bali-sunday

Bounty Sunset Dinner

2012-02-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Bounty was released new program on his company,the program is Bounty Sunset Dinner Cruise.

Bounty Sunset Dinner Cruise offers an elegance life style to enjoy the tasteful dine on the cruise ship in the romantic ambience. This cruise departs from Benoa Harbour to surround the coastal area of Benoa and serves the International Buffet Dinner with spectacular dance performance and live music.

It is a memorable moment for anyone who loves the exclusive life style and romantic experience during holidays in Bali. The cruise is well equipped by complete facilities with professional and friendly crews to ensure your dine experience to be a memorable one.

Dine Experience in Romantic Ambience
Bounty Sunset Dinner Cruise is one to be your perfect choices to enjoy your tasteful dine in the tropical atmosphere and combine the exclusive cruise experiences. The cruise will depart at 06.00 pm and return to Benoa Harbor at 09.00 pm with variety of performances on the board. It offers unforgettable dine experience with a breathtaking view and romantic sunset ambience that complete your vacations in the paradise island of Bali.

Event
Location : Benoa Harbor
Duration : 18:00 am – 20:30 pm
Boarding commences : 17:30 am

What to Bring?

Camera
Money for optional and drinks

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Free round trip hotel transfer is valid for hotel area in Tanjung Benoa, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Sanur only. Outside of these hotel area will be charged additional fee
All rate quoted on the page are subject to change without notice and strictly valid
All booking confirmations are subject to availability basis.

Cancellation and No Show Policy
Cancellation fee will be charged if the cancellation is made within:

If the booking cancellation is made within 3 days before the service date, 50% of the total tour reserved will be charged as a cancellation fee.
If the booking is made within 1 day before the service date up to no show, a full (100%) charge will be applied as a cancellation fee
This cancellation policy is valid for individual booking and not valid for group booking. The cancellation policy for group booking will be advised on the confirmation made

Published rate
US$ : 49.00 – overseas
IDR : 392.000 – domestic , Kims / Kitas holder
Children 3 – 14 years 50% and Infants under 3 years old are free of charge.

Cruise Includes

Return hotel transfer
(Nusa Dua, Kuta, Sanur hotel areas only)
Welcome drink and flower
Buffet Dinner
One coupon
Live entertainment by Balinese Dance
Sexy Modern Dance
Live Music
DJ On board
Trio Singer
Comedy Cabaret Show
On Board Entertainment.

Do you wanna try another bounty's program at noon???
Day Cruise the best choice.
to go Day Cruise program click here.

have good dinner friend
:D

Sunset Dinner Cruise's Gallery

Bounty Cruise

2012-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Bounty Cruise - Day Cruise

Bali Sunday - Enjoy a cruise with Bounty Cruise tourist visiting the island of Nusa Lembongan, relax with your partner, friends or family.

Using cruise ships sailing capacity of 400 people at speeds of up to 30 knots from Benoa Harbour Bali, we can relax enjoying the sea south to the island of Bali Nusa Lembongan. Served by friendly staff who are full of hospitality, we can relax on board while reading the newspaper or watch the live video.

Bounty Cruise is equipped with equipment that meets international safety standards and executive-class service with 3 decks.

In a day you can enjoy all the facilities such as snorkeling, aqua board, canoeing, glass bottom boat rides, banana boat, underwater viewing chamber, tour the village and lunch at the pontoon.

Bounty Day Cruises

Destination : Nusa Lembongan
Duration : 9:00am - 4:00pm
Boarding Commences : 8:30am

Team Building Session / Fun Game

During day cruise, we have an activity named Team building session. We need to arrange the building session at least 2 days before departure with minimum 40 passengers. An additional team building session is Rp. 50.000/ pax. The team building session is to build up “the spirit” and to learn how to be unified as one. Also with fun activities if brings up of the sound mind of competition. All the activities are instructed by our professional staff.

Schedule:
09.00 : Pick up from Hotel
10:00 : Departure from Benoa Harbour
11:00 : Arrival at pontoon Nusa Lembongan
11:15 : Transfer by boat to the beach
11:30 : Arrival at the beach

Activities team building started with:
Human Chain, Tug of War, Egg Toss, Sac relay, Stick Relay, Seating Volley

13:00 : Ball, Over and under Ball Pass, Cuban Volley ball (maximum 3 activities)
Departure from the beach to the pontoon
Break for lunch & continue with pontoon activities:
Snorkeling, Banana boat, 44 mtr water slide, Canoeing, Glass bottom boat,
Water bike.

15:00 : Departure from pontoon to Benoa harbour
16:00 : Arrival at Benoa Harbour

Facilities aboard our 48 square meter pontoon
Reception, Restaurant, Toilets / showers, Change rooms.

Cruise Includes

Return hotel transfer
(Nusa Dua, Kuta, Sanur hotel area only)
Morning tea and coffee with breakfast on board
International Buffet Lunch
44 meter water slide
Unlimited Banana boat rides
Aqua board
Snorkeling
Canoeing

Optionals Extras
Massage
Jet ski
Diving
Fly Fish

Available
Towel and locker key (deposit system)

What to Bring
Swimming costume
Towel Sunscreen
Hat
Camera
Money for optional & drinks.

What to Wear
Easy beach wear

Published Rate :
US$ 95.00 – Foreigners
IDR 760.000 – Domestic, Kims / Kitas holder
Children 3 – 14 years 50% and infants under 3 years old are free of charge.
do you wanna get discount for price???
reservation to mbt.service@yahoo.com
thank you

Enjoy your vacation in Bali and beyond Bali ...
Bounty Group also has a dinner program, they called Bounty Sunset Dinner Cruises.
Dont miss this opportunity for your vacation in Bali and beyond Bali.
have good fun.
:D

Bounty's official site : http://www.balibountycruises.com/

Bounty's Gallery

Munduk waterfall

2012-02-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

There are still many places in Bali I have not yet discovered and explored despite the fact that I’ve been living is this sun, sea, surf island for about 9,5 years.

Munduk is same kind of the waterfall in bali, but the difference Munduk between the other like Tegenungan and Git git waterfall is Munduk still very hidden from the other tourism places in Bali.

If you are going up to North of Bali, to the highland village of Bedugul, that is famous with its Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya Bedugul) and Ulun Danu Temple on Beratan Lake, your journey can continue up to Buleleng, to the splash spot of the area : Munduk Waterfall. This is not only a visit to a beautiful waterfall place in Bali, but also a short hiking deep into the rain tropical forest of Munduk Village. Very recommended for Bali visitors after 4 or 5 days with skin tanning beach days and Seminyak night life, you should definitely schedule a day trip to Singaraja area.

Munduk is a quite village much different from the south of Bali area situated at 1,500 meters above sea level, at the Northen part of Bali, Buleleng. That’s 2 hours drive from Denpasar. After passing Ulun Danu Temple in Bedugul, turn left at Wanagiri Village, Munduk is about 5 km downhill from here. A special small parking lot next to a small ‘warung’ is available right on the steep hill road of Munduk village. Be careful when you cross the road as cars and motorbike are speeding up as they enter to an extreme up hill and down hill road at the same time, from 2 ways. Waiting for you crossing the road (slowwwly…) is almost impossible at that speed level.

The path way as you enter Munduk rain forest is a mix between natural trail road and paved way. You will have occasionally to share the small path with the villagers on motorbike.. Interesting hiking type!

You will be as happy as I was when the rainbow struck across the water right under the waterfall, leaving a shinning reflection on the river beneath it. Who wouldn’t be jaw dropped when you see this beauty of nature moment...

Munduk is very different and very nice trip to go there, because pass the jungle, village on the mount and village street.
enjoy the different nice trip in Bali to go Munduk Waterfall.

Charter Car

2012-01-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - If you have schedule trip by your self such as Benoa, Nusa Dua, Kintamani, Ubud, Uluwatu and Jimbaran directly take one day at the same day,,, the answer is Charter car maybe better for you.

Charter a car with driver is a best choice to traveling around Bali. With charter a car with driver you can relax, enjoy trip or tour and its environment while listening brief information from our driver since our driver can be also as your tour guide, no worries about the music, because the driver also ex dj bali taxi, so the driver also can sing and knew whats the favourite song in for foreign.

You will not worry about lost the way, puzzle about the traffic in Bali. Just relax and point out where you want to go around, Bali-Sunday's driver will gladly escort to your favorite destination. Petrol and driver fee have included already in the fare, so you just need to determine how many hour charter the car will be. Kindly choose our new edition and wide range of car for your trip.

Enjoy your trip by your own schedule.

Bali Sunday Price :

+ Price by Hours (Minimum 8 Hours) :

IDR 50.000/ Hours (USD 6/Hours)

Additional Charge /Hours is IDR 40.000/USD 5

+ Price By Half / Full day :

Half Day : IDR 400.000 / USD 50 (Approx 10 Hours)

Full Day : IDR 550.000 / USD 65 (Approx 14 Hours)

Included :

Driver

Gasoline

Car Park

Air conditioned

WAKA BALI

2012-01-21T20:04:00.001-08:00

Bali-Sunday Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island (strictly speaking, the province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali).

With a population recorded as 3,891,000 in the 2010 census, the island is home to most of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. In the 2000 census about 92.29% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. Bali, a tourist haven for decades, has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.

History

Main article: History of Bali

Bali was inhabited by about 2000 BC by Austronesian peoples who migrated originally from Taiwan through Maritime Southeast Asia. Culturally and linguistically, the Balinese are thus closely related to the peoples of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Oceania. Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.

In ancient Bali, nine Hindu sects existed, namely Pasupata, Bhairawa, Siwa Shidanta, Waisnawa, Bodha, Brahma, Resi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each sect revered a specific deity as its personal Godhead.

Balinese culture was strongly influenced by Indian, Chinese, and particularly Hindu culture, beginning around the 1st century AD. The name Bali dwipa ("Bali island") has been discovered from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong pillar inscription written by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 914 AD and mentioning "Walidwipa". It was during this time that the complex irrigation system subak was developed to grow rice. Some religious and cultural traditions still in existence today can be traced back to this period. The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. When the empire declined, there was an exodus of intellectuals, artists, priests, and musicians from Java to Bali in the 15th century.

Coordinates: 8°20′S 115°00′E

Country : Indonesia

Capital City : Denpasar

Government • Governor : Made Mangku Pastika

Area • Total 5,632.86 km2 (2,174.9 sq mi)

Population (2010) • Total 3,891,428

Density 690.8/km2 (1,789.3/sq mi)

Demographics •

>> Ethnic groups

- Balinese (89%),

- Javanese (7%),

- Baliaga (1%),

- Madurese (1%)

>> Religion

- Hindu (92.29%),

- Muslim (5.69%),

- Christian (1.38%),

- Buddhist (0.64%)

>> Languages

- Indonesian (official),

- Balinese

Time zone CIT (UTC+08)

Website http://www.baliprov.go.id/

Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot, one of the major temples in Bali

The first European contact with Bali is thought to have been made in 1585 when a Portuguese ship foundered off the Bukit Peninsula and left a few Portuguese in the service of Dewa Agung. In 1597 the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived at Bali and, with the establishment of the Dutch East India Company in 1602, the stage was set for colonial control two and a half centuries later when Dutch control expanded across the Indonesian archipelago throughout the second half of the nineteenth century (see Dutch East Indies). Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840s on the island's north coast, when the Dutch pitted various distrustful Balinese realms against each other. In the late 1890s, struggles between Balinese kingdoms in the island's south were exploited by the Dutch to increase their control.

The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults at the Sanur region in 1906 and were met by the thousands of members of the royal family and their followers who fought against the superior Dutch force in a suicidal puputan defensive assault rather than face the humiliation of surrender. Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 1,000 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders. In the Dutch intervention in Bali (1908), a similar massacre occurred in the face of a Dutch assault in Klungkung. Afterwards the Dutch governors were able to exercise administrative control over the island, but local control over religion and culture generally remained intact. Dutch rule over Bali came later and was never as well established as in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku.

In the 1930s, anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, and artists Miguel Covarrubias and Walter Spies, and musicologist Colin McPhee created a western image of Bali as "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature", and western tourism first developed on the island.

Imperial Japan occupied Bali during World War II. Bali Island was not originally a target in their Netherlands East Indies Campaign, but as the airfields on Borneo were inoperative due to heavy rains the Imperial Japanese Army decided to occupy Bali, which did not suffer from comparable weather. The island had no regular Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) troops. There was only a Native Auxiliary Corps Prajoda (Korps Prajoda) consisting of about 600 native soldiers and several Dutch KNIL officers under command of KNIL Lieutenant Colonel W.P. Roodenburg. On 19 February 1942 the Japanese forces landed near the town of Sanur. The island was quickly captured.

During the Japanese occupation a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese 'freedom army'. The lack of institutional changes from the time of Dutch rule however, and the harshness of war requisitions made Japanese rule little better than the Dutch one. Following Japan's Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch promptly returned to Indonesia, including Bali, immediately to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration. This was resisted by the Balinese rebels now using Japanese weapons. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, by then 29 years old, finally rallied his forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance. In 1946 the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly proclaimed State of East Indonesia, a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia which was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta. Bali was included in the "Republic of the United States of Indonesia" when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949.

The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring the widening of social divisions across Indonesia in the 1950s and early 1960s, Bali saw conflict between supporters of the traditional caste system, and those rejecting these traditional values. Politically, this was represented by opposing supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), with tensions and ill-feeling further increased by the PKI's land reform programs. An attempted coup in Jakarta was put down by forces led by General Suharto. The army became the dominant power as it instigated a violent anti-communist purge, in which the army blamed the PKI for the coup. Most estimates suggest that at least 500,000 people were killed across Indonesia, with an estimated 80,000 killed in Bali, equivalent to 5% of the island's population. With no Islamic forces involved as in Java and Sumatra, upper-caste PNI landlords led the extermination of PKI members.

As a result of the 1965/66 upheavals, Suharto was able to manoeuvre Sukarno out of the presidency, and his "New Order" government reestablished relations with western countries. The pre-War Bali as "paradise" was revived in a modern form, and the resulting large growth in tourism has led to a dramatic increase in Balinese standards of living and significant foreign exchange earned for the country. A bombing in 2002 by militant Islamists in the tourist area of Kuta killed 202 people, mostly foreigners. This attack, and another in 2005, severely affected tourism, bringing much economic hardship to the island, although tourist numbers have now returned to levels before the bombings.

Geography

The island of Bali lies 3.2 km (2 mi) east of Java, and is approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. Bali and Java are separated by the Bali Strait. East to west, the island is approximately 153 km (95 mi) wide and spans approximately 112 km (69 mi) north to south; its land area is 5,632 km².

Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation. The highest is Mount Agung (3,142 m), known as the "mother mountain" which is an active volcano. Mountains range from centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the eastern most peak. Bali's volcanic nature has contributed to its exceptional fertility and its tall mountain ranges provide the high rainfall that supports the highly productive agriculture sector. South of the mountains is a broad, steadily descending area where most of Bali's large rice crop is grown. The northern side of the mountains slopes more steeply to the sea and is the main coffee producing area of the island, along with rice, vegetables and cattle. The longest river, Ayung River, flows approximately 75 km.

The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand. Bali has no major waterways, although the Ho River is navigable by small sampan boats. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klating dukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot, they are not yet used for significant tourism.

The largest city is the provincial capital, Denpasar, near the southern coast. Its population is around 491,500(2002). Bali's second-largest city is the old colonial capital, Singaraja, which is located on the north coast and is home to around 100,000 people. Other important cities include the beach resort, Kuta, which is practically part of Denpasar's urban area; and Ubud, which is north of Denpasar, and is known as the island's cultural centre.

Three small islands lie to the immediate south east and all are administratively part of the Klungkung regency of Bali: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. These islands are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait.

To the east, the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok and marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia. The transition is known as the Wallace Line, named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who first proposed a transition zone between these two major biomes. When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age, Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to keep Lombok and the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated.

Ecology

Bali lies just to the west of the Wallace Line, and thus has a fauna which is Asian in character, with very little Australasian influence, and has more in common with Java than with Lombok. An exception is the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, a member of a primarily Australasian family. There are around 280 species of birds, including the critically endangered Bali Starling, which is endemic. Others Include Barn Swallow, Black-naped Oriole, Black Racket-tailed Treepie, Crested Serpent-eagle, Crested Treeswift, Dollarbird, Java Sparrow, Lesser Adjutant, Long-tailed Shrike, Milky Stork, Pacific Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Sacred Kingfisher, Sea Eagle, Woodswallow, Savanna Nightjar, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Yellow-vented Bulbul, White Heron, Great Egret.

Until the early 20th century, Bali was home to several large mammals: the wild Banteng, Leopard and an endemic subspecies of Tiger, the Bali Tiger. The Banteng still occurs in its domestic form, while leopards are found only in neighboring Java, and the Bali Tiger is extinct. The last definite record of a Tiger on Bali dates from 1937, when one was shot, though the subspecies may have survived until the 1940s or 1950s. The relatively small size of the island, conflict with humans, poaching and habitat reduction drove the Tiger to extinction. This was the smallest and rarest of all Tiger subspecies and was never caught on film or displayed in zoos, while few skins or bones remain in museums around the world. Today, the largest mammals are the Javan Rusa deer and the Wild Boar. A second, smaller species of deer, the Indian Muntjac, also occurs.

Squirrels are quite commonly encountered, less often the Asian Palm Civet, which is also kept in coffee farms to produce Kopi Luwak. Bats are well represented, perhaps the most famous place to encounter them remaining the Goa Lawah (Temple of the Bats) where they are worshipped by the locals and also constitute a tourist attraction. They also occur in other cave temples, for instance at Gangga Beach. Two species of monkey occur. The Crab-eating Macaque, known locally as “kera”, is quite common around human settlements and temples, where it becomes accustomed to being fed by humans, particularly in any of the three “monkey forest” temples, such as the popular one in the Ubud area. They are also quite often kept as pets by locals. The second monkey, endemic to Java and some surrounding islands, such as Bali which is far rarer and more elusive is the Javan Langur or the Black-leaf Monkey, locally known as "lutung". They occur in few places apart from the West Bali National Park. What is interesting about this species is that the young are born an orange colour, though by their first year they would have already changed to a more blackish colouration. In Java however, there is more of a tendency for this species to retain its juvenile orange colour into adulthood, and so you can see a miixture of black and orange monkeys together as a family. In Other, rarer mammals include the Leopard Cat, Sunda Pangolin and Black Giant Squirrel.

Snakes include the King Cobra and Reticulated Python. The Water Monitor can grow to an impressive size and move surprisingly quickly.

The rich coral reefs around the coast, particularly around popular diving spots such as Tulamben, Amed, Menjangan or neighboring Nusa Penida, host a wide range of marine life, for instance Hawksbill Turtle, Giant Sunfish, Giant Manta Ray, Giant Moray Eel, Bumphead Parrotfish, Hammerhead Shark, Reef Shark, barracuda, and sea snakes. Dolphins are commonly encountered on the north coast near Singaraja and Lovina.

Many plants have been introduced by humans within the last centuries, particularly since the 20th century, making it sometimes hard to distinguish what plants are really native. Among the larger trees the most common are: Banyan trees, Jackfruit, coconuts, bamboo species, acacia trees and also endless rows of coconuts and banana species. Numerous flowers can be seen: hibiscus, frangipani, bougainvillea, poinsettia, oleander, jasmine, water lily, lotus, roses, begonias, orchids and hydrangeas exist. On higher grounds that receive more moisture, for instance around Kintamani, certain species of fern trees, mushrooms and even pine trees thrive well. Rice comes in many varieties. Other plants with agricultural value include: salak, mangosteen, corn, Kintamani orange, coffee and water spinach.

A team of scientists has conducted survey from April 29, 2011 to May 11, 2011 at 33 sea site of Bali. They have discovered 952 species of reef fish which 8 of them were new discoveries at Pemuteran, Gilimanuk, Nusa Dua, Tulamben and Candidasa and 393 coral species, including two new ones at Padangbai and between Padangbai and Amed. The average coverage level of healthy coral was 36 percent (better than in Raja Ampat and Halmahera by 29 percent or in Fakfak and Kaimana by 25 percent) with the highest coverage was found in Gili Selang and Gili Mimpang in Candidasa, Karangasem regency.

Environment

Some of the worst erosion has occurred in Lebih Beach, where up to 7 meters of land is lost every year. Decades ago, this beach was used for holy pilgrimages with more than 10,000 people, but they have now moved to Masceti Beach.

From ranked third in previous review, in 2010 Bali got score 99.65 of Indonesia's environmental quality index and the highest of all the 33 provinces. The score measured 3 water quality parameters: the level of total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).

Due to over-exploitation by the tourist industry which converse massive land, 200 out of 400 rivers on the island have dried up and based on research, the southern part of bali would face a water shortage up to 2,500 liters of clean water per second by 2015. To ease the shortage, the central government plans to build a water catchment and processing facility at Petanu River in Gianyar. The 300 liters capacity of water per second will be channeled to Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar in 2013.

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 8 regencies (kabupaten) and 1 city (kota). These are:

Name	Capital	Population 2000 Census	Population 2005 estimate	Population 2010 Census
Jembrana Regency	Negara	231,806	247,102	261,618
Tabanan Regency	Tabanan	376,030	398,389	420,370
Badung Regency	Mangupura	345,863	388,548	543,681
Gianyar Regency	Gianyar	393,155	421,067	470,380
Klungkung Regency	Semarapura	155,262	163,291	170,559
Bangli Regency	Bangli	193,776	208,508	215,404
Karangasem Regency	Amlapura	360,486	376,711	396,892
Buleleng Regency	Singaraja	558,181	599,866	624,079
Denpasar City	Denpasar	532,440	574,610	788,445
*Totals*		3,146,999	3,378,092	3,891,428

Economy

Three decades ago, the Balinese economy was largely agriculture-based in terms of both output and employment. Tourism is now the largest single industry; and as a result, Bali is one of Indonesia’s wealthiest regions. About 80% of Bali's economy depends on tourism. By end of June 2011, non-performing loan of all banks in Bali were 2.23 percent average, relatively quite low compare to about 5 percent average of Indonesian banking industry non-performing loan. The economy, however, suffered significantly as a result of the terrorist bombings 2002 and 2005. The tourism industry is slowly recovering once again.

Agriculture

Although tourism produces the GDP's largest output, agriculture is still the island’s biggest employer, most notably rice cultivation. Crops grown in smaller amounts include fruit, vegetables, Coffee arabica and other cash and subsistence crops. Fishing also provides a significant number of jobs. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce a vast array of handicrafts, including batik and ikat cloth and clothing, wooden carvings, stone carvings, painted art and silverware. Notably, individual villages typically adopt a single product, such as wind chimes or wooden furniture.

The Arabica coffee production region is the highland region of Kintamani near Mount Batur. Generally, Balinese coffee is processed using the wet method. This results in a sweet, soft coffee with good consistency. Typical flavors include lemon and other citrus notes. Many coffee farmers in Kintamani are members of a traditional farming system called Subak Abian, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of "Tri Hita Karana”. According to this philosophy, the three causes of happiness are good relations with God, other people and the environment. The Subak Abian system is ideally suited to the production of fair trade and organic coffee production. Arabica coffee from Kintamani is the first product in Indonesia to request a Geographical Indication.

Tourism

The tourism industry is primarily focused in the south, while significant in the other parts of the island as well. The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), and its outer suburbs of Legian and Seminyak (which were once independent townships), the east coast town of Sanur (once the only tourist hub), in the center of the island Ubud, to the south of the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jimbaran, and the newer development of Nusa Dua and Pecatu.

The American government lifted its travel warnings in 2008. As of 2009, the Australian government still rates it at a 4 danger level (the same as several countries in central Africa) on a scale of 5.

An offshoot of tourism is the growing real estate industry. Bali real estate has been rapidly developing in the main tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Oberoi. Most recently, high-end 5 star projects are under development on the Bukit peninsula, on the south side of the island. Million dollar villas are being developed along the cliff sides of south Bali, commanding panoramic ocean views. Foreign and domestic (many Jakarta individuals and companies are fairly active) investment into other areas of the island also continues to grow. Land prices, despite the worldwide economic crisis, have remained stable.

In the last half of 2008, Indonesia's currency had dropped approximately 30% against the US dollar, providing many overseas visitors value for their currencies. Visitor arrivals for 2009 were forecast to drop 8% (which would be higher than 2007 levels), due to the worldwide economic crisis which has also affected the global tourist industry, but not due to any travel warnings.

Bali's tourism economy survived the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, and the tourism industry has in fact slowly recovered and surpassed its pre-terrorist bombing levels; the longterm trend has been a steady increase of visitor arrivals. At 2010, Bali received 2.57 million foreign tourists. It is surpassed the target of 2.0-2.3 million tourists. The average occupancy of starred hotels achieved 65 percent (last year 60.8 percent), so still capable for accommodates tourists for next some years without any addition of new rooms/hotels, although at the peak season some of them are fully booked.

Bali received the Best Island award from Travel and Leisure in 2010. The award was presented in the show "World's Best Awards 2010" in New York, on 21 July. Hotel Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran also received an award in the category of "World Best Hotel Spas in Asia 2010". The award was based on a survey of travel magazine Travel + Leisure readers between 15 December 2009 through 31 March 2010, and was judged on several criteria. Thermes Marins Bali, Ayana Resort and Spa, (formerly The Ritz-Carlton) got score 95.6 scored out of a maximum 100 of satisfaction index with spa facilities and services as #1 Spa in the world by Conde Naste's Traveller Magazine for 2010 by their readers poll. The island of Bali won because of its attractive surroundings (both mountain and coastal areas), diverse tourist attractions, excellent international and local restaurants, and the friendliness of the local people. According to BBC Travel released in 2011, Bali is one of the World's Best Islands, rank in second after Greece.

On August 2010, the film version of Eat, Pray, Love (EPL), which starred Julia Roberts, was released in theaters. The movie was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir of the same name. It took place at Ubud and Padang-Padang Beach at Bali. The 2006 book, which spent 57 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the New York Times paperback nonfiction best-seller list, has already fueled a boom in EPL tourism in Ubud, the hill town and cultural and tourist center that was the focus of Gilbert's quest for balance through traditional spirituality and healing that leads to love. Newly launched packages by luxury resorts and spas like Ubud Hanging Gardens and the cliff-top Ayana promise to recreate Gilbert's four transformative months on Bali in a few passing days with yoga classes, drawn-out beach dinners, massage therapy. Other tours built around the book focus on curative group gatherings and self-discovery of the kind Gilbert had. EPL helped boost Bali’s tourist numbers, together with the stable security situation on the island. Bali had 2.5 million visitors in 2010, exceeding their target of 2.3 million. That figure was also an improvement from 2009’s 2.2 million and 2008’s 1.96 million visitors. The Tourism Office admitted that they had done nothing to maximize the opportunity to promote Bali and surrender to the filmmakers to promote.

Since 2011, China has displaced Japan as the second-largest supplier of tourists to Bali, while Australia still tops the list. China tourists increased by 17 percent from last year due to the impact of ACFTA and new direct flights to Bali.

Transportation

A major form of transport in Bali is the Moped

The Ngurah Rai International Airport is located near Jimbaran, on the isthmus at the southernmost part of the island. Lt.Col. Wisnu Airfield is found in north-west Bali.

A coastal road surrounds the island, and three major two-lane arteries cross the central mountains at passes reaching to 1,750m in height (at Penelokan). The Ngurah Rai Bypass is a four-lane expressway that partly encircles Denpasar and enables cars to travel quickly in the heavily populated south. Bali has no railway lines yet.

December 2010: Government of Indonesia has invited investors to build Tanah Ampo Cruise Terminal at Karangasem, Bali amounted $30 million. In July 17, 2011 the first cruise ship (Sun Princess) will anchor about 400 meters away from the wharf of Tanah Ampo harbor. The current pier is only 154 meters and will be a 300 to 350 meters to accommodate international cruise ships. The harbor would be safer than Benoa and has a scenic backdrop of a panoramic view of mountainous area with green rice fields. In December 2011, the auction process will setlle and predicted Tanah Ampo to become the main hub for cruise ships in Indonesia in 2013.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by 2 ministers, Bali's Governor and Indonesian Train Company to build 565 kilometers railway along the coast around the island. It will be operated from 2015 onwards.

On March 16, 2011 (Tanjung) Benoa port has received a "Best Port Welcome 2010" award from London's "Dream World Cruise Destination" magazine. Government plans to expand the role of Benoa port as export-import port to boost Bali's trade and industry sector.

On May 2011, an integrated Areal Traffic Control System (ATCS) was implemented to reduce traffic jams at 4 crossing points, i.e.: Ngurah Rai statue, Dewa Ruci Kuta crossing, Jimbaran crossing and Sanur crossing. ATCS is an integrated system connecting all traffic lights, CCTVs and other traffic signals with a monitoring office at the police headquarters. It has successfully been implemented in other ASEAN countries and will be implemented at other crossings in Bali.

On December 21, 2011 officially kicked off the construction of the Nusa Dua-Benoa-Ngurah Rai International Airport toll road which provide also with a special lane for motorcycle has been done by seven state-owned enterprises led by PT Jasa Marga with 60 percent of shares was named PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol will construct the 9.91 kilometers toll road. The construction is estimated to cost Rp.2.49 trillion ($273.9 million) and is expected to be finished by April 2013 before Apec Summit and the Bali Summer Summit 2013. The project will through 2 kilometers mangrove forest and through 2.3 kilometer beach, both in 5.4 hectares area. Elevated toll road will be built over the mangrove forest on 18,000 concrete pillars which will occupy 2 hectares of mangroves forest, but will compensate by new plant of 300,000 mangrove tress along the road. On December 21, 2011 the Dewa Ruci 450 meters underpass has also been kicked off on the busy Dewa Ruci junction near Bali Kuta Galeria with estimated cost Rp136 billion ($14.9 million) from the state budget.

To solve chronic traffic problems, the province will build a toll road connecting Serangan with Tohpati, a toll road connecting Kuta, Denpasar and Tohpati and a flyover connecting Kuta and Ngurah Rai Airport.

Demographics

The population of Bali was 3,891,428 (at the 2010 Census). There are an estimated 30,000 expatriates living in Bali.

Religion

Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism Hindu Dharma, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (4.79%), Christianity (1.38%), and Buddhism (0.64%). These figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.

When Islam surpassed Hinduism in Java (16th century), Bali became a refuge for many Hindus. Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam in which gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities and sacred places. Religion as it is practiced in Bali is a composite belief system that embraces not only theology, philosophy, and mythology, but ancestor worship, animism and magic. It pervades nearly every aspect of traditional life. Caste is observed, though less strictly than in India. With an estimated 20,000 puras (temples) and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of a Thousand Puras", or "Island of the Gods".

Balinese Hinduism has roots in Indian Hinduism and in Buddhism, and adopted the animistic traditions of the indigenous people. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, possesses its own power, which reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, or woven cloth is a potential home for spirits whose energy can be directed for good or evil. Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual. Ritualizing states of self-control are a notable feature of religious expression among the people, who for this reason have become famous for their graceful and decorous behavior.

Apart from the majority of Balinese Hindus, there also exist Chinese immigrants whose traditions have melded with that of the locals. As a result, these Sino-Balinese not only embrace their original religion, which is a mixture of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism, but also find a way to harmonize it with the local traditions. Hence, it is not uncommon to find local Sino-Balinese during the local temple's odalan. Moreover, Balinese Hindu priests are invited to perform rites alongside a Chinese priest in the event of the death of a Sino-Balinese. Nevertheless, the Sino-Balinese claim to embrace Buddhism for administrative purposes, such as their Identity Cards.

Language

Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing. Sanskrit is also commonly used by some Hindu priests in Bali, for Hinduism literature was mostly written in Sanskrit.

English is a common third language (and the primary foreign language) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the tourism industry. Other foreign languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German or Hindi are often used in multilingual signs for foreign tourists.

Culture

Main articles : Music of Bali and Balinese art

Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.

The Hindu New Year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. But the day before that large, colourful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system.

Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). One of the most important concepts that Balinese ceremonies have in common is that of désa kala patra, which refers to how ritual performances must be appropriate in both the specific and general social context. Many of the ceremonial art forms such as wayang kulit and topeng are highly improvisatory, providing flexibility for the performer to adapt the performance to the current situation. Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Oftentimes two or more gamelan ensembles will be performing well within earshot, and sometimes compete with each other in order to be heard. Likewise, the audience members talk amongst themselves, get up and walk around, or even cheer on the performance, which adds to the many layers of activity and the liveliness typical of ramé.

Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island’s largest mountain, Mount Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). In addition to spatial orientation, kaja and kelod have the connotation of good and evil; gods and ancestors are believed to live on the mountain whereas demons live in the sea. Buildings such as temples and residential homes are spatially oriented by having the most sacred spaces closest to the mountain and the unclean places nearest to the sea.

Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja. These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama. The performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Lastly, performances meant solely for the entertainment of humans take place outside the walls of the temple and are called bali-balihan. This three-tiered system of classification was standardized in 1971 by a committee of Balinese officials and artists in order to better protect the sanctity of the oldest and most sacred Balinese rituals from being performed for a paying audience.

Tourism, Bali’s chief industry, has provided the island with a foreign audience that is eager to pay for entertainment, thus creating new performance opportunities and more demand for performers. The impact of tourism is controversial since before it became integrated into the economy, the Balinese performing arts did not exist as a capitalist venture, and were not performed for entertainment outside of their respective ritual context. Since the 1930s sacred rituals such as the barong dance have been performed both in their original contexts, as well as exclusively for paying tourists. This has led to new versions of many of these performances which have developed according to the preferences of foreign audiences; some villages have a barong mask specifically for non-ritual performances as well as an older mask which is only used for sacred performances.

Balinese society continues to revolve around each family's ancestral village, to which the cycle of life and religion is closely tied. Coercive aspects of traditional society, such as customary law sanctions imposed by traditional authorities such as village councils (including "kasepekang", or shunning) have risen in importance as a consequence of the democratization and decentralization of Indonesia since 1998.

Heritage sites

Taman Ayun Temple, the Pakerisan watershed and Batukaru will be proposed to UNESCO as World Heritage sites by Bali administration.

Tegenungan Waterfall

2012-01-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Tegenungan is one of tourist places and destination in Bali, it is popular with waterfall ,although the best waterfall in bali is Twin Git Git waterfall, but thats far away from kuta or denpasar, anyway git git waterfall is on the way to go Bedugul temple or Lake Bratan (the 2nd biggest lake in Bali) and Singaraja Regency.
so, instead to see waterfall in git git, we can see tegenungan waterfall on the way to go Kintamani or Volcano /Lake Batur/ Mount Batur (the other name of Kintamani) because its better than we aren't visit the beautiful waterfall in bali yet.
below is the information about Tegenungan waterfall.

Tegenungan waterfall Located at Tegenungan Village, approx. 5 kilometres, south Tengkulak Kaja, south east Ubud.

Bali has a selection of waterfalls that are fun to visit such as Tegenungan wa terfall, Git Git waterfall and Munduk waterfall. For many people the idea of hiking through the jungle to a hidden waterfall and taking a cooling swim is the image of paradise. These places definitely exist and here are some useful tips of how to find them and what to expect. Waterfalls are sharp drops along the course of a river. You will often have to hike up or down a river for a certain way to get to a waterfall, but the river provides a route for you to follow.

Rivers flow best during and immediately after the wet season, During that time you can expect waterfalls to be pumping and the pools at the bottom to be at their deepest. You can also expect more debris including rocks and the occasional log to come over the waterfall. Wet season means cloudy days in the highlands especially and after getting a soaking from the rain, the cold mountain water can be quite a shock. Bathing in a waterfall during the wet season may not feel like tropical paradise at first. During the dry season the weather is better, sunny and dry. However water flow is way less and pools will be shallow

The waterfall it self is not really that high. Only approximately 10-15 metres high. Cemented pathway, but quite steep to climb up back to the parking area.

how to get there : Tegenungan area is between Batuan Village (Painting area) and Mas Village (woodcarving area), so, when your travel agent take you to mas village, you can request to go tegenungan waterfall area,,, the view on the way there is also beautiful (rice terrace field).

Tegallalang Rice Terrace

2012-01-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Tegallalang Rice Terrace is The most visited rice terrace in bali, with perfect scenery of some big part of rice terrace, 4 times to go harvest a year this will make a good views often.
Although the road was so narrow, but its still strategic place, on the way to go home ubud from kintamani or the opposite. usually when the street is traffic jam, some tourist just look the rice paddies from the car a while driving to go ubud or kintamani.
Although Tegallalang is the most visited rice paddies in Bali, its not mean The Best rice paddies in Bali, because still much scenes for Rice paddies in bali and maybe better than rice terrace in Tegallalang such as Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, Pacung Rice Terrace and still much views of rice paddies in Tabanan Regency and Jembrana Regency or on the way to go Gilimanuk and Java.
Blessed with cooler air and a splendid geographic location, Ubud is famous for its beautiful scenes of rice paddies involving ‘subak’ (the traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation system) which, according to history, was taught by a revered holy man from India named Rsi Markandeya in the eighth century.

To explore some of the most splendid terraced landscapes in Ubud, visit some of the villages around Ubud such as Pejeng, Tegallalang and Tcampuhan, where you will enjoy the sight of amazing rice paddies overlooking the hills and river.
Tegallang alone has an outlook that spreads down before you and away to the rice terraces on the slopes across the valley. The high roadside location is cool and breezy and it is a well-known spot for tourists to stop and take photos. Painters and nature lovers also enjoy visiting this spot.

Highlights and Features
Tegallalang offers a perfect Bali photo opportunity with its dramatic views. The vista sprawls down and away to the rice terraces on the slopes across the valley. A local elder, a farmer who owns the land invites visitors to sample his green coconut drink, as well as to purchase woven hats that he makes from coconut leaves as well as posing with visitors for a small fee. The ancient valley of Tegallalang has a timeless quality whether there are tourists there or not.
The small village of Pakudui, a craftsman’s dominion located in Tegallalang, is a journey of witnessing the splendour of local talent at its best. Here you will find an extraordinary variety of ornamental woodwork and various carvings. The villagers here are avid Balinese craftsmen and have taken up different forms of sculptures, either handed down through generations or as a result of an ever-growing creative process using the most natural of all media – wood. But through your village tour in Pakudui you will notice the recurring presence of one particular mythical Balinese figure - the Garuda.
Amongst the carved mythical lions, horses, human figures, dogs, dragons, vases, frogs, kangaroos, cats, ornate totems, panels, doors, windows, tables and the many brilliant forms of creativity – extending even to large-scale dinosaurs – the Garuda seems to be majestically ever present amongst the creations.

Good to Know
Some souvenir sellers and the old farmer will seem occasionally pushy, but there are no fixed prices, so have those bargaining skills at hand or best still, remind yourself that you are just there for the picture. A ‘modest fee’ for the posing farmer is at your own discretion.
While the rice terraces serve as a highlight photo-op in the Tegallalang area, souvenir shopping options abound along the roadsides, and the trip to Pakudui village is worth its while. Pakudui is reachable after a right turn up from the famed rice paddy outlook. Find magnificent carvings and wooden art forms lined up along the small and winding village road.

Location: north of Ubud
How to get there: Tegallalang is half an hour's drive north of Ubud. From the main Ubud art market, head east to the large statue intersection and head further up north.

Pacung Rice Terrace

2012-01-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Pacung Rice Terrace is the Second most visited rice paddies in bali because the area also strategic (tegallalang is the first, Jatiluwih is the third , although the second most visited, but its not better than Jatiluwih rice terrace as the third most visited, because Jatiluwih is better than Pacung Rice paddies,just Jatiluwih is far away from the other tourism places and Pacung is strategic place,,,, on the way to go Bedugul temple ( temple on the lake) then Bratan lake and 2 the others lakes also Git Git waterfall and Singaraja regency ( famous with Dolphin show at Lovina, Singaraja).
Pacung Rice terrace also good place to be rest and cooling down of the stress, cause there is Restaurant and some privat villas at the rice field,,,but, if you arent eat at the restaurant, this is still possible to look pacung rice terrace from the restaurant's balcony as free.
Pacung Rice terrace located in Baturiti village near Bedugul resort area at the regency of Tabanan at the central part of Bali. Pacung Mountain Resort is about 60 minutes from the Ngurah Rai International Airport and 60 minutes from Singaraja. Pacung Mountain Resort is close to tourism resort Beratan Lake is just 10 minutes drive from the hotel. The hotel covers an area of 20.000 square meters surrounded by the rice terraces.

Imagine sitting on your own balcony own balcony on the slope of Pacung valley, facing the natural beauty of terrace rice fields, a valley and mountains, a way to really gain a feeling of being escape from the pressures of everyday life and relax, explore and enjoy the cool.

Ngaben / Cremation

2012-01-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Ngaben, or Cremation Ceremony, is the ritual performed in Bali to send the deceased to the next life. The body of the deceased will be placed as if sleeping, and the family will continue to treat the deceased as sleeping. No tears are shed, because the deceased is only temporarily not present and will reincarnate or find his final rest in Moksha (freeing from the reincarnation and death cycle).

The proper day of the ceremony is always a matter of consulting a specialist on ceremony days. On the day of the ceremony, the body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin. This coffin is placed inside a sarcophagus resembling a buffalo (Lembu) or in a temple structure (Wadah) made of paper and wood. The buffalo or temple structure will be carried to the cremation site in a procession. The procession is not walking in a straight line. This is to confuse bad spirits and keep them away from the deceased.
The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the whole structure, together with the body of the deceased. The fire is necessary to free the spirit from the body and enable reincarnation.
Ngaben is not always immediately performed. For higher caste members it is normal to perform the ritual within 3 days.
The area for ngaben,mostly in below of the big tree in bali , although the place in a special place, almost of the place for cremation at holy big tree from the Holy Banyan tree.
on the way to the cremation place,,, when the coffin come to the four junction, the coffin has to be rotate around 3 times and shaking up and down like a dancing, and the rotation have to repeat when the coffin come every 3/4/5 juntion.
when the coffin come to the cremation area, they will pray n ready to burn.

For lower caste members the deceased are buried first and later, often in a group ceremony for the whole village, cremated.

in a Rule of Pitra Yadnya, the human body consists of rough body, subtle bodies and karma. Coarse human body is formed of five elements of so called Panca Maha Bhuta ie pertiwi (solids), apah (liquid), Teja (hot substance) wind (wind) and akasa (space). The five elements are fused to form human physical and driven by the atma (spirit). When a man dies who dies is a rough body, not his atma. So cremation is a purification process atma / soul as it leaves the body rough.

Ngaben ceremony Bali
There are several opinions about the origin of the word cremation. Some said the cremation of Beya word which means lunch, there are also who said the word ngabu (ashes), etc..

In Hinduism it is believed that Lord Brahma the creator god as well as also is the god of fire. So cremation is a process of purification of the spirit by using the means of fire so they can return to the creator of Brahma. Fire in use are concrete fires to burn the bodies, and fire chaplain for the abstract form of the mantra to pralina of burning impurities inherent in the atma / soul.

Ngaben ceremony or ritual Pelebon often referred to the person who died, are considered very important, busy and vibrant, because the family was able to liberate pengabenan spirit of the deceased from his earthly bonds towards heaven, or transformed back into the world through reincarnation. Because this ceremony requires effort, cost and time is long and large, this is often done so long after death.

To bear the burden of cost, energy and others, now people often do pengabenan mass / together. The bodies of the deceased are often buried before sufficient charge, but for some families that can afford cremation ceremony can be performed as soon as possible by storing the bodies of people who have died at home, while waiting for a good time. During the period of storage in the house, the spirits of the dead become restless and always want freedom.

Good day is usually given by the priests after consultation and the existing calendar. Preparation is usually taken away before the day of well-defined. This is when families prepare "Bade and oxen" made of bamboo, wood, paper of various colors in accordance with the class or socioeconomic status families concerned.

Ngaben ceremony Bali
Cremation procession ceremonies performed with a variety of processes and tools in the form upakara sadjen and completeness as well as symbols such as the oft-performed other rituals Balinese Hindus. Ngaben done to humans who died and his body was still there, also humans who died there was no dead body was swept away like the sea and the morbidly corpse was found, airplane crash who had burned his body, or such as the Bali bombing case 1 where some of the bodies beyond recognition because it was cut into pieces or so of ash from the explosion.

For cremation procession there is no body who is done by making the symbol and take the fistful of soil location death and then burned. Many of the stage who performed the cremation. Starting from bathing the corpse, ngajum, burning and nyekah. Each stage is wearing tool offerings (offerings) that is different. When there's decedent, his family would overlook the pastor to ask when there is a good day to carry out the cremation. Usually the reply will be given time not more than 7 days from the day of death.

Having obtained the day H (funeral pyre), then the family will spend the first ritual that is Nyiramin layon (bathing the corpse). The body will be washed by the Brahmins as clusters because of their social status have an obligation to it. Finished bathing, the bodies will be subject to a complete Balinese traditional clothes. Next is a procession ngajum, namely procession releasing the spirit by making use of cloth pictorial symbol unsure purification of the spirit.

Ngaben ceremony Bali
On the day of his cremation procession carried in the local village cemetery. The body will be taken using a container, where the bodies that will be carried to the grave. Containers are usually shaped as lotus symbol of God's house. Until at the samitary, the bodies removed from the container was to pemalungan, where the burned body of which is made from banana tree trunks stacked shaped calves.

Here again performed a purification ceremony spirits pralina by the pastor or someone who is considered capable of it (usually from the Brahmin clan). Pralina is burning with fire spells fusion of abstract form atma inherent impurities in your body. Then it made use of fire burning with concrete. Today was not using firewood again, but use the fire from kerosene stoves that use the wind.

Generally, the combustion process of the whole corpse to ashes who takes 1 hour. Ash is then collected in ivory palm fruit to be assembled into sekah. This Sekah who dilarung into the sea, because the sea is a symbol of the universe and at the same door to the house of God. Similarly, a brief series of cremation procession in Bali. There is another note that is for babies who are under 42 days and whether or not the date of the teeth, his remains should be buried. His Ngaben carried out following the cremation that will exist if there is a family died.

Status of the rebirth of the spirit of the dead is closely related to karma and the actions and behavior during the previous life. In general, the Balinese feel that the spirit is born again into the world only within the family circle who have blood relations with him. The circle of life and death for the people of Bali is its association with the ancestors.

Everyone knows that in a moment later he would become the ancestors as well, who in his journey in another world must be accelerated and get enough attention if at any time later transformed back to his beloved island, Bali.

Jatiluwih Rice Terrace

2012-01-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

JATILUWIH RICE TERRACE

Location

Bali-Sunday - Desa Jatiluwih is located at the administrative area of Penebel, Tabanan regency, very closed to national park border of Mount Batukaru around 65 km from Denpasar.

One can reach the village via the road leading from Denpasar to Bedugul, and in Pacung village, take the road to the left before the restaurant, or from the town of Baturiti take the road to the left downward. The location of this village is a little bit lower then the altitude of Bedugul which is around 800 meters above sea level. One can also take the road from Tabanan city to the north, the only one biggest road leading to the village of Wangaya or Batukaru temple, and take strait direction at the small town called Tuak Ilang to head to the town of Penebel. From the town continue to the road heading to the north which is slightly ascending to the slope of the mountain. For a sightseeing drive the best route is approaching the place from Tabanan city, visiting hot spring at Penatahan village, Batukaru Temple, then continue to Jatiluwih. From Jatiluwih continue to Bedugul via Pacung village or Baturiti town. So one can reach Bedugul around 14.00 still at lunch time, if departure from Kuta, Nusa Dua or Sanur a bit early or latest by 08.00 am.

Interest of Jatiluwih
The name of Jatiluwih comes from 2 Balinese words jati + luwih. Jati means real, and luwih means beautiful or excellent. This name is given to the vast stretch of rice field dug in terraces on the slope of mount Batukaru. Jatiluwih is the biggest (widest) rice paddies nearly Kuta, Bedugul and Tanah Lot, and also the most beautiful rice paddies in Bali, although not so famous like Tegallalang rice terrace nor Pacung rice terrace, jatiluwih gonna be famous because the scenes is good although the road is not as well as main street to go pacung rice terrace, so thats why,,, jatiluwih is still natural from the tourist, not much tourist touch and go there because the place is so far away from the main street, just some travel agent take this option, but if you wanna travel there, just write in your schedule then tell the driver to take you there, thats fine.
The rice terrace forms beautiful sight at all seasons, during the watering, or before planting the rice looks like a tremendous construction big glass with irregular size of frames. When the rice almost reaches harvest time, often the color varied between green, and dark yellow. This mixture of color forms a breathtaking views on such as wide view over the terraces which border is very far away down there. Road that cut the rice terrace near the top border is a good place to enjoy this man made natural scenery, and at one of the high place has been built a hall by the villagers where local people can open small restaurant or selling snacks to the visitors. From here is the best point to enjoy the view which location is almost in the middle of the road from the west border and east border of the rice field. At the west border is the original village of Jatiluwih with some still traditional houses made of red clay, and some stall selling rice. In the east border there are a restaurant and stable where one can hire a horse to explore the area or arrange a trekking to mount Batukaru higher slope of even to the peak. Further up from the rice terrace near the border to the forest there is a waterfall around 25 meters with natural clean water arising a strong wind up to 10 meters from the fall. This water source is still further up the slope around 300 meters which is not too steep. At the back ground of Jatiluwih rice terrace is Mount Batukaru, the second highest peak in Bali after Mount Agung or 2671 meters above sea level. The same as Mount Agung, Mount Batukaru also has big temple on its southern slope, but Mount Agung does not have a temple on the top of the mountain like Batukaru. During the ceremony at the temple on the slope of the mountain people also hike up to the top to perform the ceremony at the top of the mountain. It takes around 5 hours to trek from temple below to the temple at the top of the mountain. Jatiluwih rice terrace has been the most popular visit for a tour itinerary combining a sightseeing to the center and west of Bali. A popular trip visiting Jatiluwih is called Bedugul Jatiluwih Tour which is started to stop at Taman Ayun Temple, then continue to Bedugul mountain resort with it's interesting places such as Ulun Danu temple, Botanical garden, and fruit market, then continue the trip to Jatiluwih through the beautiful country sides via Baturiti town. After Jatiluwih rice terrace one can continue or not to the Temple of Batukaru. If it is continued then a combination to visit Tanah Lot will give good time, since Tanah Lot temple is beautiful during the sunset.

GWK (Garuda Wisnu Kencana)

2012-01-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - The 50 or so visitors milling around the 20-hectare Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park in Jimbaran looked small in comparison to their surroundings.

“It’s like visiting a cemetery,” said a young girl watching the sunset from the park, which sits on a hill south of Denpasar.

The beautiful and serene park, overlooking Jimbaran Bay, was originally meant to be the best cultural park in Indonesia, and maybe, one day, the world.
But now it is just another remnant of the New Order regime, part of an ambition to build world-class landmarks to compete with iconic structures like the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Under the auspices of Soeharto, local artist I Nyoman Nuarta was commissioned to create a huge statue of Wisnu, the god of creation, sitting on Garuda, the mythical bird that carries him, with a final height greater than that of the Statue of Liberty.
The park was also to be equipped with a performance center with 7,500 seats, and ampitheathre, a street theater, galleries, restaurants and other artistic attractions.
Problems began to emerge almost as soon as construction started in 1997, with the budget ballooning to hundreds of billions of rupiah.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana was to be built in the rocky and hilly area of Jimbaran, which present new logistical problems. The hills had to be cut flat to create the area required for the statue, which is still not finished today. Only the head and torso of Wisnu have been completed
Land clearing was also an early problem. A 250-hectare plot of land, 100 hectares of which belonged to Badung regency, and the rest to residents, was required. Ten years later, there are still disputes over the matter.
Head, body and hand of Wisnu god already done, the bird's head already done, but the last process is how to make them stand up?,,, thats still issued "dont know", so we dont know persisly when this big project will done.
but, everyone can see the miniature of Wisnu god and the bird in front of " Pecatu Indah Resort" gate / gate of Dreamland Beach.

although undone yet, GWK still be madonna for Indonesian tourist, mostly tourist from Indonesia they go to Garuda Wisnu Kencana after visit dreamland and uluwatu,then they drive to GWK to see Denpasar city from the top / hill of GWK and kecak dance also.

Entrance fee : IDR 50.000 / USD 7 (free kecak dance show)

Twin Git git Waterfall

2012-01-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Gitgit Waterfall is the most beautiful tourist destination in north part of Bali. Gitgit waterfall is located in the plateau area with the height about 35 meters and it is surrounded by tropical tree and emits the constantly natural water debit during the year. Waterfall voice around the charming nature was amazing and it was the separate attraction which can be enjoyed by each visitor who comes to visit. There are some plantations protecting the rain forest around the waterfall and in this place we often met the wild monkey to get the water from this waterfall.

After park the car, you have to walk out to the waterfall around 300 meters down with small road but safety some the other waterfall's area is more than 300 metres.
around 100 meters after parking (on the way to git git) there is ticket entrance, IDR 3000 / USD 4 for adult and IDR 1000 /USD 2 for kids.
there is also some artshop also available, mostly paintings and some souvenirs like photo album and woodcarving.
At git git waterfalls area, everyone allow to swim because the place is also safe, 1 - 2 meters depth and around 5meters width, also find tarzan tail, so you can play well there n much fun.
The water so clear n cold.

Tourist Destination in North Part of Bali
Gitgit Waterfall is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Bali which is located in Gitgit countryside, Sukasada sub district and about 10 Km from Singaraja Town or about 70 Km from Denpasar. It is set at height land about 300 meters above sea level. Beside of Gitgit, there is another important spot point like the monument for hero struggle of Singaraja resident who dead on the battle against the Dutch colonialist. This monument is called Bhuwana Pangkung Bangka. This Monument is extant monument and idol of people struggle action against the Dutch colonization. This monument is located in Gitgit countryside and Sukasada sub district and about 17 Km from Singaraja Town . It is situated on the hill bank. The facilities are available at Gitgit Waterfall is consisted of the parking area, restaurant and art shop. It is not far from the waterfall place, there is a place for taking a rest while enjoy the beauty panorama of rice terrace and Buleleng Beach. In order to visit the Gitgit waterfall, all visitors will follow the walkway down until the spot point. This road is one of the omissions in Dutch era where the local resident uses it to access other regions. On 1975, this waterfall is opened as tourist destinations in north part of Bali . Since it is appointed as a tourist destination in Bali, many tourists from domestic and foreign countries visits this waterfall and Bali Singaraja Tour is one of the famous tours in Bali visit this place, cause this trip mostly incuded visit Hotspring water in Banjar.

Celebrate day

2012-01-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Bali-Sunday - Hindhu have 3 times for pray a day and they have much ceremonies and some big celebrate days than the other religion, and this is spent much money to do it (ceremony and celebrate day).

some big celebrate days are ...

Bali-Sunday - Galungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means "When the Dharma is winning." During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan.

Occurring once in every 210 days in the pawukon (Balinese cycle of days), Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese. During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them. Those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.

A "penjor"
Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan 'holiday' the day before, where the family is seen to be busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. While the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven 'banten' (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men of our village usually wake up well before dawn to join with their neighbours to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion. Then the finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, and moulded onto sate sticks that have been already prepared by whittling small sticks of bamboo. Chickens may also be chosen from the collection of free-range chickens that roam around the house compound. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of 'lawar' dishes. While much of this cooking is for use in the offerings to be made at the family temple, by mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, it is time for the first of a series of satisfying feasts from what has been prepared. While the women continue to be kept busy with the preparations of the many offerings to be made at the family temple on the day of Galungan, the men also have another job to do this day, once the cooking is finished. A long bamboo pole, or 'penjor', is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali the visitor can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.
On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.
The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their 'Sunday best' as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.
The date for Galungan and other special Balinese days is shown on the Balinese Calendar. Galungan is also celebrated in the rest of Indonesia such as in the Balinese communities spread over Sumatra.

Bali-Sunday - Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to Bali's calendar (in 2012, it will be on March 23rd). It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New year.
Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali’s usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.
On the day after Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni, social activity picks up again quickly, as families and friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together.

Rituals
First, The Melasti Ritual is performed at the 3-4 previous day. It is dedicated to Sanghyang Widhi Wasa and is performed at the beach to respect them as the owner of The Land and Sea. The ritual performed in Pura (Balinese temple) near the sea (Pura Segara) and meant to purify Arca, Pratima, and Pralingga (sacred objects) belongs to several temples, also to acquire sacred water from the sea.
Second, The Bhuta Yajna Ritual is performed in order to vanquish the negative elements and create balance with God, Mankind, and Nature. The ritual also meant to appease Batara Kala by Pecaruan offering. Devout Hindu Balinese villages usually make ogoh-ogoh, demonic statues made of bamboo and paper symbolizing negative elements or malevolent spirits. After the ogoh-ogoh have been paraded around the village, the Ngrupuk ritual takes place, which involves burning the ogoh-ogoh.
Third, The Nyepi Rituals is performed with the following conditions:
Amati Geni: No fire/light, including no electricity
Amati Karya: No working
Amati Lelunganan: No travelling
Amati Lelanguan: Fasting and no revelry/self-entertainment
Fourth, The Yoga/Brata Ritual starts at 6:00 AM (e.g. March 26, 2009) and continues to 6:00 AM the next day.
Fifth, The Ngembak Agni/Labuh Brata Ritual is performed for all Hindus to forgive each other and to welcome the new days to come.
Sixth and finally, The Dharma Shanti Rituals is performed as the Nyepi Day or "Day of Silence."

Bali-Sunday - Saraswati
Sarasvati Puja in Eastern India
In the eastern part of India, Odisha,West Bengal, Bihār and Assam, Saraswati Puja is celebrated in the Magha month (January–February). It coincides with Vasant Panchami or Shree Panchami i.e. the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. People place books near the Goddess' statue or picture and worship the Goddess. Book reading is not allowed on this day.

Sarasvati Puja in South India
In the southern states of India, Saraswati Puja is conducted during the Navaratri. Navaratri literally means “Nine Nights”. But the actual celebrations continue during the 10th day which is considered as Vijaya Dashami or the Victorious Tenth Day. Navaratri starts with the new moon day of the bright fortnight of the Sharad Ritu (Sharad Season of the six seasons of India) during September–October. The festival celebrates the power of the feminine aspect of divinity or shakti. The last two or three days are dedicated to Goddess

Saraswati in South India.
The Gnana Saraswathi Temple in Basar, Andhra Pradesh on the banks of river Godavari is considered only one of 2 temples in India dedicated to the Goddess.
In Tamil Nadu, Sarasvati Puja is conducted along with the Ayudha Puja (the worship of weapons, and implements including machines). On the ninth day of Navaratri, i.e. the Mahanavami day, books and all musical instruments are ceremoniously kept in front of the Goddess Sarasvati early at dawn and worshipped with special prayers. No studies or any performance of arts is carried out, as it is considered that the Goddess herself is blessing the books and the instruments. The festival concludes on the tenth day of Navaratri (Vijaya Dashami) and the Goddess is worshipped again before the books and the musical instruments are removed. It is customary to start the study afresh on this day, which is called Vidyarambham (literally, Commencement of Knowledge).
In Kerala, the last three days of the Navaratri festival, i.e. Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja. The celebrations start with the Puja Veypu (Placing for Worship). It consists of placing the books for Pooja on the Ashtami day. It may be in one’s own house, in the local Nursery School run by traditional teachers, or in the local temple. The books will be taken out for reading, after worship, only on the morning of the third day (Vijaya Dashami). It is called Puja Eduppu (Taking [from] Puja). Children are happy since they are not expected to study on these days. On the Vijaya Dashami day, Kerala celebrates the Ezhuthiniruthu or Initiation of Writing for the little children before they are admitted to nursery schools. This is also called Vidyarambham. The child is made to write for the first time on the rice spread in a plate with the index finger, guided by an elder of the family or by a reputed teacher. The little ones will have to write “Hari Shri Ganapataye Namah” and recite the same to mark the auspicious entry in to the world of education. This is considered a memorable event in the life of a person. In some parts of Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu, Ayudha Puja is also conducted during this period.

Respect for written material
In India it is customary that, out of respect, when a person's foot accidentally touches a book or any written material (which are considered a manifestation of Saraswati) or another person's leg, it will be followed by an apology in the form of a single hand gesture (Pranāma) with the right hand, where the offending person first touches the object with the finger tips and then the forehead and/or chest. This also counts for money, which is considered a manifestation of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi.

Climate

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Climate :

April - August mainly dry season

November - Feburary wet season.

Bali-Sunday - Although it maybe the wet season when you are there ... this will probably mean a few tropical showers in the afternoons , lasting an hour or so. Its a great chance to cool down and have a look inside some of the shops whilst its raining or have a long cool drink as it passes.

Some of the Kuta Area is prone to flooding, mainly due to the drainage system not being able to cope with constant tropical downpour's. One bad area is Poppies Lane II but they are working on the problem. Hotel grounds don't have the same problem.
Bali is close to the equator so it's always very humid. Take along some refresher towels on days of travelling for a brief relief from the heat.

Balinese Name

2012-01-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

BALINESE NAME

Bali-Sunday - The Balinese name is a naming system used by the Balinese people of Bali, Indonesia and the Western parts of neighboring Lombok, Indonesia. Since most Balinese are Hindus, most names are Hindi or Sanskrit, while others still use native Balinese one. Regardless of being male or female, each person receives one of four names based on birth order.

Though there are significant variations in the four names of Balinese people, some due to caste membership, and others due to regional customs and variations in the Balinese language between the North and the South of the island, there are four names in Balinese culture that are repeated frequently. The firstborn is "Wokalayan" (or Yan, for short), second is "Made," third is "Nyoman" or Komang (Man or Mang for short), and fourth is "Ketut" (often elided to Tut). (The vowels are pronounced vowels similarly as in Spanish or Italian). Balinese names are rendered into Roman script by the Romanization of the Indonesian language. The spelling to pronunciation relationship is said to be "perfect" because the spelling of words was revised significantly in the 70's and/or 80's (and even more recently).

Birth order
The first born is Wayan, and if there is a fifth child, he/she is often called Wayan Balik (or Wayan "again"). Balinese children/people are given other names, including a new "name" after death. Generally, everyone does use these birth order names to refer to each other, and to call each other constantly throughout the day. "Given" names may be chosen due to, for example, the influence of popular culture or politics. Like some other Indonesian cultures, Balinese do not use family names.
• First born names : Wayan, Putu, Gede, Ni Luh(female only)
• Second born names : Made, Kadek, Nengah
• Third born names : Nyoman, Komang
• Fourth born names : Ketut

Caste
The naming system is a method to instantly recognise caste. Caste, unlike in India, is relatively unimportant to the Balinese and the idea of it probably flowed into Balinese culture as close links with Hindu-Buddhist Java evolved. The real inclusion of the caste notion probably succeeds Airlangga, a half Balinese who became king of Daha in Java, about 1000 AD.
It is possible that the naming system of the peasant farmers of Bali precedes the idea of caste. These people are largely a mix of 'native' (early proto Polynesian type) Balinese and very early Hindu-Buddhist missionaries and their followers, who did not arrive in Bali with successive waves of Javanese nobles and military rulers. They form the caste level that would be called sudra in India, that is, people outside the triwarna, or three colors (Wesya, overseers and minor aristocracy, Ksatria, nobles, kings and warriors and Bhramana, the highest caste comprising teachers, priests, writers and philosophers). This "farmer caste" comprises the vast freemasonry of the Balinese villages, as set out above, this caste uses names to denote birth position. It is an ingenious way for peasant farmers to keep track of inheritance questions, Wayan, for first born, Made for second, Nyoman for third and Ketut for fourth. The three castes, use a caste identifier as the first part of a name:

Sudra Caste
There's no special names for people from Sudra caste. They usually only use the names which denotes birth position. Traditionally they will only add word " I (read : i on indonesia,,,mean : "mr...")" for male and "Ni" (mean : mrs...) for female in front of their names.

Wesya caste
Names for Wesya caste :
• I Gusti Ngurah (male), I Gusti Ayu (female)
• I Dewa (male), I Dewa Ayu (female)
• Desak (male and female)

Gusti literally means "leader". As members of this caste have the same preoccupation as wealthy peasants with inheritance of lands, and in any case were often families promoted from the farmer caste, they often use positional names for the birth order of their children. Sometimes they borrow the whole order of the farmer caste names, so you may find a name like I Gusti Ketut Rajendra, male of the wesya caste, fourth born, whose personal name is Rajendra).

K'satria caste
Names for K'satria caste :
• Anak Agung (male), Anak Agung Ayu or Anak Agung Istri (female)
• Tjokorda, sometimes abbreviated as Tjok (male), Tjokorda Istri (male)

. The word Agung means "great", or "prominent". The word Tjokorda is a conjunction of the Sanskrit words Tjoka and Dewa. It literally means the foot of the Gods, and is awarded to the highest members of the aristocracy. A typical name might be Anak Agung Rai, meaning a Ksatrya,whose personal name means "The Great One". It is more difficult to differentiate sexes among the k'satrya people, though personal names often tell, like Putra, or Prince, for a boy, and Putri, or Princess, for a girl.

Brahmana caste
Names for Brahmana caste :
• Ida Bagus (male), Ida Ayu (female)
A typical name might be Ida Ayu Ngurah, meaning "Brahman woman, Beautiful highness whose personal name is Ngurah," (in English, gift from heaven).
• Inter-caste marriage are occurred in these days. Those who married someone from higher caste will adopt name Jero (literally meaning 'come in') in front of their name.

Gender
The System also differentiates (for the same reasons of inheritance rights, but perhaps also to reduce confusion) between males and females, I (pronounced 'ee'), being added as a prefix for males, and Ni (pronounced 'nee' for females). So typical names might look like I Wayan Pedjeng, or Ni Ketut Sulastri. These mean, respectively, 'first born male who's personal name is Pedjeng' (in English, moon), and 'fourth born female whose personal name is Sulastri' (in English, fine light).
Unlike Javanese names, Balinese names of Sanskrit origin do not change some of the letter 'a's into 'o's (such as the Javanese 'Susilo', from 'Susila').

Balinese dances

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Balinese dances

Variants

Bali-Sunday - In Bali there are various categories of dance, including epic performances such as the omnipresent Mahabharata and Ramayana. Certain ceremonies at village temples feature a special performance of a dance-drama, a battle between the mythical characters Rangda, the witch representing evil, and Barong, the lion or dragon, representing good.

Among the dance traditions in Bali, the following deserve special mention:
• Barong
• Legong
• Kecak

Technique
Bali dancers learn the craft as children from their mothers as soon as they are born, in the womb they are played the Balinese music and are taught to dance with their hands before they can walk. Official training as a Bali dancer starts as young as 7 . In Balinese dance the movement is closely associated with the rhythms produced by the gamelan, a musical ensemble specific to Java and Bali. Multiple levels of articulations in the face, eyes, hands, arms, hips, and feet are coordinated to reflect layers of percussive sounds.
The number of codified hand positions and gestures, the mudras, is higher in India than in Java or Bali. It has been speculated that they have been forgotten as the dance was transmitted from India to Java. Hand positions and gestures are nonetheless as important in Javanese and Balinese dance as in India. Whether in India, Indonesia or Cambodia, hands have a typically ornamental role and emphasize the dance's delicate intricacy.

Mythology

Bali-Sunday - Barong is a character in the mythology of Bali, Indonesia. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda in the mythological traditions of Bali. Banas Pati Rajah is the fourth "brother" or spirit child that accompanies a child throughout life. Banas Pati Rajah is the spirit which animates Barong. A protector spirit, he is often represented by a lion, and traditional performances of his struggles against Rangda are popular parts of Balinese culture. The Barong is often portrayed with two monkeys.
The animal/ mythical creature would dance along the street to the calonarang dance. A priest would throw Holy Water at it.
It is known as the Demon Queen and Mother of All Spirit Guarders.
The lion barong is one of five traditional Barong. In Bali each region of the island has its own protective spirit for its forests and lands. Each Barong for each region is modeled after a different animal. There is a boar, a tiger, a dragon (or serpent) and the traditional lion. The lion is the popular one as it comes from the Gianyar region where Ubud (the home of tourist viewed ritual) is located. Within the calonarang, the dance drama in which the Barong appears, the barong responds to Rangda's use of magic to control and kill her to restore balance.
Rangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong.

Description
Rangda is important in Balinese culture, and performances depicting her struggles with Barong or with Airlangga in that tale are popular tourist attractions as well as tradition. She is depicted as a mostly nude old woman, with long and unkempt hair, pendulous breasts, and claws. Her face is traditionally a horrifying fanged and goggle-eyed mask, with a long, protruding tongue.

History

Rangda's awesome representation in a Barong dance.
Bali is a Hindu island, and it is suggested that Rangda may also be closely associated with Durga. She has also been identified with the Hindu mother warrior goddess, and Kali, the black mother goddess of destruction, transformation and protection in Hinduism.
While Rangda is seen as fearsome and by many as the personification of evil, she is also nevertheless considered a protective force in certain parts of Bali, much like Kali is seen as a benevolent mother goddess in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Kerala. The colors associated with her — white, black and red — are identical with those associated with Kali. Her iconography is similar to that of both Kali and Chamunda, who are closely related.
Other interpretations claim that Rangda may be derived from the 11th century Javan queen Mahendradatta who was exiled by the king, Dharmodayana, for allegedly practising witchcraft. The tale surrounding this is that she proceeded to take her revenge by killing off half the kingdom, which by then belonged to her and Dharmodayana's son Erlangga, with plague before being overcome by a holy man. The name Rangda means "widow".

info : Barong dance always held in bali start at :
- 9.00 - 10.00 am around Kuta
- 9.30 - 10.30 am or 10.00 - 11.00 am other Kuta area.

Bali-Sunday - Legong is a form of Balinese dance. It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions.
Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a prince of Sukawati fell ill and had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed in reality.Others believe that the Legong originated with the sanghyang dedari, a ceremony involving voluntary possession of two little girls by beneficent spirits. Legong is also danced at public festivals. Excerpts from Legong dance dramas are put on for tourists.

Legong Kraton performance in Ubud depicting The king and the princess bid farewell to each other.
Legong dancers are always girls who have not yet reached puberty. They begin rigorous training at about the age of five. These dancers are regarded highly in the society and usually become wives of royal personages or wealthy merchants.
Classical Legong enacts several traditional stories. The most common is the tale of the King of Lasem from the Malat, a collection of heroic romances. He is at war with another king, the father (or brother) of Princess Ranjasari. Lasem wants to marry the girl, but she detests him and tries to run away. Becoming lost in the forest, she is captured by Lasem, who imprisons her and goes out for a final assault against her family. He is attacked by a monstrous raven, which foretells his death.
The dramatics are enacted in elaborate and stylized pantomime. The two little actresses are accompanied by a third dancer called a tjondong or attendant. She sets the scene, presents the dancers with their fans and later plays the part of the raven.
To see Legong dance, always held at some Restaurant at Jimbaran beach (as free).
start at 07.00 pm - 09.00 pm

Bali-Sunday - Kecak (pronounced [ˈketʃaʔ], alternate spellings: Ketjak and Ketjack) is a form of Balinese dance and music drama, originated in the 1930s Bali and is performed primarily by men, although a few women's kecak groups exist as of 2006.
Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 150 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the Ramayana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Rahwana. However, Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance.

History
Kecak was originally a trance ritual accompanied by male chorus. German painter and musician Walter Spies became deeply interested in the ritual while living in Bali in the 1930s and worked to recreate it into a drama, based on the Hindu Ramayana and including dance, intended to be presented to Western tourist audiences. This transformation is an example of what James Clifford describes as part of the "modern art-culture system" in which, "the West or the central power adopts, transforms, and consumes non-Western or peripheral cultural elements, while making 'art' which was once embedded in the culture as a whole, into a separate entity." Spies worked with Wayan Limbak and Limbak popularized the dance by traveling throughout the world with Balinese performance groups. These travels have helped to make the Kecak famous throughout the world.

Performer, choreographer, and scholar I Wayan Dibia cites a contrasting theory that the Balinese were already developing the form when Spies arrived on the island. For example, well-known dancer I Limbak had incorporated Baris movements into the cak leader role during the 1920s. "Spies liked this innovation," and it suggested that Limbak, "devise a spectacle based on the Ramayana," accompanied by cak chorus rather than gamelan, as would have been usual.
More information :
The best place to see kecak dance is in Uluwatu with IDR 70.000 / USD 8 each
Start from 06.00 - 07.00 pm / sunset time.

Bali Culture

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Bali Culture

Bali-Sunday - Bali is truly a unique island from its timeless traditions, colourful pageantry to rites of passage. The people possess a genuine sense inner happiness that is perhaps attributed to the strong Hindu faith.

There is a fundamental belief in the spiritual world which should always be in balance and harmonize with the physical world to attain peace and prosperity.

HISTORY
Bali-Sunday - Although there are no artifacts or records dating back to the Stone Age, it is believed that the first settlers on Bali migrated from China around 2500 BC. By the Bronze era, around 300 B.C. quite an evolved culture existed in Bali. The complex system of irrigation and rice production, still in use today, was established around this time.
History is vague for the first few centuries. A number of Hindu artifacts have been found dating back to the 1st century, yet it appears that the main religion, around 500 AD was predominantly Buddhist in influence. A Chinese scholar, Yi-Tsing, in 670 AD reported on a trip to India, that he had visited a Buddhist country called Bali.

It wasn't until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu and Javanese cultures. With the death of his father around AD 1011, the Balinese Prince, Airlangga, moved to East Java and set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a reciprocation of political and artistic ideas. The old Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits and customs adopted by the cause.
With the death of Airlangga, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this proved to be short-lived as in 1284, the East Javanese king Kertanegara, conquered Bali and ruled over it from Java. In 1292, Kertanegara was murdered and Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However, in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of Gajah Mada, a general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra and Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire began to collapse and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists and artisans to Bali ensued. For a while Bali flourished and the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali's cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for the Arts, and Bali became the major power of the region, taking control of neighboring Lombok and parts of East Java.

The European Influence
The first Dutch seaman set foot on Bali in 1597, yet it wasn't until the 1800's that the Dutch showed an interest in colonizing the island. In 1846, having had large areas of Indonesia under their control since the 1700's, the Dutch government sent the troops into northern Bali. In 1894, Dutch forces sided with the Sasak people of Lombok to defeat their Balinese rulers. By 1911, all the Balinese principalities had either been defeated in battle, or had capitulated, leaving the whole island under Dutch control. After World War I, Indonesian Nationalist sentiment was rising and in 1928, Bahasa Indonesia was declared the official national languange. During World War II, the Dutch were expelled by the Japanese, who occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.
After the Japanese defeat, the Dutch tried to regain control of their former colonies, but on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was declared independent by its first President, Sukarno. After four years of fighting and strong criticism from the international community, the Dutch government finally ceded and, in 1949, Indonesia was recognized as an independent country.

THE PEOPLE
Bali-Sunday - Life in Bali is very communal with the organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for schools, clinics, hospitals and roads, but all other aspects of life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees, whose roots in Balinese culture stretch back centuries. The first, Subak, concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. Everyone who owns a "sawah" or paddy field, must join their local Subak (irrigation system), which then ensures that every member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water. Traditionally, the head of the Subak has his rice field at the very bottom of the hill, so that the water has to pass through every other sawah before reaching his own. The other community organization is the Banjar, which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations, as well as a form of community service known as "Gotong Royong" / mutual Cooperation. Most villages have at least one Banjar and all lazy have to join one when they marry. Banjars, on average, have a membership of between 50 to 100 families and each Banjar has its own meeting place called the Bale Banjar. As well as being used for regular meetings, the Bale (pavilion) is where the local gamelan orchestras and drama groups practice.
Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads.

Birth
The first ceremony of Balinese life takes place even before birth. Another ceremony takes place soon after the birth, during which the afterbirth is buried with appropriate offerings. The first major ceremony takes place halfway through the baby's first Balinese year of 210 days.

Names
Basically the Balinese only have four first names.
The first child is Wayan or Putu
The second child is Made or Kadek
The third is Nyoman or Komang and
The fourth is Ketut.
The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again.
for more information about balinese name, click here.

Childhood
The Balinese certainly love children and they have plenty of them to prove it. Coping with a large family is made much easier by the policy of putting younger children in the care of older ones. After the ceremonies of babyhood come ceremonies marking the stages of childhood and puberty, including the important tooth-filing ceremony.

Marriage
Every Balinese expects to marry and raise a family, and marriage takes places at a comparatively young age. Marriages are not, in general, arranged as they are in many other Asian communities although strict rules apply to marriages between the castes. There are two basic forms of marriage in Bali - mapadik and ngorod. The respectable form, in which the family of the man visit the family of the woman and politely propose that the marriage take place, is mapadik. The Balinese, however, like their fun and often prefer marriage by elopement (ngorod) as the most exciting option. Of course, the Balinese are also a practical people so nobody is too surprised when the young man spirits away his bride-to-be, even if she loudly protests about being kidnapped. The couple go into hiding and somehow the girl's parents, no matter how assiduously they search, never manage to find her. Eventually the couple re-emerge, announce that it is too late to stop them now, the marriage is officially recognized and everybody has had a lot of fun and games. Marriage by elopement has another advantage apart from being exciting and mildly heroic it's cheaper.

The Household
There are many modern Balinese houses, but there are still a great number of traditional Balinese homes. The streets of Ubud; nearly every house will follow the same traditional walled design.

Men & Women
There are certain tasks clearly to be handled by women, and others reserved for men. Social life in Bali is relatively free and easy. In Balinese leisure activities the roles are also sex differentiated. Both men and women dance but only men play the gamelan. Today you do see some women painters, sculptors, and woodcarvers.

Community Life
Balinese have an amazingly active and organized village life. You simply cannot be a faceless nonentity in Bali. You can't help but get to know your neighbors as your life is so entwined and interrelated with theirs.

Death & Cremation
There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it's a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased's home if it's an 'immediate' cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.
A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased's spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn't happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. Meanwhile, there's likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed. At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus, this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensure that there are no bits of body left unburned. And where does your soul go after your cremation? Why, to a heaven which is just like Bali!

RELIGION
Bali-Sunday - The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from that of the Indian variety. They do have a caste system, but there are no untouchables and occupation is not governed by caste. In fact, the only thing that reflects the caste system is the language which has three tiers; 95% of all the Balinese are Hindu Dharma, and speak Low or Everyday Balinese with each other; Middle Balinese is used for talking to strangers, at formal occasions or to people of the higher Ksatriya caste; High Balinese is used when talking to the highest class, the Brahmana, or to a pedanda (priest). It may sound complicated, but most of the words at the low and medium levels are the same, whereas High Balinese is a mixture of Middle Balinese and Kawi, the ancient Javanese language.
The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. Other Indian gods like Ganesha (the elephant-headed god) also often appear, but more commonly, one will see shrines to the many gods and spirits that are uniquely Balinese. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits and much of their religion is based upon this. They believe that good spirits dwell in the mountains and that the seas are home to demons and ogres. Most villages have at least three main temples; one, the Pura Puseh or 'temple of origin', faces the mountains and is dedicated to the village founders, another, the Pura Desa or village temple, is normally found in the centre and is dedicated to the welfare of the village, the last, the Pura Dalem, is aligned with the sea and is dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside from these 'village' temples, almost every house has its own shrine and you can also find monuments dedicated to the spirits of agriculture, art and all other aspects of life. Some temples, Pura Besakih for example, on the slopes of Mount Agung, are considered especially important and people from all over Bali travel to worship there.
Offerings play a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits and thus bring prosperity and good health to the family. Every day small offering trays (canang sari) containing symbolic food, flowers, cigarettes and money, are placed on shrines, in temples, outside houses and shops, and even at dangerous crossroads.
Festivals are another great occasion for appeasing the gods. The women bear huge, beautifully arranged, pyramids of food, fruit and flowers on their heads while the men might conduct a blood sacrifice through a cockfight. There are traditional dances and music and the gods are invited to come down to join in the festivities. The festivals are usually very exciting occasions and well worth observing, if you are in the area. A crucial thing to remember, if you wish to join in celebrations or enter a temple, is that there are a number of rules that have to be respected. Please see back page "A Word of Advice" for Rules.