Bali Best Tropical Destination

Tropical Holiday in Asia - Indonesia : Villas, Hotels, Restaurants , Crafts Shopping

Bali the most holiday destination in the worlds. More than four thousands years ago, Bali was an emerald green, tropical rain forest covered the island. The first wave of human arrivals from across the seas brought with them techniques for rice cultivation, new languages and new customs. These early immigrants and others who followed over the years helped to create a haven, providing today’s visitors with a wealth of sights and sounds, dances, music, arts and crafts.

The Paradise Island and Holiday Destination

Bali has been described by many different names - “The Hidden Paradise”, “The Last Paradise on Earth”, “Morning of The World”, “Island of God”, and “Island of Thousand Temples”. This Island of Gods is situated approximately on latitude 8° South and longitude 115° East. Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok are the most westerly of the Little Sunda Islands and part of the 13,700 islands that make up Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world.

The island itself covers an area of 5,632,860 square kilometers, with a volcanic mountain range that stretches from the western tip to the eastern side of the island, with Mountain Agung being the highest peak.

For many centuries, -until today-, Bali has attracted visitors from all over the world. It is so attractive for its colorful ceremonies, natural scenery, and the ever-smiling people. Their colorful religious festivals and ceremonies, the traditional music and dances have been a way of life, and have unwittingly contributed much to the success of tourism here. The Balinese people are predominantly Hindu and their traditional and religious beliefs are as strong today as they ever were.

Best Ubud View

Ubud is around 45 minutes drive from the international Ngurah Rai Bali. Ubud is picturesque township and visitors have been attracted by its charm and beauty for decades. The Ubud of today is far from undiscovered. Hotels are plentiful; home stays and Indonesian guesthouses (losmen) are easily available to the foreign tourist. Ubud is popular in part today because it is the best place in Bali to break out of the tourist mode and get off the beaten path. Ubud is attractive to tourists for a variety of reasons. On a relatively small island with a horde of attractions, Ubud is centrally located; many tourists simply base their entire stay in the city and travel to other destinations from Ubud. Accommodations in Ubud are also somewhat more reasonably priced than in the beach towns of Bali. But atmosphere is perhaps the major attractions. One writer sums it up this way: Kuta is madness, Sanur is sterile, and Nusa Dua is culturally isolated; Ubud is the place to go.

Bali Is The Best Tropical Destination

The Island of Bali in Indonesia is an Ultimate Island and a perfect holiday destination for people who are seeking adventure and a totally relaxing moment. Bali has earned itself a long string of plaudits, including the “Morning of the World,” “Island of the Gods” and the “Last Paradise on Earth.” Although it has undergone much development, most of the island still deserves those appellations. Its natural beauty, the colorful Balinese Hindu festivals and the friendliness of the people lure vacationers here again and again. The Bali Island is the most popular and world renowned vacation paradise in Indonesia since year after year, this island is voted by the readers of all major travel magazines. The Island of Bali is most enchanting and amazing travel and holiday destination in the whole world.

The Island of Bali in Jakarta Indonesia offers a wide range of attraction to tourist, visitors and adventure seekers. This island is highly regarded by tourist and visitors as the “Ultimate Island” because of its physical beauty and the climate is very pleasant all year-round. This perfect island holiday destination is also offering various and different customs to tourist.

The Island of Bali has many amusements available for visitors and tourist. There are also many inland and offshore attractions. But there are also many attractions that rise every now and then because of the number of tourist and visitors that want them. Tourist especially Americans, Europeans and Australians like to be here in this tropical island of Bali because of the unique blend of modern facilities combined with traditional of past heritage.

Beautiful Beaches and Lakes

The Island of Bali is blessed with world class white sand beautiful beaches and beautiful nature. The endless sand beaches enveloped most of Bali’s shores where silvery waves. The beaches of The Island of Bali are amazing and magnificent. From the stretch of sand in Kuta, fenced far in the South by the runway of Denpasar International Airport; the peaceful elegance of Nusa Dua; the mysterious quietness and somberness of Candidasa, as a temple dedicated to the sea goddess submerges; to the spectacular sunsets of Lovina in the North. Since we are speaking of beaches, there is one attraction that the beaches of Bali that attracts most to the adventurers and especially the surfers, the waves. The Tropical Island of Bali is one of the beat surfing destination in the world. Experienced surfers around the world come here to Bali Island to challenge the great and wildest waves. Not only the sea that gives attraction in Bali Island but also Lakes. There are four lakes in Bali. Lake Batur, the old crater of Mount Batur, is the largest. Kintamani offers an excellent panoramic view of the lake, and the lake itself effectively fences in the Bali Aga people in Trunyan. Lake Bratan, the second largest, is near the town of Bedugul. Lake Buyan and Lake Temblingan are also near.

Bali Island Water Sports

Bali Island has many exciting activities to offer especially watersports. Since This tropical island paradise has a tropical climate all year round, this island is good for diving and watersports. There are lots of diving operators that operate in Bali. The popular watersports that Bali Island has to offer to tourist are kiteboarding, kitsurfing, surfing, diving, offshore rafting and many more. The white water rafting is the most popular waterport here in Bali and the offshore rafting or ocean rafting comes next.

Bali Island Surfing and Diving

The Tropical Island of Bali is an island paradise that is surrounded by crystal clear blue water. Here in Bali Island, there is an all year long sunshine and it gives a very good chance of many offshore attractions. The Island of Bali is also popular for diving and snorkeling in which are among the major attractions in Bali. Experienced and novice divers around the globe will experience and many underwater marine creatures such as beautiful and colorful coral reefs and tropical fish. Bali diving sites offers a lot of beginners and professional divers. There are abundant soft and ahrd coral reefs with a variety of marine life such as dolphins, rays, turtle, sea snakes and moray eels. There are many unexplored, unexploited and uninhibited dive sites in Bali that are also best in diving.

The waters of the Tropical Island of Bali is offering magnificent waves that is perfect for surfing. Surfing in Bali Island is introduced by Australian surfers in the 60’s. Because of the good tropical climate in Bali, surfers can surf everyday. Out-standing reef breaks are found in Kuta and Sanur. Sanur reef is a real pleasure because, here you will find a tube-forming wave that will carry you back to the seashore and in this way.

Popular Attractions in Bali Island

Here are some of the attraction is the Tropical Island of Bali that is worth visiting for such as Tanah Lot, Lovina, Klungkung Royal Palace, Pura Besakih, Taman Burung Bali (Bali Bird Park), Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Uluwatu, Waterbom Park & Spa, Gunung Agung (Mount Agung) and Museum Semarajaya.

How to get there in Bali Island:

Bali is small island, just 140 Km by 80 Km and lies between Java, the most highly populated and influential of all the islands, and Lombok, one of the quieter and moderately slower paced islands. Like many islands, Bali has developed a world of its own. It not only captures what is special about Indonesia but also has a uniqueness of its own.

By Plane: Bali is well connected with rest of the part of the world by air. The tourist can take a flight to the Ngurah Rai international airport or the Denpasar Airport which is located in Denpasar, the capital of Bali. You will get flight from this airport for all the major cities of Indonesia, Asia and Australia.

By Bus: Getting to Bali by bus is a convenient and cheap way of reaching the city. All the areas of the city are easily accessible by bus service. There is Bali Bus Service from Java and Lombok. Bus service is available for airport also.

By Taxi: Travel in Bali in Indonesia is very convenient. One can get around the city by taxi at a slightly higher rate than what the buses charge. Bali Taxi Service are available for transfer from airport.

By Sea: Getting to Bali by Ferry is a convenient and efficient and a fast way of transport. Bali Ferry Service is available from Gilimanuk to Ketapang.

What is Galungan Day?

The day commemorated at the victory day of “Dharma” (virtue) upon “Adharma” (evil) according to the old history of Bali (purana). This day the Hindus thank the God and feel grateful for His blessing and for the creation of the earth and its contents. This day is the day of rituals, festivities and celebrations with “Penjor” the artistically decorated bamboo pole struck at every house entrance, adorning the both sides of the village-roads symbolizing of prosperity.

There are several processions need to be done to celebrate Galungan Day :

Penyekeban (3 days before Galungan)

On this day, people begin to prepare the necessities for the Galungan ceremony. They collect fruits and store them in a special place until they get ripe.

Penyajahan (2 days before Galungan)

On Penyajahan day, people keep on maintaining awareness, patience and the purity of the soul in order to control the demons. Another meaning of Penyajahan is making or cooking Balinese cake (jaja). Therefore, on this day, people have to cook various kinds of Balinese cakes for the ceremony to come.

Penampahan (1 day before Galungan)

This is a sacrificial day. This is the day to slaughter sacrificial animals like chikens, ducks or pigs. People cook them into various kinds of Balinese food, such as satay, soup, lawar (a special Balinese food made of meat or vegetables, mixed with coconut sauce).
Galungan Day

On the Galungan day itself, Balinese Hindus go to temples and other holy places to pray. People are dressed in colorful Balinese costume. Women carry the offerings on their heads and men bring palm leave offerings in their hands, while the children walk hand in hand next to their parents.

Manis Galungan (1 day after Galungan)

On this day, balinese Hindu communities usually visit their relatives, friends and neighbors. They forgive each other and remain together. It is also a day to relax and visit places of interest, after the long days of preparations for the celebration.

The Story Behind Galungan Ceremony in Bali

The favorite holiday of all Balinese is Galungan, a festive day when the ancestors and Gods are invited to grace all temples and family shrines of Bali with their presence. There is no written evidence of how Galungan originated in Bali, although it is estimated to have become a tradition way back in the 11th Century. The ancient lontar (palm-leaf manuscript) Pan}i Malat Rasmi, which was written during the reign of Jenggala in the kingdom of Singasari, Kediri, describes Galungan as a "feast of war dances on a vast open field'.

When the Hindu kingdoms in Java were finally vanquished and Hindus escaped to the isolated slopes of Tengger and the Bali, Galungan was no longer celebrated as a festival of the people. Only in Bali has it continued to be celebrated every 210 days, according to the Balinese 30-week Wuku calendar. This year's festival will take place on the 5th of October.


There was a time when the Astasura Bumi Banten ruled over Bali, that all kinds of rituals were forbidden, including Galungan. This was recorded historically as a period of suffering wherein the kings who ruled lived very short lives. Because of this, Sri Jaya Kasunu, who was descended from Masula-Masuli, was forbidden to take the throne, in fear that he would die a young man.

In the lontar manuscript "Jaya Kasun/f, which has been summarized by Ni Made Sri Arwati, we can read how Sri Jaya Kesunu was enthroned and went to meditate at the Cemetery of Gandamayu, and received a blessing from Bhatari Durga, (the shaktiofShiva) in the form of a divine voice ordering him to revive the celebration of Galungan, if he wished for his people to live in peace and to rule as the raja until old age.

Jaya Kasunu also received a "pewarah-warah" (heavenly order) which has been translated as follows: "My child Sri Jaya Kasunu, order your people to hold this ceremony for weapons every Sabtu Kliwon Kuningan………for the appearance of the God of Death originates from the Pasupati who are greedy for victims, and they will not cease from magic and seeking to appease their hunger. But do not use your weapons to kill because that is something no man should do."


Today Galungan is considered to represent a celebration of the victory of good over evil. The day on which it is held, Buda Kliwon Galungan, is thought to be the best time to focus our thoughts in order to attain clarity and a high level of awareness, to be able to vanquish the causes of confusion.


In this way Galungan has come to symbolize the battle in our minds, which we express through all of our actions. But in carrying out the ceremony, it is realigned with the actions in the physical world, through the making of offerings, and creating a series of ceremonial rituals before, during and after Galungan.

A month before Galungan there is a ceremony called Tumpek pangarah, Pengatag, also known as Tumpek Wariga, aimed at blessing all forms of life and praying for trees and plants to be healthy and flourish. Then on Wraspati Wage wuku Sungsang comes Sugihan Jawa, and the following day Sugihan Bali on which the Balinese prepare themselves for Galungan by rituals of purification, to obtain the clarity necessary to face the challenges to come.


It is believed that three days before Galungan the evil spirits Sang Kala Galungan come down to earth and do their nasty work of disturbing, upsetting, and testing the convictions of man. This day is called Penyekeban, and it is the day on which the bananas are picked and disekeb, wrapped in banana leaves or frangipani bark so they will ripen extra quickly and be ready in exactly three days, in time for Galungan.

The next day is panyajaan, when the evil spirits are said to be doing their worst, human beings must "sa}a", or truly take care to keep in control of their emotions. In the physical world this is symbolized by focusing upon making cakes in the form of holy symbols, which will be used in the offerings for Galungan.


Penampahan the following day, is the height of the evil, and a huge feast is prepared to nampeh, or chase them away. In the physical dimension humans are allowed to kill pigs, chickens and duck for the feast on the following day, and share a small portion with the demons in offerings spread on the ground and in special shrines.The remainder is shared amongst families.

This day before Galungan, known as Anggara Wage Dungulan, is supposed to be the worst day in the entire year. It is a time when the Balinese must struggle with their emotions, refrain from anger and resist all provocation. "If we cannot control ourselves on this day" says Ni Made Budiasih, lecturer in the Hindu tertiary institute STAHN.

June-July 2005). If we lose control, or argue, she says, "all the weight and meaning of the ceremony we carry out becomes meaningless".

Finally, on Galungan, after having succeeded in fighting evil with prayer and offerings, the Balinese celebrate in an atmosphere of happiness, and brightness. Dressed in clean ceremonial clothes, they go to their family temples to ask for direction, blessings and protection for all their descendants in their life's journeys through the world. From here they take offerings to the Pura Kahyangan Tiga, the temples to the trinity of Brahma, Visnu and Shiva, to ask for peace and harmony in their village.


In this way the Balinese are continually reminded by their traditions of the importance of awareness of the teachings of their religion, passed down through the centuries, and kept alive through regular celebration.

Lovina Beach Bali

Lovina Beach Bali

Love Bali?? You should love the beach in Bali too. Lovina is one of popular Bali's Beach. Lovina beach is northern part of Bali. It is 10km western of Singaraja. Lovina is located in Desa Kalibukbuk, Kabupaten Buleleng.

With its natural black sand, Lovina beach is one of Bali popular destination. The most interesting part of Lovina is we can see Dolphins in the sea within 1 km from the beach. You can see dolphin attraction directly in the sea. To see dolphin attraction, you need to come to sea before sunrise. Dolphin usually appear between 6 - 8 am. They swim at sea surface and some of them do attraction like jumping.

If you like wild dolphin attraction, you should go to Lovina beach in your next trip to Bali.

The Roads to Kintamani

Everyone that has visited Bali has, at one time or another, travelled up the mountains to Kintamani. The area there affords some spectacular views of Gunung Batur and Danau Batur and, on a good clear day the Bali Aga village of Trunyan can be seen. It is an area of late that has received some bad press and rightly so and the hawkers can be rather annoying and pushy. It appears, however, that things might be on the better for the Kintamani region. There are four major routes you can take to get to Kintamani and each road has its own surprises and great places to visit along the way. These might be temples or other place of worship, museums, and towns that are renowned for their specialty in arts or crafts. Once in Kintamani you have a choice of restaurants with a high price tag if you fancy a feed whilst enjoying the view. My best advice is to have a drink in one of these places and indulge in the panorama. There are many decent warungs around the area that serve great Indonesian fare as well as Western tucker.

The routes are listed below in no particular order and are ex-Kuta. Take note that upon reaching the crossroads at Kintamani you will have to pay a fee to enter the area at Penelokan.

Route 1: This one I call the ‘tourist run’ to Kintamani mainly because it passes through several towns worthy of note – Batubulan for its marvellous stone carvings, mostly of Balinese Gods, Celuk where you will find the streets lined with galleries and shops selling gold and silver to the markets at Sukawati, the two-storey art market where you can buy goods at almost half the price you pay in Kuta. From there you pass through Batuan renowned for its many talented artists and it here you will find several art galleries and studios, then onto the large textile town of Gianyar famous for its Endek weaving and then through the sleepy town of Bangli where you will find one of the finest garden temples on the island – Pura Kehen – and finally onto Penelokan.

Route 2: Probably one of my favourite routes taking you through the archaeological centre of Bali often referred to as the holy land. Here you will find temples and artifacts dating back to the Majapahit period in Bali and several antiquities dating as far back as the 11th Century. The interesting part of this route starts at Blahbatuh where you will find Pura Gaduh and inside the temple the large stone head of Kebo Iwa. Further along the road is located Pura Dharma Bukit Durga Kutri. This is an interesting temple as it has superb carvings of elephants guarding the outer gates and oddly enough, pigs at the inner gate. Its main feature is the statue of the Goddess Durga perched on a sacred altar at the top of a steep flight of stone steps. Not far from here near the town of Bedulu is located Yeh Pulu, a sheer 25 metre cliff face that has been carved and depicts a five-part story of which the meaning is unknown. This 14th Century artefact is well worth visiting as is the nearby Goa Gadjah, also known as the elephant cave. Heading north from there on the left-hand side is located Pura Kebo Edan with its massive four meter statue. Although in a state of disrepair, this place is interesting for budding archaeological enthusiasts. A stone’s throw from there is Pura Penataran Sasih, home to the Moon of Pejeng. The bronze gong is said to date back to the Dong dynasty of Vietnam and the Balinese Bronze age. Twenty kilometres further north near Tampaksaring you will find the sacred springs of Tirta Empul. It is well worth spending an hour or two here simply for the stunning experience of it all. Probably the most sensational experience in the holy land can be found at Gunung Kawi sitting on the banks of the nearby Pakerisan River. The tombs (Candi’s) are of Anak Wungsu and his queens and are superbly stunning. From here it is a straightforward run up to Penelokan at Kintamani.

Route 3: An interesting and straight run north to the volcano with a few interesting places along the way. Firstly would be the artistic centre of Mas with its array of small galleries. The town is also home to some of the finest artists on the island. An interesting centre for wood carvings is the village of Tegalalang. Several workshops and galleries here are worth a look-see. Further along the road heading north you will come to another village known for its fine wood at Pujungkelod. From there it is only a few kilometres to Sebatu. The Pura Gunung Kwai Sebatu is an interesting temple. Sebatu is also a connecting point to Tampaksaring and the sacred springs or you can carry on further north to Kintamani. Nearby Sebatu is located the Elephant Safari Park at Taro. Actually, the village of Taro is home to the lowland Bali Aga and in this village you will find some unique longhouses. After visiting here it is only a short ride north to Kintamani.

Route 4: Without a doubt the most straightforward and fastest way to Kintamani and the route that I often take when heading to the north-east of the island thus passing thought the area around Kintamani. The road takes you through the outskirts of Ubud and continues through areas of rich ricefields and some stunning panoramas. The further north you travel the richer the flora and the mountain views are a delight. Along the way there are several warungs worth stopping at for refreshments as are the numerous fruit stalls along the side of the road. Interestingly enough, the closer you get to Kintamani it seems as though the fruit for sale has a richer taste and definitely infinitely more delicious. Must be something to do with high altitude! At the end of your drive you come out on the Kintamani road at Kertabuana. There never used to be a collection point for access at this T-junction but there is now!

This is the Map

Besakih Temple (Pura Besakih)

Besakih Temple
Freely translated as ‘Noble Mountain’, this stratovolcano is the highest point on Bali Island and one of the biggest volcanos in Indonesia. Its deep and grand crater despite rarely belching out smoke and ash, when it actually does erupt (last in 1963) it killed more than 1000 people and totally wiped out some of villages nearby. However that particular incident brought to pass a great phenomenon - its lava flows did not destroy the mother temple of Besakih, which was sitting at the slope of Mount Agung, causing firmer faith in the devotees and an increased number of visitors to the sacred place. Gunung Agung is considered a holy place as the Balinese believe that this is where the Gods reside and they think of this site as the Palace of the Gods. From the top of this mountain, you can even see the peak of Mount Rinjani over at the Lombok Island.

located in slope of Mount Agung about 1000 meters above sea level. This is the first temple built in Bali or well known with Mother Temple built by the javanese priest Sri Danghyang Dwijendra who traveled to Bali in 8th century. Besakih Temple has big complex of temple included the family temple who add by another Javanese priest Danghyang Nirartha in 16th century. The main temple courtyard is Penataran Agung has a triple throne called Padmasana Tiga with separate seats of the trinity gods Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa.

If you love hiking, conquering this mountain is a must. There are three ways to climb the mountain, from the south, south-east and west. The most common route is the one from the west side, starting from the Besakih temple where many local guides can help you with the path. It’s a long hike (about 2000 vertical meters, total one way distance is almost 5 km), so you better start very early in the morning, and equip yourself with the proper footwear as you will find many loose soil and rock along the way. Prepare also your rain gear, flashlight (as you will mostly be in dark forests), and your own mineral water. The only source of water is a well and it is considered too sacred for casual usage like these.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Uluwatu Temple)

Description:
Officially known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu (yes, that's the real name: "Luhur" means "something of divine origin" while "Uluwatu" can be broken into "ulu" which means "land's end" and "watu" means "rock" in the old language). Nonetheless, merely mentioning Uluwatu will get you here in no time.

Pura Uluwatu (temple of the stone head) or Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple is located in the edge of stone cliff in southern part of Bali. This ancient temple is dedicated to the spirits of the sea. Built in the eleventh century during the era of Empu Kuturan, the temple became a classic expression of ancient Bali in a spectacular setting, high above the crashing waves.

Here you can witness an impressive picturesque view especially on the sunset time. The three courtyards are surrounded by hard weathered white coral. The guardian gate in the middle courtyard has similar appearance of East Javanese temple architecture. The sacred resident monkeys are smart enough to steel your belonging even from your pocket, so beware.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali’s kahyangan jagat (directional temples), believed as a South West Balinese guardian from evil spirits, a dwelling place for a deity called Bhatara Rudra, God of the elements and cosmic force majeures.

HOW TO GET THERE
A taxi from Kuta to Uluwatu takes about 30 minutes up and down winding roads and will cost you a lot of money. As it can be difficult to find transport, get the driver to wait for you for the trip back. Joining a tour can be a cheaper solution of getting to Uluwatu.

If you are riding a rented motorcycle from Kuta, be aware that you need an IDP (International Driving Permit). Police perform frequent checks for driving licenses on the road between Kuta and Uluwatu, especially targetting foreigners. If you can not present the necessary paperwork you will be faced with a fine.

ABOUT EMPU KUTURAN
Empu is a title given to someone who attains high distinction in literature, philosophy and craftsmanship. Empu Kuturan was a Hindu figure who came from Java to Bali during the reign of Marakata, he’s the youngest child of King Udayana. The arrival of Empu Kuturan in Bali had changed religious life. It was Empu Kuturan who taught people how to build Sad Kahyangan Jagat, Kahyangan Catur Lokapala, Kahyangan Rwabhineda in Bali. It was he who expanded Besakih Temple by building Meru Gedong, etc. he also taught the building of Kahyangan Tiga in every customary village in Bali. Beside teaching how to build temple physically, he also taught about spiritual for example: kind of ceremony, kind of Pedagingan, Shrine, etc as mentioned in DewaTattwa palm manuscript.

Tips for choosing Bali Villa Rental Agent

Legally Registered - It is important to choose a legally registered rental agent to ensure that booking a villa in Bali is a hassle free experience. This can be verified by taking a close look at their website credentials as well as contact details in Bali including a permanent address and telephone number. A reputable rental agent should have endorsement from a related business association.

Credit Card Payments - Additionally, a bonafide agent will accept credit card payments, which reflects that they are a licensed company with recognition from a bank or other financial institution. If you choose to make payment on your prospective villa rental via bank transfer, make sure that the name of the account corresponds to the company that you are dealing with. If the company and bank account names differ, investigate the reason why before committing to the transfer if details and circumstances appear suspicious. Do not accept an unjustifiable excuse as this indicates an unprofessional approach to business.

Pricing - It is cause for concern if a rental agent suddenly offers you a much lower rate for a villa as opposed to other agencies. Reputable rental agents always honour their contract agreements with villa owners and management companies. Slight price variations in price are common; however, a binding legal agreement regulates fair competitive pricing within the market.