Let’s go to bali…!?
We can refresh and happy in there…
OK…!?
INTRODUCTION TO BALI, INDONESIAWHERE IS BALI?
The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours.GEOGRAPHY:The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it's no problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening.Located only two kilometers east of Jawa, Bali's climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand.FLORA:The wide variety of tropical plants is surprising. You'll see huge banyan trees in villages and temple grounds, tamarind trees in the North, clove trees in the highlands, acacia trees, flame trees, and mangroves in the South. In Bali grow a dozen species of coconut palms and even more varieties of bamboo.And there are flowers, flowers everywhere. You'll see (and smell the fragrance of) hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, and water lilies. Magnolia, frangipani, and a variety of orchids are found in many front yards and gardens, along roads, and in temple grounds. Flowers are also used as decorations in temples, on statues, as offerings for the gods, and during prayers. Dancers wear blossoms in their crowns, and even the flower behind the ear of your waitress seems natural in Bali.FAUNA:Elephants and tigers don't exist any more in Bali since early this century. Wildlife, however, includes various species of monkeys, civets, barking deer and mouse deer, and 300 species of birds including wild fowl, dollar birds, blue kingfishers, sea eagles, sandpipers, white herons and egrets, cuckoos, wood swallows, sparrows, and starlings. You can watch schools of dolphins near Lovina, Candi Dasa, and Padangbai. Divers will see many colorful coral fish and small reef fish, moray eels, and plankton eating whale sharks as well as crustaceans, sponges, and colorful coral along the east coast and around Menjangan Island near Gilimanuk.CLIMATE:You can expect pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.Even when it rains in most parts of Bali you can often enjoy sunny days on the "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran Beach. On the other hand, in Ubud and the mountains you must expect cloudy skies and showers throughout the year (this is why the international weather reports for "Denpasar" or "Bali" mention showers and rain storms during all times of the year). In higher regions such as in Bedugul or Kintamani you'll also need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.POPULATION:Bali's population has grown to over 3 million people the overwhelming majority of which are Hindus. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia who seek work in Bali.Most people live in the coastal areas in the South, and the island's largest town and administrative center is fast growing Denpasar with a population of now over 370,000. The villages between the town of Ubud and Denpasar, Kuta (including Jimbaran, Tuban, and Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa, etc), Sanur, and Nusa Dua are spreading rapidly in all directions, and before long the whole area from Ubud in the North to Sanur in the East, Berawa/Canggu in the West, and Nusa Dua in the South will be urbanized.ECONOMY:This southern part of Bali is where most jobs are to be found, either in the hotel and tourist industry, the textile and garment industry, and in many small scale and home industries producing handicrafts and souvenirs. Textiles, garments, and handicrafts have become the backbone of Bali's economy providing 300,000 jobs, and exports have been increasing by around 15% per year to over US$400 million. Textiles and garments contribute about 45%, and wood products including statues, furniture and other handicrafts 22% to the province's total income from exports. Silver work is ranked third (4.65%) with 5,000 workers employed. Main buyers are the US and Europe with 38% each, and Japan with 9%.WHAT MAKES BALI SO SPECIAL:There is the combination of the friendly people, the natural attractions, the great variety of things to see and do, the year-round pleasant climate, and the absence of security problems. And then there is Bali's special "magic", which is difficult to explain.As soon as you step off the plane you might sense the difference. In the villages you'll notice the quietness and wisdom in old people's faces, and the interest and respect in the young's. Old men sit at the road side caressing their fighting cocks. Beautifully dressed women walk proudly through rice fields and forests carrying offerings on their heads to the next temple. There is the smell of flowers, and in the distance you hear the sound of gamelan music.Gods and spirits have been an important part of Bali's daily life for hundreds of years. Gunung Agung – Bali's holy mountain – is internationally regarded as one of the eight "Chakra" points of the world. This may be more than an coincident. Watch out, the moment you feel the magic of this island, you're addicted for the rest of your life.
Pura Be sakih Mother Temple
Pura Besakih, high on the slopes of Mt. Agung (see map), is the Mother Temple of Bali, the most important temple complex on the island. We were fortunate enough to visit on the odalan (temple anniversary) of one of its many temples. Thousands of Balinese ascended the volcano to bring offerings to the gods and pray at Pura Besakih that day.
Kecak Dance
Of all the dances seen on Bali today, the Kecak dance is perhaps the most dramatic. Taken from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the dance tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka. Unlike other dances, there is no gamelan orchestra accompanying it. Instead, a troupe of over 150 bare-chested men serve as the chorus, making a wondrous cacophany of synchronized "chak-achak-achak" clicking sounds while swaying their bodies and waving their here.
Kuta Beach
Sunsets make memories at Kuta beach, one of the island's loveliest seacoasts. Skylight descends in warm waves of color, leaving shy stars behind. Village fishermen often set off at dusk, the sails of their prahus shrinking to frail silhouettes that drift across a wide, red sun. They vanish into the night, lulled by the rhythm of waves breaking on a beach longer than vision can discern. They return when the young warmth of early morning lights up the slopes of Mt. Batukau and, on clear days, the mountains on the eastern tip of Java.
Save for the fishermen, the villagers usually busy themselves at sundown and rarely wander down to the beach to sit quietly watching the sun set into thek$ea. Mads Lange, South Bali's first European resident, most have enjoyed it though. An Englishwoman, Ketut Tantri, who lived through th_e early years of the revolution in Bali and Jaxle, built a house at Kuta beach. The Kuta Beach Hotel, built on the same site, was opened in 1959, but guests were few.
Only in the late sixties did young travelers, at home riding the waves of Hawaii and California and elsewhere, begin to frequent the beach. At that time, almost everyone stayed in Denpasar, coming to Kuta for a swim, the sunset, a kris dance and sometimes a night on the beach. The villagers of Kuta were farmers and fishermen and metal smiths, and they were rather surprised at the great interest their beach received. But like many Balinese, they saw there was a profit to be made. For a small charge they invited the travelers into their homes. Home-stays were set up everywhere. These are clean, simple and cheap accommodation. A number of larger hotels, such as the Kartika Plaza Bali and the Oberoi, have also sprung up. There are many restaurants serving all kinds of westernized dishes and "soul" food, and mini-boutiques selling Bali beach fashions abound everywhere. Tourist activity has spread north up the coast to Legian and beyond on the road to Krobokan.
It is said the goddess of the sea claims at least one victim each year at Kuta beach, so be careful-at times there is a strong undertow. Mostly, however, it is fine swimming and the body surfing is great. Kuta and Ulu Watu have waves as fine as anywhere in the world for board surfing. Boards aret(yr hire. The Surfing Club of Bali was set up by an Hawaiian-in-residence and a Lifesaving Club patrols one section of the beach. In 1 981, Kuta hosted international surfing and lifesaving events on its golden beaches
As the size and fame of Kuta spread, the beach became popular with the residents of Denpasar. Indonesians from the large cities of Java came by the tour load. Dozens of art shops opened along the main streets. On the beach, girls and women carry bundles of sarongs and batiks on their heads, looking for customers. Young boys sell dance tickets, and young girls sell cold drinks. At sunset, the beach is a lively place, and the roads are full of cars and motorbikes.
At Kuta, the water stays warm late until after dusk, like its saffron reflections; and the smooth descent of the shore suits anything from building sandcasties to taking long walks. Local beachcombers are on hand gathering fans of white coral and stringing cowries into long necklaces to sell. The Balinese sometimes comefrom near and farto perform rituals bythe ocean. Although all the ritzy nightclubs are at Sanur Kuta after dark is a popular place for young visitors to eat, drink and be merry. There is a night market, one ortwo informal discotheques and numerous bars and restaurants serving good food at moderate prices. Almost every evening there is a performance of Balinese -dance somewhere in Kuta.. To know what is on just ask around
TAPAK SIRING
The hallowed spring of Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring dates from legendary times. In popular folklore, it was made by lndra when he pierced the earth to create a spring of amerta, the elixir of immortality, with which he revived his forces who were poisoned by Mayadanawa.The waters are believed to have magic curative powers. Every year people journey from all over Bali to purify themselves in the clear pools. After leaving a small offering to the deity of the spring, men and women go either side to bathe. On the full moon of the fourth month each year, the villagers from nearby Manukaya take a sacred stone to be cleansed at Tirta Empul.When the weathered inscription found qp the stone was deciphered, it gave the bate of Tirta Empul's foundation as A.D. 962 and described the cleansing ceremony. For a. thousand years these villagers had been abiding,. by this tradition without having been aware of the meaning incised on the stone! In 1969 the temple at Tampaksiring was completely renovated. Many of the shrines were built anew and painted in bright colors. Outside the temple are rows of sales stands where you may buy souvenirs-the bargain being carved bone jewelry.On the hill above the sacred spring is the Government Palace built in 1 954. Once a resting place for Dutch officials, the site was chosen by former President Soekarno as his residence during his frequent trips to the island. South of Tirta Empul, on a line joining with Gunung Kawi, is Pura Mengening. There is a definite connection between these three places. At the latter temple there is a freestanding candi similar to those candle the facades of which are hewn from the rock at Gunung Kawi. Like Tirta Empul, the temple has a spring of pure water, which is also a source of the River Pakrisan. Pura Mengening might be the commemorative temple of King Udayana |
