Denpasar
Denpasar, Bali's capital, is far from the most people picture of
a typical Asian capital. Denpasar is a busy city, centred on a grassy
square and dominated by family compounds grouped into traditional
banjar districts, which just a few major shopping streets crisscrossing
the centre. Denpasar's vital and most suitable landmark is Puputan
Square, marking the heart of the downtown area.
The Bali Museum
The Bali Museum is Denpasar's most significant attraction and is
prettily located in a series of traditional courtyards. The main
building mostly houses items form Bali's prehistory, including stone
axes, bronze jewellery and a massive stone sarcophagus from the
second century BC, and the exhibition of traditional household utensils,
many of which are still in common use today. Other pavilions hold
some fine examples of major styles of Balinese textiles, religious
paraphernalia, theatrical masks, costumes and puppets.
Kuta - Legian - Seminyak
The biggest, loudest, least traditional beach resort in Bali is
the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak conurbation. Packed with hundreds of home-stays,
hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, souvenir shops and fashion boutiques,
this place hosts a lot of visitors, many of them regulars and a
lot of them surfers - all here to party, to shop or, indeed, to
surf.
Nusa Dua & Tanjung Benoa
Nusa Dua is the most exclusive and well-known resort in Bali. It
offers the best services, facilities, golf course with international
standards, luxurious shops and exclusive beaches for tourists only.
Most of hotel in Nusa Dua is landmark of the new Balinese architecture.
Tanjung Benoa, as this finger-like projection is known, still functions
as a fishing village, but also boasts tourist accommodation, and
a whole heap of water-sports facilities.
Sanur
With the image that stands somewhere between the youthful hustle
of Kuta and the manicured sterility of Nusa Dua, Sanur attracts
a fairly sedate clientele to its fine white sands, peacefully lush
residential streets and mainly mid-range and upmarket hotels. The
main attraction of Sanur is the beaches with their white sand and
the beauty of constantly calm water.
Uluwatu Temple
Being one of Bali's holiest and most important temples, Pura Luhur
Uluwatu is located at the tip of a steep rocky promontory jutting
out over the Indian Ocean, 70m above the foaming surf. Views over
the ragged coastline are stunning, and this is a favourite spot
at sunset. Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali's sacred directional
temples, or kayangan jagat, a state temple which has influence over
all the people of Bali, not just local villagers or ancestors, acting
as the guardian of the southwest and dedicated to the spirits of
the sea.
Tanah Lot Temple
Tanah Lot is probably the most photographed temple in Bali, as a
place for viewing spectacular sunsets, it has few equals. Every
day at dusk, tourists throng the area to witness the magnificent
silhouette of the temple against the glowing horizon. The temple
is said to have been founded by the wandering Hindu priest Niratha,
who was drawn to Tanah Lot by a beaming light that shone from a
holy spring here. He began to preach to the local people of Beraban,
but this angered the incumbent priest, who demanded that the rival
holy man should leave. In response, Niratha meditated so hard that
he pushed the rock he was sitting on out into the sea; this became
the Tanah Lot "island". He then dedicated his new retreat
to the gods of the sea and transformed his scarf into poisonous
snakes to protect the place. Ever since then, Pura Tanah Lot has
been one of the most holy places on Bali, closely associated with
several other important temples along this coast, including Pura
Rambut Siwi and Pura Luhur Uluwatu. Because of its sacred status,
only bona fide devotees are now allowed to climb the temple stairway
carved out of the rock face and enter the compounds; everyone else
is confined to the patch of grey sand around the base of the rock
which is under water at high tide. When the waters are low enough,
you can take a sip of holy water from the spring that rises beneath
the temple rock or stroke the docile holy coral snakes that are
kept in nests behind the cliff face.
Mengwi
The small village of Mengwi has an impressive history as the capital
of a great seventeenth century kingdom and is the site of an important
temple from that area. Pura Taman Ayun probably built in 1634, it
was designed as a series of garden terraces with each courtyard
on a different level, and a whole complex was surrounded by a moat
to represent the mythical abode of the gods, Mount Meru, floating
in the milky sea of eternity.
Ubud
The village of Ubud and its surrounding area form Bali's cultural
heartland, home to a large number of temples, museums and art galleries,
where Balinese dance shows are staged nightly and a wealth of arts
and crafts studios provide the most absorbing shopping on the island.
It's also set within a stunning physical environment - a lush landscape
watered by hundreds of streams, with typical terraced rice fields
at every turn. Ubud is a magnet for tourists interested in Balinese
arts, the traditional villages of dancers and craftspeople is still
evident - the people of Ubud and adjacent villages really do still
paint, carve, dance and make music, and religious practices here
are rigorously observed that hardly a day goes by without there
being some kind of festival in the area.
Mount
Batur and Lake Batur
The Batur area was formed 30,000 years ago by the eruption of a
gigantic volcano. The entire area is sometimes referred to as Kintamani,
although in fact this is just on of several villages dotted along
the rim of the ancient crater. The highest points on the rim are
Gunung Abang ( 2153 m ) on the eastern side, the third highest mountain
in Bali, and Gunung Penulisan ( 1745 m ), on the southwest corner.
Rising from the floor of the main crater, Gunung Batur ( 1717 m
) is an active volcano with four craters of its own. Volcanogists
describe Gunung Batur as a "double caldera", it means
one crater inside another. The outer crater is an oval about 14
km long, with the western rim about 1500 m above sea level. The
inner crater, a classic volcano-shaped peak that reaches 1717 m.
Recent activity has spawned several smaller cones on its western
flank, named Batur I, II, III and IV.
Mount Agung
According to legend, Gunung Agung was created by the god Pasupati
when he split Mount Mahmeru ( the centre of the Hindu universe ),
forming both Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur. At 3142 m, the superb
conical-shaped Agung is the highest Balinese peak and is a breathtaking
sight. The spiritual centre of the Balinese universe, it is believed
that the spirits of the ancestors of the Balinese people reside
on Gunung Agung. Villages and house compounds are laid out in relations
to the mountain, and many Balinese people prefer to sleep with their
heads towards it. Directions on Bali are always given with reference
to Agung, kaja meaning "towards the mountain", and kelod
meaning "away from the mountain". If you want to climb
Gunung Agung, there are two routes, one path leaves from Besakih
and the other from Pura Pasar Agung over on the southern slope of
the mountain. This is the most sacred peak to the Balinese and,
while it is not possible to climb the mountain at certain times
of the year because of the weather, it is also not permitted at
many other times because of religious festivals. Whichever side
you climb from, you will need to set out early in the morning of
you want to be at the top to see the spectacular sunrise. From Pura
Pasar Agung, it's at least three-hour climb with an ascent of 1500
m, so you'll need to set out at 3 am or earlier, depending on how
fit you are. This path does not go to the actual summit, but to
another point on the rim which is about 100 m lower. From this point
you will be able to see Rinjani, the south of Bali and Gunung Batukaru
and look down into the 500-meter-deep crater. From Besakih, the
climb is longer, taking five or six hours, and you'll need to leave
between midnight and 2 am. This path starts from Pura Pengubengan,
the most distant of the temples in the Besakih complex, and takes
you up to the summit of Agung with views in all directions. Allow
four to five hours to get down.
Pura
Besakih
The major tourist draw in the east of Bali is undoubtedly the Besakih
Temple, the most respected site in Bali, situated on the slopes
of Gunung Agung, the holiest and highest mountain on the island.
The Besakih complex consists of 22 separate temples, each with its
own name, spread over a site stretching for more than 3km. The central
temple is Pura Penataran Agung, with the other temples ranged at
varying distances around it. It is busy almost every day at Besakih.
Balinese often come in order to obtain holy water for ceremonies,
Balinese come to here also at the end of the long series of funeral
rites, after the post cremation purification of the soul has taken
place, to ready the soul for enshrinement in the family house temple.
In all cases, the worshipper is sure to pay reverence at the triple
lotus shrine of the Pura Penataran Agung.
Tenganan
Tenganan is a village of Bali Aga people, the descendants of the
original Balinese who populated Bali before Mahapahit arrival. Rejecting
the Javanization of their land, the caste system and the religious
reforms that followed the Majapahit conquest of the island in 1343,
the Bali Aga withdrew to their village enclaves to live a life based
around rituals and ceremonies. The most famous product of the village
is geringsing or double ikat, a highly valued brown, deep-red, blue-dark
and tan cloth. It's chiefly worn during certain rituals, given as
an offering to the gods and used as a protection against the evil.
The village is also famous for its unusual gamelan selonding music,
using instruments which are believed to have considerable religious
power.
Candidasa
Candidasa is a new but rapidly growing beach resort located on the
black sand coast of Karangasem regency. It is the perfect base for
explorations of the area, as well as a quieter alternative to the
southern tourist centres. Candidasa is a centre for snorkelling
and diving.
Bali Barat National Park
Nearly a whole of west Bali's mountain ridge in conserved as Bali
Barat National Park, a 76,312 hectares area of wooded slopes, savannah,
rainforest, monsoon forest, mangrove swamp and coastal flats, which
is home to a range of small animals and approximately 160 species
of bird - including the elusive and endangered Bali starling ( Leucopsar
rothschildi ), Bali's one true endemic creature. However, over ninety
percent of the parkland is out of bounds to visitors, with only
a few trails open to the public.
Lovina
Lovina stretches along 8km of black-sand beach, the largest resort
in Bali outside the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak conurbation. The resort
encompasses six villages: Pemaron, Anturan, Tukad Mungga, Kalibukbuk,
Kaliasem and Temukus. Kalibukbuk is generally accepted as the centre
of Lovina and it is here you'll find most tourist facilities.
Mount Batukaru & Pura Luhur Batukaru
Much of southwest Bali lays in the shadow of the Mount Batukaru,
which at 2276 metres above sea level is the second highest mountain
on the island ( after Gunung Agung ) and one of the holiest. All
west Bali temples have a shrine dedicated to the spirit of Gunung
Batukaru, and on the lower slopes of the holy mountain itself stands
Pura Luhur Batukaru, Bali's directional temple ( kayangan jagat
) for the west. The dense tropical forest that clothes the uppermost
slopes of Gunung Batukaru is a nature reserve, and is a particularly
rewarding area for bird watching. Pura Luhur Batukaru temple, a
complex of shrines is set amidst lush, tropical forests, the grassy
courtyards are planed with flowering hibiscus, Javanese ixora and
cempaka, forest surrounds the temple on three sides. Pura Batukaru's
most important shrine is the seven-tiered pagoda which is dedicated
to Mahadewa, the god of Gunung Batukaru.
Bedugul
Bedugul, 1,300 metres above sea level, is a small town and mountain-lake
resort area which Balinese love to use as weekend retreat. Thought
to be 35 m deep in places, Lake Bratan is surrounded by forested
hills, with Gunung Catur rising sheer behind. The lake is essential
water source for surrounding farmlands, and Bedugul people honour
Dewi Danu, the lake goddess, at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. Temple is
set in attractive, well-maintained grounds, the temple consist of
several shrines, some spread along the shore and others dramatically
situated an small islands that appear to float on the surface of
the lake, with the water stretching behind and the mountain looming
in the distance. In Bedugul area there two more lakes, Buyan and
Tamblingan. There are several small villages and temples along the
shores of both lakes.
Bali Botanic Garden
Bali Botanic Garden is a branch of the National Botanical Gardens
at Bogor on Java. The gardens cover almost 320 acres on the slopes
of Gunung Pohon. There are over 650 different species of tree here
and over 400 species of orchids and the gardens are also a rich
area for bird watching. Bali Botanic Garden is unique in Bali as
a place for botanical research, survey, conservation, recreation
and education. It provides a place where you can relax in beautiful
and peaceful surroundings while learning about the use of plants
in the daily lives of Balinese people as well as some interesting
rainforest plants and birdlife. Within Bali Botanical Garden you
can see many places of interest as orchid park, traditional Balinese
house, fern park, ceremonial plants collection, medical plants collection,
tree collection, and other.
Jatiluwih
On the slopes of Mount Batukaru is the small village of Jatiluwih
famed for outstanding scenery.
