Jimbaran Bay
Jimbaran is a sleepy cove with 3 international hotels, the Four Season's Resort, The Ritz-Carlton and the Inter-Continental Hotels. It is still a popular spot for windsurfing and sailing small boats which are available for rent. Grilled seafood restaurants have sprung up at a rapid pace along the beach, attracting many visitors here
watching the sunset and eating the freshest seafood around. Choose your fish from a tank, negotiate your price and wait for it to be cooked.
Batubulan
Driving northeast from Denpasar, stone figures on the roadside mark the village of Batubulan. Divinities and demons are carved from sandstone for ornaments of houses and temples. Workshops can be visited to watch artists at work.
Celuk
Northeast of Denpasar, the village of Celuk is noted for its silver and gold works of jewelry in many styles.
Mas
A village of woodcarvers, many of Bali's old masters still live here. Art galleries exhibit some of their best works. Visitors can wonder through the Balinese-style houses to view the carved wooden pillars and the artists instructing apprentices.
Goa Gajah
Goa Gajah, dates back to the llth century and is believed to have been built as a monastery. Carvings on the wall show a demon head over the entrance, flanked by two statues. The cave contains a statue of Ganesh. Excavations have uncovered a bathing place with six statues of nymphs holding waterspouts.
Tampak Siring
The temple of Pura Tirta Empul is built around the sacred spring at Tampak Siring. Over 1000 years old, the temple and its two bathing places have been valued by the people because of the spring water's curative powers. Regular ceremonies are held for purification. Specialties of the area are bone and ivory carvings.
Temples
It is distinctive from the rest of Islamic Indonesia as the Balinese population's belief is predominantly the Hindu faith, incorporating ancient animist followings that natural objects are inhabited by good or bad spirits in every aspect of local life on the island. This is manifested in ceremonies, daily rituals and attitudes, visible
in the offerings of flowers and food that adorn the roadsides, the charms hung inside taxis, and the numerous vibrant festivals that occur throughout the year.
Temples are the meeting points of humans and gods and are resting-place for the gods during their stay on the island. Temples come to life only on certain festival days or at temple anniversaries (odalan), when they are elaborately decorated to greet the gods with offerings. There are temples for almost all aspects of Balinese life.
There are house temples, village temples, family temples, banjar temples, subak temples, cave temples, temples for ancestors, rice fields, and even for monkeys. For the entire island, Pura Besakih, also known as "the mother temple", is the most important of all temples.
It is perceptible in their reverence for the Holy Mountain, the soaring volcanic cone of Gunung Agung, which is the spiritual centre of the Balinese universe.
Art & Culture
Art is also an integral part of daily life and every village has its artists, from the internationally acclaimed painter to the aspirational young cow herder. Ubud, the cultural centre, with its streets lined with art and crafts shops, also has performances of traditional Balinese dance and music. Art, together with tourism, is an
important source of revenue for the island.
Resort Areas
With its fine beach, the popular resort of Kuta is the most visited destination, but there are numerous other beach resorts around the island, the luxurious Nusa Dua and many peaceful settings on the east coast at Candidasa, Sanur and the fishing village of Padang Bai, and on the northern coast at Lovina. There are a number of good
diving sites and reef snorkelling close by.
Bali is a tropical paradise of rich culture, beautiful land and seascapes that has attracted those in search of an idyllic vacation for so long and undoubtedly the most sought after vacation destination in South East Asia.
Spas
Almost every reputable resort in Bali has a spa offering wide range of treatments from Balinese Massages and Luhur body scrubs to herbal baths and jamu drinks. Smaller outlets offering equally good services are found in Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur and Jimbaran.
Batuan
An old and famous center of the arts, it is now known for its dancing, wood panel carving and paintings.
Bali Bird Park
The Taman Burung Bird Park situated in Batu bulan, is home to more than a thousand birds (250 exotic bird species) from Indonesia and all over the world. Its is set in two hectares magnificent gardens filled with tropical plants, water features and spectacular rain forest in aviary. Also see the famous Komodo Dragon. Has restaurant
for visitors to interact with nature by having breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea with the birds.
Singaraja
The original capital of Bali, Singaraja is right on the sea, and its harbor has been key to local development, A bustling center of local commerce, its people are noisy, open, and friendly, and reflect their local climate.
Tropical Fruits of Indonesia - read more....
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