.

Bali found its own unique way of joining the rest of mankind in celebrating World Environment Day 2007 on June 5th. Tempo Interaktif reports that the residents of West Bali gathered on the beaches near Menjangan Island to participate in a ritualized cleaning of the sea. The devotees, members of the Communication Forum for People Concerned with Coastal Areas (FKMPP), gathered to pray at the shore and toss floral offerings into the surf.

"This was a spiritual complement to efforts to clean our shores and coral reefs, especially from the threat posed by Crown of Thorn Starfish (Acanthaster plancii)," explained the Chairman of FKMPP, Misnawiyanto.

According to members of the Forum, Bali's protective reefs are being damaged by coral bleaching and the over-population of Crown of Thorn Starfish. The FKMPP blames the rapid rise in the destructive Crown of Thorn Starfish population on climate change which has created conditions favorable to the species' proliferation.

The ceremony in West Bali on June 5th was a joint effort of the FKMPP, the West Bali National Park and area dive operators.

World Environment Day

Celebrated every June 5th, World Environment Day is a major vehicle used by the United Nations to raise awareness on environmental issues and galvanize political attention.

The theme for 2007 World Environment Day adopted by the United Nations was "Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?"

Moonlighting in Bali

2007-06-13T04:03:00.000+07:00

Spend the Next Full Moon Night Dining in Style Over a Balinese River Valley in Ubud.

The full moon each month is a special and very spiritual time in Bali. Traditionally dressed Balinese fill village streets as they carry colorful offerings to local temple ceremonies and the ubiquitous odalan birthday celebrations cum-night-markets at nearby temples.

Situated on the steep banks of the sacred Petanu River, The Viceroy Bali is world-renowned for its luxurious accommodation and the outstanding dining experience on offer at its CasCades restaurant, operated under the meticulous supervision of master-chef Belgian Jean-Francois Brouck and sommelier Harald Wiesmann.

CasCades' Chef, Jean-Francois has his own take on how to create a new level of "perfect dining." According to the talented Chef: "I intend to keep the French base but add a small Asian twist to the menu. I love the idea of adding influences from Japanese, Thai and Balinese cooking."

A man who keeps his word, Chef Brouck is managing to earn lavish praise for his culinary skill, including an award for excellence from the Wine Spectator Magazine (U.S.A.).

Full Moon Nights at CasCades

To share the magical and very spiritual ambience of Bulan Purnama or full moon in Bali, The Viceroy is opening its doors for a special dinner and dance each month on the rising of the full moon. The evening begins at 7:00 p.m. with a 2-hour dance performance by a troupe of outstanding Balinese dancers in combination with an outstanding A La Carte Menu or a Balinese Set Menu priced at Rp. 360,000 ++ (approximately US$49).

Limited seating is also available at The Viceroy Bar for those who want to merely enjoy drinks, watch the dances and contemplate the full moon suspended over the Petanut river valley.

Full Moon Dates

Full Moon nights in Bali will be celebrated through the end of 2007 on the following dates:

• June 29. 2007

• July 29, 2007

• August 27, 2007

• September 26, 2007

• October 25, 2007

• November 24, 2007

• December 24, 2007.

Shopping

2007-06-12T15:36:00.000+07:00

Bali is the place to practise your bargaining skills. Unless the product is price-tagged, bargaining is the norm. It will prove to be an exciting venture if this is your first time while the experts will find it exhilarating, especially when a good deal was struck. Many come to Bali with a 'shop till you drop' attitude, so you would probably end up buying a few things anyhow.

There are numerous western-style department stores and shopping centers in Denpasar, Kuta-Legian, Sanur and Nusa Dua that offer a range of clothing, shoes, leather goods, sports gear, and toys. The service is generally good, and the low value of the rupiah ensures excellent prices. Balinese arts and crafts are the most popular purchases but you can also get value-for-money goods such as clothing, music, musical instruments and watches.

Bedugul

This is known as a farming area and is a great place to buy the choicest fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Celuk

The home of silver and gold artisans, Celuk presents huge stores that house a wide variety of all types of intricately designed pieces. The silver filigree work is quite unbelievable but bargaining is a must.

Denpasar

The capital of Bali is not exactly a tourist area but there are a few main areas worth checking out. The Kumbasari market near the river gives an interesting overview of Indonesian markets with household wares and clothing on the third level, spices and goods on the second level, and a traditional market in the basement. Nearby is Jalan Hasanudin, a whole street of gold shops selling 18 to 22 carat gold jewellery. Not far is Jalan Sulawesi where all manner of fabrics are available. The entire street has fabric stores on both sides with a few household ware shops in between. If handicrafts are your aim, then move along to Jalan Gajah Mada where items similar to those sold in Kuta are found, but without the presence of hawkers. It is a good idea to visit the government-run handicraft center in Tohpati, Sanggraha Kriya Asti, which offers a range of handicrafts at fixed prices. You can also shop at department stores such as Matahari, Libi, MA, Tiara Dewata, Tragia, or Ramayana.

Duty Free Shopping

Plaza Bali and DFS have duty free shopping outlets in Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, and the airport in Bali. A wide range of designer label boutiques can be found but bear in mind that some products in Indonesia do not have high duties, such as cigarettes.

Gianyar

Located in eastern Bali, Gianyar is a major textile center with a number of factories where you can witness sarongs being woven. You can buy directly from the factories but prices are usually inflated during tourist seasons.

Kuta/Legian/Seminyak

The main road in Kuta boasts of a multitude of shops and restaurants on each side, selling a variety of goods including swim wear, sarongs, handicrafts, cassettes, CDs, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and leather goods. You will also be thronged by street hawkers with their wares, but if uninterested, do not make eye contact. The upper end of Jalan Legian from Seminyak to Krobokan has somehow transformed into an enclave of boutiques, which specialize in fashion, interior decoration, furniture, and a few interesting delis.

Klunkung

Klungkung is home to some of the oldest antique stores in Bali. There are krises, songket sarongs, and good quality 22-carat gold jewelry in Balinese designs to be bought. A busy traditional market is also situated in Klungkung.

Kamasan

Traditional Balinese 'Kamasan' paintings are found here. These paintings use a special technique where black ink is first used to outline the subject and then subsequently colored in with natural pigments. Eggs, banners, bags, hats and other goods are decorated with this unique painting style. The Kerta Gosa or Hall of Justice features impressive displays of Kamasan paintings.

Nusa Dua

At the entrance to Nusa Dua, there is a small market in which you can still strike some bargains. Outside the gates is Tragia Supermarket and department stores, while a few leather and tailor shops sit around the vicinity. The Galleria, the main shopping complex, has a good selection of restaurants and stores that sell high quality items at fixed prices. The Kris Gallery is worth checking out for unique paraphernalia.

Sanur

The major shopping street in Sanur is Jalan Danau Tamblingan and it is clearly more peaceful than shopping in Kuta. Hawkers are present but not as aggressive, except at the beach market. There are interesting shops and restaurants in Sanur and an Art Market to appease those in search of art pieces and souvenirs.

Sukawati

Sukawati offers a new art market and a traditional market on the main road and side streets that sell a large assortment of woven baskets and Balinese ceremonial items in prada (gold-leaf decorated cloth), which include dance costumes, fans, umbrellas, clothes worn during tooth-filing ceremonies, and weddings.

Tegalalang

A woodcarvers' haven, this village and surrounding villages specialize in the art of carving softwood figures. Subjects featured are usually brightly painted flowers, frogs, fruits and animals.

Popular Places

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As Bali is a small island, there is nowhere that cannot be reached in a single day. You do not really need a fixed itinerary but only a general plan of places to visit and stay. Almost the entire island is ready and waiting for visitors from around the world, so it is better to be mobile, travel light, have a comfortable pair of shoes, and carry a positive attitude!

Bali is gentle and kind to the inexperienced traveler. Most of the local people have at least a limited knowledge of English, low cost accommodation is plentiful, transport is usually reliable, a wide choice of food awaits you, and there is safe drinking water.

Denpasar

The capital city of Bali, Denpasar has countless community temples called Pura and one of them is Pura Jaganatha, which is dedicated to the Supreme God Sang Hyang Widi Wasa. The statue of a turtle and two dragons is prevalent in all temples as it signifies the foundation of the world. Pura Jaganatha offers a fine array of prehistoric and modern art, while its architectural design resembles that of a palace. The government-supervised Sanggraha Kriya Hasta has a wide display of handicraft and works of art. Between June and July is the Werdi Budaya, an annual art festival with performances, exhibitions, and art contests.

Sanur

Sanur beach has long been a popular recreation site. The palm-lined beach curves from the Bali Beach Hotel toward the south and faces the Indian Ocean to the east. On this beach, you will discover many wonderful hotels, restaurants, shops, and other tourist facilities. Sanur is only a short distance from public transportation accesses in Denpasar, and trips to and from the city are available well into the night. Offshore reefs protect the beach from waves and it is thus a great site for windsurfing, boating, and various types of water-sports. Sanur is also famous for its black and white sorcery practices.

Kuta

Once a lonely village and the entry point to southern Bali since the 18th Century, Kuta is now a thriving tourist resort especially for the young and young at heart. A favorite beach for surfers, it is less suitable for swimming due to strong currents; however, there are coast guards constantly on duty during the day. Kuta is one of the most dynamic places in Indonesia and accommodation ranges from international hotels to home stays. The village abounds with restaurants, shops, discotheques and tourist facilities. It is easier to find regular Balinese musical and dance performances here than anywhere else in Bali. This would be the ideal place to mingle with other people, locals as well as visitors abroad.

Nusa Dua

One of the most recent tourist centers, Nusa Dua has some of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels. This resort is known for its clean, white beaches and pristine waters. Nusa Dua differs from Bukit Peninsula despite being a part of it. It is sheltered by coral reefs, which makes it an ideal family beach.

Batubulan

Northeast of Denpasar, stone figures along the road mark the village of Batubulan. Divinities and demons are carved from soapstone to decorate homes and temples. However, soapstone has a porous nature and the harsh weather of the tropics wears it down, thus renewal is necessary every other century. One is able to watch the carvers perform their skills at roadside 'factories'. Apart from stone carving, Batubulan is also known for its daily performances of the barong dance on a purpose-built stage near Pura Puseh.

Batuan

The old and famous center of the arts, it is noted for its dances, wood panel carving, and half-wayang, half-naturalistic paintings.

Celuk

A name synonymous with silver and goldsmiths, Celuk's art shops beckon visitors to sterling silver and gold butterfly brooches, garnet-studded bracelets, earrings and ear-clips of all designs. The bigger showrooms are on the main road and have marked prices that are quite high although negotiations are possible. Craftsmen use a tree stump with a protruding metal spike for an anvil, a bamboo stem to catch the filings, and a manually operated pump for heat.

Mas

Although Mas literally means 'gold', this village does not specialize in gold jewelry but in woodcarving. The Tilem Art Gallery is a fine place to view the highest quality woodcarvings, all sold at the most exorbitant prices. Carving was a traditional art for the priestly Brahman caste and the skills are believed to have been a gift from the gods. The inhabitants of Mas are also primarily Brahmans and trace their roots back to Danghyang Nirartha, the great Brahman sage.

Ubud

Renowned as the center for the arts, Ubud has been attracting and cultivating artistic talent since it became the seat of the aristocratic family in the late 19th century. Western artists and intellectuals who visited the area in the 1930s provided an enormous stimulus to local art, introduced new ideas and techniques, and began a process a of displaying and promoting Balinese culture worldwide. Ubud is charming not because of its beaches or bars, but for its art, music, architecture, and dance. Even having gone through tremendous development, Ubud is still pretty and relaxed, especially if you're staying in a secluded family compound or eating at one of the pleasant open-air restaurants. It is one of those destinations where people plan to stay a couple of days but extend it to a couple of weeks.

Goa Gajah

The 'elephant cave' harbors no elephants but a great number of stalls, selling and flogging cheap items to tourists. This cave was excavated in the 11th century, and its entrance is a monstrous head with gaping mouth and hands that appear to be pushing the entrance apart. It was believed to have been built as a temple but the sleeping niches and Buddhist ruins just outside the cave suggest otherwise. Within the cave at the end of the T-shaped passage is a four-armed statue of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity. At the opposite end sits a set of three lingga, or phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. To the side of the cave's entrance is a 1,000-year-old statue of Hariti, a Buddhist demoness cum goddess. She used to devour children but reformed to become a devout Buddhist and protector of children. Excavations have uncovered a bathing place with six statues of nymphs holding waterspouts.

Tampak Siring

The sacred spring of Tirta Empul is situated here and revered by all Balinese. It is said that the god Indra created the spring when he pierced the earth to build the amerta, the elixir of immortality. The water is used by the Balinese for its curative powers for good health and prosperity. Regular ceremonies are held for purification, especially pregnant women and those who have survived a long illness.

Klungkung

The former seat of the Javanese Hindu Kingdom in Bali, from where Balinese royalty draws its bloodline, Klungkung was the oldest kingdom on the island. The Kerta Gosa or Royal Court of Justice, which was built in the 18th century, is well known for its ceiling paintings in the traditional wayang style that portrays the pleasures and rewards in heaven as well as the punishments and sufferings in hell. Within Kerta Gosa is a floating pavilion, garden and lotus pond.

Goa Lawah

Located nine kilometers from Klungkung, Goa Lawah is a cave in which the walls vibrate with thousands of bats. These creatures' bodies are packed so tightly that the upper surface of the cave resembles undulating mud. A temple, which is believed to have been founded by a sage nine centuries ago, guards the entrance to this cave. This temple is said to extend all the way back to Pura Besakih and may continue to an underground river that comes up at Pura Goa, which is within the Besakih complex. Naga Basuki, the mythological gigantic snake, is believed to live in this cave.

Besakih

Known as the 'Mother Temple of Bali', Pura Besakih is the biggest and holiest temple in Bali and is perched nearly 1,000m up the side of Gunung Agung. It is extremely enjoyable during festivals when the temple is decorated with colorful banners and the devotees come dressed in their finest, carrying meticulously arranged offerings. The destructive eruption of the volcanic Gunung Agung was said to be the wrath of the gods, having been offended by the Balinese who thought that the ceremony was supposed to be held every 100 years. The miscalculation by the priests had infuriated the gods and caused the destruction. Now, the festival is held more frequently instead of waiting for another century.

Menjangan Island

This little island off Bali's west coast is famous for its dazzling coral reefs and wealth of tropical fish inhabiting the waters. Scuba diving can be arranged and is considered the best that can be offered in Bali. Above water, spotting the rare Java deer is a challenge and the island is also a protected sanctuary for the Bali starling.

Sangeh

This island is fabled to be part of the holy Mahameru, whereby Hanuman, the monkey general in the Ramayana, took to crush Rawana, the villainous giant, which fell to the earth. Along with it came a group of monkeys from Hanuman's army, who remained on the island to pester travelers. The forest here is considered sacred and wood is not permitted to be chopped. Such is the legendary origin of the monkey forest of Bukit Sari, a cluster of towering nutmeg trees and home to hundreds of sacred monkeys.

Tanah Lot

One of Bali's most significant and photographed temples is Pura Tanah Lot, which sits on a huge rock just offshore and is surrounded by sea. Built by one of the last priests to come to Bali in the 16th century, its rituals include paying homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. In caves surrounding the temple dwell striped sacred snakes, which are believed to be the guardians of the temple and are to be left discreetly undisturbed. Only worshippers are allowed into the temple, but Pura Tanah Lot is indeed a sight to behold at sunset, with its majestic silhouette against the setting sun.

Bedugul

This mountain resort has a fantastic golf course and has long been used as a weekend retreat by the Balinese. Here lies the serene Danau Bratan, a lake often veiled with mist. A temple was built in honor of the goddess of the lake, Dewi Danau. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan rises from the lakeshore promontory and seems to rise from within Danau Bratan itself. The area is excellent for walking, water skiing, and parasailing. Boats are available for rent.

Tenganan

Tenganan is a Bali Aga or original Balinese village. Protected for centuries from the outside world by surrounding walls, the ancient village has maintained its pre-Hindu customs through a strong code of non-fraternization with outsiders. Unique rituals and practices are preserved, and girls as young as two are wrapped in silk and donned with multi-colored scarves and flowered crowns of beaten gold during festivals. The village women weave the famous 'flaming' cloth, kamben gerinsing, which is purported to have the power to immunize the wearer against evil. A single cloth can take five years to complete and a large piece can cost well over a thousand dollars. The Fight of the Pandanus Leaves takes place annually during the Usaba Sambah festival. Two men would fight like gladiators, armed with only a round, plaited shield while attacking each other's bare bodies with bunches of thorny pandanus leaves. After the battles, the wounds are treated with a mixture of turmeric and vinegar, thus leaving no scars.

Werdi Budaya Art Centre

Modern, traditional and contemporary Balinese visual arts can be seen at this spacious complex, which is the largest and most complete art center in a series of cultural centers built throughout the archipelago. Werdi Budaya Art Centre exhibits Bali's numerous visual arts disciplines including painting, woodcarving, shadow puppetry, silverwork, weaving, Barong and Rangda dance costumes, and remarkable ivory carving. Apart from its real cultural function, the complex is a showplace for Balinese Temple and Palace architecture at its most opulent. The grounds are also home to the month-long Pesta Seni or Bali Art Festival, held sometime in June, when traditional music, dance, art exhibitions, cultural competitions, sales of foodstuffs, and local handicrafts highlight the best of Bali's talents.

Special Interests

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Surfing

Bali is well-known as a paradise island located at the Pacific Ocean and is a perfect holiday destination for all ages. Some of the best surfing beaches in the world can be found on the western side of the island, whilst the eastern part of Bali is a wonderful haven for families, surrounded by picturesque beaches and gentle seas.

If you have always had a secret inclination to surf, here is your chance. Experience the thrill of surfing with qualified professional instructors on Bali's Kuta beach. The long, rolling waves and safe sandy bottom make Kuta beach a renowned surfing venue. Beginners will usually be given a two-hour group lesson in the swimming pool. Here you will be taught the basics of water safety, surfing etiquette and surfboard handling. After that, the lesson adjourns to the beach where another team of coaches will show you the finer points of surfing.

Skydiving

One of the fastest growing high adventure sports is skydiving. Rapidly gaining popularity in Bali, tandem skydiving is available to give you the adventure of a lifetime at 10,000 feet above ground. You will first be given a 30-minute introduction to the sport and a briefing on safety. Next, you will be fitted into a harness before boarding the aircraft. The plane will take about 20 minutes to climb to the required height whereby at this point you should be securely attached to the harness of your instructor. At the right moment, the Tandem Master will signal you to jump out of the aircraft and you will instantly be hit by the thrilling sensation of free-falling! When you've reached 4,000 feet, the Tandem Master will pull the rip cord to open the main parachute, pulling you up from an amazing 180 km per hour to a steady 20 km per hour. You will get to see Bali at an unbelievable bird's eye view. The instructor will then regain control at about 500 feet above ground for a smoother landing. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience.

Elephant Safari Park

Do not leave Bali without visiting the Elephant Safari Park, which is situated in the cool jungle of Desa Taro, 20 minutes north from Ubud. This nature park offers you the priceless chance to feed, touch, and interact with these wonderful creatures that are set in an exotic, landscaped environment. Elephants can be seen immersing themselves in the cool waters of the park or grazing peacefully. Elephant Safari ride tours are also available where you will sit atop an elephant in a traditional teak wood chair, while swaying through the refreshing jungle of Desa Taro.

Bali Bird Park

Bird-watching enthusiasts, good news for you! You will be able to catch sight of the world's rarest and most captivating feathered friends at Bali's Bird Park. Hundreds of species dwell within this scenic and fascinating park, enthralling you with their brilliant colors and rarity. Indonesian parrots, cassowaries, black palm cockatoos, hornbills, and an impressive collection of Birds of Paradise will delight you. Apart from these exciting creatures, the extraordinary komodo dragons also make their home here. Set in magnificent botanical gardens with a backdrop of ponds and waterfalls, the Bali Bird Park is the perfect environment to enjoy the glorious myriad of birdlife as well as nature.

Jungle Trekking

Explore and discover Bali's glorious flora and fauna via the nature reserve of Mount Batukaru in an 'off-beaten' track adventure that will lead you into the cool surroundings of a tropical rainforest. You will be introduced to the hidden world of Bali's wildlife and native plants, as you pass by ancient strangler trees, ferns, wild orchids and hanging lianas - the home of many species of tropical birds and animals. Stop awhile for a reviving picnic lunch by a clear mountain stream and savor the crisp mountain air before continuing your journey to the archaic temple of Batukaru.

Rice Paddy Trek

Follow the farmers' tracks through Carang Sari's emerald-green paddy fields to catch a piece of traditional rural life that has remained unchanged for a thousand years. Skirting the Ayung River valley, you will have the chance to observe the timeless routine of plowing, planting and harvesting using hand-crafted tools and primitive techniques. Do not forget to visit village temples, coconut, mango and jackfruit plantations, all set in a background of unspoiled Balinese countryside.

Temples

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In every village in Bali, there are several temples and at least one small one in each home. One can therefore safely say that there are more temples than homes in Bali. Most of these temples are shrines and might not be regarded as actual temples, but the number of walled compounds are believed to reach to a total of 10,000. The word for temple in Bali is pura, which in Sanskrit means 'space surrounded by a wall'. Simple shrines or thrones are found everywhere and at all sorts of unusual places. Although many temples are quiet and uninhabited, they are transformed into colorful, active and ornately decorated places of worship when there is a festival. Offerings would be made, while performances of traditional dances and gamelan, cockfighting and gambling liven up the atmosphere.

All temples derive their orientation from the mountains and the sea. Kaja, which is the direction toward the mountains, is the most significant direction. The direction toward the sea is kelod. Sunrise, or kangin, also plays a major part and most secondary shrines are found in this direction.

Temple Types

There are three basic types of temple in every village. Pura Puseh (temple of origin) remains the most prominent and is reserved for founders of villages. It is always situated at the kaja end of the village. In the middle of the village is the pura desa, which is for the spirits that protect and bless the villagers in their daily lives. At the kelod end of the village is the pura dalem or temple of the dead as well as the graveyard. The pura dalem would have representations of Durga, the dark and terrible side of Shiva's wife, Parvati. Both Shiva and Parvati have a creative and destructive side, and it is their powers of destruction that are honored in the pura dalem.

Since rice is such an important produce in Bali, there are temples dedicated to the spirits of irrigated agriculture. These temples are called pura subak or pura ulun suwi. Apart from these local temples, Bali has a few great temples. There are family temples, clan temples, and village temples in the pura puseh. Then come the temples of royalty or state temples.

Temple Architecture

Balinese houses are often beautiful but will never be lavished with the architectural detail reserved for temples. Most of the decorative features and sculpture associated with Balinese buildings are traditionally present in temples. A typical temple should have the basic elements but larger ones may have a few more courtyards and shrines.

Temple Sculpture and Decoration

Balinese temples feature inextricably bound architecture and sculpture. The gateways are covered with intricate carvings in every square inch. A series of diminishing demons' faces glare from above for protection and it is never completed without a couple of stone statues as guardians.

Levels of decoration vary. Smaller or less important temples may have limited or no sculpture at all. Others may be exuberantly detailed with intricate and interesting designs. Sculpture also deteriorates fairly rapidly, but is usually restored or replaced whenever resources permit.

Temple Etiquette

Dress appropriately before entering any temple. Women should not wear shorts or bare their shoulders. Shoes have to be removed while a traditional adat or sash must be tied around the waist. If the temple requires a sarong to be worn, there is always one for hire around the area. Ladies take note; do not enter the temple if you are menstruating. Anyone with a bleeding cut should also avoid entry because there is a general sanction against blood on holy soil. When taking photographs during temple festivals, do not use the flash, stand directly in front of the priest, or walk in front of the kneeling congregation. Your head must never be higher than the priest's, so do not climb on temple walls to get a better view of the proceedings. You must also not remain standing when people kneel to pray. When in Rome, do as the Romans do - the same rules apply to Bali.

Arts and Crafts

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The Balinese are surrounded by art throughout their lives as art is omnipresent in Bali. They make art out of the most basic necessities in their daily lives. However, artistic knowledge is not commissioned only to a special intellectual class, but is open to everyone at all levels. Painting, sculpture, carving and music have traditionally been the province of men, while women channeled their creative energy into creating lavish offerings to the gods.

In every festival, you can see spectacular pyramids of flowers, fruit, and cakes up to two meters high, constructed with such love and adoration that it could only be meant for a higher being. Although a religiously regarded practice, Balinese art does not serve religion solely. Bemos, jackets, menus, motorcycles, hotel doorways and other objects are decorated with sacred symbols. They do not view this use as sacrilegious. It is incredible to see so many people in such a small area pour so much energy into creating beautiful things.

Painting

Balinese painting is classified into certain groups and styles, not without some overlaps and a few that do not fit into any of the main styles. First is the Kamasan or classical painting, which is also named the wayang style. This style can be traced back to ninth century Javanese sculpture that features wayang figures, rich floral designs, and flame-and-mountain motifs characteristic of classical Balinese painting. There is also the Pita Maha, which literally means 'great vitality'. This group was formed when painting was dying out as an art form and in a serious decline due to styles becoming stagnant. Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet were western artists who, along with their patron Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati, formed the Pita Maha to encourage painting as an art form and seek a market for the best paintings. Other styles include theYoung Artists and variants of the main Kamasan and Young Artists'styles.

Wood Carving

The Balinese sculpture with natural media - wood, stone, bone, horn, deadwood, and even gnarled tree roots. Nowadays, souvenir-caliber wood carving is churned out and successful creations are mass produced. Any visitor to Bali is likely to be exposed to wood carving in all forms, be it the traditional ornate carved doors, the carved figures of gods, or the countless carved items in craft shops.

Wood carving is a craft practiced all over Bali. Open your ears to the tapping sound of the carver's mallet and you would know that there is one around. It would be taxing to separate traditional and foreign influences. However, Balinese are intense observers of the outside world, effortlessly incorporating and adapting foreign themes into their work.

For quality wood carving, head to Tegallalang, Pujung, and Sebatu, which is north of Ubud. It is a great area to meet woodcarvers; it is best to take note of the artist's name and visit him at the workshop to negotiate a better price.

Bali is a perfect place for western artists to study their crafts. There are wood carving lessons in which you can learn to carve your own mask in about three weeks.

Mask Carving

This is a specialized form of wood carving that should only be executed by experts. An extremely high level of skill is required to produce the 30 or 40 masks used in dances. Masks of Barong and Rangda are opulently painted and assembled with real hair, enormous teeth, and bulging eyes. The mask carving center of Bali is Mas and Puaya.

Stone Carving

The technique used in stone carving is very much the same as wood carving since soft volcanic rock is used. Stone carving is relatively unaffected by tourist consumerism as most pieces are too exorbitant to ship. You can vividly see stone carving skills in the distinctive split gates, swirling stone friezes, and absurd and menacing mythological statuary. The centers for stone carving are Kapal and Batubulan.

Jewelry

Bali is also famous for its jewelry, along with Thailand and Mexico, and variations on the same designs are common to all three countries. Balinese jewelry is almost always handmade, thus rarely involving casting techniques or the usage of imported silver. Silver is mined in Bali near Singaraja and used for filigree and other traditional silver work. Members of the royal family adorn themselves with gold and silver headdresses, belts, bracelets, earrings, anklets and necklaces to indicate their high status. Even handles of krises or daggers and umbrella finials would be made of gold. The village of Celuk is known for its rings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, and other objects of silver. Kamasan remains the center for traditional gold and silver jewelry.

Balinese are quick to pick up designs introduced by outsiders and will copy things that will sell well. Many imaginative smiths are starting to duplicate designs from magazines or international jewelry designers who have settled in Bali to work.

Textiles

The first kind of textile that you will find in Bali is batik, which is popular among tourists and locals alike. There is every imaginable style and quality that you can chance upon throughout the island, but it is surprising that batik is actually produced in central Java and then shipped to Bali. Bali's own home-produced cloth is a weft ikat called endek. Ikat is made by tying the weft threads of a cloth before it is woven and then dying them so that the tied areas do not absorb the dye. The cloth is then woven and the pattern, created by the tying of the threads, emerges. This cloth is not very popular with visitors but is indispensable to the locals. Authentic ikat is made of silk but cotton and synthetic yarns are also widely used. Also, keep a look out for kain prada, fabrics woven of silk or cotton and decorated with silver or gold threads or gold leaf. These colorful kerchiefs are worn by temple girls during festivals and take three weeks to a month to weave.

Events and Festivals

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Being in Bali lets you experience the endless series of offerings, purification, processions, dances, and dozens of other religious rites that Balinese devote their lives to. They believe that life on earth is one stage in the continuity of existence. The cycle begins at birth and it is a cherished event. The umbilical cord is preserved and kept for life, and the birth is attended by the entire family and a holy man who invokes spiritual powers to aid the delivery. Death is merely a rite of passage when the soul is freed. It will commence its great journey before being reborn into a future generation.

There is a myriad of festivals in Bali. Some are dedicated to the art of woodcarving, the birth of a goddess, and percussion instruments. Other festivals include temple festivals, fasting & retreat ceremonies, parades to the sea to cleanse villages, special prayers for the dead, nights of penance (sivaratri), harvest festivals (usaba), blood sacrifices, and house deity anniversaries (odalan sangguh).

Religious Festivals

Religious festivals include odalan, which signifies the anniversary of a temple's founding. These festivals last a couple of days to a week. Temples are beautifully bedecked with flowers, palm leaves, flags and bamboo towers, complete with noisy parades, food offerings, and prayers that add religious fervor to the festive ambience.

Melasti, another religiously inclined festival, is a purification festival held the day before Nyepi. On Melasti, villagers will dress in their finest and make their way to the sea or holy springs. They would carry umbrellas, offerings or flowers, and fruit and sacred statues. The statues are affectionately washed with water, and pigs would be sacrificed by holy men as offerings to their gods. This festival must be carried out amid the din of gamelan and drums and lots of merry shouting. All must then fall silent the following day on Nyepi.

Nyepi is a festival that marks the beginning of a new lunar year and usually falls during the spring equinox (late March or early April). On this day, everyone in Bali including tourists must remain silent. No one is allowed to work, travel or partake in any indulgences. Visitors are advised to observe this custom and to stay within their lodgings for the day. It may seem like a day is wasted, but the previous night's festivities would have sapped substantial energy and spirit to make up for the day of stillness. It is believed that evil spirits will leave the island, thinking that the place is uninhabited due to the complete stillness.

Galungan is another festival related to religion. It is observed in the eleventh week of the 210th day in the Balinese calendar and celebrates the creation of our world. Bali's most significant annual event, locals will spend the day visiting family, friends and neighbors decked in their finest and indulge in heavy feasting.

Ten days after Galungan is Kuningan. This festival commemorates the end of the holiday season. On this occasion, ancestors are worshipped and honored with celebrations held at the water temple Tampaksiring, along with other events at Bangli and Ubud.

The restoration of balance between good and evil is also commemorated. Eka Dasa Rudra is the island's most important festival and is originally held every hundred years. It is now being revised to hold the festival more frequently and the next one is yet to be announced.

Non-Religious Festivals and Holidays

If you are in Bali between July and October, you will have the opportunity to experience the Negara bull races. The pampered bulls are spruced up with accessories, hitched in pairs to makeshift chariots, and steered by jockeys who combine their riding skills and tail twisting to induce maximum performance.

Then there is also the rice harvest festival, which is dedicated to the rice god Dewi Sri. This is a blessed season for the villages and the entire place will be repainted and decorated with flags. An atmosphere of happiness pervades. Small straw rice-god dolls are placed throughout the fields and villages as a tribute.

Indonesia's Independence Day falls on August 17, when the Republic of Indonesia achieved independence from the Dutch.

Balinese ceremonies are normally held during late afternoons or evenings when the day is cooler. They also hold firm to the belief that the island is owned by the supreme god Sanghyang Widhi, and has been handed down to the Balinese in sacred trust. To show their appreciation, the people fill their waking hours with symbolic activities and worship. If you see a procession of women garbed in traditional wear, carrying small bowls or balancing towering offerings on their heads, or a group of batik-clad men with headcloths, just put on a shirt, grab your camera and mingle with the crowd - you will always be welcomed.

Bali Nightlife Update for June 3rd - 15th 2007

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Here is the Bali nightlife update for June 4th-15th 2007 provided by the Beat Magazine.

* Sunday Jun 3rd

ESC/Sky Garden
Sunday Chillout
Come and chill all day with great music, refreshing drinks and tasty home style comfort food. champagne brunch, sunset pitchers, and proper Sunday roast with all the trimmings

F Lounge
Fuzzy
Laid back downtempo classics massage ya mind & let ya unwind one fine track at a time. From 11pm

Kudos
Reflection
Cool down with live DJ performance and 50% off all cocktails all night. From 11pm

MBarGo
New Vibration
DJs Lazy Bones (JPN), Gust and host G-Voiz, blend R&B, Hiphop, Rock and Trance with no limit. Free welcome shot till midnight. From 11pm

Obsesion
Sweet Soul Music
O’Line Band take the stage. From 10pm

* Monday Jun 4th

ESC/Sky Garden
Margarita Mondays
Frozen lime margaritas, glass 19k, Pitchers 99k, and gourmet Mexican food from 29k. Still with great music

F Lounge
Flow
Filtering ya system with soulhouse nutrition Rizal recharges ya booty. Finger food & fresh oven pizza till 1am. From 11pm

MBarGo
Liberated Monday
Forget “I Hate Monday”, liberate yo self with Reggaeton sounds from DJ Nacho, Leon (76Beat) and Adith on percussion. From 11pm

* Tuesday Jun 5th

Bahiana
3rd Year Anniversary
The shrine of Salsa hit their 3rd year of Latin madness. Tonight, special performance by El Amore Band (JKT), Salsa dance, Hip Hop, Sexy dancers, drag queen, Hawaiian dance, fire dance, body painting, live DJs and not to forget free flow beer, and coconut punch. Just join the birthday bash! From 10pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Pizza, Pasta & Ribs
25% off pizza, pasta and BBQ ribs and Mojito & Sangria at just 19k glass/99k pitcher. And of course live DJs playing soulful, funky house. From 9pm

F Lounge
Female Fylosofy
Fat beats bump, hot ladies jump, old skool stay cool like humptey hump, served fresh by Lazy B. 2/4/1 on all Roskas for the ladies till 1am. From 11pm

Hook
Ten Thousand Tapas
Selected tapas @ 10k, cocktail pitchers @ 70k with tunes by DJ Danny. From 11pm

MBarGo
HipBreaks
DJ Iman Electrofux (Bandung), L.Shady (76Beat), with G Voiz as the host, Kyu on guitar. Guaranteeing the ultimate electronica/hip hop mash up. From 11pmm

* Wednesday Jun 6th

Hard Rock Cafe
FHM Girl Next Door 2007
The all girl line up is in the house! 21 honeys from across Indonesia will be shakin some tail and droppin some jaws. The cutest one will be chosen to be “The Girl Next Door 2007”. Beats by DJs Redy and Mamit (1945MF). From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Thousand Wings
Just 1k per chicken wing (5 flavours) and large Bintang & Storm beer 15k. Plus great music as always

F Lounge
The F Notes
Rewind to tha time of Acid Jazz sublime as KeNeBe steam up tha open mic. Free drinks for guest talents. From 11pm

Hu’u
Cigars, Single Malts & Jazz
Refreshing Jazzy remakes of your favorite pop chart hits presented by the Hu’u jazz trio that is bound to give you an eargasmic experience. Rp 130k for a shot of Macallan 12 years single malt & SUper Partagas cigar, 1 for 1 wines of the month (by the glass). Also on Thursday. From 8pm

Kudos
Drama Queen
Full cabaret show, featuring characters from Moulin Rouge. From 11pm

MBarGo
Ashpalt Jungle
DJ P-pen pull his trick to rock the dancefloor with Hip Hop and Tribal flavaz, with live djembe performance by Javaica. From 11pm

Obsesion
The Fusion
Saharadja band take world music fusion to all new levels. Feat. Marina. From 10pm

* Thursday Jun 7th

Bacio
DJ G Force (Chocolate City). From 11pm

Bahiana
Latin Mood
Two weeks 5x inLatin Mood, presenting El Amore Latin band (JKT), free salsa lesson with Made Alfa , Intan & Yuli, sound by DJs Soma & Jonas. From 10pm

Double Six
World Sound
DJs Peter P (UK) and Fadi (SWE)

DeJaVu
High Heels
Proudly presents HOST NIGHT with DJ Pete Poyton (UK) along with backup sound from DJs Sofyan & Anastacia. From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Thirsty Thursday
For those who need re-hydration: Storm pale ale 19k, Long Island ice tea 29k, Infusion Martini 39k, Spirit bottles 75cl 299k and fresh Oysters from NZ 9k. Plus the best in house music. From 9pm

F Lounge
Fetish
Deep kinky electro juice squeezed fresh from tha tube by special guest rockers Sean Candy (SlotMachine) & Nick Taylor. Dont miss this. From 11pm

Hu’u
Cigars, Single Malts & Jazz
From 8pm

Hook
Tequila Gila
Join the party as Hook get down ‘n’ dirty with Mr Jose Quervo. Tequila bottles @250k, shot @ 15k only, get 5 shots for 70k, complimentary chips’n’dips with every order of tequila, and Funky HOuse/Electro by DJ Fadi

Kudos
2QT2BSTR8
All the divas pulling out all the stops, beats from DJ U-you. From 11pm

MBarGo
Lingerie Fashion Show by 69 Slam
International babes strutting on the bar in little 69 Slam numbers… also with giveaways. From 11pm

Paparazzi
Stiletto
A ladies night out with 50% off champagne, wine and cocktails for the ladies. DJ Alfan on the tracks. From 11pm

Obsesion
Latin & Soul
Tropical Transit giving you the sexy sound. From 10pm

* Friday Jun 8th

Bacio
DJs Peter P (UK) and Jonny. From 11pm

Centerstage
Slumber Party
Don’t be sleepy, slumber party is here, with After9 band, stilt walker, lingerie fashion show, and night lullaby show. FDC applies.From 9.30pm

Double Six
DJs Wilson & Anastacia.

DeJaVu
Le Chique
High society party with DJs Anastacia & Lanang. From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
TGIF Fridays
50% off tapas, sunset pitchers 99k, mojito, strawberry daiquiri, long island ice tea, sangria and frozen lime margarita. spirit bottles 75cl 299k: Absolut, Jim Beam, Bacardi & Gordons, plus great live music. From 9pm

F Lounge
HipShaker
Award winning night of fonkadelic finesse moves to tha prime time. Fatstacks from wayback, with another fonky payback as G Force & Wayne Wonder shake tha mothership connection. From 11pm

Kama Sutra
Kerispatih Live On Stage
Kerispatih’s first performance last February had this venue in a swoon as these kings of romance played famous tracks such as “Kejujuran Hati” (A Honest Heart) and “Cinta Puith” (White Love). Expect more of the same this time round…bring your loved one. From 11pm

Hard Rock Cafe
Live Lady DJ Radio 40 Hour Set
Veteran female DJ Cachya attempts to break the Indonesian record for the longest ever non stop set - she’s aiming for 40 hours, spinning tracks from the nineties all the way through to the latest dancefloor hits. From 9am.

Hook
D.A.N.C.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N
76 Beat DJ line up: Yonk di Gio, L.Shady, and Kent. Spirit bottles @ 399k only. Cocktail pitchers @ 100k, buy 1 get 1 free on selected cocktails all night (60k). From 11pm
Hu’u
Hu’u Society
Party with the ‘Hu’u’s who’ as the music takes on a sophisticated flavor with DJs Nason & Yudi. From 11pm

Kudos
Showtime
Vegas come to Kudos with dancers, and DJ U-you. From 11pm

MBarGo
Digital Birth presents Electroshock
DJ L.Shady (76Beat) and Fadi (SWE). From 11pm

Obsesion
Cuban Night
Lare band serve up the deep latin sound, feat. Salsa Bali dancers. From 10pm

Paparazzi
DJ Taro (CAN)

The Wave
Glam n Luxury
A school prom night party, performing live: School band, sexy dancers, Evorbia band and King or Queen of the prom? Could be. From 10pm

* Saturday Jun 9th

Bacio
DJ Jonny. From 11pm

DeJaVu
Socialite
High society party with DJs Sofyan & Georgia. From 11pm

Double Six
Anniversary Bash
20 years on the block no less and the old bird is looking fresher than ever. Time to celebrate with a huge DJ line up including Paul Mendez (UK), Clubworxx (GER), Nick Taylor (UK), Fadi (SWE), Wilson, Helmy, Dede and Nolly (Bali). See HereNow for details.

Hu’u
In Transit with DJ Jensen (S’Pore)
Guest DJ Jensen (S’Pore) will get you soaring with his stratospheric style of progressive house & euphoric trance. FDC 100k. From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
2.4.1 Saturday
2 for 1 tapas and 2 for 1 shots, Highballs & Heineken beer. Still with great music

F Lounge
First Class Ticket
Super modified presents a kinky jet set session with special guest rockers Astro & Glyde (NY), don’t miss this. From 11pm

Kudos
Tequila Night
The title explain it all, 20k/shot. From 11pm

MBarGo
Digital Birth presents Electronic Warfare
DJs Fadi (SWE) and guests. From 11pm

Paparazzi
DJ Peter P (UK)

Obsesion
The Fusion
Saharadja band throw down sublime world fusion, feat. Marina. From 10pm

* Sunday Jun 10th

ESC/Sky Garden
Sunday Chillout
Come and chill all day with great music, refreshing drinks and tasty home style comfort food. champagne brunch, sunset pitchers, and proper Sunday roast with all the trimmings

F Lounge
Fuzzy
Laidback downtempo classics massage ya mind & let ya body unwind one sweet track at a time selected by Frenqui le Fonque. From 11pm

Kudos
Reflection
Cool down with live DJ performance and 50% off all cocktails all night. From 11pm

MBarGo
New Vibration
DJs Gust, Lazy Bones (JPN), hosted by G-voiz will stir,mix and fry the essence from Hiphop, Oldskool, RnB, Rock all the way to Trance with no limits, free welcome drinks till midnight. From 11pm

* Monday Jun 11th

Cafe Wayang
Born In Bali
A six days in a row birthday bash from today till 16th of June. For nine years this venue has been a key venue for live bands in Sanur. Performing live The Wheels, Ed Eddy & Residivis (11th), Telephone & Devildice (12th), Kaimsasikun & Navicula (13th), Jonny Agung & Double T (14th), The Ubud & XXX (15th) and on the 16th DJs Steven, Georgia and Shumi. Free entry & free-flow beer. From 10pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Margarita Mondays
Frozen lime margaritas, glass 19k, Pitchers 99k, gourmet Mexican food from 29k. Live DJ

F Lounge
Flow
Filtering ya system with soul house nutrition Rizal recharges ya booty. Finger food & fresh oven pizzas till 1am. From 11pm

MBarGo
Liberated Monday
Reggaeton sounds shake the ground, courtesy of DJs Nacho and L.Shady (76Beat). From 11pm

* Tuesday Jun 12th

ESC/Sky Garden
Pizza, Pasta & Ribs
25% off pizza, pasta and BBQ ribs and Mojito & Sangria at just 19k glass/99k pitcher. And of course live DJs playing soulful, funky house. From 9pm

F Lounge
Female Fylosofy
Fat beats bump, hot ladies jump, oldskool stays cool like humpteyhump, served fresh by Lazybones. 2/4/1 on all Roskas for the ladies till 1am. From 11pm

* Wednesday Jun 13th

Hook
Ten Thousand Tapas
Selected tapas @ 10k, cocktail pitchers @ 70k with tunes by DJ Danny. From 11pm

MBarGo
Hipbreaks
DJ Iman Electrofux (Bandung), L.Shady (76Beat), with G Voiz as the host, Kyu on guitar. Guaranteed the ultimate electronica/hip hop mash up. From 11pm

DeJaVu
Launching of Liason Dangereux
Fashion show - Sellini by Marilena, with sounds from DJs Bimo, Didi (Spinach JKT), Fire dance support from DJs Ifin & Yudi. From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Thousand Wings
Just 1k per chicken wing (5 flavours) and large Bintang & Storm beer 15k. Plus great music as always.

F Lounge
The F Notes
Rewind to tha time of Acid Jazz sublime as KeNeBe steam up tha open mic chased by Frenqui le Fonque. Free drinks for guest talents. From 11pm

Hu’u
Cigars, Single Malts & Jazz
Refrshing Jazzy remakes of your favorite pop charts hits presented by the Hu’u jazz trio that is bound to give you an eargasmic experience. Rp 130k for a shot of Macallan 12 years single malt & Super Partagas cigar, 1 for 1 wines of the month (by the glass). Also on Thursday. From 8pm

Kudos
Drama Queen
The Kudos cabaret collective takes you on a colourful trip to Bollywood. From 11pm

MBarGo
The Asphalt Jungle
DJ P-pen pulls out the tricks to rock the dancefloor with HipHop and Tribal flavaz, plus live djembe performance by Javaica Percussion. From 11pm

* Thursday Jun 14th

Bacio
DJ Peter P (UK). From 11pm

DeJaVu
High Heels
Showing the sleek range from Nico Nico Mens wear collection, with background grooves from DJs Anastacia & Sofyan. From 11pm

Double Six
Worldsound
DJs Alex Joy (CAN) and Fadi (SWE). From 11pm

ESC/Sky Garden
Thirsty Thursday
Storm pale ale 19k, Long Island ice tea 29k, Infusion Martini 39k, Spirit bottles 75cl 299k fresh oysters from NZ 9k. Live DJ. From 9pm

F Lounge
First Class Ticket
Super modified presents another kinky jet set session with special guest rockers Astro & Glyde (NY). Dont miss this. From 11pm

Hard Rock Cafe
Founder’s Day
36 years ago, down in Hyde Park London a legend was born: Hard Rock Cafe opened its door in a former Rolls Royce showroom by Isaac Tigrett & Peter Morton. Today, the world wide franchise celebrate its “Founder’s Day” where Bali’s own Hard Rock Cafe will shoot the quiet dark sky with some serious New Wave performance of The Upstairs (Bandung) and C-H-A-N-G-C-U-T-E-R-S (Bandung). Witness the real time of Rock’n’Roll tonight From 11pm

Hook
Tequila Gila
Invites you to come and join as Hook get down ‘n’ dirty with MR Jose Quervo. Tequila bottles @250k, shot @ 15k only, get 5 shots for 70k, complimentary chips’n’dips with every order of tequila, and Funky HOuse/Electro by DJ Fadi

Hu’u
Cigars, Single Malts & Jazz
From 8pm

Kudos
Dream Girls
Brand new show at Kudos, taken from the Dream Girls movie. From 11pm

MBarGo
BKK Style Dancers
Summersaulting with the B-boys or shake it sexy with the go-go girls? you choose. From 11pm

Coming Events

* Friday Jun 15th

Bounty Club
Foam Party
No need further explanation. Just come in your boardshorts or bikini, and slide on baby!. From 11pm

DeeJay Club
Viva El Toro
Barcelona born DJ Eric Entrena, who has graced such events as Love Parade, manages his own label, Toro. See HereNow for interview. From 1am

Double Six
Big Bash #6
DJs Jerry Ropero and Fadi (SWE). See HereNow for details

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Bali Culture and Customs

2007-06-05T20:13:00.000+07:00

Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads.

Birth

The first ceremony of Balinese life takes place even before birth. Another ceremony takes place soon after the birth, during which the afterbirth is buried with appropriate offerings. The first major ceremony takes place halfway through the baby's first Balinese year of 210 days.

Names

Basically the Balinese only have four first names. The first child is Wayan or Putu, the second child is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again.

Childhood

The Balinese certainly love children and they have plenty of them to prove it. Coping with a large family is made much easier by the policy of putting younger children in the care of older ones. After the ceremonies of babyhood come ceremonies marking the stages of childhood and puberty, including the important tooth-filing ceremony.

Marriage

Every Balinese expects to marry and raise a family, and marriage takes places at a comparatively young age. Marriages are not, in general, arranged as they are in many other Asian communities although strict rules apply to marriages between the castes. There are two basic forms of marriage in Bali - mapadik and ngorod. The respectable form, in which the family of the man visit the family of the woman and politely propose that the marriage take place, is mapadik. The Balinese, however, like their fun and often prefer marriage by elopement (ngorod) as the most exciting option. Of course, the Balinese are also a practical people so nobody is too surprised when the young man spirits away his bride-to-be, even if she loudly protests about being kidnapped. The couple go into hiding and somehow the girl's parents, no matter how assiduously they search, never manage to find her. Eventually the couple re-emerge, announce that it is too late to stop them now, the marriage is officially recognized and everybody has had a lot of fun and games. Marriage by elopement has another advantage apart from being exciting and mildly heroic it's cheaper.

The Household

There are many modern Balinese houses, but there are still a great number of traditional Balinese homes. The streets of Ubud; nearly every house will follow the same traditional walled design.

Men & Women

There are certain tasks clearly to be handled by women, and others reserved for men. Social life in Bali is relatively free and easy. In Balinese leisure activities the roles are also sex differentiated. Both men and women dance but only men play the gamelan. Today you do see some women painters, sculptors, and woodcarvers.

Community Life

Balinese have an amazingly active and organized village life. You simply cannot be a faceless nonentity in Bali. You can't help but get to know your neighbors as your life is so entwined and interrelated with theirs.

Death & Cremation

There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it's a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased's home if it's an 'immediate' cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.

A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased's spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn't happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. Meanwhile, there's likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed. At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus, this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensure that there are no bits of body left unburned. And where does your soul go after your cremation? Why, to a heaven which is just like Bali!

Bali History

2007-06-05T20:06:00.000+07:00

Bali history. There is no trace of the Stone Age in Bali although it's certain that the island was already populated before the Bronze Age commenced there about 300 BC. Nor is much known of Bali during the period when Indian traders brought Hinduism to the Indonesian Archipelago. The earliest records found in Bali, stone inscriptions, date from around the 9th century AD and by that time Bali had already developed many similarities to the island you find today. Rice was grown with the help of a complex irrigation system probably very like that employed now. The Balinese had also already begun to develop the cultural and artistic activities which have made the island so interesting to visitors right down to the present day.

Hindu

Hindu Java began to spread its influence into Bali during the reign of King Airlangga from 1019 to 1042. At this time the courtly Javanese language known as Kawi came into use amongst the royalty of Bali, and the rock-cut memorials seen at Gunung Kawi near Tampaksiring are a clear architectural link between Bali and 11th century Java. After Airlangga's death Bali retained its semi-independent state until Kertanegara became king of the Singasari dynasty in Java two centuries later. Artists, dancers, musicians and actors fled to Bali and the island experienced and explosion of cultural activities. The final great exodus to Bali took place in 1478.

European

Marco Polo, the great explorer, was the first recorded European visitor to Indonesia back in 1292 but the first Europeans to set foot on Bali were Dutch seamen in 1597. Setting a tradition that has prevailed right down to the present day, they fell in love with the island and when Cornelius Houtman, the ship's captain, prepared to set sail, half of his crew refused to come with him.

Dutch

In 1710 the capital of the Gelgel kingdom was shifted to nearby Klungkung but local discontent was growing, lesser rulers were breaking away from Gelgel rule and the Dutch began to move in using the old policy of divide and conquer.

Independence

On 17 August 1945, just after the end of WW II, the Indonesian leader Sukarno proclaimed the nation's independence but it took four years to convince the Dutch that they were not going to get their great colony Back.

Ubud, the Heart of Bali

2007-06-05T19:03:00.000+07:00

This part of Indonesia remains welcoming and serene.

by Jamie James

TOURISM to Bali began in the early 1920s, when the Royal Dutch Steam Packet Company added the island to its itinerary. By 1930 there were about a hundred visitors a year; a decade later the figure was 250. The ships stopped off the north coast, where passengers were ferried to shore first aboard tenders and then on the backs of Balinese men. Most visitors would traverse the island by motor car to the capital city of Denpasar, in the south, where they stayed at the luxurious Bali Hotel, opened in 1927.

Discriminating travelers, however, headed for the green hills of the interior, to visit the princedom of Ubud. There was no hotel in Ubud: travelers stayed in the bungalows that Prince Gde Agung Sukawati had built for the circle of artists he patronized. What was surely the most exotic art colony in the world at that time began with the arrival of Walter Spies, a Moscow-born German artist and musician who came to Bali for a visit in 1927 and stayed there until the Second World War, when he became a prisoner of war in the Dutch-controlled East Indies. In Ubud he encountered a culture as graceful and refined as any in the world, where everyone, it seemed, was an artist of one sort or another and child dancers in mystic trances enacted the fables of the Hindu classic Ramayana to the exuberant, clangorous accompaniment of a gamelan.

One early visitor to Ubud, Noel Coward, had his traveling companion, Charlie Chaplin, in mind when he wrote this bit of doggerel verse:

As I said this morning to Charlie,
There is far too much music in Bali.
And although as a place it's entrancing,
There is also a thought too much dancing.
It appears that each Balinese native
From the womb to the tomb is creative,
And although the results are quite clever,
There is too much artistic endeavor.

Today Bali welcomes thousands of foreign visitors every day. After the political upheavals in other parts of Indonesia last year, tourism dropped off temporarily, but Australians and Japanese, who constitute about half the island's visitors, are back in throngs. They know that regardless of what's going on in Jakarta and elsewhere, Bali remains as safe as can be: even as Indonesia's political and economic future remains cloudy, the Balinese, famous throughout the archipelago for their hospitable, easygoing ways, have maintained their wonted serenity.

Most tourists here are young travelers on a budget, who have turned the beaches south of Denpasar into a hell of traffic jams, raucous pubs, peddlers – and, yes, pickpockets and prostitutes. At the opposite end of the tourism spectrum are those who stay at one of Bali's many luxury resorts, where it's possible to spend as much as $1,000 a night to stay in a walled villa, and be served champagne and foie gras beside one's own private swimming pool. Yet today, just as in the days of the Royal Dutch Steam Packet Company, discriminating travelers – those who may not see the need to travel so far from home for loud bars or French food – come to Ubud, the heart of Bali.

I won't mislead you: Ubud is anything but undiscovered. On any afternoon most of the faces on its main streets are foreign, and most of the Balinese you meet are offering transport or other services (though, fortunately, the scene is far more subdued here than in the south). Yet it's still possible for even the lazy traveler – and Bali will have failed you if you don't soon lapse into a tranquil languor – to stray from the touristic path and discover the enchanted place that seduced Walter Spies and the glittery visitors who passed through.

THERE'S no better place to begin than the Hotel Tjampuhan (phone 011-62-361-975369, fax 975137), built on the site of Walter Spies's home. The hotel, which is owned by the sons of Prince Sukawati, is a funny old place. Much of the romance of the bamboo- and teak-finished rooms derives from inadequate lighting. (Bali, generally speaking, is a low-wattage island.) The service is a little erratic too: there was no stationery in my room, so I called the front desk to ask for some. Ten minutes later a man appeared at my door under a dripping umbrella, holding two sheets of writing paper as limp as boiled cabbage leaves.

Never mind – the site is exquisite. Tjampuhan, the old-fashioned spelling of Campuan, means "place where two rivers meet." The hotel's bungalows and guest rooms are arrayed along a steep ravine overlooking a turbulent river that rushes between rocky crags to meet its mate. Winding paths lead through the hotel's lush, sprawling garden, past lily ponds and shrines. On the opposite bank, perched just below terraced rice fields, is the ancient temple where the royal family of Ubud worships and performs its rituals. (Officially, there's no royalty in Indonesia now, but Bali doesn't pay much attention to rules).

I find that jet lag often conduces to discovery. On the first morning of my most recent visit to Ubud I awoke before dawn. Knowing that it would be impossible to go back to sleep, I dressed and strayed out into the streaky gray mist for a wander. I met Wayan, the "room boy," a lithe, quick-eyed man in his mid-thirties who had introduced himself the night before, when I checked in. He was in the garden gathering hibiscus flowers, which would be artfully tucked behind the ears of sculptured deities or scattered across bed sheets for romantic effect. I asked him how to get to the river, and he immediately set down his basket and led the way, along hairpin pebble pathways and then down a crude wooden staircase. It had rained during the night, so the river dashed ferociously through the gap. A forty-foot waterfall splashed noisily at the first bend in the river.

Wayan didn't stop there. He skipped across the water on a broad plank bridge and led the way up a steep dirt path to the crest of the ridge opposite the hotel. Here he pointed down a narrow lane lined with bamboo, and said, "You can walk." I thanked him and did as he suggested. Rice fields were on one side of the lane, the roaring river gorge on the other. A mother duck and her brood fell in behind me, gently gabbling to one another as they followed me to the end of the fields. Eventually I made my way past the royal temple to an old Dutch suspension bridge, just down the main road from the Hotel Tjampuhan.

No place in the world could be greener than Ubud. Everything here is green: the young rice fields glow a fluorescent shade of emerald; the thick curtains of foliage appear all the greener for the scarlet accents of ginger and hibiscus. Things that began another color – brick walls or pebble walkways – soon become green with shaggy moss. Even the air has a pale-green cast: the moisture suspended in it picks up the pervasive glow of the verdure. The Balinese have long called their island "the morning of the world." It's an extravagant phrase, but that morning I had an inkling of what they were talking about.

Another verbal extravagance, beloved of travel writers whose descriptive powers have deserted them, is the word "magical"; usually it's just hyperbole for "especially pretty." Yet there really is magic in Ubud. When Balinese people lose something, they consult a balian, a benign sort of sorcerer, who tells them where to find it. Balians can interpret dreams, cure sickness, go into trances, and speak in the voices of ancestors. And magic, in the form of the island's unique religion, is at the core of Bali's arts. A blend of Hinduism and nature worship, the Balinese religion is an ecstatic union of the spiritual and the aesthetic, reminiscent of the religion of ancient Greece. Bali's famous trance dances, for example, suggest the rites of Bacchus: in one of the sanghyang dances two girls who are supposedly untrained in the dance's intricate choreography go into a trance and, eyes firmly shut, move in perfect unison. The dance is named after the divine spirit that inhabits them.

WHEN Walter Spies arrived in Bali, he found a culture completely devoted to art, yet to which the notion of art for art's sake was alien. The Balinese have no word for "artist"; painting, carving stone and wood, weaving, playing a musical instrument, and, above all, dancing were just what one did when not fishing or working in the rice fields.

It is an axiom of art history that what used to be known as primitive art had a profound influence on the emergence of modernism in twentieth-century Europe. In Bali, Europe returned the favor: Spies had an uncanny affinity for the Balinese sensibility, and he thoroughly transformed the arts of the island in the fourteen years he lived there. The famous school of painting in Ubud, one of the principal attractions for people from every part of the world, was virtually his invention.

Traditionally the Balinese considered painting to be among the lowest of the arts; such painting as was done before Spies came was comparatively unsophisticated, consisting mainly of astrological calendars and scenes from the wayang, the mythological shadow-puppet show popular throughout the archipelago. Painters were limited by convention and by the natural pigments, such as bone, soot, and clay, that were available to them.

Spies, later joined by the Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet, introduced Balinese artists to the wider range of colors of Western painting, and to the variety of effects possible with ready-made brushes and fine-woven canvas. More important, Spies and Bonnet introduced Western techniques, like perspective, and encouraged their students to venture beyond the traditional mythological subject matter and paint scenes from everyday life. Lest the two be accused of tampering with tradition, it should be pointed out that Balinese art, while formulaic, was never opposed to individual expressiveness; the island's most famous artist, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, had begun to innovate stylistically before Spies's arrival.

As far as I know, there has never been another case of one person's having such a profound impact on the arts of a foreign culture. The best-known dance of Bali, the kecak, in which a chorus of men lie in a circle, loudly chanting "chak-a-chak-a-chak" as elaborately costumed soloists act out a tale from the Ramayana, was choreographed in its present form by Spies, in 1931. Originally the chorus was much smaller, and performed in a trance, but Spies wanted to create something more dramatic for a film he was working on – Victor Baron von Plessen's Island of Demons, an early effort to capture the romance of Bali and convey it abroad.

Ubud in the 1930s was among the most chic bohemian destinations in the world. Chaplin is said to have been disappointed that Balinese girls were not as promiscuous as their bare-breasted condition suggested. Margaret Mead and her lover, Gregory Bateson, got married on a ship steaming toward Bali, where they dropped in on Spies. Ruth Draper visited for a while, no doubt reciting her droll monologues for everyone after dinner. Most flamboyant of all was the heiress Barbara Hutton, who fell violently in love with Spies and dragged him off to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. With the money she paid him for some paintings, he built her a bungalow and a swimming pool next to his house, but by the time it was finished, she had moved on to Persia. (Guests at the Hotel Tjampuhan may stay in this bungalow; the swimming pool is now a lily pond.)

Spies, however, was sexually inclined in a different way, with disastrous results. The Dutch authorities, scandalized at the general moral laxity of foreigners in Ubud, and as part of a crackdown on homosexuals throughout the colony, arrested Spies on New Year's Eve, 1938, for committing sodomy with a minor. According to his biographer, Hans Rhodius, the Balinese were shocked and puzzled by the arrest, and brought Spies's favorite gamelan to play for him outside the window of his jail cell. The boy's father told the trial judge, "He is our best friend, and it was an honor for my son to be in his company. If both are in agreement, why fuss?"

Spies was released from prison in September of 1939. While war was breaking out in Europe, he threw himself into the study of insects and marine life, turning out some exquisitely observed gouaches of his specimens. After Germany invaded Holland, the following year, all German citizens living in the Dutch East Indies were arrested. Spies, the last German on Bali, was sent to a prison in Sumatra. There he continued painting and organized an orchestra, which he conducted in performances of Rachmaninoff. In 1942, fearful of an imminent Japanese attack, the Dutch authorities put their German captives on a ship for transport to Ceylon. The day after it embarked, the vessel was hit by a Japanese bomb. The Dutch crew abandoned the sinking ship, and left their prisoners to drown, slowly and horribly.

THERE is still too much artistic endeavor in Bali, though the scene is not as lively as it once was. The last great burst of creativity came in the early sixties, again at the instigation of a foreigner. In 1960 a Dutch painter named Arie Smit, who had been living in Bali for four years, was strolling through the countryside near Campuan, and came upon some boys who were drawing in the sand. He was struck by their talent, and invited them to his studio. There he gave them paints and brushes and instructed them in technique but made no suggestions as to color or content, and kept his own richly coloristic, Matisse-influenced paintings out of sight. The results, which became known as the Young Artists movement, were vigorous genre scenes, often broadly humorous, rendered in bright, flat colors with strong contours.

Smit lives in a bungalow at a small hotel next door to the Museum Neka, one of the best museums in Indonesia, where many of his paintings are on display. Now eighty-three, Smit is a big, tall man, with the benevolent, well-shaped head of a Rembrandt prophet. He welcomed the opportunity I provided to talk about old times in Bali. He told me about a Waterman fountain-pen heiress who dressed her servants in gold livery. While Margaret Mead was a guest of Smit's, Buckminster Fuller came for a visit to the island; the two luminaries conceived an instant and intense dislike for each other.

When I asked Smit to characterize the contemporary art scene in Bali, he laughed and said, "Confused." He recommended a young artist named I Gusti Agung Wiranata, who paints in the brooding, dramatic style of Walter Spies. "People criticize him, saying he only copies Spies," Smit said. "But he has succeeded in making better paintings than Spies, because he is Balinese." He told me I would find some of Wiranata's work at the Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud's other art museum, which was founded in the early fifties by Rudolf Bonnet and Prince Sukawati.

The Puri Lukisan's collection is excellent, with a particularly strong holding of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad's work, but the gardens are so lovely that I could hardly bring myself to go indoors to look at the art. A deep gorge at the entrance is spanned by a bridge, which leads to a brick path winding among a series of lily ponds and bowers. When I arrived, some laborers were clearing the hillside in front of the garden, making terraces to plant rice.

I quickly found a fine Wiranata: next to the entrance of one of the galleries hung a round painting, no more than a foot in diameter, of a paddy field at day's end, the sinuous terraces reflecting the extravagant pastels of a Balinese sunset. The style was undeniably close to Spies's, but with a sense of repose that is lacking in the German's work. On my way out I struck up a conversation with the young woman who worked at the postcard pavilion. I asked her if a curator was about, or someone in charge I could speak to. She called out to an old man working in the rice terrace, ankle-deep in mud. After he had washed off his feet and put on a clean shirt, he came over to meet me.

Pak Muning, as he was called, was indeed a curator. He said that he knew Wiranata, and asked if I would like to meet him. I agreed to come back with a car. We drove to a little village about fifteen miles out of Ubud, and found the artist, a handsome young man in his mid-twenties, dozing on his back porch. He received us affably, and asked his wife to prepare coffee for us. I complimented him on his work, and then asked him what was his response to people who said that he copies Walter Spies. He had a pat answer: "If people say I only copy Walter Spies, I say that's okay. Walter Spies came to copy Bali." His father was an artist, Wiranata said, and his uncle was also an artist. Now he lived with his in-laws, and he complained about it, saying he missed Ubud. "A better place for painting, I think." He showed me his studio, a fluorescent-lit cubicle with a boom box and a collection of American rock tapes.

When I returned to the Hotel Tjampuhan, Wayan was making up my room. He told me that he must say good-bye, because he had to go to a cremation; his brother-in-law, a twenty-two-year-old stone carver, had died the day before, buried in a landslide at his outdoor studio, on the bank of the river. His wife, Wayan's sister, was four months pregnant. When I offered my condolences, he shrugged and said, "It was God's will. Good-bye, sir. Please to have a happy life." He bowed and quietly left the room.

Disconcerted, I ordered a coffee from room service and moved to the balcony to watch night fall. I sipped the sweet, strong brew until I came to the mud at the bottom of the cup. The moon was a pale presence behind mottled clouds; a chill crept into the air. Across the ravine I could just make out the slim shapes of worshippers arriving at the temple, their gold and pink satin sarongs glinting in the green gloom. The silvery, slightly hysterical jangle of the gamelan commenced, accompanied by the trumpeting of frogs and the screech of a gecko, melded by the basso continuo of the river torrent.

"Have a happy life": of course it was just a pleasantry. But, I reflected, a man whose job it was to collect hibiscus flowers at dawn, in a river gorge in Ubud, and who could cope with the tragic death of a twenty-two-year-old relative with such equanimity, might have some idea of what that meant. [BaliGuide]

Billabong Pro Junior Series Indonesia

2007-06-05T18:32:00.000+07:00

International Surfing Returns to Indonesia: Bali Shores Lures Worlds Best Juniors

Thursday May 31st (Keramas, Bali, Indonesia); World professional surfing returned to Indonesia today with the first of three Billabong Pro Junior Series events commencing in flawless four foot waves at Keramas Beach in Bali. In a highly charged opening round Indonesian surfers displayed equal talent but less experience than their Australian counterparts in the perfect right hand barrels breaking over a black lava ledge.

In the day’s most exciting heat Madison Williams (Coffs Harbour, NSW) was challenged all the way by talented Balinese Made “Garut” Widiarta.

Eighteen year-old Williams never doubted Garut’s skills after falling victim to the hard hitting goofy footer at Manly Beach in Australia last year.

Williams came out blazing for an early lead with an 8.17 wave score before managing the days highest heat score of 15.17.

“I was lucky to get two bombs straight up and the waves are that good that I just had to go for it,” said Williams.

“I knew Garut was good and after his win over me at Manly it was great to get one up on him.”

Garut pushed all the way but came unstuck on two potentially high scoring rides to advance in second place on 11.17 but clearly marked himself as one of the tournaments serious contenders.

“The Australian surfers have more experience than the Balinese so it’s exciting for us to be pushed,” said Garut.

Former world ISA junior champion and current no.6 ranked Aussie junior Julian Wilson (Sunshine Coast, Qld) overcame first round jitters to post another of the day’s top heat scores finishing on 15.07 out of a possible 20.

The natural footer who was forced to change his approach at the notoriously photographed break looked sharp and powerful in the fast breaking conditions.

“I was kind-of nervous out there and I thought I could have surfed a little better than what I did,” said Wilson. “It’s just weird, contest surfing this wave looking to do three turns instead of normally free surfing the wave and looking for a big punt section.”

“I’ve seen the Balinese surf and they are going to be tough competition here at their local break. Garut is definitely one of the stand-outs,” added Wilson.

Emerging Indonesian super talent, 14 year-old One (Oh-Nee) Anwar surprised only his international counterparts with an explosive performance that saw him advance with an opening round win.

Anwar who has recently relocated from Lakey Peak in Sumbawa to Bali to contest the inaugural run of professional junior events resembled a young Mick Fanning with his fast and whippy approach.

“I am excited, first time I surf contest with Julian (Wilson) and all the pro’s from Australia,” said Anwar in broken English. “I came to Bali especially for contests and to do school in Bali. I came only with my brother who is sixteen.”

Anwar’s brother Gazali Hamzah was not so lucky bowing out by less than one point behind heat runner-up Brent Savage (Casuarina, NSW) with Kuta’s Made Lahirun claiming victory.

Another Balinese surfer to impress was Raditya Rondi who managed to outpoint no.3 ranked Australian junior Brendan Leckie (Gold Coast) in a super tight match-up. Leckie opened quickly for a 7.50 but Rondi came from behind with a super consistent performance that saw both of them advance into round two.

“I was so nervous,” admitted Rondi straight after the heat. “It’s good to see how the Aussie do competition, it’s very good for Bali surfing.”

Top seed and current no.2 ranked Australian junior Heath Joske (Numbucca Heads, Aus) was forced to use a late charge to claim victory in the tournaments opening heat. With just 15 minute heats staged due to the affects of the tide and wind at the break Joske charged a last minute ride to claim victory.

Other opening round heat winners included John Cummings (Gold Coast, Australia), Nyoman Septiana (Bali), Tim Stevenson (Torquay, Vic) and Kalim Schloss (Sunshine Coast, Qld).

Capitalizing on Bali’s superb surf breaks, the Billabong Pro Junior Series, supported by Kustom footwear and Von Zipper eyewear, will be held at three different locations.

The Keramas and Kuta Reef (29 June – 1 July) series events hold US$4,500 each in prize money, with the final event at Canggu (2-5 August) having a total of US$6,500 up for grabs.

The highest placed Indonesian surfer at the end of the three event series will be granted a position into the Von Zipper Trial, the 16 man precursor to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships at North Narrabeen, Sydney.

Entry into the World Junior Championships is exceptionally valuable to any aspiring professional surfer, with the likes of Joel Parkinson and three-time world champion Andy Irons having launched their careers on the strength of wins at the WJC.

Day two of the four day tournament will recommence tomorrow morning at 7am local time at Keramas Beach with the finals set down for Sunday.

This event is part of the Indonesian Surfing Championships and is evidence of the depth of local surfing talent. [BaliBlog]

Enjoy in Bali After Dark

2007-06-01T16:53:00.000+07:00

Night life in Bali starts late, which means around midnight. Many visitors wonder where crowds of expats suddenly come from around 1:00 in the morning – even when all of Kuta has been very quiet during the whole evening, the IN-places often become crowded after midnight.

There's a simple explanation: during the early evenings many of Bali's night owls either still work, visit friends at home, or simply sleep. Most of them visit pubs, bars, or discos only in the early morning hours. Therefore, if you plan a night out don't start your dinner too early. Between 9:00 p.m. and midnight there are not many places we can recommend.

Visitors looking for company don't need to worry. Wherever you go in Sanur and the Kuta area, there are many other single travellers with the same problem around – day and night. In Bali's discos you'll meet also many "kupu kupu malams" ("night butterflies" or working girls) and young boys who compete with the females and service all sexes. All taxi drivers know the more popular karaoke bars and massage parlours in Kuta and Denpasar, and the various "Houses of ill Repute" in Sanur's narrow back lanes.

As reported in the BALI travel FORUM: "Prostitution is illegal in Bali. However, like in many countries, everyone turns a blind eye. Many girls can be found in nightclubs and bars in most areas. They look usually just like the girl next door, albeit with a bit more make up on, and they usually dress to please the eye. For the most part, they are gentle, easy to be with, and a lot of fun if you want to dance, drink and have a little fun with. Most will be yours for the whole night for about 300,000 Rupiah although prices range from 100,000 Rupiah to 1,000,000 Rupiah and more – depending on the season, the time of night, the situation and the quality of service".

SANUR & NUSA DUA

Some quite popular places in Sanur are the BORNEO PUB on Jalan Danau Tamblingan and the TROPHY PUB in front of the Sanur Beach Hotel. Both, however, close around 1:00 a.m.

The JAZZ GRILLE, located at the Komplek Pertokoan Sanur Raya No. 15/16 at the By-Pass opposite the Radisson hotel, was opened in February 1999 and attracts tourists and locals alike with live bands (from 9:30 to 12:00 p.m.), a smallish menu, and a billiard table upstairs. KAFE WAYANG in the same building has life music with a good local band and jam sessions with foreign guests every Friday – no wonder it's very popular with many residents. JANGER is currently the only disco in Sanur. Most tourists and even the expats living in Sanur prefer to go to "Kuta" if they look for some fun.

The discos and pubs in Nusa Dua's 5-star hotels are often rather empty. They are mostly frequented by those visitors who stay in-house and are too tired to make the 30 minutes drive to Kuta.

THE "KUTA" AREA

Everybody looking for some action and fun in the evening goes to "Kuta" which nowadays means the area extending about 4 miles or 7 kilometers North from the original village of Kuta and includes now Legian, Seminyak and even Basangkasa. Here are most of the better entertainment places offering EVERYTHING single male or female visitors as well as couples might be looking for.

There are several places such as CASABLANCA etc. – down-market open-air pubs and very noisy discos full of stoned Aussies courting Javanese "Kupu Kupu Malams". PEANUTS Discotheque on Jalan Raya Legian at the Jalan Melasti corner (about the border between Kuta and Legian) has been re-opened very soon after it was gutted by a fire. The huge (air-conditioned) dance floor is often crowded, guests are a mix of locals and younger foreign visitors.

Closer to the center of Kuta you find the BOUNTY SHIP with a noisy, over-air-conditioned disco in the basement and the re-built PADDY'S RELOADED not far from the original PADDY'S. When most places close around 2.00 or 3.00 in the morning, night owls of all kinds continue drinking at nearby MAMA'S until sunrise.

For a somewhat more civilized evening out, you can have dinner and a couple of drinks at the bar at either TJ's or KORI in Kuta, at POCO LOCO in Legian, at the open street side bar at NERO Bali right opposite AROMAS Restaurant in Kuta, at the re-built MACCARONI CLUB in Kuta, at MADE'S WARUNG in Basangkasa (see BALI - Restaurants to Enjoy), or at the trendy HU'U Bar & Lounge near the Petitenget temple, LA LUCIOLA and THE LIVING ROOM.

Something more outrageous and only for open-minded people is HULU CAFE between Jalan Padma and Jalan Melasti in Kuta/Legian, a place which calls itself the "only real gay bar in all of Bali" with drag shows starting at 11:00 p.m. three times per week. The performances are actually kind of funny!

You'll find a large and quite popular HARD ROCK CAFE right at the beginning of Kuta's beach road with live music from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Expect to find many singles of all kinds here looking for company. If you think this is too noisy, too crowded, or the air-conditioning too cold for you, try the CENTER STAGE at the HARD ROCK RESORT located in the back of the CAFE. As the name implies, the band performs on a raised stage in the middle of the huge round lobby bar until 11:00 p.m. Both HARD ROCK outlets are expensive by Bali standards.

The JAYA PUB on the main road in Seminyak features also live music and attracts many Indonesian customers who don't mind the chilling air-conditioning and the sometimes horrible bands and singers.

Seminyak's best place to have a drink and some fun at night is nowadays probably SANTA FEE Bar & Grill, Jalan Abimanyu No. 11 (also known as Gado Gado Road or Jalan Dhyana Pura). Life music, reasonably priced cocktails, a surprisingly good wine list (you have to ask for it, but the prices are very low for Bali standards), and a menu offering local, Mexican, and Japanese dishes as well as a choice of pizzas around the clock and the friendly service attract many visitors until the early hours. If you feel too hot downstairs, you can move to the small air-conditioned "Wine Lounge" upstairs where you find also a rather good choice of wines to take home.

Other popular night spots nearby in the same street are SPY BAR, LIQUID, Q Bar ("for the alternative lifestyle"), Antique Bar, SPACE, THE GLOBE and "A" BAR. New bars and "Chill-Out Lounges" are opening all the time, and most of them feature DJ's and/or live music on certain nights. Just walk down the road and check them out !

Later, from 2:00 a.m., it's party time at the PAPARAZZI LOUNGE and DOUBLE SIX, a large open-air disco with several bars, big dance floor, and many tables. Both are located next to each other on the beach in Seminyak and charge an entrance fee of 30,000 to 100,000 Rupiah (depending on the day) for which you get a voucher for a free drink. Here you'll find most of Bali's night owls drinking and dancing the night away until 4:30 a.m. or so. (The legendary GADO GADO Disco has been re-converted into a restaurant.)

Also, watch out for notices and small posters in Kuta and Seminyak announcing special events such as Full Moon Parties, House Warming Parties, Body Painting Parties, etc, etc. If these "parties" are announced to the public (even if only by word-of-mouth), they are open for everybody. You'll have to pay for your drinks, therefore, don't be shy.

UBUD

Don't expect too much here. We are not Ubud nightlife experts, but names frequently mentioned include PUTRA BAR, Jl. Monkey Forest (every night live music ranging from Reggae to rock), MAGIC BAR, Jl. Monkey Forest (live music and sometimes great atmosphere), JAZZ CAFE, Jl. Tebesaya (live music and jam sessions on different nights), EXILE BAR (Saturday nights only, great music), and FUNKY MONKEY (early hours cafe).

Have fun !

Bali’s Botanical Gardens

2007-06-01T16:51:00.000+07:00

Kebun Raya Eka Karya is the official title for Bali’s botanical gardens that stretch majestically across a plateau between two minor mountain ranges in an area known as Bedugul. The gardens provide a recreational destination for family gatherings, staff outings and international visitors interested in local species of flora.

Elevated high above sea level in the cool forest plains of the Tabanan regency, the botanical gardens cover approximately 154 hectares of fertile landscape and were established during the 1950’s as a branch of Indonesia’s national gardens in Bogor, outside the capital of Jakarta.

The gardens are within the vicinity of the landlocked Lake Beratan where the crisp air is a welcome escape from the humidity of Bali’s tropical south. There is also a traditional market close by where stalls are laden with locally grown fruit, vegetables, spices, vibrant potted orchids and other plant varieties suited to temperate conditions.

The gardens are crossed by a series of winding asphalt roads that can accommodate a family car or mini-bus for those who prefer to sightsee in comfort without overly exerting themselves. Alternatively, visitors can wander around and explore on foot to experience the clean country air and marvel at the diversity of native flora. Coloured tracks mark different routes that lead through pathways sheltered by towering trees to expose designated areas filled with roses, orchids, ferns and other plants that are cultivated for their medicinal properties.

A recent addition to the gardens is an innovative activity called Tree Top Adventures where a mini assault course, featuring suspended ropes, ladders and pulleys, is directed around a network of trees that soar into the sky. Participants must wear a safety harness and clip themselves onto the security cables as they make their way around the course. Designed to harmonize with the landscape and respect all existing flora, this activity introduces visitors to the natural beauty of the gardens and at the same time safeguards its existence for future generation to appreciate.

Trips to the botanical gardens can be arranged through any reputable travel agency and the journey, which is nearly 2-hours from Kuta, takes in some of Bali’s most stunning rural scenery of farmland, terraced rice fields and tropical forests. The gardens are extremely popular on weekends and public holidays when the Balinese like to come in extended family groups to a enjoy picnic luncheon and then pray at the nearby lakeside temple that is dedicated to the Goddess of water.

By mid afternoon a thick mountain mist begins to shroud the entire landscape of the gardens. The air becomes quite chilly and visibility is poor. Most visitors decide that this is the best time to pack up and make a few purchases at the market before venturing home. For those who decide to stay overnight there are plenty of simple guest bungalows in the Bedugul area that ideally suit travellers’ seeking a relaxed pace away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta and other major tourist destinations.

The Best Restoran in Bali

2007-06-01T16:50:00.000+07:00

Kuta include Tuban, Legian and Seminyak

* Antique Restaurant & Bar
Jalan Dhyana Pura (ex-gado gado street) - Abimanju arcade no 7 Seminyak- Kuta - Bali
- Phone:+62 361 730 907
- Fax:+62 361 739 840

* Bali Cyber Cafe
9 Kompleks Sriwijaya, Jalan Patih Jelantik, Kuta 80361, Bali
- Telephone: +62 361 761326 or 762290
- Fax: +62 361 762292

* Bali Aussie, Legian
69X Melasti St Kuta ( JL Legian end )
- Telephone : +62 361 751 910

* Cafe Luna
Open 7 days a week from 6pm until 2am
Jln Raya Seminyak, Kuta - Bali
Telephone : + 62361 730 805
* Cafe Moka, Legian

* Daddy's Cafe, Tuban
* Esmirada Mediterranean, Seminyak
* Fabios Ristorante Italiano, Seminyak
* FukuMimpi, Tuban
* Fukutaro Japanese, Legian
* Fukutaro Paradiso, Kuta
* Gado Gado Restaurant, Seminyak
* Golden Lotus Chinese Restaurant, Tuban
* Gosha Restaurant, Legian
* Gracie Kelly's Irish Pub, Tuban
* Green Garden, Tuban
* Hard Rock Cafe, Kuta
* Indo-National, Legian
* Kafe Batan Waru, Tuban
* Kafe Warisan, Seminyak
* Kopi Pot, Legian
* Kori Restaurant & Bar, Kuta
* Ku dé Ta, Seminyak
* Kuni's Japanese Restaurant, Seminyak
* Ma Joly Beach Restaurant, Tuban
* Made's Warung, Seminyak & Kuta, WS2
* Maccaroni Club, Kuta
* Mama's German Restaurant, Kuta
* Mykonos Greek Taverna, Seminyak
* Papa's (Italian) Cafe, Kuta
* Pica Tapas Bar, Kuta
* Poppies Restaurant, Kuta
* Queen's Tandoor, Seminyak
* SA Cafe, Tuban
* Sana Restaurant, Legian
* Santa Fe, Seminyak
* Shabu Shabu Tei, Tuban
* The Bush Telegraph Pub, Seminyak
* The Flying Piano, Legian
* The Living Room, Seminyak
* Toscana/Ultimo, Seminyak
* Trio's Cafe, Kuta
* Un's Paradise, Kuta
* Venue @ the Moon, Petitenget
* Veranda Restaurant, Seminyak
* Warung Bonita, Seminyak/Batubelig
* Warung Sobat, Seminyak/Batubelig
* Yakiniku Fukutaro, Tuban
* Zanzibar, Seminyak

Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa & Jimbaran

* Arak Bali, Nusa Dua
* Bella Singaraja, Jimbaran
* Bumbu Bali, Tanjung Benoa
* KO Japanese Restaurant, Jimbaran
* Quattro, Jimbaran
* Sharkey's Cafe, Jimbaran
* Tao Restaurant, Tanjung Benoa
* Teba Cafe, Jimbaran
* Uluwatu Cafe, Jimbaran
* Warung Mina, Jimbaran

Sanur

* Canangsari Restaurant, Sanur
* Chong Gi-Wa Korean Restaurant, Sanur
* Massimo, Il Restorante, Sanur

Ubud & Surroundings

* Alila Ubud, Payangan
* Arys Warung, Ubud
* Café des Artistes, Ubud
* Café Lotus, Ubud
* Casa Luna, Ubud
* Coffee & Silver, Ubud
* Indus Restaurant, Tjampuhan
* Kafe Batan Waru, Ubud
* Kampung Cafe, Tegallalang
* Lamak Bar & Restaurant, Ubud
* Lotus Lane, Ubud
* Mozaic Restaurant Culinaire, Ubud
* Murni's Warung, Ubud
* TeraZo Restaurant, Ubud
* Warung Enak, Ubud

Other Areas

* Alila Mangis, Candidasa
* Lovina Cooking Classes
* Restaurant at The Damai, near Lovina

Ramayana Hotel & Spa Bali

2007-06-01T16:46:00.000+07:00

Location :

* Kuta - Bali, Indonesia

* 15 minute drive from airport

* Just 1 minute walk to beach

Facilities :

ASIAN SPICE RESTAURANT :

Sidewalk on Jalan Kartika Plaza, ASIAN SPICE RESTAURANT with asian touch interior and atmosphere offers large range of dishes start from Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Hongkong and Thai.

BLUEFIN :

chefs create some of Bali's freshes and finest mix of traditional and fusion Japanese food. You can also choose an international of wine or sake bottle from our trandy racks. Then you can start shipping away in our relaxing cozy lounge before or after dining.

STADIUM CAFE :
Just look for giant orange canopy and step into the biggest and best sport bar in Bali, you can enjoy a feast from the east and the best from the west. We have 3 wide screens and all TV's playing all your favorite live sports from around the world.

GABAH RESTAURANT :

The poolview restaurant and bar, RAMA BRIDGE RESTAURANT , is designed to serve equally tempting varieties of Indonesian cuisines, the restaurant is being renovated now and scheduled to completed and opening on August 2006.

KUTA SIDEWALK :

Enjoy your exclusive shopping in Bali while having holidays with us at Kuta Sidewalk, the shopping arcade located on the 1st floor of the resort with highly selling quality control of products.

CHAPPEL :

Wedding performed at our CHAPPEL.the CHAPPLE located on 5th Floor , where we can see the beautiful of Kuta bay.

MEETING ROOMS :

The hotel's meeting facil Inna Kuta Beach the Bali Hotel Bali Vacation & Bali Spa

Room Fasilities :
- Superior Room, located behind the Poolside Cottages, in a four storey Balinese designed building which using PARAS, the volcanic stone found locally.
- Deluxe Room, all deluxe rooms are located at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floor of our new deluxe building , Deluxe building was built in 2001, the Building is designed in Balinese style using " PARAS" stone , the Balinese volcanic stone found locally combine with Palimanan Stone imported from Java. - Family Room is designed to accomodate families together in one room comfortably, equipped with one double bed and 2 single beds.

Ramayana Resort & Spa
Jl. Bakung Sari,
Kuta P.O. Box 3334 Denpasar,
Bali-Indonesia.
Phone : +62361751864
Fax : +62361751866
Email :
reservation@ramayanahotel.com
sales@ramayanahotel.com
centralreservation@ramayanahotel.com
Website : http://www.ramayanahotel.com/

Inna Kuta Beach the Bali Hotel Bali Vacation & Bali Spa

2007-06-01T16:44:00.000+07:00

DISTANCE TO HOTEL

From Bandara Ngurah Rai International Airport just 3 miles 10 minutes by Car
From Denpasar just 6 miles 20 minutes by Car

Recreation Facilities :
- 2 outdoor Swimming Pools including 1 Kiddy Pool
- A Tennis Court
- Spa & Massage Treatment
- Children Playground
- Giant Chess

Services & Facilities :
- Airport Shuttle
- Baby Sitting & Baby Cots
- Safety Deposit Boxes
- Manager on Duty 24 hours
- Money Changer
- Laundry & Dry Cleaning Valet Service
- 24 hours Clinic & Doctor on call
- Taxi & Tour Desk
- Shopping Arcade

Restaurants & Bars :

- Mentari Grill Beach Restaurant Located overlooking to the beach, enjoy dining by the beach with its beautiful sunset on the famous white sandy beach of Kuta offering choices of Fresh Grilled Seafood, Italian or Mexican Cuisine from the experts. Opens daily for Lunch & Dinner.

- Putri Duyung Coffee Shop Opens 24 hours for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, it serves a large variety of International Dishes and Indonesian Specialties.

- Kedaton Lobby Bar Welcomes guest for drinks with Live Music Entertainment or Karaoke at Lobby.

- Sunken Pool Bar Relaxed drinks & cocktails at the main swimming pool while enjoying sunset view.

- 24 hours Room Service

INNA KUTA BEACH
Jl. Pantai Kuta 1, Kuta PO.Box 3393,
Denpasar 80361 Bali - Indonesia
Phone: 62-361-751361
Fax : 62-361-751362
Email : marketing@innakutabeach.com
website : http://www.innakutabeach.com/

Bounty Hotel The Bali Hotel Location in Kuta

2007-05-31T20:09:00.000+07:00

Location :

* Kuta - Bali, Indonesia

* 15 minute drive from airport

* 2 minute walk to beach

* 2 minute walk to Legian shops

Room Facilities:

* Air Conditioning

* Bounty hotel Private Bathroom (hot water)

* Bounty hotel Private Balcony

* Bounty hotel International TV (6 channels)

* Bounty hotel Local TV

* Bounty hotel In House Movies (free)

* Bounty hotel IDD Telephone

Guest Services:

* Laundry and Dry Cleaning

* Bounty hotel Taxi On Call

* Bounty hotel Currency Exchange

* Bounty hotel Safety Deposit Box

* Bounty hotel Doctor On Call

* Bounty hotel In House Massages

* bounty hotel Tour Desk

Hotel Facilities :

* Central Sunken Pool Bar

(open 24 hours)

* The Bali Bounty hotel East Wing Sunken Pool Bar

(open 6:30am - 10:00pm)

* Bali Bounty hotel Restaurant, open 24 hours

* Bali Bounty hotel Room Service, open 24 hours

Hotel Name : The Bounty Hotel
Address : Jl. Segara Bolong No 18 Kuta - Bali Indonesia
Phone : (62-361) 753 030
Fax : (62-361) 752 121
E-mail : rsvn@bountyhotel.com
Website : www.bountyhotel.com

Three Bali Hotels Honored in World Travel Awards

2007-05-31T20:07:00.000+07:00

Established in 1993 to track and reward quality in the fast developing travel industry, The World Travel Awards calls on tens of thousands of travel professionals from around the world to vote for their favorite travel companies.

Nominations for finalists are based on voting in the preceding year with trophies awarded in all areas of the industry. Travel agents from over 200 countries vote for their favorites, broken down by geographical area and industry sector. Hundreds of thousands of votes are cast on line ending with the eagerly awaited list of winners hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "Travel Industry's equivalent to the Oscars."

While a complete list of the World Travel Awards 2006 winners is available via the link provided, here's quick list of the Bali hotels who distinguished themselves in the 2006 awards.

Bali has been Ranked No. 1 World's Best Island

2007-05-31T20:02:00.000+07:00

Bali has been ranked No. 1 World’s Best Islands by readers from Travel and Leisure Magazine. This is the 11th annual poll by the magazine and it is the fifth time that Bali has won first place in the Island category.

Bali was closely followed by Kauai and Maui in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. The poll was taken in early 2006 by readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine and judged based on natural attractions, activities, restaurants, people and value.

Other winners include Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Mount Desert Island in Maine, Tasmaniz, Hawaii, Galapagos Islands, Santorini and Phuket in Thailand.

How To Pick the Airline to Fly to Bali ?

2007-05-31T19:58:00.000+07:00

Airline tickets vary in prices and conditions and more than one airline can bring you to Bali.

The big difference between the airlines are in the route they take and from whom you will purchase the ticket from.

Since routes are changing quite often, it makes sense to ask an agent about your particular flight, chances are they know or can find out. Experiences tell it's still 50% uncertainty left after they advice you, because schedules change faster than the normal travel agent can keep up with.

Many times the cheapest tickets involve the most stop overs en route, so it actually makes sense to pay a bit more to have a shorter flight. My personal experiences only cover exit airports in Europe like Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London. Here there are at times huge differences among the airlines.

Thai Airways had always those lengthy 4 hour transits in Bangkok that made the flight to Bali about 18 hours long, Garuda stopped a lot at different airports to make sure the plane was always packed full - a 21 hours trip, ouch!
Really convincing was only Singapore Airlines, nonstop to Singapore, after 45 minutes transit straight to Bali. 14 hours after leaving Amsterdam we finally reached Balinese soil.

Interesting can also be Quantas flights going to Australia that have a stop in Bali. As I said it depends where you fly from and how much you are prepared to pay for the ticket. Best is always a nonstop flight, nonstop Singapore is fine too. Be aware that a "direct" flight is not necessarily also a nonstop flight.

Boutique Hotels in Bali

2007-05-31T19:56:00.001+07:00

The basic idea is to combine the conveniences of a five-star resort with the cultural richness of a Balinese private home.

Over the years this type of accommodation has increased vastly in popularity with travelers looking for something special and exclusive.

The difference between large hotel chains and Boutique hotels is that they don't provide 100's of rooms but instead secluded luxury in small and intimate resorts.

A "home away from home" is a bit a stressed expression, but it describes quite accurately what you may find. A really private space in a total different location, thousands of miles away from home.

All amenities are usually provided in these resorts to make you feel comfortable. Individual service with a personal touch makes all the difference, and a villa with an selection of things you don't want to miss like sound system and satellite TV, several cozy in- and outdoor areas for relaxation, and refreshingly different styled bathrooms surely add to the ingredients to make you enjoy your stay.

Some icing on the cake may be a private jacuzzi, plunge or swimming pool. What would be life in the tropics without it.

A resort in Ubud was ahead of its time and has been copied by new ones a few times since then. It's the Pita Maha, build by a member of the Royal family of Ubud. The concept of a river view resort with spa is taken from the Tjampuhan hotel and refined with adding more privacy by establishing a exclusive luxury villa concept. More about this resort later.

On the ocean side it was Four Seasons in Jimbaran who first successfully introduced the private villas concept within a hotel. Of course they also went to Ubud to build The Four Seasons Sayan. Overlooking the Ayung river it became too small for the demand recently, new villas have been added in the second stage.

The leading resorts in this field try to accomplish a secluded setting of each villa, permitting undisturbed outdoor life with outdoor dining areas. So life within nature can be experienced in Bali style. Some of the villas have outdoor bathrooms and private plunge pools.

Many known hotels and resorts are renovating and redesigning themselves to follow this trend. Alam Kul Kul in Legian added boutique elements, The Villas in Seminyak are a good example to fully mature this concept, all villas have a private swimming pool and offer the privacy and seclusion needed.

In Jimbaran the Pansea is a strong contender, and must be booked early. The negative side of Boutique resorts is really the limited availability of rooms. It seems that a few years back the success of small high end resorts wasn't guaranteed, some of them are maybe build a bit too small.

Now the situation is very much different, travelers looking for that special place to spend a vacation, and are willing to pay for the extra luxury. The Ubud area is leading the way with resorts such as Kamandalu Resort, Kupu Kupu Barong, The Chedi or the Natura Resort, one of the latest and most convincing additions.

Pita Maha Resort, the unofficial leader of the trend is establishing a second resort to stay on top of the wave. By end of this year, Pita Maha 2 will open its gates with an increased size of about 80 villas. The reality will show if the intimacy of the original Pita Maha resort with its 24 villas can be preserved.

Sunset Dinner at Jimbaran Beach

2007-05-30T08:46:00.000+07:00

Jimbaran beach is stretching between the barren limestone hill to the south and Kedonganan beach near the international airport on the north. This white beach is so tranquil and just the right place for relaxing in the afternoon while waiting for the sunset. It has been more known after the presence of five-star and luxury hotels since the beginning of the 1990s. Suddenly it was on everyone's lips.

The new arising tourist resorts at Jimbaran now have more option to dine out. Along the Jimbaran to Kedonganan Beach there are many cafes operated by local people. It is something like night markets where visitors can choose a wide range of seafoods. Nearly all cafes provide special seafood menus with local recipes or combination with the western one. Fish is supplied by a nearby fishermen village at Kedonganan. Some vendors there still sell their fish until to the afternoon.

When the west horizon turns yellowish red, the cafes spread their colorful chairs on the sand overlooking the beach. Slowly the activity on the beach reduces, while other activities begin at cafes. And when the night arrives, it starts getting to be romantic. Candle lights and live musicians enhancing the atmosphere. There are many small and big jukungs that are ready to sail and will become an artistic background for your dinner.

The shining stars in the sky, candle-like lights from the resorts on the hill and the spotlight from the airport has changed Jimbaran Beach to something like a celebration night. Taste the grilled fish on the sand of a open-air beachfront café and enrich your dining experience with one not usually available at 5 star hotels . You can choose the kind and size of fish and other seafood yourself. The local characteristic of the recipe is that grilled fish is topped with Balinese raw spices (basa matah). It is then traditionally accompanied with stir-fried water spinach and white steamed rice.

Only a ten-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, also easily reachable from Kuta or Nusa Dua by inexpensive taxis. Always worth a visit.

The Temple at Besakih

2007-05-30T08:39:00.000+07:00

Having discussed the existence of seven mandalas (stairs) of Penataran Agung Temple at Besakih (read Volume VII, numbers 3-19) it’s the turn to deal with the existence of 20 temple complexes that sit on the slopes of Mount Agung. The 20 temples are also known as the complexs of Besakih Temple. Other than this complex, there is a number of padharman temples, however, they are not categorized into the complex of Besakih Temple.

Among the 20 temples on the slopes of Mount Agung, first things first that will be discussed is the Pesimpangan Temple located some 2 km to the west—some may consider it to be in the south—of Penataran Agung Temple at Besakih. Difference views of direction seems to be merely caused by ‘the feeling’ so it does not accord to that based on the compass.

Complex of Pesimpangan Temple is very cramped. Its building is really unembellished consisting of principal pelinggih (holy shrine) called Gedong Limas Catu, Pepelik (a pavilion to place oblations as a part of sacrificial offerings), Bebaturan (lingam-like shrine) and Piyasan Pavilion (larger pavilion as a place for the offerings). Other than those buildings, there are still some other inconspicuous stone relics, as their surfaces have decayed. Such stones may be the remains of sanctum originating from megalithic periods (relic of worshiping paraphernalia of Saiva Pasupata sect’s period that was more influential before the emergence of Saiva Siddhanta sect).

Though the Saiva Pasupata sect does not exist any longer, the Siddhanta Sivaites does not want to remove these paraphernalia relics, as it is a representation found on some bebaturans at the complex of Besakih Temple. Worshiping paraphernalia of the Saiva Pasupata sect does not come to be the premier element in the Saiva Siddhanta cult, but it is sustainably appreciated so it is not destroyed or treated improperly.
Gedong Limas Catu constitutes the leading shrine at Pesimpangan Temple functions as pesimpangan (ephemeral abode for Ida Bhatara/God’s divine light at Besakih).

Probably, there is one amongst us that would like to rise the question, why there is ephemeral abode called Pesimpangan Temple at the complex of Besakih Temple?
In regular religious rite activities at Besakih Temple, there is a ritual procession called melasti. This procession represents the passage of devas (God’s manifestation) to Batu Klotok Temple at the southern beach of Klungkung Regency, to Tegal Suci and Toya Sah. These three temples become destinations of melasti procession every year.
As soon as the procession arrives back, it does not proceed straight to Besakih Temple, but takes a short break (for some hours) at Pesimpangan Temple.

On this break, the Gedong Limas Catu shrine at Pesimpangan Temple is symbolized as ephemeral abode of Ida Bhatara at Besakih. The word pesimpangan is derived from Balinese word simpang that means ‘coming by’ for a while. So, Pesimpangan Temple conveys a stopover point of Ida Bhatara (divine symbol) of Penataran Agung Temple Besakih. On the return of the procession to the origin temple, most of the time is presented oblations of which scale greatly depends on the scale of the ritual. If the ceremony held is in a large scale so the oblation will also be more prodigious. To prepare the oblations will take time. Therefore, the return procession of melasti takes stopover time for a while at Pesimpangan Temple.

In the earliest period, before the existence of sophisticated communication and transportation means as those of today, it was difficult to know whether the welcoming preparation of the procession had been ready or not at Besakih Temple. At that time, the only indication that the procession had come close to Penataran Agung Temple at Besakih was the sound of gamelan.

It is said that when the melasti procession had arrived at Pesimpangan Temple, the strings of gamelan ensemble was clearly heard from Penataran Agung. If the sound of gamelan was heard so everything pertaining to the reception of the arrival of melasti procession can be commenced. After a short pause at Pesimpangan Temple, the melasti procession then resumed to Penataran Agung Besakih. As soon as they arrived at Penataran Agung any ritual paraphernalia prepared for the reception had been well completed.

The most exciting thing at Pesimpangan Temple is the design of Limas Catu shrine. Every Merajan Gede (family temple as worshiping place to ancestral soul), in general, has Limas Catu shrine locating on the right side of Gedong Pertiwi shrine. Limas Catu at Merajan Temple also constitutes a sojourn of Bhatara of Mount Agung at Besakih. While, on the left side of Gedong Pertiwi shrine lies Gedong Limas Mujung representing the sojourn of Ida Bhatara of Mount Batur.

The architectural design of Limas Catu and Limas Mujung are commonly the same. If they have distinction, it may be seen on their rooftops—that of Limas Catu has a conical shape made of palm fibre while that of Limas Mujung is made of clay.
Besakih and Batur Temple constitute Kahyangan Jagat Temple that is categorized into Rwa Bhineda Temple. The latter functions as medium to venerate God to invoke corporeal and spiritual balance. In the meantime, at Besakih Temple is to appeal for bliss of spiritual life, and at Batur Temple for bliss of corporeal life.

So, the purpose of ancestral worship at Merajan Gedong Pertiwi is also to invoke the ancestral soul to encourage the veneration to God for the sake of establishing life prosperity of both corporeal and spiritual. Accordingly, there are Pesimpangan Besakih and Batur shrines in the form of Limas Catu and Limas Mujung.

Bali, the Island of Thousand Temples

2007-05-30T08:36:00.000+07:00

One of the nicknames given to the Island of Bali is the Island of Thousand Temples. This nickname is indeed true, as this island is confined by thousands of temples occurring at the fringe of the beach and hundreds of others at the mountain ranges.

In the meantime, a single village in Bali is not entitled to hold the name of customary village if it does not have at least three temples or puras encompassing the Pura Desa, Pura Puseh and Pura Dalem. These three temples are the essential requirement of the establishment of a Customary Village in Bali.

Apart from the three temples as mentioned above, there are some other temples having non-identical function. For instance, the Melanting Temple, as a sanctum to worship the Goddess Melanting, is mostly used by traders. So is the Subak Temple worshipped by local farmers because this temple represents the venerating symbol of the Goddess Sri ruling the fertility and prosperity. It is not unusual, that when farmers are engulfed by water shortage to irrigate their rice field, they will hold a ritual of rain invocation at the Subak Temple in order to be blessed with abundant water by Hyang Widhi (God).

Here, the current issue of Bali Travel News features the theme of great temples spreading out in all regencies and city across Bali. For details, simply read this edition!

Bali Clubbing and Nightlife

2007-05-30T08:32:00.000+07:00

The Bali-nightlife is mainly focused on Kuta and Semyniak. The first one with its main road the Jalan Legian, these days world famous because of the bombings, is meeting point for tourists and backpackers from all over the world and thus offers a music mix, which you can consider to be mainstream.

Lets begin with the “Bounty”, the outside similar to an old wooden ship, the atmosphere similar to the “Ballermann” and a Karaoke-stage in the front which is to be frequented not only by the Japanese. The music played is a mix of the top 100 charts of the last five years that makes the topless Australian surfer dance.....

A thing the “Bounty” has in common with the “Mbargo”, another Club to be found in Jalan Legian, is the entrance fee only locals have to pay. The music is more focused on “blackbeat”, but the later it gets, the worse gets the music. It happens quite often that you are thrown out with electro sounds in order to be in the right mood of going to another club owned by the same guy, the “double six club”, which I will tackle later.

Between “Mbargo” and “Bounty” you can find the “Apache”, that is the one Reggae Bar to be found on Bali. All the times I have been in there it was not crowded at all, but the drinks are very cheap and the music different and sometimes even good.

On the opposite site of the “Mbargo”, but still the Jalan Legian, you will find the “Fuel”, a thing that cannot decide itself what it wants to be. The subtitle is “Eat, drink and groove”, but the food was cancelled, due to too little customers and often the music is anything else but groovy as it is mainly frequented by locals that like to listen to harder sounds, before they go to other clubs.

On the way to Jalan 66 you may pass by at the “Wave Club”, that combines a space interior with rock music. Maybe due to that divergence I have never seen this club crowded, but you may listen to some good live music there.

Arrived in Jalan 66 you may have a look at “Dejavu”, “66” and the “Paparazzi”, all world class clubs. As I was there in the off season, the “Dejavu” was dressed in black light and prostitutes, looking to the beach with its open front. Famous may be the silver female robot statue, that devides the dance floor. The music is house in all sub genres. You will listen to minimal but also funky vocal house. The sound is quite good and the people dance, which may be a result of the drugs they take.

The “Paparazzi” is a new club aiming at the upper class Ex-Pats and Locals. Thus long trousers and a full wallet are necessary. The prevailing music is house, sometimes funky, sometimes deeper and again dependent on the audience. In my opinion the “Paparazzi” is one of the most beautiful clubs in Bali with a nice and friendly atmosphere, a pity that the drinks are quite expensive.

The “66” is maybe the most popular clubs in South East Asia, which is for sure not due to the interior, as it looks similar to a huuuuge bamboo hut with swimmingpool and Bungy-Tower, but to the excellent marketing, the very good reputation and the marvelous sound system. But do not come too early, because the “Double Six” is getting crowded at 3 o´clock, if you are lucky. But than 1000 people are to be found dancing to very progressive and trance sounds. Many of them might be on drugs or prostitutes. Be aware of the Ladyboys, that make up to 40% of them.

The three last mentioned clubs are frequented by international top acts in the main season and guarantee a lot of fun!

The next street, the Jalan Dyana Pura, is usually crowded with the gay community, that knows how to party. Drag queen contests, motto parties and a huge amount of nice bars and clubs (“Kudos” and “Q-bar”…) assure that the evening will not be boring at all. Women are let alone, while the men may be chat up, thus an unusual experience for both sexes. It is to say that “Kudos” hosts the most advanced sound system and DJ-equipment on the whole island and you can really hear the difference.

Going back by foot you will pass the “Bar Bahiana” that tempts with latino sounds, a nice warm atmosphere, a lot of Italian and Spanish people and maybe the best cocktails in town. Some days in a week, there are offered Salsa and Meringue lessons and live percussion, which will make you sweat and enjoy the evening!

Last but not least is to mention the “Hu´u Bar”, a very nice pre-clubbing facility dedicated to the upper class Ex-Pat community, as well. The interior is stylish and as clean as in Singapore, as the management is Singaporean. The music is normally dance classics and oldies accompanied with live percussion. The later the evening, the more house is to be played but you can be sure that Dj Johnny is choosing the tunes that make you dance. A disadvantage may be the first cover charge at weekends. All customers have to pay about 10€ to enter the “Hu´u Bar”. Overall a nice place to go and to meet a lot of exciting people, but think of a full wallet.

Postscript:
The Hardrock-Hotel offers next to the biggest Swimming-Area a respectable mix of live bands and top acts that are not only known in Indonesia. The music is Rock. The atmosphere is nice and friendly.

The “Kamasutra” may be the most expensive clubbing facility on Bali offering international known top acts and really good and loud live music. The interior is very nice, the atmosphere very good and it is always packed. “Kamasutra” is a place to start the clubbing and spend a lot of money for good drinks.

Dives like the “Skandals” and other strange Karaoke-Bars where drugs are consumed in the same amount as drinks better leave out and do not support this kind of business.

The “DJ-Café”, the post clubbing place if you want to go to some other place when even the double six is closed is a dark place with a brilliant sound and nice people and the latest music concerning electronica and deep house. If you are not tired, this is the place to go..

I recommend everyone who is coming to Bali to get the Beat magazine, the event and clubbing guide for Bali, which is for free. Club names and places change quite fast and I cannot guarantee the topicality of my report. You may find a lot of different smaller and nice places as well. I could not go everywhere! Check out “Kudeta” and “Gaydeta”, really nice places for sunset lovers. In the main season it may be very different as well, other clubs may be more crowded and thus more attractive to visit.

Breathtaking Vista in Bali

2007-05-30T08:29:00.000+07:00

Uluwatu Resort is the place you must go to revitalize your spirit, open your eyes wide, and invigorate your mind. The view from my bungalow tantalizes me I can’t leave it. It’s the perfect place to take a nap, a swim, a walk, eat lunch, or get married. Romance swirls through the air after all the weddings here and who wouldn’t want to exchange vows on the southwestern most tip of Bali looking out over the Indian Ocean - a breeze gently blowing through the air. And they have internet access, body treatments, a secluded pool, and a superb garden all nestled in to this cliffside dwelling for lovers, artists, explorers, and surfers.

There is an international flavor here with guests from South Africa, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Hawaii, Australia, and the USA. They keep coming year after year.

If you can tear yourself away from the resort and the luscious food served in the restaurant — take the steps down to the beach that is carved out of coral at the bottom of the mountain. Caves and waves await you. As well as several warungs and surfers who know the score - these curls are gorgeous to look at even without surfing them.

Back up the hill stop at the new meditation room looking out over the delicious view of the ocean and feel the sacred energy from the huge hunk of coral it hugs.

I wanted to move in.

As if that isn’t enough, you can go to the water temple and see dances at night and visit Padang Beach and Dreamland too.

You will come away relaxed, happy, and replenished. Take a week or two - have a honeymoon or a second one - or start writing that book here - the bungalows are scrumptious - airy and full of light with high sloped Balinese ceilings soaring over your head as you are lulled to sleep every night by the ocean’s pounding surf. It’s like Big Sur California combined with Cinque Terre in Italy with a dash of Balinese jungle and a riot of orchids thrown in. I’m going back for more as soon as I can.

Mary Bartnikowski is the author of a book of essays, “Everyday Naked” available from Amazon. She is a professional photographer in Palo Alto, California.

Bali A Great Place to Do Business

2007-05-29T10:32:00.000+07:00

When you think of Bali, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, the very name of the island evokes images of a peaceful tropical paradise where world-weary travellers come to relax and play far from the pressures of the modern world. But if you think of Bali as just a vacation spot, you might want to think again. Bali is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best places around to host business meetings and conventions.

The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali Bali offers executive class accommodations, meticulous service and professional organizational and support expertise your business demands. Whether it’s a convention for a thousand or an intimate get together for a few key personnel, you will find your expectations not merely met but exceeded. And when the day’s work is done, there’s no better place to unwind than in the luxury of Bali’s legendary attractions. In the mood for a round of golf? Bali boasts a course named one of the world’s top ten.

Searching for something more adventurous? Bali has it all, from bungee jumping to white water rafting, from mountain treks and climbs to surfing, sailing and some of the best diving anywhere. Just looking to get away from all your worldly worries? Bali offers the ultimate in grace and tranquility at its five star resorts and boutique hotels, where nothing less than perfection is the standard of service. And for those seeking a truly special experience, Bali’s world-renowned spas blend the best of modern technology with ancient secrets to create treatments that bring mind and body, senses and spirit back into alignment, revitalizing you for another round of business.

Worried that the office number crunchers will raise eyebrows when they hear your plans to hold your next meeting on the paradise island? Reassure them with some facts. Bali is a surprisingly affordable place to do business, with rooms, meeting space and business services available at a fraction of the cost of comparable facilities elsewhere. And with exchange rates still quite favorable to Western travellers, your company could save quite a bit. Not only cost but quality is drawing more and more business people to Bali. The island boasts more international standard hotels than anywhere else in the region, and an infrastructure that offers the best in modern technology. Bali provides world class phone, fax, cellular and Internet communications, and professional support services guaranteed to meet your demanding expectations. The next time you think business, think Bali! You’ll be making the smart choice.

Can the “Real Bali” be Saved?

2007-05-29T10:30:00.000+07:00

For those of you visiting Bali for the first time, welcome and enjoy yourselves to the absolute maximum! Bali is a marvelous place to have a holiday and I certainly don’t want to scare you off. We need more visitors to come and enjoy the beauty of this magical island. And you will!

But, and there always is a ‘but’ isn’t there, Bali ain’t what it used to be, and is in danger of changing from the “Bali we want it to be” if we are not very, very careful.

Bali, in the minds of millions of tourists and armchair tourists around the world, is the epitome of tropical, exotic travel, where beautiful native girls dance to the hypnotic pounding of gongs in temples and palaces surrounded by lush terraces of paddy fields, and palm trees wave in the gentle breezes as the sunset cocktails are sipped. Idyllic indeed!

The reality is that while that aspect is still (just) available, an absolute army of developers, traders, retailers, restauranters and industrialists are doing everything they can to dig up pristine Bali while still using the exotic Bali image they are destroying to sell their wares! And it’s happening quickly.

Just 25 years ago Bali was still the green, lush island that we (or at least I) want it to be. Now it’s disappearing behind a mass of billboards, shop houses, high rise malls, villa developments (with 20m high walls), and it seems we are powerless to stop it. Why?

It appears that even at the highest levels there is no connection between the preservation (never mind protection, enhancement, and improvement) of the tourism product and the every day unplanned development that continues unabated.

Bali, after two sad and meaningless bombings, has lost much of its appeal in the tourist markets of the world and arrivals are at a very low ebb. Does that mean the authorities take a long hard look at what the island has become and start to put things right? It seems not. The building of ‘rukos’ (shop houses) continues unabated, the proliferation of incredibly unsightly billboards accelerates, the destruction of beautiful farmland for ‘un-necessary’ housing rockets forward, and roads are pushed into fields and immediately lined with low quality buildings (which should be zoned off into industrial estates).

Until now, from Canggu to Jimbaran, from Sanur to Nusa Dua, there is hardly a visible trace of ‘Bali’: only buildings, workshops, showrooms, factories, billboards, and offices. All of them ‘businesses’ that depend on having a dynamic, desired tourism product called Bali

Yet there are regulations, which I believe still exist, that say every building must reflect Balinese culture and tradition, that no building should be higher than a coconut tree, and that all buildings and developments should respect Balinese traditions and community needs first. This simply is not being enforced at all and in my opinion presents more danger to the future of Bali tourism than the threat of terrorism ever will.

There are millions of sea, sand and sun, fun, food, and frolic destinations around the world, cheaper and closer to main markets and with little to distinguish them except the price and the temperature. This is not what Bali should be, but as we watch and do nothing that’s what it is turning into—quickly.

Bali is, and must always be, a place where tradition should take precedence over development, where culture must take the nod over shopping, where nature must win over malls, where gamelan gets the license not discos, where not one more square meter of productive, beautiful paddy field is turned into villas.

If not, we’ll be sitting here in 10 years time with a million villas, all of them bought by people “looking for Bali” and finding nothing but fast food, malls, traffic jams, discos, restaurants, more shops, more offices and more motorbikes than they left behind in the ‘industrialized’ west.

Does anyone care? I hope so, and that as millions of dollars are being spent to lure people back to Bali, equal amounts of money –or at least energy– can be spent preserving the beauty, tradition, culture and heritage of this marvelous and irreplaceable island. Because once it’s gone, we won’t get it back.

Drinking in Bali

2007-05-29T10:27:00.000+07:00

Every culture has their way of drinking, there even rules for drinking, Balinese also has a way in drinking, especially for traditional liquors- Tuak and Arak. Tuak is a sweet wine made from the coconut palm flower, while Arak is strong liquors distilled from tuak. For Balinese drink liquors is men prerogative.

In old days there is no woman drinks arak or tuak but with the passing of the time women start to drink tuak but never arak (too strong for woman) it is not discrimination, Balinese believe that arak is dangerous for womb. Women usually drink tuak secretly or in house compound not in public (warung stalls, on the road side, or balai banjar/sub village public hall) as men do.

Drinking for Balinese is usually for recreational purposes. We drink to strengthen the friendship among friends and to make a friend among strangers. There is an old saying among teenagers, it runs “cigarette and liquors are tools for making friends. It is common for Balinese to invite a stranger to join a “drink circle”. (We usually sit in a circle while drinking).We seldom drink for stress relieving purpose or Drink for Drunk (drink for the sake of getting drunk) drinking for recreational purpose can be a very creative way of drinking. Balinese usually sing while drinking, this habit originated genjek tradition.

Genjek is a traditional form of singing in which a group of men (usually 6 to12) sitting in a circle, some of them singing, while the rest of them imitating the sound of musical instruments. The songs are mainly about love and everyday life. Genjek is usually performed in wedding ceremony. The genjek performers have to be half drunk before the show begin. It is believed that the quality of the song depends on the level of intoxication of the performers. High level of intoxication means a high quality song.

In drinking Balinese have a certain code of conduct such as an offering of small quantity of liquor have to be made before Balinese start to drink. We usually pour a small amount of drink on the ground or floor in order to pacify bhuta kala (negative nature force) so it will not disturb the drinking activity. The way of drinking tuak is slightly different with arak. In drinking tuak every participant has his own kélé (a mug made of bamboo) and uses it privately. While in drinking arak we use only one small glass for all the participants, we drink in turn. An exception is made when someone from higher caste (Brahmana, Ksatrya, or Weysya) join the circle, an offer to use a private glass have to be made. An offer for private glass is a sign of respect for him. We welcome him into the circle whether he use private glass or not. An offer to taste a glass of arak for passing stranger is often made. If you want it, do not hesitate take it as soon as it is offered. Say thank you if you do not want to join the circle. If you want to join the circle, ask for it after you finish the offered drink. If you do not want to taste the offered liquor, refuse it with a good reason. Medical or religious prohibition is the best excuse.

In eastern part of Bali, tuak is a substitution for water. An offer of drinking tuak is a part of politeness there. It is considered to be impolite to turn down the offer without a proper apology and a good reason. Again, Medical or religious prohibition is a preferred excuse to hear by the host. But accepting the offer will be a perfect way to interact with the community.

Arak - distilled, colorless, fiery palm or rice brandy distilled from tuak; the fermented milk of the coconut or lontar palm.

Restaurants of Bali

2007-05-29T10:19:00.001+07:00

Your visit to Bali is not complete unless you also partake in a delightful gastronomical tour of the food and fruit of Bali. In fact, the multitude of sensations titillating your taste buds and olfactory senses upon seeing, smelling, and eating Balinese food and fruit should be enough of a reason to visit Bali. Wouldn't you say so? Or, if you want to try Indonesian food before your trip or to relive your experience, in your own kitchen, here are some recipes to assist you.

And these restaurants or restaurants at the various hotels will gladly assist you in your gastronomical adventure.

* Kin Khao Restaurant: Offers the choice of fine dining downstairs in air condition comfort or upstairs which is open air or garden side at the front and offer a unique thai styyle BBQ also steamboat (hot pot), fine dining.
* Taman Sari Cottages Bar and Restaurant: All kind of beverages are served in one multi functions bar. We serve many kinds of beverages such as juice, soft drink, beer, spirits, cocktails and long drink. It is only 300 metres from the famous white sandy Kuta Beach area

* Paradise UN'S Restaurant: We serve a selection of European dishes. You will be treated to refined European cuisine and Indonesian specialties, and will spend an unforgettable evening in romantic candlelight.
* Arak Bali Restaurant & Pub: Fun dining with live entertainment in Nusa Dua. Print the homepage for DISCOUNTS!
* Bali Bamboo Restaurant and Guest House: Offering Balinese special gourmet dishes (like Balinese Smoked Duck) in a comfortable Ubud setting.
* Crusoes Restaurant :CRUSOES Grill, Restaurant & Bar is Beach Front Restaurant at jalan double six-Seminyak, which open for Dinner and Supper daily.
* Fabio's: The restaurant that serve original Italian food and dishes which is well know as "FABIO'S Ristorante Italiano Enoteca". The restaurant is located at Jl. Raya Seminyak No. 66 Kuta Bali.

* New Café Luna: Since 1986 New Café Luna has considered among Kuta & Legian Top Place to go, and have a great experience there is always something happening at New Café Luna.
* Santa Fe Bar and Grill: is the first café in Jl. Abimanyu No. 11A (former known as Jl. Dhyanapura) Seminyak, Kuta, Bali. It was established on October 2, 1993 and opens for 24 hours a day.
* Teba Cafe: There's nothing better than Teba Café, if you want to taste real Balinese seafood cuisine. Located on Jimbaran Beach, just before Four Season Resort, and just five minutes from International Airport. You can even see them take off.
* Uluwatu Cafe: Uluwatu cafe it is located at the beautiful sunset and white sand between four season resort and Denpasar airport. The cafe are not so far from kuta, sanur and nusa dua area. SO it's very easy to have lunch or dinner from your stay.
* Warung Mina: romantic evening atmosphere you will find at Warung Mina where you can enjoy the freshest seafood served by friendly staff and cooked traditionally, all grilled seafood is served with rice, Vegetables, Boiled Potatoes, Special Sauce and Slice Fresh Fruits Dessert.
* R.aja's Bar & Restaurants: Step forward to the hustle of Kuta, into a world of pleasure & exotic.Relax in the bar with an exclusive range of selected international and Indonesian cuisines, wines and cocktails.

Bali "Good Place to Go"

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Bali, the tropical paradise, is a main tourist destination. Bali's rich cultural heritage has been explored and exposed by many Western visitors since 1930s. Among these Westerners were Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, Carlie Chaplin and Noël Coward. These Westerners contributed largely to the development of paintings and arts in general. Furthermore, they popularized Bali.

Volcanic lakes, white sandy beaches, spectacular rice terraces and the splendour of ancient temples and palaces have enriched Bali. Here you can find many water sports activities (snorkelling, diving, kayaking, etc.), adventurous sports (hiking, climbing, trekking, etc.) and other exciting activities.

Regular temple ceremonies, dance performances and wedding ceremonies can be found easily in Bali. Yet Bali has more than just cultural heritage, travellers will find many enchanting places to explore.

Bali Wedding for Romantic Honeymoon

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Bali Wedding Paradise

Getting married is one of the most important events in the life of most people. Both the bride and groom hope to keep an unforgettable memory of this day. Therefore, many marriages are celebrated in unusual ways – be it on a beautiful beach, at a luxurious private villa, even with ceremonies under water deep in the ocean with lovely fish and corals around.

According to all popular travel publications, Bali is the most romantic destination on earth to get married. The island's beautiful beaches, tropical scenery, lovely waterfalls, breathtaking sunsets, and the choice of beautiful private villas provide a truly romantic location for your big day.

Wedding in Bali with sunset background.

THE PLACE TO SAY "YES, I DO"

Did you ever think about having a private wedding party just for the two of you? Hear your partner say "I DO" in romantic and beautiful surroundings, either on a white-sandy beach under blue sky, on a private yacht, diving deep in the ocean, or on the back of an elephant?
You can have a modern ceremony, a Jungle Elephant arrangement, or a Royal Bali Wedding Ceremony – all great occasions to make your vow. You decide what you want – and we deliver it.

Bali — The Best Background for Photos

Many magazines and movie companies spend a lot of time to visit the island of Bali for shooting because its natural beauty and fascinating culture provide outstanding backgrounds. Even if you cannot avoid having a normal wedding at home, making special wedding photos with beautiful bridal gowns in exotic surroundings will give you unforgettable memories — FOREVER.

Bali Diving

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Bali Diving Location in Tulamben

The Tulamben Bay, a three-quarters of a kilometer, is a rich area. The smooth blue surface of water in this bay arises a romantic sense of us. In other time you may see other views when the sunrise is coming and light the land around, the sea and any boats in the bay. Tulamben is probably best loved, diving area in Bali, and its cobbled beach and black -sand bottom have become familiar to the international diving community. It is the kind of place divers visit for a week or more, exploring the wreck, inshore reef, drop-off and slope.

With the recent addition of the reef of the drop-off, several of which are excellent, Tulamben is now becoming something like a diving region, with a very diverse group of sites just a short walk or boat ride from the many resorts.

Tulamben Bay

The Tulamben Bay is a magical for its quiet, beauty, exotic, rich and as if it is determined by the God to show all the creature of the sea underwater. Tulamben, as if, has everything you have ever imagine of finding out in the sea underwater.
The Liberty Wreck is the favorite dive for most divers in this area, especially for beginners.

The wreck and the area around it are very interesting. Off the bow of the wreck is a steep sand slope carved out by the current sweeping around the wreck. The cover is a patchy reef of sponges, small clumps of whip corals and black corals, and small coral colonies. It is a surprisingly rich area, and worth exploring up close for small commensals. The deep area behind the wreck is similar, and also worth exploring. Seaward of the wreck, in forty meters or more, is where mola-mola and other pelagic fish are sometimes seen.

Batu Kelebit

The basic structure of Batu Kelebit consists of three coral-covered ridges that fan out from the eponymous rocks. Between the ridges are sand channels, and the sand is bright white. The bathymetry is one of the best things about this site. The ridges are steep enough to protect the two channels from both sides, making the inside diveable regardless of the current. And their approximately radiating structure makes it almost impossible to get lost here. The ridges are covered with an extremely diverse growth of hard corals, sponges, gorgonians, black corals and every other encrusting animals it is possible to encounter. Since Batu Kelebit receives deep, offshore water, clarity is generally good, and temperatures are a bit cold. Actually, visibility would be excellent, except that there is almost always planktons in the water, which of course is why the site is so rich. The level od species variety at this site is high. Just be careful at the depth of fifteen to twenty meters at this site, because most big animal such as pelagics like staying at the depth.

Bali Wood and Carving

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Balinese wood carvers are extremely talented and produce thousands of items for the tourist industry. From life size teak figurines, animals and mythical creatures to functional carved wooden furniture. Bali wood carvings are finished in natural wood tones or hand painted with intricate detail and dazzling colors, wood carvings from Bali will amaze and delight you.

Manufacturers and Exporters of High Quality,BALI WOOD CARVING & BALINESE WOOD CARVINGS including Bali Abstract Wood Carvings, Animal Wood-Carving,Wooden Dragons, Carved Wooden Furniture and Buddha Carvings. Your RELIABLE ONE STOP SHOPPING and SHIPPING SOLUTION.

Bali Bras, Panties, Shapewear

2007-05-28T23:39:00.000+07:00

Bali intimate apparel began in 1927. Sara Stein, who worked for a bra manufacturing company,Saw the opportunity to deliver a better garment, a product that would appeal to women, yet be functional in construction and fit. Using a small Singer sewing machine, tucked in the corner of her small Brooklyn apartment, Sara started to sew a different type of brassiere.

Our founder, Sara Stein's, primary concern was quality, fit, performance and comfort. Her husband, Sam, a sales clerk with a well-known Roaring Twenties men's furnishing store, sold these to stores in the area. In 1969, with Sam and Sara nearing retirement, the Hanes Corporation of Winston-Salem, NC acquired the controlling interest in the Bali Brassiere Company.

One decade later Hanes was acquired by Chicago-based Consolidated Foods Company, which in 1985 changed its name to Sara Lee Corporation. Bali, 70 years after its founding, Sara Lee Intimate Apparel, Bali Company, Bali Bra, and Bali Lingerie product lines still adhere to their original concept of designing and manufacturing stylish womens foundation garments, Bali bras, and Bali lingerie.

Consumers worldwide recognize the value and stylish designs offered by Bali bras, Bali tops, Bali panties, Bali shapewear and Bali lingerie, all designed to project a flat silhouette.

The best method to put on Bali Shapewear is similar to the way you put on pantyhose. Gather up the garment from the legs to the waist so the shapewear is only a few inches tall. Step into the legs and pull up. When the bottom is seated correctly at the top of the legs, gradually unroll the shapers over the torso. This method ensures the proper placement of the garment.

Golfing in Bali

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Although this game is not so popular amongst Balinese, it doesn't mean that you cannot find international standard golf courses in this "morning world". And if you did not bring your clubs you can rent a set at any of courses below as well as join their lessons.

Bali Golf and Country Club (BGCC) was named by Fortune magazine as one of the top five best courses in Asia in 1997. That course, together with Nirwana Golf and Country Club and the Bali Handara Kosaido championship courses, put Bali on the world-class golf course map.

Located on the luxury tourist resorts of Nusa Dua, BGCC offers different types of tropical golf course design, providing golf enthusiasts with a world championship 18 hole golf course in a spectacular seaside setting. The Nelson/Wright-designed course ensures playability for all levels of players with multiple tees of a variety of distances. Expert grooming and superb maintenance assures championship playing conditions.

Another treat at BGCC is the amazing variety of birds that have taken "home" around the course's ponds and lakes. The 17th and 18th holes run along the seashore and are dream-like in their perfection. And the 9th, 17th, 18th, and the 19th, (the Clubhouse), favourites for beginners.

Want to take a rest after playing? Have a seat by the outdoor "Bale" bar and enjoy your beverage in fresh air. If you prefer to be indoors, just take a seat at the"Barong" restaurant on the lobby level of the Clubhouse where you can enjoy the Indian Ocean and green garden.

Nirwana Course
Nirwana or nirvana is the name of the newest Golf course in Bali. The Nirwana course was designed by the famous golfer, Greg Norman. This course has 18 challenging holes sitting on Bali's Indian Ocean coast.

This 71 par golf course is one of Asia's most visually spectacular courses with holes carved through rice paddies, over creeks with three holes played along the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean. Friendly female caddies with magical vibrancy from Tanah Lot temple bring nirvana in this earth.

The Nirwana par three 7th has to be one of the most wickedly designed holes in the world. And its Clubhouse is of a standard expected from a fine country club.

Bali Handara Kosaido
Bali Handara Kosaido is the oldest golf course in Bali as well as Indonesia. This is the only golf course in Asia with its location set in extinct volcano. Nestled, 1,142 meters above sea level, northwest of Bali, at Bedugul, the Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club offers a par seventy-two, 6,432-yard eighteen hole championship course surrounded by lush tropical rain forest near vertical crater walls clad in vegetation.

The Handara is a deceptively difficult course. There are plenty of bunkers, lakes and other water hazards to get you into difficulty. But, of course, there's a cold drink waiting for you after you finish.

The greens and gardens are immaculate. Clouds are common in the afternoon, so the morning is the perfect time to start your game here. During the rainy season the course is much cooler than in dry.

Bali Beach

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The island of Bali is blessed with the line of beaches surrounding it.

Sanur
On the southeastern side of Bali, Sanur beach is easily reachable from Denpasar, about a 5 to 10 minute drive. Sanur is an excellent site to watch the sun rises, as you jog along the white sandy beach. Being one of the first resort developed in Bali, Sanur maintains its traditions. Only a stone thrown away from the beach, ancient temples stand as solemn as they have been in centuries past.

Kuta and Legian
Practically on the opposite side of Sanur, the beaches of Kuta and Legian stretch on the southwestern side of Bali, again only about 5 to 10 minute drive from Denpasar or the airport. Surfing is a major activity in these beaches. Shops, Kecak dance performances, pubs, and other facilities make Kuta a tourist mecca.

Jimbaran
Jimbaran is directly south of the airport, on the way from Denpasar towards Nusa Dua. The village of Jimbaran is the narrow neck of the island of Bali, and thus it has two remarkably different beaches. On the west, Jimbaran Beach faces the Jimbaran Bay, recently lined by new luxurious resorts. On the east, the beach faces the body of water sheltered by Benoa Harbor.

Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is a new luxurious resort area where the world's most sumptuous hotels gracefully integrate into the beautiful white beaches. Crystal clear water provides excellent snorkeling and diving site, and the waves on the northern and the southern part of Nusa Dua allow for great surfing opportunity.

Soka Beach
Further northwest from Denpasar, on the way to Gilimanuk, the ferry port town that connects Bali and Java, there is a small quiet beach called Soka Beach.

Medewi Beach
Continuing along the path towards Gilimanuk, near the village of Pulukan, the beach of Medewi is another beautiful beach.

Lovina Beach
Near the northern tip of the island of Bali lies a stretch of villages by the Bali Sea. Lovina Beach is the name. It is well known as an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling, and diving. Night life activities are also abound, as well as chartered boats to go out into the sea. If you like what Kuta offers but do not like the crowd, Lovina Beach is for you.

Bali Adventure

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Bali offers not just various customs but also various "adrenalin pump" parks. Many exciting amusements are available in Bali, with something new opening all time. The number of offshore and inland attraction are on the rise because many tourists want them.

After white water rafting that has gained popularity in Bali, comes offshore rafting or ocean rafting. The more adventurous sort of amusement has now become an alternative sport for tourists. Just try it. Your heart will beat faster, especially when your boat hits two meter-high waves at high speed but even so, just like any other adventure sport, safety is the first priority. Meanwhile white water rafting is still a popular activity with trips on the Ayung, Telaga Waja, Unda rivers, etc. You can refresh your mind by watching beautiful scenery along the route.

If you do not want to push your heart so hard, paradigling is a good choice and an exciting way to see Bali from the air. If wind conditions are right, you can view Bali from a very different perspective. If you are a beginner, a professional instructor will accompany you to ride in tandem. So, there is nothing to worry about.

For people with strong confidence and no heart problems, a must is bungy jumping and slingshot. Slingshot will shoot you up skyward so you can feel like a bullet. Bungy jumping offers you a chance to take the plunge. You can choose your view, wanna Kuta's view (in Kuta) or natural waterfal's view in Gianyar.

For your entire family, Waterbom Park is an excellent day out for adult and children. It offers five different water slides and a lazy river. You can relax by the pool that has underwater music and swim-to bar.

If you want to experience "war in paradise" Fantasy Bali Splat Mas-Jungle Skirmish is the place for you. It is a war game, where the point is to capture your opposing team's flag and kill the enemy with paintballs.

Private Vacation Villas In Bali

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Trained Spa Therapists available whenever needed. Car & Driver from Your Arrival until Departure. Delicious Food prepared by your personal Chef. 24-hour Butler Service to arrange anything you need. Bali Holidays and Vacation Villas in Bali Indonesia

From the moment you arrive in Bali, you'll enjoy the friendly welcome of your private driver, the Balinese house staff, and the comfort and informality of staying in your own villa in Bali. You can relax and totally unwind together with your family in spacious, comfortably furnished living and dining areas. And you'll enjoy the tropical garden and the privacy around your swimming pool (very important for many Asian ladies).

This will be a vacation totally different from staying at impersonal and over-priced "luxury hotels & resorts" – it's an experience you'll never forget!

The European Influence

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The first Dutch seamen set foot on Bali in 1597, yet it wasn't until the 1800's that the Dutch showed an interest in colonizing the island. In 1846, having had large areas of Indonesia under their control since the 1700's, the Dutch government sent the troops into northern Bali. In 1894, Dutch forces sided with the Sasak people of Lombok to defeat their Balinese rulers.

By 1911, all the Balinese principalities had either been defeated in battle, or had capitulated, leaving the whole island under Dutch control. After World War I, Indonesian Nationalist sentiment was rising and in 1928, Bahasa Indonesia was declared the official national language. During World War II, the Dutch were expelled by the Japanese, who occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.

After the Japanese defeat, the Dutch tried to regain control of their former colonies, but on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was declared independent by its first President, Sukarno. After four years of fighting and strong criticism from the international community, the Dutch government finally ceded and, in 1949, Indonesia was recognized as an independent country.

Dreamland Beach

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* Dreamland Villa
* Dreamland Hotel
* Nice for surfing

Recreation List in Bali

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* Kuta Beach
* Sanur Beach
* Nusa Dua and Tanjung benoa Beach
* Sangeh
* Serangan Island
* Elaphant Cave
* Nusa Peninda Island
* Uluwatu Tample
* Kintamani

Goa Gajah – Bali’s Sacred Elephant Cave

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Goa Gajah or the elephant cave is one of Bali’s most historically significant sites of mysterious origin that dates back to the 11th century. The entire site is thought to have been partially destroyed by a natural disaster and lay undetected for centuries before it was rediscovered in 1923 by a team of Dutch archeologists. Surrounded by towering trees and lush green foliage, there is a pervading ambience of serenity that envelopes the entire area. Many feel an overwhelming sense of stepping back in time upon visiting Goa Gajah. Similarly those who come to meditate or worship are calmed by the spiritual essence of the site.

The cave below is reached by climbing down a series of steps. Two traditional bathing pools are decorated by life-size stone carved maidens bearing jugs of sprouting water. The clear cool water here flows from an underground well that is believed to possess magical properties.

The name of the cave is allegedly derived from the name Lwa Gajah (elephant waters) that was inscribed on a series of ancient palm leaf scripts by Mpu Prapanca, a great man of Sanskrit literature in 1365. Lwa Gajah is also the original name of the Petanu River, which flows close to this cultural destination. It is possibly due to this link that the local Balinese found it easier to refer to the area as Goa Gajah or the elephant cave.

The cave itself is decorated with stone relief work showing a demonic face with an open fanged mouth that reveals the entrance. Some scholars say that theoretically the carvings also depict images from the great Hindu epic Mahabarata, which teaches ethics and morality. Inside the cave there are several crevices that are thought to have been secret meditation chambers for either priests or hermits. The cave is actually not that large and forms a T-shape with a statue of Ganesha, a Hindu God of knowledge and wisdom. Lord Ganesha is characterized as an entity with an elephant head and four arms.

According to some old writings that can be found on the eastern wall of the cave’s entrance, this historical site was constructed sometime during the 11th century. A number of artifacts scattered around the cave have been analyzed by experts and support this time frame. Some of the relics such as the lingga (symbols of fertility) and the stone maidens located at the bathing pools have been directly influenced by Hinduism. However, there are also a number of Buddhist elements at the site including a statue of the deity Hariti, the protector of children.

Goa Gajah is located in the western edge of Bedulu village and is just 6-km out of central Ubud. A visit to this ancient site that shows a distinct mix of classical Hindu and Buddhist facets makes a unique stop on any sightseeing itinerary for those who are interested.

Shopping In Bali (2)

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Bali is known as a treasure house of interesting goods to buy. Products of various kinds from traditional antiques to the latest quality fashions in extraordinary displays await the shoppers. It is quite common to bargain in markets, shops and art shops for buyers, so having a good price is partly dependent upon one's smartness in bargaining.

Splendid local hand woven materials, silver and gold works, woodcarvings, garments and many other interesting things can be found at any market, art shop or art market. International standard ready made apparels are quite
inexpensive, while qualified tailors and dress makers offer reliable 24-hours services.

Bargaining forms a large part of the fun of shopping in Bali. Remember to bring your cash, as not all places accept credit cards. Shopping hours are generally from 10am to 10pm.

You'll find that shops selling similar items are generally grouped together. This makes comparing prices easy as you just have to go to the next shop to find the same
thing!

Bali Handicraft Product

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Your one stop source for Bali handicraft products.

Wholesale Bali handicrafts.....

You've come to the right place for quality Bali handicrafts from an Indonesia based wholesale craft supplier. Bali Direct is a well-established manufacturer, wholesaler and exporter of quality Indonesian craft products. Our product range includes all the classic Balinese products like wind chimes, photo albums, stoneware, miniature surfboards, incense, hand crafted terracotta ceramic, candle and incense holders, sarongs, fashion accessories as well as many more handcrafted gift and home ware items from not only Bali but the entire archipelago of Indonesia.
Bali handicrafts, culture, arts and crafts... the connection.

Bali is a dynamic centre of arts, culture, religion and people. What comes out of this is a unique magical blend of mysticism, righteousness, peace, tolerance, creativity and, of course, the famous Balinese friendliness. These very attributes come together and serve as a root for the creation of what has developed and grown into a truly wonderful art and craft industry that Indonesia has become world renowned for.

Indonesian handicrafts in the global market place.....

Hand crafted gifts and arts and crafts from Indonesia have continued to gain in popularity over the years. Bali handicrafts now adorn the homes of millions of consumers the world over. At some time or another, you may have come across a hand crafted item that has caught your eye. Perhaps a melodic bamboo wind chime, or a cute brightly painted cat, maybe a leaf covered photo frame, an elegant wooden sculpture, a hand woven cushion cover. These, and many other such items often originate from right here in Indonesia. Indonesian handicrafts have rightly earned a dominant place in the highly competitive international giftware and furnishings market place. Millions of dollars of handicrafts are now being exported all over the globe annually to gift shops, supermarkets, department stores, wholesalers, importers and distributors. Bali Direct supplies quality Bali handicrafts to such entities and currently exports to at least forty countries all over the globe.

People and empowerment.....

Demand has meant that the Bali handicraft industry has thrived and it now provides employment and business opportunities for quite literally thousands of people. In addition to providing a livelihood for those in the handicraft industry, it has given a big boost to the economy. To truly appreciate how the handicraft industry functions and provides a living for so many people, one has to go off into the hills, far off the beaten track. For it is in the remote villages that you will find the true artisans of all of the handicraft products that Bali has become so famous for. It is here that whole Balinese communities are hard at work turning bits of wood, bamboo, metal, leaves and clay into truly amazing and marketable products. That's real empowerment for you!

Bali handicraft supply....

We draw on the production power of these remote Indonesian communities and provide assistance to manufacturers and artisans in the form of marketing via the internet and through direct promotion campaigns. This helps to keep the handicraft industry alive in Indonesia and provides many of the home industry manufacturers with a channel to sell their arts and craft wares. Many handicraft products that we supply are the creations of the highly skilled artisans mentioned above, but we are also a supplier of our own unique craft items that we have developed with the help of the very same people. Simply put, without them we would not have been able to achieve any of this. To this end, we look forward to continuing our drive to keep supporting the communities of Indonesia by helping them to bring their unique skills and crafts to the world market place.

Come on in and see for yourself all the handicrafts that Indonesia has to offer. You'll be truly amazed!

Bali Culture (2)

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Life in Bali is very communal with the organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for schools, clinics, hospitals and roads, but all other aspects of life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees, whose roots in Balinese culture stretch back centuries. The first, Subak, concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system.

Everyone who owns a sawah, or padi field, must join their local Subak, which then ensures that every member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water. Traditionally, the head of the Subak has his sawah at the very bottom of the hill, so that the water has to pass through every other sawah before reaching his own. The other community organization is the Banjar, which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations, as well as a form of community service known as Gotong Royong.

Most villages have at least one Banjar and all males have to join one when they marry. Banjars, on average, have a membership of between 50 to 100 families and each Banjar has its own meeting place called the Bale Banjar. As well as being used for regular meetings, the Bale (pavilion) is where the local gamelan orchestras and drama groups practice.

Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads.

Birth

The first ceremony of Balinese life takes place even before birth. Another ceremony takes place soon after the birth, during which the afterbirth is buried with appropriate offerings. The first major ceremony takes place halfway through the baby's first Balinese year of 210 days.

Names

Basically the Balinese only have four first names. The first child is Wayan or Putu, the second child is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again.

Childhood

The Balinese certainly love children and they have plenty of them to prove it. Coping with a large family is made much easier by the policy of putting younger children in the care of older ones. After the ceremonies of babyhood come ceremonies marking the stages of childhood and puberty, including the important tooth-filing ceremony.

Marriage

Every Balinese expects to marry and raise a family, and marriage takes places at a comparatively young age. Marriages are not, in general, arranged as they are in many other Asian communities although strict rules apply to marriages between the castes. There are two basic forms of marriage in Bali - mapadik and ngorod. The respectable form, in which the family of the man visit the family of the woman and politely propose that the marriage take place, is mapadik. The Balinese, however, like their fun and often prefer marriage by elopement (ngorod) as the most exciting option. Of course, the Balinese are also a practical people so nobody is too surprised when the young man spirits away his bride-to-be, even if she loudly protests about being kidnapped. The couple go into hiding and somehow the girl's parents, no matter how assiduously they search, never manage to find her. Eventually the couple re-emerge, announce that it is too late to stop them now, the marriage is officially recognized and everybody has had a lot of fun and games. Marriage by elopement has another advantage apart from being exciting and mildly heroic it's cheaper.

The Household

There are many modern Balinese houses, but there are still a great number of traditional Balinese homes. The streets of Ubud; nearly every house will follow the same traditional walled design.

Men & Women

There are certain tasks clearly to be handled by women, and others reserved for men. Social life in Bali is relatively free and easy. In Balinese leisure activities the roles are also sex differentiated. Both men and women dance but only men play the gamelan. Today you do see some women painters, sculptors, and woodcarvers.

Community Life

Balinese have an amazingly active and organized village life. You simply cannot be a faceless nonentity in Bali. You can't help but get to know your neighbors as your life is so entwined and interrelated with theirs.

Death & Cremation

There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it's a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased's home if it's an 'immediate' cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased's spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn't happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. Meanwhile, there's likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed. At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus, this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensure that there are no bits of body left unburned. And where does your soul go after your cremation? Why, to a heaven which is just like Bali!

Nusa Dua

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Crystal clear water and stretches of white sandy beach of Nusa Dua makes Nusa Dua a perfect spot for luxurious resorts to which your exhausted bodies, after a Barong performance at Batubulan and a long climb of the steps of the Mother Temple Besakih, will want to rest. Some of the most sumptuous and luxurious hotels in the world find their home in Nusa Dua Bali. You can relax in the Thalasso spa of the Grand Mirage Resort after a day of surfing or diving. Or you can tee off into the sunset, while watching the gentle waves come from the blue sea and caress the banks surrounding the luscious greens. Tranquil swimming pools under the coconut trees seem to be one with the distant blue sea. Art galleries and numerous shops surround them.

In Bali, Nusa Dua is the place to stay in style.

Bali Culture

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Although there are no artifacts or records dating back to the Stone Age, it is believed that the first settlers on Bali migrated from China around 2500 BC. By the Bronze era, around 300 B.C. quite an evolved culture existed in Bali. The complex system of irrigation and rice production, still in use today, was established around this time.

History is vague for the first few centuries. A number of Hindu artifacts have been found dating back to the 1st century, yet it appears that the main religion, around 500 AD was predominantly Buddhist in influence. A Chinese scholar, Yi-Tsing, in 670 AD reported on a trip to India, that he had visited a Buddhist country called Bali.

It wasn't until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu and Javanese cultures. With the death of his father around AD 1011, the Balinese Prince, Airlanggha, moved to East Java and set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a reciprocation of political and artistic ideas. The old Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits and customs adopted by the cause.

With the death of Airlanggha, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this proved to be short-lived as in 1284, the East Javanese king Kertanegara, conquered Bali and ruled over it from Java. In 1292, Kertanegara was murdered and Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However, in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of Gajah Mada, a general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra and Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire began to collapse and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists and artisans to Bali ensued. For a while Bali flourished and the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali's cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for the Arts, and Bali became the major power of the region, taking control of neighboring Lombok and parts of East Java.

* Dreamland Villa
* Dreamland Hotel
* Nice for surfing

Surfing In Bali

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Surfing and Bali go together like a horse & carriage, meat & potatoes, Seminyak & benchongs. Here’s a short guide to the whole affair.

How it began:
Surfing in Bali began in 1936, when American Bob Koke, a Californian, who had moved from Hawaii, with his wife Louise, opened the Bali Hotel on Kuta Beach. Bob had a long board he had brought with him from Hawaii and the rest was history. Surfing didn’t immediately catch on though and lucky old Bob had all the waves to himself (he had the whole Bukit to himself, only he didn’t know it was there). The 1960’s saw the start of surfers trickling into Bali and after Kim Bradley, Jerry Lopez and others discovered the Bukit peninsula and the other breaks the scene was set.

Why surfing is good in Bali:
Bali is a good place for surfing for a number of reasons. These include warm water, relatively uncrowded breaks, when compared to California and Australia. Bali gets some kind of surf most of the year, there are beach breaks and Kuta and Dreamland and also reef breaks on the rest of the Bukit, including the famous Uluwatu. Bali’s unique geography, means that you can get a selection of left hand breaks on one side of the Bukit, drive for 20 minutes and get another whole selection of right hand breaks. In Lombok, for example, you’d have to ride for 4 hours or more, to get from one side of the island, to the other.

During the dry season, the trade winds favour surfing the western side of the coast, including the breaks on the western Bukit. During the wet season ther tides and winds favour the eastern coast including the eastern Bukit breaks such as Nusa Dua and Sri Lanka.

Surfing regions in Bali:
You could say that there are 4 basic surfing regions in Bali, West Bali (Medewi), South Coast (Canggu, Gado Gado, Padma, Kuta Beach) the Bukit (Bingin, Balangan, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Sri Lanka, East Coast (Ketewel, Keramas), Nusa Lembongan (Playgrounds, Racetracks, Lacerations).

Best surfing breaks in Bali:

The best surfing breaks in Bali as far as performance are Uluwatu which sees good size surf and had 5 breaks. Bingin, which has a short fast barrel, Padang Padang which has a fast barrel and dangerous reef, and Nusa Dua.

When to go:
For the best performance surf, the month of July is said to be the best. During the dry season you get offshore ESE trade winds hitting the western Bukit breaks, slightly cooler water, clear skies and not too much garbage in the water. The beach services (ding repair, vendors etc. ) ramp up during this season. During the wet season there are still places to surf on the eastern side, but generally this is not considered the best season.

Kuta Bali

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Kuta in addition to being the Sunset Site Number One, with its daily spectacular sunsets, it is also the centre of night life activities in Southern Bali and a shopping mecca, with its lines of shops, boutiques, and galleries. Restaurants line up the streets as well as the Bachfront,Hotels, ranging from a small, inexpensive homestay to a luxurious resort, will ready accomodate you.

The beach of Kuta is one of the first favorite beaches discovered by tourist. On the south, the beach is fenced by the airport’s runway, which gives you a breathtaking landing experience. The beach stretches as far north as the eyes can see. As short walk away north, waves will invite you to test your surfing.

Kuta is very short drive away from the airport, and transportation is readily available to take you from and to Kuta to and from anywhere else in Bali.

A Spectacular Sunset

There is only one word to describe the sunsets in Bali: spectacular. In winter solstice in December, when the sun is close to its lowest point, a large, bright orange, red sun will approach the horizon of Kuta, descending ever so slowly. Brilliant shadows are cast everywhere, golden reflection on the water, and strips of clouds march as if to curtain another day. One light strip of cloud will probably march straight into the view, stealing the completeness of the sun, as if to accessorize it with a flowing silk scarf. Millions pairs of eyes are fixated, as the sun's bottom touches the horizon, and, in a matter of minutes, vanishes from the sight, as if it was never there.

Or, in Tanah Lot. A several hundred years old temple stands erect, solemnly guarding the land from the wilderness of the sea. Yet, as the sun begins its journey to its nightly resting place, the brilliance of an orange, red sun softly falls onto the side of the temple, raising its mystique even more. As waves break into the natural stone foundation of the temple, teasing the hundreds of little snakes in the cave in front of the temple, the sun marches down slowly. The millions of people it fascinates do not disturb it, for its ritual must flow. As it draws near the horizon, a magnified shadow of the temple is cast upon your eyes, as if to whisper good night. And in a couple of minutes, the sun rests, leaving traces of the day that has just passed.

Am I romanticizing it? Well, it is drop-dead romantic. Try it. If you don't melt, your next air kelapa muda (young coconut juice) in Tanah Lot will be on me. Or if you want to see photos first, I have here just for you a photographic montage of sunsets in Bali.

Shopping In Bali

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You can go shopping for fine art and handicrafts such as antique and semi-antique furniture, all kinds of paintings, delicately crafted gold and silver jewelry, wood and stone carvings, masks, woven and dyed fabrics, etc. in many shops in the Kuta/Legian area, in Sanur, in various handicraft villages and the Sukawati market on the way to Ubud, and in the town of Ubud.

In most of the shops you can and should bargain for the best price. Be especially careful with the vendors near popular tourist attractions such as Tanah Lot or, for instance, the rip-off artists in the Bali Aga village Tenganan who are well-known for selling fake "antique" fabrics (even spray-painted instead of woven cloth) for very high prices.

The attractive tableware you see in many restaurants, hotels, and the better homes in Bali is made locally by JENGGALA KERAMIK BALI. Started by the New Zealand-born designer-potter Brent Hesselyn who disappeared while diving near Nusa Penida in late 2002, Jenggala has been producing for over 20 years hand-made high-quality ceramics which can be seen and ordered at SARI BUMI (inside KAFE BATU JIMBAR), Jalan Danau Tamblingan No. 152, Sanur, and at their new factory in Jimbaran, Jalan Uluwatu II. This new complex includes in addition to a show room an exhibition area for antique and new Indonesian art, a demonstration area where Jenggala's potters display their skills, and a branch of the popular "Kafe Batu Jimbar" serving light meals and a choice of coffee, tea and other beverages.

Popular buys are DVDs featuring even very recent movies. These are illegal copies but they sell for just 10,000 Rupiah per piece or 100,000 Rupiah for 11 and are available everywhere in Bali. Beach wear, T-shirts, pants and other clothing, shoes and leather goods, sea shells, trinkets, etc. are offered at low prices in numerous shops in Kuta and Legian as well as – much more expensive – in many hotels. Popular shopping centers are Geneva, Jalan Raya Kerobokan in Seminyak for cheap handicrafts, Kuta Square with many shops and a branch of the Matahari Department Store and Supermarket offering everything a tourist could be interested in as well as the huge new Kartika Discovery Mall in Jalan Kartika in Tuban.

Avoid the DUTY FREE SHOPPERS outlets by all means! Local products are ridiculously expensive here. As an example, one bottle of the HATTEN Rose wine which is made in Sanur costs at DFS US$11 which is more than in most local restaurants! Even worse – if you look for a beautiful French made blouse, a designer handbag, some jewellry or a dress watch for your partner to wear at a special occasion in Bali, you'll totally waste your time: all imported items, even clothing and accessories, bought at DFS will be delivered to you at the airport and not before you leave Bali.

There is a good choice of restaurants and night life, too. You can explore Indonesian and other Asian cuisines, enjoy Western food, and dance or talk under the stars until the early hours.