Around Bali

Bali, the fabled "Island of the Gods", has been enchanting visitors for centuries with its rich cultural traditions and spectacular panoramas. From lofty, mist enshrouded volcanoes and cool mountain lakes down through terraced rice fields to a golden strand lapped by azure waters, every square inch of Bali offers a fresh and unforgettable image.

No less enchanting are its people, some 2.7 million souls whose artistry and piety are recognized throughout the world. Balinese Hinduism, a complex fusion of Indian cosmology, Tantric Buddhism and homegrown mythology, is the primary faith of Ball's inhabitants, and so deeply woven into the fabric of their daily lives that the line between the spiritual and the material is blurry at best.

Those of you keen on delving into the island's fascinating culture
have plenty of opportunities, as colourful ceremonies and traditional performances occur with the regularity of sunrise. Most hotels offer nightly dance shows of one form or another, tailored to tourist audiences but none the less exquisite. The hill town of Ubud, the island's premier arts centre, also has a full schedule of performances, and the nearby stone-cutter's village of Batubulan is famed for its Barong lion dances.

The shoppers among you will find Bali a treasure house of handicrafts and fine works of art. The Balinese are incredibly gifted artists and [raftsmen, and their material creations are imbued with the same sense of wonderment with which they regard their universe. Stone and wood carvings, traditional and modern paintings and intricately designed jewelry in gold and silver are readily available in shops and galleries throughout the island.

As for recreation, there is no shortage of options. Nature walks, lorseback riding, diving, surfing - even bungy jumping and white water ;afting - await the adventurous here.

Places of Interest in Bali :

Bali Barat National Park
Ball's largest nature reserve encompasses 70,000 hectares of rainforest and 7,000 hectares of coral reefs and is home to many rare species of fauna.

Batur Caldera
The enormous crater basin of Batur is a spectacular sight. Dominating its centre is Mt. Batur, a brooding, blackened cone that erupted four times last century. Six small villages eke out an existence within the walls of the caldera, peopled by a simple mountain folk known as Bali Aga ("original Balinese".)

Bedugul
The cool highland resort of Bedugul on the shores of Lake Bratan has become a popular retreat for tourists and residents alike.

Besakih
Bali's "Mother Temple" is a sprawling complex of shrines and pavilions set high on the slopes of sacred Mt. Agung.

Goa Gajah
The ancient hermitage of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) near Bedulu is one of Bali's most intriguing archeological sites, comprising a man-made grotto, elaborate stone carving and Buddhist stupas.

Kerta Gosa
The Kerta Cosa Hall of Justice is a small pavilion adorned with fantastic ceiling murals. In the 18th century it was Bali's highest court of law.

Kuta
Kuta Bay, with its long stretch of white sand and brilliant sunset, has attracted swarms of visitors since its rediscovery by surfers and sun worshippers in the 1970s.

Lovina Beach
Lovina is an 8km strip of black sand on Bali's arid northern coast, renowned for its serenity and a local school of dolphins.

Nusa Dua
The beautifully landscaped beach resort of Nusa Dua is home to no less than 15 five-star resort hotels, the 18-hole Bali Golf & Country Club and excellent shopping facilities.

Nusa Lembongan
A small island off Bali's southeast coast, Nusa Lembongan is popular is for its white sand beaches and quiet pace of life. Several cruise operators offer day-trips from Benoa Harbour.

Sangeh Monkey Forest
Populated by a large troupe of monkeys, this thick stand of nutmeg trees is believed by legend to have fallen out of the sky during a mythic battle between the gods, carrying with it a battalion of | Wisnu's monkey army.

Sanur
The resort area of Sanur has grown up around Bali's largest traditional village and today boasts excellent facilities for the international visitor.

Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot (Earth from the Sea) is a stunning 15th century sanctuary located on Bali's south coast, built atop a rocky mound that at high tide is completely surrounded by water.

Tulamben
Some of Bali's most interesting diving is found at Tulamben, where the shallow wreck of a WWII US cargo ship is now festooned with colourful corals and schools of tropical fish.

Uluwatu
Perched on a limestone cliff 70 metres above the Indian Ocean, this 11 th century temple is one of Bali's holiest sites.

(Source : article and photo by Garuda-Indonesia.Com magazine).

(SMS/ WA/ Telp.) 0851.0967.7100 ; +6285876236128  Melayani Penjualan Tiket Pesawat 24 Jam termasuk Paket Tour Wisata Murah, Voucher Hotel |  www.TiketPesawat24Jam.com

The Bali Arts Festival

A month of daily performances, handicraft exhisbitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which the whole of Bali presents its contributions of dance, music and other artistic talents.

-Gambuh Dance-

This year there will be a difference in approach, as there will be performances in the capital cities of all of Bali's eight regencies but the main events will still be focused upon Denpasar. On display will be the traditional performances from remote mountain villages, some maybe too old to remember and some only recently revived. There will be the classical palace dances, contests for offerings and food and performances by well-known stars of Balinese stage, screen and cassette tape! New material will be on offer from both local musicians and choreographers combined with a wealth of contemporary and traditional art from outside Ball and even from outside Indonesia.

The Festival has its roots in the small communities and villages and there is considerable competition between groups to be the ones to represent their regency. This starts in the villages but moves on to larger spheres; culminating in the decision to send the best groups to perform at the Arts Festival. In doing this, the people will be showing the world the uniqueness of their own village traditions and also honouring their ancestors.

The Bali Arts Festival is undoubtedly Denpasar's cultural event of the year and probably the major cultural event of Indonesia. It is a fabulous opportunity to see Balinese village culture still thriving despite the recent adversities that have hit this island so hard.

Something that isn't often thought of is that this full month of festivities not only serves to maintain the Balinese culture and tradition but it makes all the participants very proud to be -just Balinese!

The origins of the festival date back to long before the first one took place and probably in the 1960s, when tourism started in earnest, there was a move to ensure that it should be cultural tourism (pariwisata budaya)

-accompanying the gambuh dance-

To quote from the website www.baliartsfestival.com : the Balinese said: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea became national policy, as part of a larger reviewing of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Ball (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educated 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'.

To quote from the website www.baliartsfestival.com : the Balinese said: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea became national policy, as part of a larger reviewing of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Ball (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educated 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'.

Local music groups, dances and other cultural events were then listed at village level, and later promoted by a series of contests at district and regency level. The resulting competition energised the cultural life of villages, whose young people, together with their enthusiasm, was already being transferred to the tourist areas in the search for financial advantages.

Schools of dance and art sprang up: in particular the Kokar conservatory and the STSI School of Dance and Music. In addition to research, these schools replaced the traditional master/student relationship by modern methods of teaching; standardised the dance movements, produced new types of Balinese dances for tourism and modern village entertainment. Most importantly, it enabled former students to return to the villages as teachers, where they disseminated the renewed and the new forms of dance and theatre.

Every year, the Bali Arts Festival, in addition to the classical dances of the island, such as the kecak, legong, gambuh, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on a theme, around which new choreography is produced and old village dances and activities are revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into massive Sendratari Ballets. Many of the performances are held at the amphitheatre, which can hold up to 6,000 spectators, on a stage that looks like a temple.

One of the major challenges to the continuance of the Arts Festival is finance and this is where readers can assist. The costs involved in attending any of the performances are minimal, especially for those of you who are here on holiday, but by paying a small charge whenever it is requested or even by making donations, you will be helping to ensure that Bali will have a Arts Festival next year.

To paraphrase the website again: Village life is increasingly feeling the strains of monetary problems so dancers, musicians and others cannot be expected to continue participating simply for 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 dynamism they have always demonstrated, this little hurdle can be overcome. If you are a hotel owner or General Manager, please think about giving some support to the Bali Arts Festival. However, trust the Balinese. They will eventually succeed in transforming their tradition into a modern, Balinese culture of their own.

-Barong Dance-

If you are visiting Ball, consider your self lucky to be here at a time when there is so much cultural and traditional material available. More informations click www.baliartsfestival.com (Source : article and photo by Garuda-Indonesia.Com magazine).

(SMS/ WA/ Telp.) 0851.0967.7100 ; +6285876236128  Melayani Penjualan Tiket Pesawat 24 Jam termasuk Paket Tour Murah, Voucher Hotel |  www.TiketPesawat24Jam.com