BALI TROPIC

Things to do in Lovina Beach

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:18:00 +0700

Things to do in Lovina Beach

There are so many things to do in Lovina Beach Bali. The simplest one is of course taking a walk along the Lovina Beach. There is a paved path along the beach where you can have a leisurely walk. You may also find the best of Lovina Beach Bali at the eastern part where there is a Dolphin Monument, or just go a little further to the west where you will find the curving stretch. If you are a budget traveler, you can stay in one of the cheap hotels’ cluster in Anturan where you will still be able to enjoy a good beach view.

The magnum opus of Lovina is dolphin watching, that a large concrete crowned monument has been erected in honor of these over touted cetaceans. It starts early in the morning before sunrise. It is better for you to buy a ticket the day before. But if you have a problem in getting up early, a dolphin show and “swimming with dolphin” package at Melka Excelsior Hotel can be a good alternative.

Another things to do in Lovina Beach is underwater activities, then Lovina beach is a great spot for diving and snorkeling. At the lower depth, you can enjoy the scuba diving to see some local reef. One of the most recommended activity is the night diving. It will surely give you the greatest experience. If you are likely to have snorkeling, then Lovina Beach is also a great place where the water is clear to be able to see the beautiful reefs. The best recommended place for snorkeling in Lovina Beach is going to the west, about a few-hundreds metres awat from the Bilibo Beach Cottages.

After enjoying your day exploring the underworld of Lovina Beach, you can then spoil yourself in the massage and spa centers there. The spa centers give great facilities, including the feature pebbled baths. You can have your body relaxed by having a massage using special technique, such as Ayurveda, Balinese, water treatment and also foot massage.

Bungalow in Lovina Beach

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Lovina Beach Bali

Exploring Lovina Beach Bali

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:07:00 +0700

Exploring Lovina Beach Bali

Another lovely place to visit is Lovina Beach Bali. The Lovina Beach is located around 6 km away from Singaraja to the west, or if you are in Denpasar, you are required to take three hours away driving to get to the location. Lovina is not only consisting of a single beach, but it is actually a name for a range of six small villages altogether with the palm-fringed beaches. The six small villages from the west to the east are known as Temukus, Kaliasem, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, Tukadmungga and Pemaron. The range of Lovina beach is started from 6 km away from Singaraja to the west and ended at about 5 km away passing Kaliasem. Among these six villages, Kalibukbuk is the most crowded one for restaurants and accommodations. While Temukus and Anturan are not too crowded ones and also more quite compared to other villages.

History has it, Lovina beach was the first seaside resort to appear in the mid-‘70s. The name “Lovina” was coined by the last King of Buleleng, Anak Agung Panji Tisna. He named this stretch of coast after the English word “love” in 1953. He founded the first hotel in this beach, Tasik Madu Hotel, or “sea of honey” hotel. The few simple accommodations that existed in the sleepy early 1970s were demolished in 1976 earthquake. The resort began anew and during the 1980s new accommodations and restaurants appeared. Lovina has had its ups and downs through the years, and always appears to be on the brink of a renaissance.

Lovina Beach Bali is a place with so many to offer to the tourist. The scenery in Lovina Beach is amazingly beautiful with the background of nine hills behind it. The water in Lovina Beach is so clear that makes it perfect for diving, snorkeling and swimming. During the sunset, you can enjoy the beautiful beach by walking on the sands. Besides this beautiful beach, there are also some other great places to visit, such as temples, trekking paths and also the hot sulphur pools in the hills. Lovina Beach can be a perfect base point to go to other interesting tourism destinations, such as Menjangan Island, Tulamben, Pemuteran and also West Bali National Park. While you are in Lovina Beach Bali, you must have the Lovina’s Dolphin trip. This amazing trip will enrich your holiday experience by having a breakfast with the view of lots of dolphins wandering not too far from the beach.

The pace of life in this beach resort is not as fast as Kuta Beach Bali or Sanur, Beach Bali reflects the calmness and safety of the sea. This is a perfect place to hide away from the buzz of south Bali. A place for serenity.

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Things to do in Lovina Beach

Exploring Menjangan Island Bali

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:17:00 +0700

Exploring Menjangan Island Bali

If you love fauna, you must visit Menjangan Island Bali or Deer Island. The Deer Island is a part of West Bali National Park located in the northwest of Teluk Terima. This sanctuary island occupies a 175-hectare area. The name of Menjangan Island was derived from the name of wild Javanese deer. If you want to go to Menjangan Island, you can take a boat departed from Labuhan Lalang port or from Terima Bay.

Menjangan Island Bali is known as the location for having a great scuba diving and snorkeling experience. It is where you are able to encounter a wide variety of fish in various sizes, colors and shapes. Statistics mentions that there are approximately 110 reefs species and 226 reef’s fish species. When you go diving in Menjangan Island, you will enjoy a spectacular unspoiled coral, a great variety of tropical fish, and also a view of a small shipwreck 600 m out. However, when you are diving, you must pay extra attention to the presence of stinging jellyfish. They can sting you and you will be in a pain within an hour.

In order to preserve the beauty of the reef there are some prohibition that have to be observed such as it is not allowed to fish in diving area, destructing or pilfering the reefs, feeding the fish or anchoring, etc. To ensure the observance of the prohibitions a traditional maritime security force (pecalang laut) patrols around the island.

Besides the wonderful underworld, Menjangan Island Bali is also famous for the oldest temple in Bali called as The Gili Kencana Temple. This temple was believed to be built under the Majapahit period. Besides the Gili Kencana Temple, there are also the other three temples known as Segara Giri Temple, Klenting Sari Temple and also Gajah Mada Temple. So many people come to these four temples, especially during the holiday season, because it is believed that people who give a visit and pay homage here will be rewarded with kids. That’s why, many couples who haven’t got any children are often coming to these temples, and wishing to get children.

Map of Menjangan Island

Exploring Nusa Ceningan Island

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:11:00 +0700

Exploring Nusa Ceningan Island

Nusa Islands which are located 20 km away from Bali to the south-east coast consist of three islands named as Nusa Penida Island, Nusa Lembongan Island and Nusa Ceningan Island. Compared to the other two islands, Nusa Ceningan Island is the smallest one. Going to Nusa Ceningan Island can be traveled by using a boat departed from Sanur, or if you are already in Nusa Lembongan Island, you can just use the bridge that is connecting these two islands.

Similar to the other two islands, Nusa Ceningan Island’s climate is also dry and hot. The problem faced by the locals is also the same, which is always about the water supply. However, the nature of Nusa Ceningan Island is a spectacular one. Since the Nusa Ceningan Island is not a big island, you can explore every inch of this spectacular beauty within a short period of time. To heat up your day in Nusa Ceningan Island, you can start your journey from the eastern part of the island where you will find an amazing coral reef. In this location, you can spoil yourself by swimming, surfing and also snorkeling. This is a perfect place to enjoy the clear water and to see a great variety of underworld creatures, such as the corals and fish.

What to do in Nusa Ceningan?

After you have enjoyed your time in the eastern part of Nusa Ceningan Island, you can continue your adventure to the southern part of the island, where you will find the Bakung Temple. In this old temple, you will be able to see the cockfighting which is the trademark of the Bakung Temple. And then, late in the evening, or during the sunset time, you need to go to the western part of Nusa Ceningan Island. In this part of the island, you will see the cave of the nesting swallows. During the sunset is a perfect time to see these swallows darting out and in to the cave. If you love surfing, then you need to head to the southwest coast of Nusa Ceningan Island, where the waves are perfect for surfing.

To many of beautiful places to visit in Nusa Ceningan Island, the most unique attraction will be the underworld life. You may not find too many octopi at the underworld of Nusa Ceningan Island’s sea, but you will find lots of seaweed farming all around the island. If you want to have a different adventure, you can rent a small canoe exploring the seaweed plantation in very clear water beneath.

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Things to do in Nusa Penida

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:58:00 +0700

Things to do in Nusa Penida

Diving in Nusa Penida
There are so many things to do in Nusa Penida. As the famous diving destination, there are some great diving locations in Nusa Penida Island, such as Penida Bay, Batu Meling, Batu Lumbung, Toyapakeh, Manta Point, Batu Abah and Malibu Point. The flow passing through the Lombok Strait is commonly heading to the south, while the tidal streams’ directions are commonly influenced by the seasons of monsoon.

During the southeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends south; during the northeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends north. In the area of the strait north of Nusa Penida, the pattern is relatively simple, with a flow, at peaktide, of about three-and-one-half knots. Tidal streams in Badung Strait are semi-diurnal, but the character of the stream is very complicated because its direction runs obliquely to the general south to north direction of Lombok Strait, and the channel has a curved shape.

Besides beautiful destinations, there are many other interesting tourism destinations to visit in Nusa Penida Island. You will find that there are many pure beaches as well, or you can go to the top of Puncak temu where you will be amazed with a spectacular scene from the height. Besides that, there are also some arts performances that you can watch.

A beach which is closest to the harbor is situated in Toya Pakeh village. In this beach, there is a floating restaurant. The most important thing is you are allowed to dive in this beach and see very beautiful reef. Indeed, in this beach, reef is an important component that is still preserved from any damage.

Besides Toya Pakeh Beach, Nusa Penida has a very cozy beach. It is around 4 km from Toya Pakeh. This beach is situated in Sakti Village at Banjar Penida. I guarantee you that this beach is different from the famous Kuta or Sanur. The beach which people call it Crystal Bay, is very quiet, far from crowd. The water is sparkling blue. The sand is black but it is covered by white sand. The beach is very clean because people at Banjar Penida keep it clean. And the beach is gated by escarpment.

Going up quite far away from the beaches, you will head to Puncak temu, the top of elevated ground. This is a place where you will be able to enjoy beautiful scenery of Nusa Penida Island from the bird-eye view. You will also see some white shrines at this top with so many trees that seem protecting these shrines from the outside world. This is something that you will find interesting because most parts in Nusa Penida Island are commonly lacing of water and dry, while here in Puncak Temu, there are green fresh vegetables as the sign of the water existence.

On very south of Nusa Penida there are villages named Sekartaji and Suana. In these villages, Nusa Penida Endemic Bird: little sulfur-crested cockatoo can be found. In all regions in Nusa Penida there is only four little sulfur-crested cockatoo left. One female and others are male. You are lucky if you can take a photograph of this bird since this bird is very energetic.

Nusa Penida does not only offer the amazing tourism destination but also unique dances. Sanghyang Dewa dance is one of them. This dance must be danced by little girl who has not got menstruation yet. People of Nusa Penida categorize it into sacred dance because it is danced on special day at the temple. That little girl is unconscious while she dances it.

Toyapakeh
There are actually two sites in Toyapakeh nemaley as the Toyapakeh Wall and Toyapakeh. These twosites are rich with the underworld creatures, such as fish and corals. The wide variety of fish that you will see by diving in this location is amazing. You will sometimes see the large pelagic as well by creeping around the blue. Toyapakeh Wall is a must diving place that you shall not miss. This is the place where you will encounter the presence of the Mola-mola hanging out in season.

Malibu Point
When you are taking a boat trip along the coast line of Nusa Penida Island, you will come to Manta Point where some huge animals are commonly seen. Manta Point is an open water area, so that diving is not possible to have in certain circumstances.

Malibu Point is a diving site with gray reefs, reef white tips, silver-tips and numerous sharks. While Penida Bay is another anchorage, and the rocky islands have an interesting forms; something like an old resting elephant. The bay is vulnerable to swell, creating-up-and-down-currents. Then, Manta Point is a limestone rock off Pandan cafe. The swell is relatively strong.

Crystal Bay
If you are looking for a calmer bay, Crystal Bay will be a perfect spot for you. In Crystal Bay, you will also find many Antheases and batfish that will come in a certain periodic of time, because there is a bat cave near to this bay.

This site consists of a fantastic little bay in shallow water that offers excellent opportunities for photos, before sliding down into deep drop offs. Superb coral is only matched by the equally superb marine life. This is another excellent place to locate the Mola Mola which gather to be cleaned on the slopes of the reef.

Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary

Besides West Bali National Park, there is also a conservation park in Nusa Penida Island known as Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary. In this reservation, a hundred of nearly-extinct birds are protected, The Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary is organized by Begawan Giri Foundation and also friend of National Park Foundation supported by the whole community of Nusa Penida Island.

In this island the birds is protected by the whole community of Nusa Penida, by addition of a decree on bird conservation in the awig-awig (traditional law) of Nusa Penida. The community enforces sanctions such as fines and sepekin banjar (ostracized) for anyone caught harming the birds. All 35 villages on Nusa Penida island have now signed bird protection laws and villages and Harbour Authorities are working together to fight the illicit trade. The role of community is not just end up there, at the sanctuary young people from the surrounding village are trained as staff in the clinic; bird handling and research procedures.

Up to May 2007 Nusa penida Bird Sanctuary has already released 49 Bali Starlings, and recently it is reported another ten offspring fly free. The success on the Bali Starling opens another conservation project. White Cockatoo, an indigenous species of Nusa Penida, now in danger, it is reported that only three white cockatoos roaming freely on the sky, clearly in worse situation than Bali Starling. Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary now put her best effort to save this rare bird.

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Exploring Nusa Penida Island

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:52:00 +0700

Exploring Nusa Penida Island

There are some neighboring islands near to Bali. There are 3 most famous ones located around 20 km away from Bali to the south-east known as Nusa Penida Island, Nusa Ceningan Island and Nusa Lembongan Island. Among these three islands, Nusa Penida Island is the largest one, and also well known as the best destination for scuba diving.

To many people, these three Islands might not be recognized as parts of Bali’s district. Somehow, they give a great contribution to the tourism development. As we have known, Nusa Penida Island is the biggest one among the three. While Nusa Lembongan Island is the second larger island and Nusa Ceningan Island is the smallest one. Each of these Islands shares their own unique tourism destination and arts. In Nusa Penida Island, you will find beautiful pure beaches and some conservation places protecting plants, birds, and also turtle. Besides that the local people have a very special dance known as the Golden Egg.

When you are diving in Nusa Penida Island, you will likely to see the large pelagic, such as Manta Ray’s (Manta Birostris) at some locations, such as Mola Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) and Manta Point Dive Site. If you get lucky, you will sometimes see the whale-shark too.

As part of Bali’s district, Nusa Penida Island is under the Klungkung regency. If you want to go to Nusa Penida Island from Bali, you need to go to Padang bay to take a ferryboat crossing from Bali to Nusa Penida Island. The only ferryboat available is called as Roro-Nusa Jaya Abadi. This boat will take you crossing the Badung Strait (located between Bali Island and Nusa Penida Island), and the trip will take around one hour to get to the Toya Pakeh Harbor in Nusa Penida Island. After you have reached the island, you can continue the trip by having a modified pick-up car or known as “omprengan”.

The northern dive sites of Nusa Penida like Crystal Bay, Pura Ped and Toyapakeh are good destinations for Drift Diving. A boat ride with BIDP's speed boat of 45 minutes brings you to the best underwater adventures here in Bali Indonesia.

The divesites around Penida can be challenging. Upwellings from the deep can cause thermoclines and let the temperature drop to 20 degrees celsius. Currents running between the Nusa Islands and Lombok Strait are most of the time southward, but can be influenced in direction and strength by the monsoon seasons.

The three islands, Nusa Penida Island, Lembongan Island and Ceningan Island are situated at the Wallace Line which lies at the middle of Bali Island and Lombok Island. This Wallace Line is a separation line between the eco-zones of Asia and Australasia. To the west of the Wallace Line, Asiatic species and organism live, while to the east of the Wallace Line, Australian species and organism exist for living. According to the scientist, these boundaries have been existing for 50 million years. They are predicted to be the south-western edge of Sunda Earth Crust Shelf which are believed to link some main islands in Indonesia, such as Java, Sumatera, Borneo, Bali to the Southeast Asia’s mainland.

Nusa Penida Backgrounds

Nusa Penida Island as the part of Bali district under the Klungkung Regency has its own history. The Nusa Penida Island was a place where the Gelgel dynasty from Bali was held in prison at early 18th century under the Majapahit ruler. The Gelgel Dynasty was one of the Balinese Kingdoms which conquered the Lombok Island once.

Badung Strait, during WWII the Badung Strait was the location of "The Of Badung Strait". This event took place on 19 and 20 februar 1942. Allied forces had a confrontation here with the Imperial Japanese Navy.

How to get to Nusa Penida

BIDP organise daily dive trips to the Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan Islands and regularly visit 12 divesites. You can feel save to dive with an organisation with more then 25 years of experience diving in Bali, Indonesia.

These are just a short summary of so many interesting places that you can visit in Nusa Penida Island. However, many tourist are not yet well-informed about this amazing island, so that not many tourist coming to the island. Furthermore, the very potential tourism objects are not well- managed yet. Hopefully, there will be a significant improvement in the nearest future.

Map of Nusa Penida

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Interest things to do in Nusa Lembongan

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:17:00 +0700

Interesting things to do in Nusa Lembongan

There are several Things to do in Nusa Lembongan :

Diving and Snorkeling in Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Lembongan is very popular for divers. Nusa Lembongan is the perfect location for a dive trip like no other. iving in Nusa Lembongan offers amazing underwater world with some excellent dive sites. The warm waters are abundant with extensive coral reefs and magnificent marine life with sharks, turtles and manta rays. Spectacular dives include drop off walls, wreck diving and drift diving.

Biking and Walking around Lembongan

If you are a type of person who loves for biking or hiking, you will find the pleasure in Nusa Lembongan Island. You may have a rented bike to exploring the island. There are some steep spots where you will be challenged to conquer them. Some people might find the rented bikes not too comfortable to ride, but you can always have another adventure on your own feet exploring the beautiful nature of the island. You may go walking around the island, and it will only take you around 2 hours. However, it will be more pleasant if you take sometimes to enjoy some interesting places in Nusa Lembongan Island during the day.

Desa Lembongan, with its huge banyan tree and its colorful temples.

Gala Gala Underground House was built by Made Byasa in 1961-1976. This underground house is located down a narrow path from the main road towards the Ceningan bridge. The road is the narrow one, but a motorbike can still pass through. At the entrance, you will find a line of souvenir stalls where you can buy local souvenirs such as sarongs, shorts and other handicrafts. The house was built underground using only a hammer, chisel and intuition as guidance. It took 15 years to complete this incredible labyrinth, which includes a bedroom, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and sacred meditation room.

Seaweed farms

Heading westwards from the Lembongan Village and then following the roads along the coast, you will find a range of green and blue seaweed farming. The seaweed farming is separated by some ropes and little posts where the algae are tied up on it to grow. Since the mid-1980s, nearly all the community lives off seaweeds, which are exported to the rest of Asia for the cosmetic and food industry. Every household can make one to two million rupiah a month from the red and green algae – just enough to survive on these islands, where everything has to be brought from the main land at high cost.

Rent motorbike for the day to try and find our perfect beaches. Went around the entire island, saw about different beaches, Nusa Ceningan island is good view to see, Dream beach is nice for relax with a great bar / cafe, Mushroom beach is also nice and snorkeling is ok too.

Swinging Bridge

The recently built suspension bridge between Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan connects the two islands and allows the visitors to easily access each island. This narrow and swinging bridge only allows access on foot, by bicycle or motorcycle and it is unsuitable for cars.

Dream beach

At the Nusa Lembongan Island’s entrance turning to right to the southwards, you will find the Dream Beach. It is a beautiful hidden white-sandy beach with its fierce waves. The Dream Beach may not the ideal one for swimming, but it is still a nice place just to have a refreshing swim. However, you always need to pay extra attention to the waves, especially when it is coming to high tide time. You are only aloud in the middle of the beach where you can see like a white line of sand in the water. Never go close to the cliffs of the left side! At high tide, the current may be a bit too strong for small children.

There is a restaurant here, and it is the source of entrance to the beach. You can watch the sunset from the upper floor of the restaurant.

Mushroom Beach

Mushroom Beach is known as one of the beautiful beaches in Nusa Lembongan Island. It is named after the mushroom corals offshore. This amazing Mushroom beach will spoil you with its white sandy panorama. There are 2 Mushroom Beaches to say, and even though they are one next to the other, there is a difference. There is the more isolated one, with its casual visitors, and the more populated one with some upscale hotels.

There is some coral, which is sharper than the coral that you find in Bali. So make sure you bring the rubber shoes if you plan to do some walking at low tide. But swimming is possible at this beach.

Mushroom Bay
Mushroom Bay is a perfect place for having a great surfing experience. It is suitable not only for the professional surfers, but it is also perfect for the beginners. Besides surfing, this Mushroom Bay is also a safe place for any other water sport. The bay has a white sandy beach not too far to the wave. There are some other interesting places nearby to the Bay, such as Ship Wreck, Batumelawang (Sacred Point ), and Play Groubd ( Song Lambung Bay).

There is transportation from Bali, directly to this beach, but you need to be sure by asking that it will drop you off here.

Mangrove Park

If you are looking for something different in the adventure, you must try a mangroves park tour. This tour is operated by having a sampan-style boat touring around the mangrove park. This sampan style boat is known as ‘jukung’, and on this small boat you will experience an extreme quietness atmosphere. You will have an unforgettable impression to see colorful and unique mud crabs and if you are inclined, catch some for delicious meal. Along the tracing of the park you are welcome with various sound of birds and do not forget to take photo of many wild life in this area.

Wood Carvings

If you are heading to the north at Nusa Lembongan Island at along the coast of mangrove, you will then find a little house signed as Bali Wood Carving. This house belongs to an old friendly artist who will excitedly show you around his unique wooden arts collections. The collections are mostly carved out from the mangrove roots. From his house, it’s another 30 minutes of pedaling back to Jungutbatu through dense coastal vegetation.

Pura Puncak Sari

Pura Puncak Sari is a temple located on the top hill in Nusa Lembongan Island. When you are hiking to the top, you will be able to enjoy an amazing view of the Indian Ocean, Nusa Penida Island and Nusa Ceningan Island.

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How to get to Nusa Lembongan?

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:18:00 +0700

How to get to Nusa Lembongan?

If you want to head to Nusa Lembongan Island from the Kuta area, you need to go to the Sanur beach located near to the Grand Bali Beach Hotel by taking a taxi.

How to get to Nusa Lembongan?

By Boats
Boats owned by the local people of Nusa Lembongan Island can be rent by the tourists. The service is daily opened and also provides the trip back to Bali every afternoon. The boats are modern ones so that they are fast and also comfortable. If you are taking this boat, you only need 30-40 minutes ride to go to Nusa Lembongan Island. Departing from the beach at around threeish each day the boat then returns to the island at around 4pm, waiting for passengers at the beach in Sanur. There is no need to book many of the local boys or porters on the beach will show you the way.

Public Boats
Public boats are also available for IDR 40,000 one-way. These public boats depart daily at around 7-10.30 am from Sanur beach public wharf located near to the Grand Inna Bali beach Hotel. These public boats do not provide any trip back to the main island within the same day, so you must stay overnight in Nusa Lembongan Island if you are taking these public boats. They can be a bit sketchy at times and usually very crowded. The ride across is approximately 90 minutes. Seas can be rough.

Perama
Parama is local operator which also provides a network of bus-links connections in all around Bali. The service will cost you IDR 70,000, and it is an ideal means for the budgeted tourists. This service to Nusa Lembongan Island departs at 10.30 am, and do not provide any trip back to Bali within the same day. The Perama Boat will take you around 90 minutes to the Nusa Lembongan Island. The office of Perama Sanur can be found at friendly Warung Pojok in Jalan Hang Tua. Daily Perama buses depart from here to Ubud, Kuta, the airport, Padangbai (for Lombok) and now also Amed.

Fast Boat
Scoot Fast Boat is another great service that you may choose with US$25 for two ways return. The service provides the tourists with modern comfortable boats that will take them directly to the Coconut beach or Mushroom bay in Nusa Lembongan Island. The boat also departs from Sanur as well. The tickets can be bought from the Scoot offices next to Dunkin' Donuts, by the Paradise Beach Hotel, or on the beach near the departure point. It takes 30-40 minutes and is probably the most modern scheduled passenger ferry on the route.

Other ferry options
Bounty Cruises Catamaran is a great ferry option that costs US$35 return. If you don’t have too much time, then this service is a great option for you to go to Nusa Lembongan Island. If you are taking this ferry service, you will be spoiled within 1,5 hours in a twin-hull boat under sail where drinks and snacks are also available. On the island you can take part in a mangrove forest trip, snorkeling, banana boat ride, glass bottom boat ride, sea-kayakingo . A lunch and swimming-pool are also available. The approximate price is $60 USD.

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Exploring Nusa Lembongan Island

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:17:00 +0700

Exploring Nusa Lembongan Island

Nusa Lembongan Island is located at the Badung strait which is between Bali and Lombok. Unlike the neighboring islands which attract the tourist by their traditional seaweed harvesting, Nusa Lembongan Island offers a more relaxing place. The only fast thing that you may see there is the waves along its beautiful beaches.

Nusa Lembongan Island is a small island 12 miles away to the south east from Bali, which can be reached by one-hour boat ridding from Benoa Harbour. If you seek for a hidden quite place with beautiful beach surrounding you then Nusa Lembongan Island is exactly what you are looking for. The island is forming a pear shaped along 4 km in length and 2 km in width. The Nusa Lembongan Island beauty is completed with the presence of the fringing reef which has been declared as a National Marine Park by the Indonesian Government. The reef gives advantages in supporting the Nusa Lembongan Island and the neighboring islands’ Eco-system. Besides the reef, the waters are also known for having a variety underworld creature and also a great place for surfing. The main income’s sources of the local people are farming sweet potato and peanuts, building traditional wooden boat and fishing.

The life pace is Nusa Lembongan Island is very slow, but it is intended and maintained as it is as a unique characteristic of the island. If we are in Nusa Lembongan Island, it will remind us of how Bali it was more than 30 years ago. This quiet and relaxing atmosphere is the charming of this island. The tourism infrastructures might still be the standard ones, however you are able to find some nice lodgings to stay over nights.

Map of Nusa Lembongan

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Exploring Bali Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:41:00 +0700

Exploring Bali Adventure

If you like adventure, you will enjoy Bali Adventure Tours. Challenging waves, lush nature, and dramatic mountain scenery make Bali the perfect destination for anyone from adrenaline junkies to those looking for clean family fun.

One of Bali Aventure is watersport. No one can go to Bali without testing its waters. Some of the best surfing here, and indeed the world, can be found off the Bukit peninsula at Uluwatu and along Bali’s west coast north of Canggu. Although roads leading to there beaches are quite well hidden, the journey is well worth it for they are rarely visited by swimmers and beach combers. For other water sports beside surfing, Tanjung Benoa to the north of Nusa Dua is the place to go. Windsurfing, parasailing, water-skiing, and all things aquatic are well served by operators from individual resorts. From here, it’s a short boat ride to the nearby islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan.

Something else, go to Amuk Bay in the east of Bali, where an underwater safari lasts about 20 meters under the sea to witness the beauty of the underwater world of reefs, and coral reefs - which might even spot a shark or two. Assets of fun-seekers can also delight in hubhub of Kuta and Legian, both famous for their comfort and accessibility. Especially popular with visitors from the family, these people have a variety of activities for children and young people: bungy jumping, riding on the beach and water sports are just some of the discrepancies, which can be enjoyed. Departure to Ubud, more options for outdoor forced to wait. The roaring water of the Ayung River Rafting, a lush ravine west of Ubud, is ideal for a day of rafting. Animal-lovers should also consider the bird park in Bali and reptiles in the park on your route, and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and the Elephant Safari Park Bali. Trips to all these can be easily arranged by hotels or operators in the area.

Water-Boom park
Enjoy yourself in the world of aquatic Flush, Waterbom Park, main entrance door giving access to all facilities of the park. Enjoy aquatic escape, fast running, running outdoors, winding river and gentle slides for children in a park of more than 600metres beautiful scenery and relax by the pool with joy sunken bar and music under water.

Bali Adventure in further north, get ready to up close and personal with nature. Bali's northern reaches was dominated by spectacular mountain scenery and stretches of gray-black volcanic sand, one of whom is the impressive Lovina Beach. The abundance of coral reefs near the coast is a popular diving and snorkeling site, but the area is also famous for its resident population of dolphins. East of Lovina, Pemuteran village is the ideal starting point for the surrounding nature and the 19,000 hectares of the Bali Barat National Park. The village has access to direst boat to the Menjangan Island, a nature reserve, some of the best snorkeling in Bali. Also be sure to visit Singaraja, Bali's second largest city and former capital during the colonial era. It is one of the few places on the island, where visitors can still see the picturesque Dutch shops, mainly around the port and beach promenade.

Bali offers a great opportunity to fill with fresh air and tropical delight. Loosen up tired muscles with a spa and beauty treatments at the edge of the cliff or from the island of pristine beaches. The recommendations include the Ritz-Carlton and the Kirana Spa in Ubud. For lovers of meditation classes and regular meetings will be held throughout Ubud and Denpasar, including the free Monday night lessons at the shop meditation Denpasar. If the culinary adventure is more to your liking to participate in the cooking classes at Bali's Grand Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton. Owned by Heinz von Wood, founder of the restaurant Bumbu Bali in Tanjung Beno, the meetings will reveal the secrets of the island in the kitchen and let him lead the sublime taste of Bali again home.

Get high with Bali Eye Balloon
Take a unique glimpse into Bali from the sky with new Ojo balloon in Bali Nusa Dua (Phone: 0361 770 101). Hover 100 meters above the Nusa Dua meticulous gardens and treat you to a majestic view over the south of the island. Passengers remain aloft for about 10-15 minutes. Do not forget to bring your camera. The balloon is tethered to country to avoid unexpected trips to Antarctica, but we can expect some bungee balloon in the very near future.

Bali Zoo for Zoolander
Bali Zoo (jl. Raya Singapadu, Sukawati, Gianyar, Tel: 0361 294 356) opened its doors in October 2007 for the new zoo at night with more than 350 endangered animals in 3 / 5 hectares of tropical gardens. You expect to see Kecak Dance and dance Joged jungle with the added benefit barbecue dinner in the restaurant Estrella Bhoga. Opening times: 9 to 5pm. Each day of the year (except Nyepi - Balinese day of silence) www.bali-zoo.com

Enjoy your Bali Adventure :)

Source : Bali Adventure

Exploring Bali Restaurants

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Thu, 9 Jul 2009 01:51:00 +0700

Exploring Bali Restaurants

When you are in Bali, you do not need to get worried about the variety of Bali food that you can have. There are a lot of restaurants in Bali serving various menus ranging from the European taste, Asian taste to American taste, besides the local menus of course. Bali Restaurants will give you another experience of world cuisine. What do you expect to have for your breakfast to dinner? You may have Chinese favorites such as Hong Kong style dimsum, smoked duck from Szechuan or scallops in black bean sauce, Korean bulgogi beef and kimchi, Japanese sushi, yakitori or shabu-shabu, spicy Thai tom yam, Indian tandori chicken or rogan josh, Australian wiener schnitzel, Italian lasagna or pizza, Mexican enchiladas or tacos, German wurst or rindsrouladen, Spanish tapas or paella, Swiss cheese or beef fondue. The history of being in contact with other countries for centuries has been developing the Indonesian’s cuisine, and this can be proven in the Bali restaurants. However, you may find that the taste served in the restaurants in Bali might be a little bit different, perhaps due to the local taste adaptation, or the particular ingredients’ availability. So, It is wise if you do not compare them to the origin’s country, just enjoy it and I believe that they are the enjoyable ones.

You will find some Bali restaurants which open 24 hours a day, and one of them is the Padang restaurants. Padang is a name of major city in Sumatra, and it is famous with its original cuisine. Padang restaurants in Bali, and everywhere else, will always display a variety of meal in 10 to 15 different bowls and plates in a glass compartment which is commonly put at the entrance. You will see that Padang restaurants serve fish, chicken, beef, eggs, liver and many other varieties of Padang style vegetables. When you want to eat in Padang restaurants in Bali, you will be served with every menu of prepared dishes, each in every single plate, and also a plate of rice on your table. You don’t have to eat them all, just pick the dishes that you want, and leave the others on the table. What you have taken are the ones that will be counted. Padang restaurants in Bali will cost you around US$2. If you are keen on such Padang dishes in Bali restaurants, you will find many of them at the south of Bali.

Bali restaurants offer a variety of dishes suitable to your budget and taste. You may find the basic one to the fancy one in Bali restaurants. Each of them will certainly be different in the prices, style, service, decoration and presentation. When you only have a quite small of budget, but you expect to have a tasty meal, you can go to the warung (a mobile chart) where you may have a tasty food in Bali for only Rp. 4,000,- or Rp. 5,000,- . Or if you want to have a fancy meal that will cost you US$150 or more per person, you can always go to one of five-star restaurants in Bali.

If you want to have a sumptuous buffet dinner accompanied by the performance of Bali dance, it will cost you around US$ 40-50 per person. The major tourist destinations in Bali, such as main streets of Sanur, Kuta, Ubud, Lombok, Legian, Lovina, Candidasa are some places where you can find good restaurants in Bali. Some of them are having cane furniture and topped with grass. You may find such Bali restaurants almost everywhere.

Source : Restaurants in Bali

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Food in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sat, 4 Jul 2009 10:39:00 +0700

Food in Bali

Food in Bali will certainly spoil your dining experience, as Indonesia is known as one of the best cuisines in the world. A lot of tempting offers starting from a roadside stall to a five-star fancy restaurant will likely to amaze you. Food in Bali is really various. If you are in a tourist center, you may find many tourist-oriented restaurants in Bali. However, food in Bali will mostly be predominant with Indonesian and Chinese food.

The food in Bali is largely influenced by all corners of the globe. There are lots of ingredients imported from other countries. For example, from India, they import cucumber, Indian mustard, curries, and cow peas, from China, they import the Chinese mustard, brassica, cabbage (Chinese vegetables) and the wok and stir-frying. There are also some fruit which are introduced by the European, such as pineapple, papayas, cocoa, cauliflower, avocados, soybean, peanuts, squashes, tomatoes and pumpkins, while the Arabian introduced the mouthwatering goat stews and kebabs. These make the Balinese food seems to be comestibles. There are hundreds restaurants in Kuta which will spoil you with delicious food. If you like to try different atmosphere, you can try to go to restaurants in Jimbaran, the seafood are cheaper, and you can choose your own favorite food.

Bali food is commonly cooked with many spices and commonly using a coconut milk that will make the Bali food to be rich in flavor and creamy in texture. Many of the foods in Bali revolve the use of fish, poultry, tropical vegetables, meat, leaves and fragrant roots. The combination of them will make the Bali food looked sophisticated and delicate. Whatever serves as the menu, there is always a basic Indonesian meal, rice. The rice will always served first, followed by the some other dishes in 3 to 4 plates of meat or vegetables, which are called as lauk. These lauks are usually placed at centre of a table where everyone can share and enjoy them.

The food in Bali, as similar to any part of Indonesia, will always be served with a side dish called as sambal. It is made of the red-hot chilies that can be added with other seasonings such as lime juice. If you are not fond of spicy taste, then it will be better if you stay away from it. It can be scorching for the inexperienced or chili intolerant person, so do not be too adventurous with your sampling. If indeed you are scorched, do not drink water immediately as it will only worsen the situation; instead settle for bananas, plain boiled rice, bread or cucumber. However, delicious side dishes like tempe, a protein-charged savory cake made of fermented soybeans, and rempeyek, small crisp cookies made of peanuts, should not be missed

Five Legs
Bali food can also be found in several warung, mobile carts and snack bars. These are where you can have a simple dining. The Bali food served in such places is commonly provided for the local workers. However, you need make sure that these low cost dealer meals are safe enough to eat. These three-wheeled carts are often pushed by young boys and are nicknamed kaki lima, which means five legs - the three wheels of the cart and the two legs of the boy!

For those who never try such foods in Bali might be very tempted to try one. If you are not yet sure of the meal but you are eager to try, then you can start with the simple food, such as as pisang goreng or banana fritters, lumpia, a type of fried spring roll, and bakso, a meatball soup. Lawar, a specialty of Bali, is composed of minced pork, coconut and spices. Other types of lawar that are available include chicken, egg, green bean, and jackfruit. Do take note though, if it is red in color, it is made of fresh raw blood. You should also try a snack called tupat, which is normally not found elsewhere. It is actually steamed rice in coconut-leaf packages that are cubed with tofu, cucumber, spinach and sprouts and mixed with a fiery peanut sauce. Do not miss bubur injin or black rice pudding for breakfast or dessert, it is heavenly! Do ask locals for a price estimation but expect to pay around Rp. 2,000 to Rp. 5,000.

Tropical Fruits

The food in Bali is not only ranging on the dishes menus, but also on the tropical fruits. You will find a large variety of fruits in Bali that you might never taste before. Some can be unimaginable, but some might be the ones you wish never had never imagined. One of these is the fabled durian, the King of Fruits, which is a thorny fruit the size of a football. It has an offensive smell to some but are prized by locals. Others that can be savored include mangoes, mango, bananas, jackfruit, rambutan, markisa, pineapple, papaya, longan, melon, orange, and custard apples, to name a few. Of course, the best fruit would be the salak or the snakeskin fruit. This scaly, brown fruit encloses a crunchy white fruit with a pear-like flavor; Bali is famous for its salak.

Tips and Hints

After spoiling yourself with the foods in Bali, a bottled drinking water is highly suggested afterward. One of the well known brands is Aqua, which is identical to drinking water. You must also make sure that the bottle is still in an intact plastic sealed. Many people confuse the effects of an altered diet with the symptoms of more serious illnesses. When there is an inclusion of herbs, spices and palm oil, numerous travelers will experience changes in bowel actions. Some people may fall ill from eating in the markets while others may have the same effect dining at the most exclusive restaurants. But these do not pinpoint to any particular eating venue. Rely on your five senses when choosing the right place and type of food to eat but most importantly, have a great meal!

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Bali Food Books

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Fri, 3 Jul 2009 03:51:00 +0700

Bali Food Books

Bali Travel Books

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Fri, 3 Jul 2009 01:40:00 +0700

Bali Travel Books

Baris Dance

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:19:00 +0700

Baris Dance

There is also a dance which is a male equivalent of the legong, called as the Baris Dance. Baris Dance is a warrior's dance. Executed with energetic and warlike martial spirit, the Baris dancer has to convey the thoughts and emotions of a warrior preparing for action as well as confronting an enemy in battle.

Baris dance is performed solo and requires great energy, spirit and skill. The warrior's changing moods have to be displayed through facial expressions and movements; he should be able to depict chivalry, pride, anger, prowess, and a little regret. Baris dance is said to be one of the most complex of all Balinese dances.

Read more about Bali Dance :

Legong Keraton Dance

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 07:17:00 +0700

Legong Keraton Dance

After you have watched Kecak Dance and Barong Dance, there is another Balinese dance that you shall not miss to see. It is known as the Legong Keraton dance. The most graceful of Balinese dances, this is the epitome of classical Balinese female dancing. A legong, as the dancer is known, is often a young girl of eight or nine years, rarely older than her early teens. It was first created in the 18th Century and is usually the first dance to be taught to beginners. There are many forms of Legong, the most frequently performed dance being the Legong Keraton or Legong of the Palace.

The story of the Legong is very stylized and symbolic and one should know the story before actually watching the performance. The Legong Keraton dance involves three dancers - two legongs and their 'attendant', the condong. The legongs are identically costumed in gold brocade, which is bound so tightly that it is a mystery such agitated and rapid moves could be made. With elaborately made-up faces, plucked eyebrows that are boldly repainted, and hair decorated with frangipanis, the dancers relate the story with captivating movements.

A king takes the maiden Rangkesari captive. When her brother comes to release her, Rangkesari begs the king to free her rather than go to war. The king refuses and chances upon a bird carrying ill omens on his way to battle. However, he ignores the bird, meets Rangkesari's brother, and was thus killed in the fight.

The roles of the dancers may change according to the narration. However, the Legong Keraton dance usually begins with the king's preparations for battle and ends with the bird's appearance. This beautifully story telling is well presented into one of the best of bali traditional dance.

Read more about Bali Dance :

Barong Dance

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:18:00 +0700

The Barong Dance

Barong dance is another famous Balinese dance. "Lord of the forest" and magical protector of Balinese villages, the Barong is a mythical, shaggy half-dog, half-lion creature, with a long mane, fantastic fangs, and bulging eyes. It is propelled by two men who maneuver the costume with whimsical and mischievous movements to express its fun-loving nature. The Barong's opponent is Rangda, the evil witch who rules over the spirits of Darkness. The Barong dance epitomizes the eternal struggle between good and evil. The fight of Barong and Rangda is also a topic of traditional narratives performed in temples and takes various forms. The Barong will snap its jaws at the gamelan, prance around a bit, and enjoy the acclaim of its supporters - a group of kris-wielding men. Then ferocious Rangda will then appear lolling her long tongue, baring her threatening fangs, her neck draped with human entrails...not a pretty sight.

The duel begins. Each opponent tries to overcome the other with magical powers but when things do not look too good for the Barong, supporters will lunge at Rangda with krises to weaken or stall her. In retaliation, Rangda would put them all into a trance with her mystical powers and make them stab themselves with their weapons. Fortunately, the Barong possesses magic that is strong enough to cast a spell on the krises from harming the men. This part would be the highlight of the dance; the gamelan rings madly and intensely as the men rush back and forth waving their krises in a frenzy, sometimes even rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to stab themselves. Often, there seems to be a plot to terrify the audience in the front row! Eventually, Rangda will retire, defeated. And once again, good will reign over evil. This Barong dance is rich with a story telling that makes it as a beautiful meaningful dance to see. It is another best of Bali in the form of dancing art.

Read more about Bali Dance :

Kecak Dance

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:07:00 +0700

The Kecak Dance

Kecak Dance is one of the most famous Balinese dances. Its name is derived from the sound "cak", pronounced "chok", which is chanted in complex interlocking patterns that are like the rhythmic patterns played on the gamelan. The modern form of kecak originated from Gianyar village of Bedulu in the 1930s as a result commissioned by the German expatriate artist, Walter Spies. He wished to create a performance that could be enjoyed by a small coterie of expatriate artists like himself, as well as friends and guests to the island.The best of Bali is well-presented in every details of the dance performances.

The modern performance of Kecak is a sensational sight to behold. Hundreds of barechested men sit in a circle with a flickering single oil lamp in the middle. "Cak - Cak - Cak", the chant begins and the men start dancing and swaying to the rhythmic reverberation of their own voices. Hands raised to the sky, bodies shaking in unison, the chorus performs the highly structured piece of vocal music for about an hour. This unique kecak dance holds the title of being the most popular dance in Bali.

Read more about Bali Dance :

Visit Bali Temples

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:27:00 +0700

Visit Bali Temple

Bali temples are closely related to the Balinese tradition, religion and live. Almost in every village in Bali, there are some temples and you will find at least one small temple in each home. Therefore we can say that there are more temples than homes in Bali. Most of bali 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.

Every temple in Bali was built with particular purpose and orientation. 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
Although there are a lot of temples in Bali, the temple were built based on certain basic 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. Every type of the temple serves particular purpose.

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
The Balinese temples are rich with the art of architecture. They are beautiful and unique in the details design. 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 features cannot be separated from the art of 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. Every detail of it makes the Balinese temples as the unique ones.

Temple Etiquette
When you are going to the temples in Bali, there are certain rules that you must follow. You are required to 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. Bali is so strict with its tradition and culture, and we must appreciate and highly honor this.

Bali Dance and Drama

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:23:00 +0700

Bali Dance and Drama

When you are visiting Bali, the Bali dance and Bali Drama must be something in your main list to see. Bali Dance is the main art form of Balinese culture and is performed at main temple festivals and ceremonies, especially for the cycle of life and death.

Bali dance is definitely a charming attraction for the tourist. Taught and kept in secrecy in villages, halls and palaces, the dances that tourists witness in hotels and specially constructed stages are merely a fraction of the dance scene, although most of the dancers come from village groups.

Below are some Bali Dance :

Bali Textile

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:12:00 +0700

Bali Textile

When talking about the Bali textile, we must directly presume that it is closely related to batik, the Indonesian traditional textile. Batik is very popular among the locals and also the tourist. That is why the Bali textile in the form of Batik is regarded as one of the best of Bali. When you are in Bali, you will find so many imaginable styles and qualities of batik. However, it can be a lit bit shocking that batik is originated and produced in central java and shipped to Bali. If you really want to know the original Bali textile, it will be a weft ikat called as 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.

Bali Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:17:00 +0700

Bali Jewelry

Another best of Bali will certainly be seen in the beauty of the Bali jewelry. Some other countries, such as Mexico and Thailand, might share the variations of the same designs. However, one most distinctive thing about the Bali jewelry is that it is always handmade. The material used is not involving any casting techniques, and it is not imported. There is a silver mine in Bali located near to Singaraja. This place is used for filigree and facilitating a 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. If you want to see the best of Bali in the jewelry, you might want to visit these Bali jewelry centers.

The Bali jewelry quality and design is great. Whenever there are new best seller designs introduced in the jewelry market by the outsiders, Balinese will soon copy and produce them. Many imaginative smiths are starting to duplicate designs from magazines or international jewelry designers who have settled in Bali to work.

Bali Stone Carving

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:17:00 +0700

Bali Stone Carving

Another Bali stone carving art is the stone carving. Talking about the technique used, it is not too far different from the Bali wood carving. The only different is on the material used. In the stone carving, the material used is a soft volcanic rock. Stone carving is probably not as the favorite of tourist consumerism. It is because most pieces made are too excessive and expensive 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.

Bali Mask Carving

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:02:00 +0700

Bali Mask Carving

The Bali carvingis categorizing the Bali mask carving art into a high specialty of Bali carving. Because of the high level of the difficulty required, the mask carving is commonly executed by the 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. If you want to visit the centre of mask carving in Bali, you may go to Puaya and Mas. It is the best of Bali to see and learn more about the mask carving.

Bali Wood Carving

noreply@blogger.com (SweetJourney) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:59:00 +0700

Bali Wood Carving

Bali wood carving is recognized as one of the finest wood carving in the world. The Bali wood carving uses mainly natural media, such as stone, wood, horn, bone, deadwood, and gnarled tree roots. Through the use of these natural media, the best of Bali is transformed into beautiful sculptures. 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, such as the traditional ornate carved doors, the carved figures of gods, or the countless carved items in craft shops.

The Bali wood carving is practiced by Balinese all over the island. Wherever you might be, try to open your ears to hear the sound of the hammer’s tapping, and surely there is a carver nearby. Something like this will commonly found almost everywhere in Bali. 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.

If you want to find a premium quality of Bali wood carving art, you need to go to Tegallalang, Sebatu, and Pujung. These locations are on the north of Ubud region. 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. Into these fine arts, you can see the reflection of the best of Bali.