All activities in Bali

Where to stay in Bali

Nightlife in Bali

Balis nice restaurants

RELIGION

Balinese  religion is called “Agama Hindu Dhama” or “Agama Tirtha”, very different from the Indian version of Hinduism.Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi.  Other Indian gods, such as Ganesha (elephant-headed god) are also worshipped.  Bali is the only island in Indonesia, the world’s largest Islamic country, where Hinduism is the predominant religion.The Hindu religion and culture was brought to indonesia      about two thousand years ago, by India traders who were attracted by gold, spices and sandalwood.  Bali became very much “Indianised”, in the 8th century, during the golden age of the Sumatra-based Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of “Sriwijaya” without any direct colonisation, Balinese rulers assumed the Indian political and religious systems, out of their own will, to strengthen their power.Animism and ancestor        worship are a strong undercurrent in Balinese life.  The Balinese term, “sekala niskala” (the seen and unseen), sums up the idea of the physical world being breached by a spiritual world.  Spirits gods and demons are honoured everywhere on the island with offerings madeof flowers and bits of food.  The Balinese recognise the duality of nature, male and female, good and evil, life and death.  Colourful religious ceremonies are held regulary.  In bad times, villagers gather advice from priests or balian (spiritual healer) instead of calling on a doctor or lawyer.They believe that most wordly (sekala)                problems reflect some imbalance in the netherworld (niskala), and can be restored by appropriate rituals.  Order and harmony are personified by deities who live on mountain tops and bestow their blessings on humans.  Demons symbolise disorder and dwell, beneath the sea, seeking chaos and destruction.

ART & CULTURE

Artistically, Bali is a mixture of culture and tradition.  Balinese have the natural ability of absobing different cultural elements and blending them with their own For centuries, artists and craftsmen in Bali worked under the patronage of priests and ruling classes, decorating palaces and temples.  As their designs followed stric aesthetic and religious guidelines, the artists generally did not have much room for personal expression. With the arrival of European artists in the beginning of the 20th century, this soon began to change. Local artist started to develop their own individual styles.

PAINTING

The eldest known Balinese paintings, kept at Pura Besakih today, are of a lotus flower and the Hindu-deity Ganesha on two wooden boards.  The work dates back to the 15th century.  Until the beginning form of painting was the portrayal of Hindu epics by painters and illustrators called ‘Sangging’.  Aside from making large representational paintings, the Sangging were expected to decorate everything from gourds, wooden altars, bamboo vessels, headboards for princely beds, and in particular, required to illustrate astrological wall hangings on bark paper or cloth.  It wasn’t until the early 1900s that western influences reached Bali.  The use of Asia symbols in the works of , Paul Gauguin, Toulouse Lautrec, Camille Pissaro and others created a new trend for Asian-influenced art and European painters, such as the German Walter Spies and Dutch Rudolph Bonnet Bali.

STONE & WOODCARVING

Carving goes back many centuries, when temples and courts needed symbolic decorations and beautifications.  During the 1930s carvers started moving away from stylised religious figures and created new forms from mythology and everyday life.  Some highly imaginative sculptures became lengthened and deformed.  The natural shapes of branches and roots also provided inspirations to many artists.          Stone carvings were mainly used to decorate temples and palaces.  An industry has now developed producing items for general decorations.  Bali’s modern day centre of stone carving is in the village of Batubulan, situated halfway between the towns of Denpasar and Ubud.

TEXTILE

Bali’s cllaim to fabric fame is a weft “ikat” cloth, called “endek”.  Some “endek” are made of silk, but the cheaper cotton and rayon are more widely used.  Semimechanised looms produce great quantities in Denpasar and Gianyar, but some of the finest “endeks” comes from Sidemen in Karangasem and Gelgel in Klungkung.  The Balinese are the only weavers in Southeast Asia to master double “ikat” weaving in the form of ‘geringsing’ made in the ancient village of Tenganan.  A masterpiece of Balinese craftsmanship, both the hand-spun cotton warp and weft threads are tied and dyed with the same patterns before the cloth is woven.  Special skills and a great eye for detail are therefore required. ‘Songket is a brocade          cloth with gold, silver, or coloured weft threads forming intricate designs on the surface of the cloth.  They  tend to be heavy and thick textiles due to the weaving technique that is done from the back of the cloth. In the old days, ‘songket’  could only be worn by aristocrats, but today these expensive fabrics are available to anyone who can afford them.  The main centres for ‘songket’ weaving are Gelgel in Klungkung, Sidemen in Karangasem, Singaraja in Buleleng, and Negara in Jembarana. ‘kain prada’ textiles  are decorated with gold desings of flowers or birds.  The patterns are outlined on plain coloured cloth, and the area spread with glue to hold fast gold-leaf.  Today, cheaper gold paint is used, glue is often silk-screened onto the fabric, and artificial gold-leaf is applied.  ‘Kain Prada’ is mostly worn by dancers and participants in religious ceremonies.  The cloth is also used for making ceremonial parasols and dance fans, and used for decorating shrines.  Now, most ‘Kain Prada’ is silk-screened on polyester in Sukawati, Gianyar, and in Satris, Klungkung.

DANCE & DRAMA

Dance  and drama have played an important role in Balinese society.  Through this medium, people learned about the tales of the ‘Ramayana’, ‘Mahabarata’ and other epic stories of Balinese history.               In Bali, traditional mucis is performed by  ‘gamelan orchestra’ with its typically piercing and shimmering sounds.  This percussion ensemble consists of bronze instruments with tuned metal keys, led by drums.  There are a few wind and stringed instruments.  The music is based on rhythmic and melodic cycles punctuated by gongs.  Most villages in Bali own at least one set of ‘gamelan instruments for ritual occasions.  Some sets are considered sacred and are played only during religious ceremonies.                   The following are brief descriptions of some of the more well-known dance/dramas that can be seen at regular performances throughout Bali.

-Oleg Tambililingan                                                                                                                           This dance was created in the 1950s and is performed in the accompaniment of the ‘Gong kebyar Gamelan Orchestra’.                                                                                                                    

-Baris Gede                                                                                                                                      This is an old ritual dance performed by a regiment of soldiers/warriors to protect the deities.                 

-Kecak                                                                                                                                             The most famous of the Balinese dance. The dance is based on a ‘sanghyang’ (trance) chorus formerly used in times of epidemic.                                                                                                                

-Barong & Rangda                                                                                                                              A story of the struggle between good and evil. Good is personified by the the ‘barong keket’, a semi-lion evil is represented by ‘Rangda’, a witch.                                                                                            

-Topeng Dancers                                                                                                                              These dancers recount genealogica histories of dynasties through a series of masks. Players may be a troupe of three or more, or may perform solo. 

-Wayang Kulit (Shaddow Puppet)                                                                                                       This shadow puppet theatre uses flat leather puppets that cast shadows on ascreen. The puppet master manipulatse the puppets with sticks. The characters are distinguished by their headdress and manner of speech.  

DENPASAR, is the capital city of the province of bali, indonesia.Denpasaris the combination of tradition and modernity.Culturally its an interesting mix of Denpasar natives, Balinese from other earts of the island who work in kuta.Around 500,000 people live in Denpasar, including Balinese, Javanese and other from around the country.Denpasar is friendly, is cheap and you will find food vendors from many parts of Indonesia.              Pasar Badung is the biggest market in Denpasar, inside the first floor is a large fish market.  Pasar Badung is open at night too.

KUTA, is one of indonesia’s major tourist destinations.  Legian and Seminyak are northern extensions of Kuta.  Kuta is 2 miles from Ngurah Rai Airport.

NUSA DUA, is the name of the peninsula that extends off the southern of the island of Bali.  Nusa Dua is 10 kilometers from the Bali International Airport.

SANUR, is one of Bali’s biggest traditional villages, excellent place to see the sun rise in the morning.  Sanur is popular for windsurfing, boating and other water sports.  The Sanur beach is long and has white sand.  Sanur is the place where the few remaining of Brahmam Kuasa villages found.  Some of the charming ritual procession all-female keris dance is help in this area.

UBUD, is the art center of Bali and famous for it’s artists and paintings , Ubud is centrally located and beach is only 15 minutes away.  Ubud is a place if  your’re looking for culture, comfort nature, scenic rice fields, small villages, temples, palaces, rivers, it easy to get from Ubud to the mountains, beaches and major towns.  The Ubud Monkey forest is a small nature preserve on the southern of Ubud they’re very tolerant of people, but are famous for stealing food and sunglasses from tourists.

KARANGASEM

One of the nine regencies of Bali is Karangasem and situated in the eastern part of Bali.  Karangasem itself consists of eight Districts namely: Karangasem, Manggis, Rendang, Selat, Sidemen, Bebandem, Abang and Kubu.  Karangasem has an extraordinary variety of scenic landscapes with tropical forests, archeological remains, white sandy beaches, Bali Aga villages as Tenganan and terraced rice fields. Also  because of the good infra structure will this eastern part of Bali give you a great opportunity to explore many highlights nearby as Besakih, Tirtagangga, Ujung, Amed, Tulamben, Tenganan and many others.  Here you can see and feel how the Balinees live as they did many years ago.  During your trip through the breathtaking tropical scenery you can see locals taking a bath or washing their clothes in the small rivers.  For diving and snorkeling Karangasem offers a great variety of fish as Titan Trigger fish and Sting Rays, underwater canyons, steep coral walls with a visibility of more than 15 meters.  Dive sites: Candidasa, Padang; Amed; Tulamben.

CANDIDASA

(Candi means ‘temple’ and Dasa means ‘Ten’) is a small fishing village on the east coast of Bali in the Regency of Karangasem which has developed into a popular resort destinations.  Here you will find the tranquillity which is so typical for east Bali and feeling home among the local people, far away from the hectic tourist areas.  The local people can arrange everything for you with pleasure: from local transport, trekking in the hills or mountains, fishing, diving, snorkeling.  Candidasa becomes more and more famous for diving.  In the village there are several diving schools who can accompany you to beautiful diving spots in the bay of Candidasa as there are the small islands Tepekong, Mimpang and Likuan.  In the village there is a lovely lotus lagoon and there are some fascinating temples.

TENGANAN

Just 7 Km from Candidasa is Tenganan, a Bali Aga village (the original Bali). This pleasant, tranquil place is worth a visit and the people are welcoming and good-natured.  For decades visitors have been attracted to this ‘living museum’ many of them drawn by the geringsing (double ikat), cloth woven by the women of Tenganan.  After you have paid a small donation, you enter this village which is 500 meter long a 250 meter wide and surrounded by natural walls with only three gates.  A walk through Tenganan is very interesting, you can see how the people live, some temples, and some typical local architecture.  The inhabitants of this village live according to their ancient traditions and ceremonies.  They continue to practice traditional arts like marking baskets and Lontar leaf books or calenders. 

AMLAPURA

Amlapura is the largest city on East Bali and the capital of the Karangasem region.  The original name of the city was also Karangasem, which was supposedly changed in order to confuse the evil spirits and prevent them from burying the city under volcanic ash after the eruption of mount Agung 1963. Once Amlapura was the seat for one of the wealthiest kingdoms on Bali, and was at it’s peak in the end of the 17th century.  The King kept his position and title through a strong cooperation with the Dutch in the 19th century.  Inside the city borders there are three palaces as a memory of greater glory, Puri Agung, was built by the last King of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut, around 1900. He also built the so called water palaces in the nearby villages Ujung and Tirta Gangga.  The site in Ujung was destroyed during volcanic eruptions, and has been restored. Early in the morning between 09.00 and 12.00 is the best time to visit the traditional market of Amlapura.  Here you can find a great selection of tradicional and modern clothes, shirts, etc.  Beside this you will find a great variety of fruit, spices and vegetables.

UJUNG

Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut, the last Raja of Karangasem, built three ‘water palaces’ Those were Tirta Gangga, Jungutan and Ujung, wich are only 10 km from Candidasa.  Three km south of Amlapura is Ujung, a small fishing village on the coast and the site of a majestic old water palace with pools, moats, canals and fountains.  The Ujung water palace was built in 1919, but totally damaged after the eruption of mount Agung in 1963.  Only some statues and gates survived. 

JASI

Jasi or Jasri village has a rich history going back hundreds of years.  In recent times Jasi has been a lazy fishing and farming vilage, living mostly from the land and sea harvests.  The black sand & rock beaches of Jasi offer a world class surf break bordered by coconut plantations, rice fields and majestic mountains Agung & Rinjani towering in the distance.

PADANG BALI

Is the route to Lombok. Padangbai has 5 temples, Pura Dalem, located downtown, is where cremation ceremonies happen. Pura Segara, Pura Telagamas, Pura Silayuti this complex is over 1.000 years old and daily there are authentic Balinese ceremonies taking place here. and Pura Tanjungsari. Padangbai with beaches (the main beach, Blue Lagoon and Pantai Kacil) are white sand and great for snorkeling and swimming.

AMED

Amed and its surroundings is an upcoming place on the east coast of Bali. The small fishing villages in this region fringing the Bali sea and steep mountains to landward.

GUNUNG AGUNG, the biggest  volcano in Bali is Gunung Agung, is also the holiest place in Bali, considered to be the center of the Balinese Universe.

GUNUNG AGUNG

PURA LUHUR ULUWATU

BESAKIH TEMPLE

PURA ULUN DANU BATUR

TEMPLE GOA GAJAH

PURA LEMPUYANG   Near Tirta Gangga, east Bali.

PURA LUHUR BATUKAU  On Gunung Batukau, Central Mountains.  Dedicated to the gods of Mount Batukau, this temple is popular with flower and bird-watchers.

PURA MASCETI   near Gianyar, east Bali.

PURA SAMBU    remotely located on Gunung Agung, East Bali.

PURA ALUN DANU BRATAN    in Candikuning (Danau Bratan) Central Mountains near Bedugul.  This temple has several shrines located on both the lake’s shores and on various small islets.

PURA ULUN DANU  In Batur, Central Mountains.  The most important temple after Besakih. This temple is worth visiting at any time of the year, especially during the ‘Odalan’ festival (usually in March, depending on full  moon). The festival is dedicated to the goddess of the crater lake.  She is said to control the irrigation system for the entire island.

SEA TEMPLES

The 16th century ‘Majapahit’ priest Nirartha founded a string of temples to honour the sea gods.  Several have dramatic locations on the south coast.  From the west they include the following.

PURA GEDE PERANCAK   Where Nirartha first arrived.

PURA RAMBUT SIWI   On a wild stretch of the west coast.

PURA TANAH LOT   The very popular island temple.

PURA MAS SUKA    At the very south of the Bukit Peninsula.

PURA SAKENAN   On Pulau Serangan, south Bali.

PURA PULAKI   Near Pemuteran, North Bali.

THE FRUIT MARKET OF CANDI, (near Bedugul) reputed among tourists for its exquisite tropical fruit, vegetables.

THE BOTANIC GARDEN, in Ubud five hectares of natural ravine which include an Orchid Garden a collection of ferns, palms, bamboos and tropical trees.

BALI ZOO, is home to more than 350 creatures, white tiger, leopards, a Komodo dragaon, Sumatran tigers, Lion, Orangutan........  Open daily from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m ( except Nyepi Balinese day of Silence).  The zoo is a ten minute drive from Ubud.

BALI TREETOP ADVENTURE PARK, is located in Eka Karya Botanical Garden Bali.  Open daily from 8:30 a.m to 6:00 p.m is a fun activity set in an open environment.

BALI ELEPHANT SAFARI PARK, the park is more than 2 hectares of botanical gardens, a museum with a collection of elephant memorabilia and the Mammoth Skeleton.  Open daily from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. is closed to Ubud

BALI BARAT NATIONAL PARK,  almost the whole of Bali’s western tip, an area of over 750 square kilometres, has been baptised as a conservation area.  The park boasts open savannahs, rainforests, mangrove swamps, coral reefs and a deer island off the north coast.  The park is a sanctuary for a wide range of anmals, especially for the endangered bird, the Bali Starling.  Although most of the park is not accessible to the public, there are a number of trails open to the sightseer. ‘Pulau Manjangan’ home to the rare Java Deer, can also be visited and offers great diving and snorkelling.  Get you ticket at the National Park Headquarters in Cekik, about three kilometres south of Gilimanuk.

BALI BIRD PARK (TAMAN BURUNG), Taman Burung houses more than a thousand birds from all over Indonesia.  One of the park’s objetives is to try and breed endangered spedies, the Bali Mynah for example.  If ornithology doesn’t interest you much, you will be impressed by the two hectares of tropical gardens.

BALI BUTTERFLY PARK (TAMAN KUPU KUPU),  Indonesia’s only butterfly park helps study, breed and preserve many kinds of butterflies from all over the Indonesian archipelago.  Jl. Batukaro, Sandan Wanasari, Tabanan Regency.

ELEPHANT SAFARI PARK IN TARO,   all of the twenty-seven magnificent creatures were rescued from deforestation in Central and Souther Sumatra to live in this internationally acclaimed sanctuary where the meaning of ‘Respect for the animals is the most important thing.’   The Bali Adventure Tours Office Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai, Pesanggaran.

BLAHMANTUNG WATERFALL,  dropping from a hundred metres, this waterfall is no less than spectacular, specially during the rainy season.  Be prepared for a bit of a trek up a steep, and at times rough, track to get there.

SANGEH MONKEY FOREST,  This forest of approximately six hectares, near the village of Sangeh, is filled with vast nutmeg trees that can grow up to forty metres in height.  The main attractions here are the hordes of Balinese monkeys that inhabit both the trees and the temple on site.  Visitors should be aware that the monkeys are attracted to shiny objects, so cameras and jewellery are to be left behind or well hidden under clothes before setting off to explore.

UBUD MONKEY FOREST,  this forest is a smaller than the one in Sangeh but the monkeys are just as wild.  Therefore, take care of your belongings.

BOTANICAL GARDENS,  (KEBUN RAYA EKA KARYA, BEDUGUL)   Established in 1959, these gardens cover over 120 hectares on the slopes of ‘Gunung Pohon’ (Tree Mountain).  The gardens contain a huge collection of tree, nearly 500 varieties of orchids and a rich bird population.  The gardens boast a herbarium and library.

TAMAN BUAYA & REPTIL (REPTILE & CROCODILE PARK),  this park houses not only four of the famous Komodo Gragons but also a large collection of crocodiles, lizards and snakes within lovery tropical gardens.  ‘Feeding time’, snakes, a magic show and even crocodile wrestling add to an unforgettable experience.  Werdhi Bhuana, near Mengwi.

GITGIT WATERFALL,  Not far from the main road, Gitgit is an impressive 40 metre waterfall that gushes into a deep pool.  Swimming there is wonderfully refreshing, although a local legend has it that couples bathing in the pool together will eventually separate....10 kilometres south of Singaraja.

ADVENTURES

For those of you who are adventurous and want to do more. Bali is the place for you!

CRUISES,  Nusa Lembongan- Duration: 1 day. This island located in the east side of Benos. The sun, white sand, corals, blue ocean, strong waves, make this place perfect for diving, surfing or snorkelling.

WATER CRUISES, the cruise agencies will offer exciting water activities , such as water slide, snorkelling, banana boat, semisub, parasailing and scuba diving.  See the island’s exotic marine life and colourful corals from the comfort of the semi-submersible coral viewer. 

DIVING & SNORKLING , Have to star in Sanur or Tanjung Benoa where you can rent equipment at the beacht clubs or at one of the dive centres at the local hotels.

WHERE TO DIVE......                                                                                                                        East of Bali: Gili Tepekong, Gili Biaha, and Gili Mimpang.                                                                      -Only for professional divers.                                                                                                             Amed, Nusa Penida, Tulamben, Padang Bai, Balina Beach.                                                                    South of Bali: Nusa Lembongan                                                                                                          -One of the best diving location.  The corals make an excellent reason for you to dive in these places.         North of Bali: Menjangan Island , This 7.000 Acres Island is located at Taman Nasional Bali Barat.             Lovina Beach, this beach has beautiful calm water, which is why it is the perfect place to teach your children diving.Ceningan Island , located in the eastern part of Bali.  Because of its friendly current, amateur divers can improve their skills on this island. Lombok, surrounded by the famous Gili Island with the best diving and snorkelling sites.

PARASAILING,  this exhilarating experience is amust for all thrill-seekers.  For those unfamiliar with it, parasailing turns you into a human kite suspended hundreds of feet above the emerald green waters of Tanjung Benoa Gulf Stream.

RAFTING,  is a re3creational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water.  This is usually done on whitewater or different degress of rough water, raising the thrill factor and excitement for participants.

SURFING & BODYBOARDING,  there are so many surfing sites on the island

WATER & JET SKI, you can rent Jet Skis, speed boat and water ski equipament at Sanur Beach, Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa.

WIND SURFING, Sanur and Tanjung Benoa beach offers a lot of places that rent windsurfing equipments.

BUNGY,  3-2-1 Bungy!  Jump off our 140’ high bridge head first, with a big elastic band around your ankles.

CLIMBING,  It takes three to four hours to climb Mount Agung, the highest mountain in Bali, and a day to reach Mount Batukanu.

GOLF, There are many golf courses in Bali.

Balis charity community