Denpasar Culture

Denpasar
Denpasar, the largest city and capital of Bali Island is a melting pot of Balinese rich traditions and colours . The city is linked with Singaraja and other cities through a network of roads. Land at the Ngurah Rai International Airport ; take a Bemo or the mini van to Denpasar. The main attractions that you could go to are the Bali Provincial State Museum , Renon Square , the Ethnography museum, Nusa Penida and Jagatnata Temple . Try and visit the Sanur Beach , popular for its reefs and More...
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Denpasar, the largest city and capital of Bali Island is a melting pot of Balinese rich traditions and colours . The city is linked with Singaraja and other cities through a network of roads. Land at the Ngurah Rai International Airport ; take a Bemo or the mini van to Denpasar. The main attractions that you could go to are the Bali Provincial State Museum , Renon Square , the Ethnography museum, Nusa Penida and Jagatnata Temple . Try and visit the Sanur Beach , popular for its reefs and white sand. Not to miss is the awful Batur Volcano that lies North-East of Bali and is constantly recreating itself with periodic eruptions, the last of which erupted in 2000. Do not miss a visit to the Besakih temple or the ‘mother temple', Bali 's largest and most sacred temple complex, a tourist attraction around Denpasar. This Hindu temple has a long mythological history that unifies thousands of Hinduism followers from all over the world. To witness the Bali culture, which is at its aesthetic best, make a visit to Ubud's village located at the centre of Bali island in the hills.

Balinese culture

The Unit Socials of Bali new231.gif (314 bytes)

comuniti3.GIF (41321 bytes)Kind of traditional organizations in Balinese community are village, Banjar, Subak and sekeha. Type of traditional organization based on the unity of district is called village. The concept of village has two meanings are Custom village and service village.
Balinese Belief System

The Hindu Dharma, the religious belief system of Bali, governs all activities of the daily life of the Balinese, working, sleeping, eating, praying, dancing, and all other activities are part of and governed by the Dharma..Click Details
Live in The Banjar

One afternoon. A group of children are playing in a building with a dirt floor. Some of them are running around, some of them are crowded around a chess board, and others are sitting on a long wooden bench. At another end of the building, a group of old men are chatting, each holding their prize fighting cocks. T....Click Details
Taksu Charisma in The Art

Is a paradigm in the Balinese culture- which is until now-used as the highest orientation after the devotion to the creator almighty -god- by the Balinese artists.
Rebirth of a Barong
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It is a story that will be 55 days in the making as the village of Seseh, near Tanah Lot, refurbishes its sacred Barong, an event that was last undertaken by this village in 1984...The Barong is a mythical, supernatural creature, represented by a masked costume that resembles a Chinese barongsai lion....Click details
A Faith Of Harmony
comuniti3.GIF (32889 bytes)

Praise the eternal victor over death, who caused longevity, force and power...who art the omnipresent and maintained the world, who caused freedom for all those who perform devotions and have faith ..1 praise thee who hath vanquished death
History and Culture Of Bali

The Balinese has already owned their belief and culture when Hinduism was brought into Indonesia about 2000 year ago. Around 400 AD, the Hindu Kingdoms in Central and East Java had their great influence over Bali, but when a new religion, Islam came in, the Hindu Kingdom in Java became less and less powerful, at that time a large number of priests, noblemen. Click Details
Cycle of Life

1ngaben1.GIF (23949 bytes)Hindus believe that every soul is subjected to a transmigration process (samara). Each incarnation binds the soul to a body dliring which time the soul is in a hellish condition. As a result, the soul strives to escape the reincarnation process and achieve an ultimate level of enlightenment or moksa.This state allows the body and soul to join their cosmic equivalents for good. Failure to achieve moksa upon death means that the soul is still bound to the chain of incarnations.
The Art And Soceitynew231.gif (314 bytes)

This section of Balinese song tells you wherever and whenever you are in Bali, never a day goes by without the sound of gamelan or the sight of people dancing, Gamelan is the rhythm of Balinese life and dance a representation of opulence of a place which is full of nuance, ....

Five Senses.

For some, dance is nothing more than a spectacle to be enjoyed as an entertainment. It is phenomenon to be performed and enjoyed by mortals, and not a religious act.How then can it be classed as an offering to God? How can dance be seen as a sacred and pure religious offering?

A World Of Sharing

purabatur-kintamani.GIF (42240 bytes)In Balinese paintings, trees become the secret abodes of fantastic birds and monkeys, the nights an invitation for mischievous spirits, and the temple ceremony a panorama of offerings, sales stands, stylish dress, mystical figures of the theatre, fighting cocks, lovers' rendezvous and family worship.
Balinese Maestrosnew23.gif (314 bytes)
I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, I Ketut Reneng, I Ketut Mario, Ida Pedanda Sidemen, I Nyoman Tjokot.
Hindu and Civilized Humanity

As every phase of Catur Asrama is considered as step along a gradual journey of life which needs improvement quality on both spiri tual and material life, so the realization of yadnya and punya are considered as important ways of release. What is known as Panca-maha-yadnya in Bali is performed in such a way by using the contents of the nature.
Bali: Island Of the Gods

A tiny, lush enclave fights to preserve a magical culture little changed over the millennia: Filmmaker Lawrence Blair, midway through documenting Indonesia's indigenous peoples, planned to avoid Bali, with its international airport and luxury hotels.Click Details

Consummate Island Arts
Experience Bali's moods and colors at home: A major benefit of Bali's thriving tourist industry to world culture enthusiasts is the abundance of mediums to promote Bali's beauty. You can enjoy vividly poetic descriptions by early visitors, scholarly expositions of every aspect of Balinese life, full-size photos, music CDs and detailed websites.
Temple Festival

krauhan.GIF (25718 bytes)TEMPLE FESTIVALS and holidays are held throughout the year. To pass a week without hearing of at least several celebrations in different villages is highly unlikely. Certain days are designated for special prayers, others for purification rites and others for offerings to the lower spirits. If a village is threatened by disease or an unexpected mishap, a ritual exorcism becomes necessary. . Click to Continue

Bali Land

Places for Dreams
In this category you find Bali land for sale in various areas of Bali. Read our Law and Ownership page to learn how to buy land in Indonesia. 1 Are of land = 10x10 meter or 100 sqm. We can assist you to build a house or villa on your Bali Land. Please use the currency converter to calculate the price of the land in your currency. Prices of land in Bali are usually quoted in rupiah, and therefore dollar and euro prices can change due to currency rate changes. We want to avoid that we have to tell you that the land you want to buy has become more expensive. You find the currency converter on every land for sale page. If you are looking for land in a specific place in Bali and can't find it on our pages, please email us, and we try to find what you want.

Bali and its culture

Bali Culture, People, Culture in Bali

The culture of Bali is unique. People say that the Balinese people have reached self-content. It is not an exaggeration that when the Balinese is asked what heaven is like, they would say, just like Bali, without the worries of mundane life. They want to live in Bali, to be cremated in Bali when they die, and to reincarnate in Bali.

It does not mean that the Balinese resist changes. Instead, they adapt it to their own system. This goes back far in history. Before the arrival of Hinduism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia, people practice animism. When Hinduism arrives, the practice of Hinduism is adapted to local practices. The brand of Hinduism practiced in Bali is different from that in India. Other aspects of life flow this way.

Traditional paintings, faithfully depicting religious, and mythological symbolisms, met the Western and modBali Culture, People, Culture in Baliern paintings, giving birth to contemporary paintings,free in its creative topics yet strongly and distinctively Balinese. Its dance, music, and wayang theaters, while have been continually enriched by contemporary and external artistry, are still laden with religious connotations, performed mostly to appease and to please the gods and the goddesses. Wood and stone carvings, gold and silver crafts parallel the development of paintings, gracefully evolving with external forces to enhance their characters. The batik of Bali owes its origin to Java, and inspired the development of ikat and double ikat.

Bali Wonderfull Live

Klungkung

The former seat of the Javanese Hindu Kingdom in Bali, from where Balinese royalty draws its bloodline, Klungkung was the oldest kingdom on the island. The Kerta Gosa or Royal Court of Justice, which was built in the 18th century, is well known for its ceiling paintings in the traditional wayang style that portrays the pleasures and rewards in heaven as well as the punishments and sufferings in hell. Within Kerta Gosa is a floating pavilion, garden and lotus pond.

Goa Lawah

Located nine kilometers from Klungkung, Goa Lawah is a cave in which the walls vibrate with thousands of bats. These creatures' bodies are packed so tightly that the upper surface of the cave resembles undulating mud. A temple, which is believed to have been founded by a sage nine centuries ago, guards the entrance to this cave. This temple is said to extend all the way back to Pura Besakih and may continue to an underground river that comes up at Pura Goa, which is within the Besakih complex. Naga Basuki, the mythological gigantic snake, is believed to live in this cave.

Besakih

Known as the 'Mother Temple of Bali', Pura Besakih is the biggest and holiest temple in Bali and is perched nearly 1,000m up the side of Gunung Agung. It is extremely enjoyable during festivals when the temple is decorated with colorful banners and the devotees come dressed in their finest, carrying meticulously arranged offerings. The destructive eruption of the volcanic Gunung Agung was said to be the wrath of the gods, having been offended by the Balinese who thought that the ceremony was supposed to be held every 100 years. The miscalculation by the priests had infuriated the gods and caused the destruction. Now, the festival is held more frequently instead of waiting for another century.

Menjangan Island

This little island off Bali's west coast is famous for its dazzling coral reefs and wealth of tropical fish inhabiting the waters. Scuba diving can be arranged and is considered the best that can be offered in Bali. Above water, spotting the rare Java deer is a challenge and the island is also a protected sanctuary for the Bali starling.

Sangeh

This island is fabled to be part of the holy Mahameru, whereby Hanuman, the monkey general in the Ramayana, took to crush Rawana, the villainous giant, which fell to the earth. Along with it came a group of monkeys from Hanuman's army, who remained on the island to pester travelers. The forest here is considered sacred and wood is not permitted to be chopped. Such is the legendary origin of the monkey forest of Bukit Sari, a cluster of towering nutmeg trees and home to hundreds of sacred monkeys.

Tanah Lot

One of Bali's most significant and photographed temples is Pura Tanah Lot, which sits on a huge rock just offshore and is surrounded by sea. Built by one of the last priests to come to Bali in the 16th century, its rituals include paying homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. In caves surrounding the temple dwell striped sacred snakes, which are believed to be the guardians of the temple and are to be left discreetly undisturbed. Only worshippers are allowed into the temple, but Pura Tanah Lot is indeed a sight to behold at sunset, with its majestic silhouette against the setting sun.

Bedugul

This mountain resort has a fantastic golf course and has long been used as a weekend retreat by the Balinese. Here lies the serene Danau Bratan, a lake often veiled with mist. A temple was built in honor of the goddess of the lake, Dewi Danau. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan rises from the lakeshore promontory and seems to rise from within Danau Bratan itself. The area is excellent for walking, water skiing, and parasailing. Boats are available for rent.

Tenganan

Tenganan is a Bali Aga or original Balinese village. Protected for centuries from the outside world by surrounding walls, the ancient village has maintained its pre-Hindu customs through a strong code of non-fraternization with outsiders. Unique rituals and practices are preserved, and girls as young as two are wrapped in silk and donned with multi-colored scarves and flowered crowns of beaten gold during festivals. The village women weave the famous 'flaming' cloth, kamben gerinsing, which is purported to have the power to immunize the wearer against evil. A single cloth can take five years to complete and a large piece can cost well over a thousand dollars. The Fight of the Pandanus Leaves takes place annually during the Usaba Sambah festival. Two men would fight like gladiators, armed with only a round, plaited shield while attacking each other's bare bodies with bunches of thorny pandanus leaves. After the battles, the wounds are treated with a mixture of turmeric and vinegar, thus leaving no scars.

Werdi Budaya Art Centre

Modern, traditional and contemporary Balinese visual arts can be seen at this spacious complex, which is the largest and most complete art center in a series of cultural centers built throughout the archipelago. Werdi Budaya Art Centre exhibits Bali's numerous visual arts disciplines including painting, woodcarving, shadow puppetry, silverwork, weaving, Barong and Rangda dance costumes, and remarkable ivory carving. Apart from its real cultural function, the complex is a showplace for Balinese Temple and Palace architecture at its most opulent. The grounds are also home to the month-long Pesta Seni or Bali Art Festival, held sometime in June, when traditional music, dance, art exhibitions, cultural competitions, sales of foodstuffs, and local handicrafts highlight the best of Bali's talents.

Cheap Bali Villas

Selected budget villas in Bali below US$100 for your private holiday and vacation. Choose one of the area for cheap villas in Bali.
Jimbaran - Kerobokan - Nusa Dua - Seminyak - Sanur - Ubud

Or you can select another option deals in Top Bali Villas by rates.
- Cheap Bali Villas » [<=100]
- Standard Villas » [USD 101 - 200]
- Moderate Villas » [USD 201 - 500]
- Executive Bali Villas » [USD 501 - 1000]
- Ultimate Bali Villas » [ > USD 1000]
Jimbaran Area
Villa Sepir Jimbaran Bali
Rate from US$ 75 - US$ 190
Luxury and convenience at an affordable price the thatched roof villa were fashioned as Balinese architecture with all modern convenience.
villa sepir

Kerobokan Area
Chez Bali Villa Kerobokan
Rate from US$ 75 - US$ 300
Chez Bali Villa & Spa is located in the quiet village of Kerobokan a few steps from Petitinget Beach. The Family Villa has two bedrooms with shared bathroom and open shower. The Deluxe Villa Lumbung is built in Balinese traditional style, with two bedrooms and separate bathrooms. The Executive Suites have three large bedrooms and modern styles and the Presidential Suites have four bedrooms and a large beautiful tropical garden with 'lagoon' private pool.

chez bali villa
Cocos Villa Kerobokan Bali

Rate from US$ 70 - US$ 90
Just minutes from down town there is lies a peacefully and luxury villas. Cocos Villa is the best choice for who need relaxe among a tropical lush garden, private swimming pool and "Bale" in each villa.


cocos villa bali kerobokan
Villa Lumbung Kerobokan Bali
Rate from US$ 83 - US$ 240
Small exotic village surrounded by masterly designed tropical gardens of approximately 12.000 square meters. The special shape of the grass-roof villas is derived from the typical Balinese "Lumbung". The upper part of this center hut of each family compound serves as a rice barn, while the lower floor - an elevated lounging area ("Bale") - is used as a meeting place.

villa lumbung

Nusa Dua Area
Bali Desa Villa Nusa Dua
Rate from US$ 80 - US$ 175
Bali Desa Villa located admist top class hotels in the promonent toursim area of Nusa Dua. Spread out in lush tropical garden are 27 luxurious and uniquely styled Boutique Villa's with "at home" feeling. Bali Desa offers the convinience of the modern world within short distance, yet the tranquility of nature on the Paradise Island.


bali desa villa
Villa Sekar Nusa Dua Bali
Rate from US$ 82 - US$ 320
Sekar Nusa is a secluded hilltop resort, conceived as a "Village of Villas" and inspired by traditional Balinese courtyard architecture. Sekar Nusa - "flower of the island" sits gently in the landscape. With its environmentally sensitive design and residential atmosphere, this low-key luxury hotel proposes an alternative for travelers in the 21st century.

villa sekar nusa bali

Sanur Area

Sri Phala Villa Sanur Bali
Rate from US$ 90 - US$ 140
Sri Phala Villa is within walking distance of the resort you will find relaxed dining at a variety of restaurants with many offering nightly entertainment, however if shopping is what your looking for in a holiday destination, then there is no better place to browse for bargains on quality handicraft or designer labels than surrounding streets of Sanur.

sri phala villa
Natah Bale Villa Sanur Bali
Rate from US$ 75 - US$ 135
Located in the charming village of Sanur. Natah Bale Villa is designed on the traditional Balinese architecture concept of natah where the garden or courtyard becomes the focal point of Balinese living and the different pavilions -bali- are laid out in separate structures according to its function.

natah bale villa

Seminyak Area
Putu Bali Villa Seminyak
Rate from US$ 47 - US$ 85
Putu Bali Villa are built in traditional Balinese style using natural materials such as wood and stone and are a good example of the creativeness and skill with natural materials that the Balinese are so famous for.

putu bali villa
Villa Mahalini Seminyak Bali
Rate from US$ 62 - US$ 110
Mahalini Villas is set to ignite the imagination and the raise the standard in traditional balinese style accommodation in Bali. Located on the quieter outskirts of Bali’s most happening district of Seminyak, Mahalini Villas are strategically positioned for guests to sample the tropical dining and shopping scene of the area.

villa mahalini
Villa Rumah Manis Seminyak Bali
Rate from US$ 90 - US$ 275
Vila Rumah Manis offers 40 private villas with walled garden areas ensuring your total privacy. If you are looking to indulge yourself, why not stay of Vila's new Suites - our Jasmine, Frangipani & Dahlia Suites cater from 2 up to 8 people. Perfect for a romantic getaway for two or a fun get together for family & friends.

villa rumah manis

Ubud Area
Sahadewa Resort Villa Ubud Bali
Rate from US$ 53 - US$ 59
Artistically built in Balinese style, is situated in the centre of Ubud within walking distance from the museum, monkey forest, art shops, bars, restaurants, travel agents, car rentals and almost all other tourist requirements.

sahadewa resort

Galungan and Kuningan

Galungan is, literally, a celebration of the creation of the universe in which the creator of the universe is worshipped and all ancestral spirits are called to come down to earth and dwell again in the homes of their descendants. Welcoming offerings are placed in the family shrines and elaborate decorations placed at the gate of each home.

Ten days after Galungan, the ancestors are bidden farewell with more offerings during Kuningan.

This pair of holidays takes place once every Balinese year and is the most major celebration of the Balinese calendar.

What & Where is Bali?

Bali: An Overview
Bali is an island of incredible mystery, beauty, enchantment, culture, hospitality, variety, and serenity; who wouldn't fall under its irresistible spell?

Bali's spectacular beaches, volcanoes, lakes, temples, and terraced rice fields -- combined with its deeply artistic roots and its legendary hospitality -- have made it one of the most visited places on earth. The religion and culture of Bali are unique in the world, and the Balinese have preserved their traditions in spite of the island's growing tourist industry.

While many destinations offer beautiful scenery, few have the variety of Bali, and none has its unique art, culture, and natural hospitality.

Balinese Life
The strong cultural identity of Bali is based on a combination of closely related elements that include its unique religion, its language, its castes, its community life, and its art.

Although the official language is Indonesian, Balinese remains the everyday language of the people of the island.

The ancient caste system -- still alive but no longer of any official or formal significance -- divides the Balinese into four distinct castes: Priests ('Brahmana'), Rulers ('Ksatria'), Warriors ('Wesia'), and commoners ('Sudra'). Unlike India, Balinese Hinduism has no 'untouchable' caste. Ninety percent of Balinese are commoners, while the remaining ten percent are divided among the three higher castes.

Numerous ceremonies mark the progression of life in Bali, starting, of course, with birth. Children are treated with respect and gentleness; corporal punishment is rare. In adulthood, marriage becomes compulsory and represents the individual's official entry into the community as an adult. Subsequently, participation in the meetings of the Banjar (village association that manages village affairs) becomes obligatory.

The management of the all-important water supply falls under another essential community organization called the Subak, to which each village landowner belongs. Bali's irrigation system, unique in the world, is managed by these associations, which ensure the fair distribution of water and carry out the traditional ceremonial rites to the gods of agriculture.

No discussion of Bali is complete without mentioning Bali's native inhabitants, the so-called 'Bali Aga'. They are the descendants of the first known inhabitants of Bali, and their customs are of prehistoric origin -- long before the arrival of Hinduism. Now their culture represents a unique combination of their animistic origins and Balinese Hinduism. There are only a few villages of Bali Aga left; the two best known are Tenganan in Karangasem and Trunyan in Kintamani, Bangli.

Geography
Located 8 degrees south of the equator in the midst of the 8,000 islands of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali measures approximately 140 km by 80 km and has an area of 5,620 square kilometers. Immediately east of Java, Bali is the first of the Sunda Islands. Its mountain range consists mostly of dormant and active volcanoes, with the highest, the active volcano Mount Gunung Agung, reaching 3,142 meters. Stretched to the south and north of these volcanoes, Bali's fertile agricultural lands produce abundant crops of rice.

The thinly populated West is the only non-cultivated area and includes Bali's National Park, a deeply forested area with many varieties of plants and birds. The eastern and northeastern slopes of Gunung Agung are arid, as is the extreme south of the island. The climate of most of the island is hot and humid, with an average temperature of 28 Celcius, but the higher altitudes can be quite cool. The rainy season lasts from October to March, and the humidity fluctuates between 75% and 80% depending on the season. Winds tend to blow from the West during the rainy season and from the East during the 'dry' season.

Geography
Located 8 degrees south of the equator in the midst of the 8,000 islands of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali measures approximately 140 km by 80 km and has an area of 5,620 square kilometers. Immediately east of Java, Bali is the first of the Sunda Islands. Its mountain range consists mostly of dormant and active volcanoes, with the highest, the active volcano Mount Gunung Agung, reaching 3,142 meters. Stretched to the south and north of these volcanoes, Bali's fertile agricultural lands produce abundant crops of rice.

The thinly populated West is the only non-cultivated area and includes Bali's National Park, a deeply forested area with many varieties of plants and birds. The eastern and northeastern slopes of Gunung Agung are arid, as is the extreme south of the island. The climate of most of the island is hot and humid, with an average temperature of 28 Celcius, but the higher altitudes can be quite cool. The rainy season lasts from October to March, and the humidity fluctuates between 75% and 80% depending on the season. Winds tend to blow from the West during the rainy season and from the East during the 'dry' season.

Asian nations to tackle natural disasters

The recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting with its Asian Regional Forum (ARF) counterparts here adopted a proposal to develop guidelines for civilian and military cooperation to ensure swift response to natural disasters in the region.

The guidelines, to be consistent with existing UN and ASEAN mechanisms on disaster management and emergency response, will form the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on civilian and military cooperation for humanitarian purposes.

"I think it is among the most important portion of the statement issued," said M C Abad, head of ARF unit for ASEAN member states.

The proposal includes taking an inventory of transport capabilities of the region's armed forces that can be used for humanitarian operations in the aftermath of a calamity.

"It will allow for the use of military assets of ARF members for disaster relief. ARF member countries will have a database of these assets for use by both civilian and military personnel within the ARF participating countries," Abad said.

ASEAN secretary-general Ong Keng Yong welcoming the latest development said disaster preparedness measures has been top of its agenda since the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed some 250,000 people around Asia's shorelines. ??Most of the activities, working plans have all been tested out,?? he said. ??Our region is a disaster-prone region, facing many natural disasters."

ASEAN member countries have agreed on the establishment of a 'standby force' comprising of military, police and civil defense personnel that can be deployed swiftly after a disaster.

ARF countries will promote coordination among donors, relief agencies and the global community in carrying out rehabilitation and reconstruction work, and coordinating with national disaster warning centers.

The center will also take measures to identify regional disaster risks and the capabilities to manage these dangers and share information on them.

The proposal is timely and urgent following a spate of major natural disasters around the region, especially recent volcanic eruptions in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Bali News

Bali Declaration on Sustainable Tourism Development

09 December 2005

We, the representative of members and associate members of UNESCAP attending the High- Level Intergovernmental Meeting on Sustainable Tourism Development held at Bali, Indonesia on 7 to 9 December 2005,

Renewing our commitment to the implementation of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, in particular the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation 2002: the Brussels Declaration, including the Programmed of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001 - 2010; the Mauritius Declaration, including the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programmed of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States 2005; the General Assembly Resolution 55/2 on United Nations Millennium Declaration; as well as the Millennium Development Goals; the Goal Code of Ethics for Tourism adopted at the 13th session of General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization; the WTO Declaration on Harnessing Tourism for the Millennium Development Goals; and the outcome of Regional Ministerial Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals held in Jakarta in August 2005 in which recognizing that poverty reduction is overarching objective for developmental cooperation and partnership in the Asia and Pacific,

Noting the enormous potential of sustainable tourism for socio- economic development and poverty eradication and the significance of sustainability principles for environmental protection and preservation of culture and heritage,

Firmly believing that tourism development based on the principles of sustainable development is an important means to effectively manage environmental and cultural concerns while at the same time creating jobs, contributing to economic growth and promoting social development and act as an effective entry point in the poverty reduction efforts and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, given its tremendous potential to generate more rapid economic development,

Recognizing the need for gender mainstreaming in sustainable tourism development,

Noting the lessons learnt during the first implementation phase of the Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Asian and Pacific Region (1999 - 2005), and recognizing the need to address various issues arising from the contribution of tourism to socio- economic development and the need to take specific actions at the national and regional levels,

Recognizing the value of local wisdom and local knowledge in many parts of the Asia Pacific region for sustainable tourism development,

Urge members and associate members of the UNESCAP to:
1. Formulate national and local tourism policies and development strategies with a view to enhancing the contribution of tourism to socio- economic development and poverty reduction,
2. Encourage the participation of all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, local communities, women, people with disabilities, older persons, non- governmental organizations and the private sector, in the formulation and implementation of tourism related policies and strategies,
3. Facilitate travel through the coordinated development of tourism- related infrastructure, improve procedures for the issuance of visas, border formalities and customs regulations and harmonization of civil aviation policies,
4. Minimize the adverse socio cultural and environmental impacts of tourism while enhancing its role in the conservation of the natural environment, including the promotion of green tourism and preservation of the cultural heritage by among others promoting adequate regulatory framework,
5. Promote the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and support further implementation of the code, including the creation of a climate that is conducive to private sector's compliance with the Code,
6. Enhance the identification and dissemination of best practices on sustainable tourism, including through the optimum use of information and communication technology and web- based framework,
7. Enhance capabilities to develop the required human resources and the capability to manage and prevent crisis affecting the tourism industry,
8. Embark on capacity building programs to facilitate participation of rural and local communities in the economic activities to increase household incomes and poverty eradication,
9. Support tourism- related local economic activities including the promotion of access to capital through micro financing and marketing scheme for micro and small enterprises,
10. Promote regional cooperation and support sub regional initiatives in the tourism sector,
11. Encourage enhanced collaboration between UNESCAP and other UN agencies for sustainable tourism development, particularly the World Tourism Organization and its ST-EP Foundation,
12. Participate actively in regional networking arrangements, including the Network of Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT), and the development of standards of competency for tourism professionals,
13. Enhance national, regional and international cooperation to promote tourist, safety, security and comfort,

Invite members and associate members of UNESCAP, donor countries, multilateral financing institutions, concerned agencies and organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental and sub regional organizations, non- governmental organizations and in particular the private sector to provide financial and technical support for the implementation of Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in Asia and the Pacific, Phase II (2006-2012);

The Beat Culture

Early in “The Dark Knight,” when the Joker commits a murder as deft and surprising as a magic trick, the audience laughs, briefly. Then come the sounds of people squirming and fidgeting in their rocking-chair seats.

There’s more to this movie than comic-book action or even the tragic mystique of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker to creepy perfection for his last film. Ledger died in January, at age 28, the victim of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

The story of Batman and the Joker brushes against profound issues that could occupy a roomful of scholars but are anything but academic: When forced to decide between people’s lives, how do we choose? How far will we go to stop death-dealing, psychotic criminals? How much evil can we confront before we fall into a moral abyss?

Batman has endured almost 70 years as a pop-culture fixture, a unique figure in the world of superheroes.

“The fact that he’s a human being, not an alien, not someone given super powers – that’s what makes him an everyman hero,” according to Mark D. White, co-editor of “Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul,” a collection of 20 essays published last month by Wiley and Sons, the newest volume in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. “He’s single-mindedly dedicated to the pursuit of justice, and that raises all these ethical concerns. Is he doing right or wrong?”

White thinks Batman is the most popular and interesting of any comic-book hero because the audience can closely identify with him.

“He’s stronger and faster and smarter than everyone else, but all that he does is within the realm of human possibility,” said White, a professor of philosophy and economics at New York’s College of Staten Island-CUNY. “But he also has the flaws of a human being. He’s not a very nice person. He’s not out to scare children, but to scare criminals, he has to scare everybody. He’s not a team player. His mission shuts him off from other people and forces him to make sacrifices.”

That’s a more realistic picture of what it takes to fight evil than we get with “a bright blue Boy Scout” named Superman.

“You can’t solve every problem perfectly” in Batman’s world, White said. “You have to make a decision how to solve it. Who am I going to save? These are decisions that any police force, fire department or health-care system has to make. When you have one heart for a transplant and two patients, how do you decide?”

Those dilemmas define the current movie, as the Joker, a psychopath of the first order, murderously delights in being “an agent of chaos.” The mayhem he unleashes, often using a tool as ordinary as a cell phone, is chillingly familiar.

“The Joker is our fears,” said Christopher Robichaud, a contributor to “Batman and Philosophy” and an instructor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “We would prefer an enemy who makes sense. Evil for the sake of evil, without any other purpose, unnerves us. Even the figure of Satan doesn’t do that. Satan has an agenda. He understands the value of humans, and he works out of spite or anger. That makes more sense to us than someone who, as the movie says, just wants to see the world burn.”

Even scarier, Robichaud said, is how ordinary people identify not only with Batman but also with the Joker.

“This is part of the broader human condition, that we enjoy watching evil,” he said. “He echoes the anarchic tendencies we’ve all felt. He’s a rebel. He says we should let loose. ‘Why so serious?’ Only later do we realize we’ve been lured by a monster.”

As credits roll, “The Dark Knight” leaves a disturbing question hanging in the air: How do we respond when confronted with evil?

“The Joker is there to remind us how bad it can get in our darkest moments,” Robichaud said. “Evil is stopped. He doesn’t triumph – but he’s not destroyed either. We can’t get rid of the Joker. Hopefully we can keep him at bay. But we have to respond in a ways where we don’t become evil. That’s the permanent challenge when good people are faced with evil. You can’t fight the kind of evil the Joker is and come away clean. You can come away still good, but not pure

What is Culture?

We're asking people how they would define culture and so far we've had video responses from Andrew Marr and DJ Swerve as well as artwork from Rankin.

You can add your own definition or explore our swirling mass of words and images.

The Rudana Museum: Peliatan, Ubud

Ubud is, without a doubt, the cultural heart of Bali and it is here you will find some of the best art galleries and museums on the island. Getting from one museum to another or gallery is as easy as taking a walk, or if you prefer, hiring a taxi. For the energetic and healthy person try hiring a pushbike and take in the cool and fresh mountain air. One of the villages that make up the Ubud area is Peliatan and it is here you will find the Rudana Museum. First established in 1995, the fine arts museum’s aim is to provide an outstanding collection of paintings for the public to see and enjoy. The museum houses a beautiful collection of artwork covering the social history of the nation. There are three floors of spell-binding artwork to explore and enjoy.

I had a look at their website and it is self-explanatory of their aims. Extremely interesting:

The invaluable collections are intrinsically a historical inheritance, which becomes a source of information and educational media. These are all most important for the development and transformation of culture and civilization from one generation to the next. This museum is also intended for artists and people of interest in this area to gather. Here they can exchange experiences and ideas on their respective fields of interest.

The Collection was established through the purchase by Nyoman Rudana and Ni Wayan Olastini, who have exhibited tremendous dedication in their twenty-one years of work promoting Indonesian, especially Balinese, arts and artists.

The three floors of the Museum represent Balinese architectural philosophical concept of the Tri Angga, namely, the three parts of the human body: head, trunk, and legs. This concept, in the development of plastic art, represents the golden link of artists of the past and the present. The third floor of the Museum houses works of Balinese fine arts from classical to the Ubud and Batuan styles. Among the works in this collection are such outstanding names as I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and Ida Bagus Made.

On the second and first floors, works of modern Indonesian fine arts are displayed, covering such widely-known names as: Affandi, Gunarsa, Wianta, and also the works of young and talented artists, such as Boyke Aditya, Nyoman Erawan, and Made Budhiana. The Museum also has a great collection from renowned expatriates such as Antonio Blanco who have made Bali their physical and artistic home.

MUSEUM HOURS

Monday-Saturday: 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.
Sunday: NOON - 5 P.M.
Closed: Nation Holiday

ADMISSION FEE

Admission Fees for the Permanent Collection
Rp. 20.000 Adults and Free for children 12 and under

ADDRESS
Jl. Cok Rai Pudak no.44
Peliatan, Ubud
Bali 80571 - Indonesia

Telp: [62] 361 975779

Fax: [62] 361 975 091

Museum observes a Century of Jakarta

Triwik Kurniasari , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 07/20/2008 10:38 AM | Headlines

The Jakarta History Museum is holding a one-month exhibition chronicling with photographs and descriptions the development of the capital city and its residents throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

The exhibition, which began July 15 and will end Aug. 16, displays photographs and stories chronicling the journey from old Jakarta, formerly known as Batavia, to modern Jakarta.

The head of exhibitions and education at the museum, Rucky Nellyta, said the event was aimed at commemorating the 481st anniversary of Jakarta, which fell on June 22, and the 63rd anniversary of Indonesia, which falls on Aug. 17.

"The event is a follow-up of an exhibition held in 2007 that depicted the capital during the 16th to 18th centuries," Nellyta told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"We collected the stories from the Tropen Museum in Amsterdam, the Indonesia History Library, the National Archives Museum and public libraries belonging to administrations. The Tropen Museum also assisted us in providing training on museum exhibition management," she said.

She said she hoped the event would encourage people, especially students, to learn more about the history of Jakarta.

In the showroom, visitors can see how architecture in the city has developed, from the Dutch colonial style, including the Immanuel Church and Daendels Palace (now the Finance Ministry office), to modern-day skyscrapers.

Photographs on display include those of Gambir Market in Central Jakarta at the beginning of the 20th century, the Pancoran Glodok area, or commonly known as Chinatown, in West Jakarta in the 1950s and the floods that have submerged the capital so far this millennium.

The exhibition details the social life in Jakarta during the periods of Dutch colonialism and the Japanese occupation, and also displays statistics on the fluctuations in population during the 20th century.

The event has received positive responses from visitors. Christin Natalia, 16, who visited the exhibition with seven high-school friends, said the exhibition increased her knowledge on the history of the city.

"I did not know about the exhibition until I entered the museum. It's very interesting. It reminds me again about the history of Jakarta, which I learned at elementary school," she said.

"The stories and photographs made me realize that Jakarta has rapidly developed in the past 100 years. However, in some pictures, I saw that Jakartans were more disciplined than they are today," she added.

Another visitor, Lydia Alexandra, 15, said it would be better if the museum displayed historical objects in the showroom.

"It would be great if they put some historical objects in the exhibition to support the stories and photographs. It would also attract more visitors," said Lydia.

Nellyta said visitors could see the historical objects on the second floor of the museum.

"Most of the objects are items of furniture, like wooden chairs and cupboards, which are too heavy to be brought into the showroom, which is on the first floor," she said.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but is closed Mondays.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Find Bliss in Bali

A holiday on Bali will take your breath away and stimulate all your senses — even some you didn’t know about. Invigorating and calming at the same time you will not want to leave this mystical island. Here’s what I loved about being here.

Top Ten Things to do in Bali and Lombok

1. Replenish your soul at Uluwatu resort at the south western tip of Bukit Peninsula - you will be lulled to sleep at night by the same waves that rock Dreamland - you will never rest more deeply. This sacred spot is an enchanting jewel - the bungalows cling to a cliff
with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. For lovers, surfers, poets, and solo explorers.

2. Take a surf lesson on Kuta Beach. Even if you don’t stand up - feeling the wave under you is divine. Don’t miss it.

3. Flex you flirt muscles on Gili Trawangan - this friendly island is filled with locals and foreigners who look you in the eye and laugh with you - white sugar beaches seduce you to stay longer - and the peace is hard to beat. No motorcycles, cars, or engines of any kind. Nirvana.

4. Scuba diving - get certified - get wet - get down under and do it! Swim with a big turtle and you will know bliss. On Gili Trawangan go to Manta Dive - they are wonderfully professional and authentically personable. The staff and owners want you to have fun and see the world beneathe us. It’s gorgeous!

5. See a Barong - every 15 days in Padang Bai there is a celebration and ceremony - the whole town comes out for the festival. Dress in traditional Balinese style - bring your lace jacket, sash, and sarong and you’re in the temple being blessed with holy water. And bring an offering - it could be a frangipani, fruit, or rice krispies just bring something. It’s way better than church.

6. Go to Ubud and see the local dances and art galleries. The clothing stores and jewelry are one of a kind too. Tour the rice terraces outside of town to be in a verdant, lush, green, landscape. Visit the Jazz Cafe at night for live music and to meet fascinating locals and foreigners.

7. Swim in stone pools fed by pure mountain water at the Water Palace 20 minutes outside of Padang Bai. Intricate statues, ornate fountains, and peace await you.

8. Ask locals about their favorite temples, you will get invited to a cremation or a wedding. Trust me.

9. Ride a motorcyle around the island - don’t be a Balinese family and go three to a bike - you’ll be fined. Drive on the left side! It’s energizing and you see more of the island.

10. Shopping and eating in Seminyak. Lily Jean was my favorite store - Made de Coney, a lovely woman from Brazil makes these sexy, zesty, and stylish clothes that enhance your body and make you happy - beautiful fabrics that move with you and designs that place her at the zenith of the fashion world. Buy a new suitcase for your treasures. Then eat at the Santa Fe Grill. Or find your own gem - there are many!

Mary Bartnikowski is the author of a book of essays, “Everyday Naked” available from Amazon. She is a professional photographer in Palo Alto, California.

Accommodation in Bali

is NO problem.
You will find a room that suits you , at a price that suits your budget. From a quiet villa to a room in the hustle and bustle of Kuta OR a romantic hideaway somewhere on the island.

You will find there are some great deals if you book over the internet OR a package deal with one of the airlines ( airfare & accommodation ) could be what suits you better.

Below is a list of Hotel Booking Agents . They all have a major list of hotels throughout Bali and offer some great internet deals. I have also listed a few of the more popular Hotels by Location. Although the links on them will take you to one of the Booking Services for that particular hotel. DON'T accept the list rate , email each hotel or agency and ask for their BEST rate available , you may be surprised by yet another discount just for asking. I have listed the most popular Hotels so that you can go directly to their advert and picture and save some time surfing ..I believe a picture is worth a thousand words..and the links to these hotels have pictures.

Bali Bird Park Taman BURUNG ( Ubud Area )

Bird Park Entrance
Bali Bird Park Entrance


The Bali Bird Park is near Ubud and is a 40 min trip by taxi, from the kuta area. You will need at least a ½ Day to look around and a great idea is to have "Breakfast" with the birds. ( see your hotel for details.)
The park has a great range of birds housed in immaculate cages and set in beautiful surroundings. There is a great restaurant & gift shop that are well worth a visit while you are there.

Copy of the Menu.




One of the Flight cages

Bird Park Homepage

E-Mail : Bali Bird Park

Parrots Parrots

As you meander around the well kept cages and grounds you will come across some strange looking birds and also more opportunities to hold the parrots.
As our son Scott points out !!!

Scott holding Parrots
Fish Flower
Parrot Dont Know what it is ?
Komodo Dragon Komodo Dragon

There are also Komodo Dragons at the Bali Bird Park !!!

Culture dance

Culture :
Families are so close in Bali that each member , be it brother/brother-in-law , sister/sister-in-law , mother & father, uncle & aunt all reside in the same complex. The family dwellings are surrounded by a boundary wall and inside these walls are contained the family temple , commune area , sleeping quarters , vegetable gardens and live stock. Most have several coconut trees and at least one coffee tree. ( Ever heard of Java coffee. )

gecko
Bali's culture is based on a form of Hinduism called "Hindu Darma" which is believed to have arrived on the island during the 11th century. This religion plays a heavy part in the family customs and community lifestyle but is a world away from that of India's Hindu. Its influence expands extensively into the arts, which gives Bali its individuality from the rest of Indonesia. The Balinese have managed to preserve their culture despite the ever increasing number of tourists to the island. geckobttn4.gif - 1418 Bytes

Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. 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.(At the other end of things )A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organise a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried while an auspicious day is chosen for the cremation. Since a big cremation can be very expensive , less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation , sending their own dead on their way at the same time.

gecko
Nearly every native of Bali , is an artist in some form or another. These skills are taught to them at an early age by their parents and villagers , who spend their free time making religiously oriented decorations which are placed at many shrines in public areas, paddy fields or in the their homes and place of business. Even in the streets , you will come across these offerings to the gods , so please be respectful and watch where you walk.

gecko
Balinese Architecture is said to have two roots , One is from the Hindu religion brought to the area from India via Java and the other is said to be indigenous to the island pre-dating the sweep of Hinduism and said to resemble Polynesian style. This may be seen in bali's temples and places of worship. ( A stone wall dividing its sacred area's from the village much like Hawaiian and Tahitian design )

The Life of Balinese Fishermen

In this edition we have prepared a selected topic namely about the life of Balinese fishermen. The island area of 5,632.86 km2 is indeed surrounded by coastal territory. And, as an island lying right in the heart of the Indonesian archipelago of 17,500 islands, Bali is in a highly strategic position. Benoa Harbor situated in the southern tip of Bali is frequently selected as the base for fishing vessels from around the globe, particularly those catching tuna fish in the waters of Indonesia or Indian Ocean.
However, considering that many cultural activities are covered in this edition, we therefore focus our topic on cultural activities. Nevertheless, we still highlight various activities of fishermen at coastal territory of Bali. There is even a unique news item you can read in this edition about a fishing vessel which drifted ashore filled with a large amount of fish like tuna and oil sardines, but without its captain and crew. After four days since it drifted ashore at southern part of Bali the vessel remains a mystery. Have a nice read!

History

There are few traces of Stone Age people on Bali, although it's almost certain that the island was inhabited very early in prehistoric times. There is also little known about Bali during the period when Indian traders brought Hinduism to the Indonesian archipelago. The earliest written records are inscriptions on a stone pillar near Sanur dating from around the 9th century AD. Hindu Java began to spread its influence into Bali in the first half of the 11th century, when the rock-cut memorials at Gunung Kawi were sculpted.

The Javanese Singasari dynasty conquered Bali in 1284, but when it collapsed shortly afterwards Bali regained its autonomy and the Pejeng dynasty, centred near modern-day Ubud, rose to great power. The Pejeng king was defeated by the great Majapahit dynasty in 1343 and Bali was brought back under Javanese influence. As Islam took hold in Java in the 15th century, the Majapahit kingdom collapsed and many of its intelligentsia moved to Bali. They included key priests who were credited with introducing many of the complexities of Balinese religion. Javanese artists, dancers and musicians also sought sanctuary in Bali, and the island experienced an explosion of cultural activity.

The first Europeans to set foot on Bali were Dutch seamen in 1597. Setting a tradition that has prevailed to the present day, they fell in love with the island and, when the ship's captain prepared to set sail, several of his crew refused to come with him. By the early 1600s the Dutch had established trade treaties with Javanese princes and had wrestled control of the spice trade from the Portuguese. They were, however, more interested in profit than culture and hardly gave Bali a second glance.

In the early 18th century, as local rule in Bali began to fracture, the Dutch began muscling in using the tried and tested divide-and-rule policy. They used Balinese salvage claims over shipwrecks as a pretext to land military forces in northern Bali in 1846. Teaming up with the Sasaks of Lombok to defeat the rajahs of Bali proved a bad tactic when the Sasaks changed their minds and slaughtered the Dutch. This incensed the Dutch so much that they invaded Bali with a heavy military force and severed its control of its smaller neighbour. With the north under Dutch control and ties with Lombok severed, the south of Bali was not going to remain autonomous for long. Another salvage dispute resulted in Dutch warships appearing off Sanur in 1906.
Modern History

It took Dutch troops five days to reach the outskirts of Denpasar. Surrounded by superior forces, Balinese royalty and religious leaders decided to take the honourable path of a suicidal puputan - a fight to the death - rather than surrender. First the palaces were burnt, then - dressed in their finest jewellery and waving golden daggers - the rajah led the royalty and priests out to face the Dutch and their modern weapons. The Dutch begged the Balinese to surrender, but their pleas went unheard and wave after wave of Balinese nobility marched forward to their death. In all, nearly 4000 Balinese died.

As other local kingdoms capitulated or were defeated, the entire island came under Dutch control and became a part of the Dutch East Indies. There was little development of exploitative plantation economy on Bali, and common people noticed very little difference between rule by the Dutch and rule by the rajahs. Despite the long prelude to colonisation, Dutch rule over Bali was short-lived; Indonesia soon fell to the Japanese in WWII.

At the end of WWII, the Indonesian leader Soekarno proclaimed independence, but it took 4 more years to persuade the Dutch that they were not going to get their colony back. In a virtual repeat of the puputan nearly half a century earlier, a Balinese resistance group was wiped out in the Battle of Marga in 1946. In 1949, the Dutch finally recognised Indonesia's independence. In 1965, an attempted coup blamed on communists led to Soekarno's downfall. General Soeharto suppressed the coup and emerged as a major political figure.

The Communist Party was outlawed and a wave of anti-communist reprisals followed. On Bali, local communists were perceived as a threat to traditional values and the caste system because of their calls for land reform and an end to social repression. Religious traditionalists took advantage of the post-coup hysteria and led a witch hunt against communist sympathisers. Mobs rounded up suspected communists and clubbed them to death. The Chinese community was particularly victimised before the army stepped in and restored order, but no-one on Bali was untouched by the killings. An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people were killed, at a time when the island's population only totalled two million.

Soeharto established himself as president, and under his government Indonesia looked to the West for alliances and investments. On Bali, economic growth and dramatic improvements in infrastructure were achieved by hugely expanding the tourist industry. This also resulted in the displacement of local populations and disruption of many traditional communities.
Recent History

The end of the reign of Soeharto in 1998 threw the entire country into a maelstrom of change and turmoil. For some time it seemed that Bali was to be spared much of the anguish experienced on other islands in the archipelago. But the bomb attacks targeting Westerners that killed about 200 people near Kuta Beach on 12 October 2002 ravaged the tourism industry and destroyed any such complacency. It took about a year, during which the Balinese were in a kind of shock, but tourism recovered and 2004 was one of the best years on record for visits. More bombs in October 2005 killed about 20, and this time visitors did not return in previous numbers. With tourism at the centre of the local economy, the Balinese are at a crossroads in deciding their future direction.

Bali Weather

Just 8° south of the equator, Bali has a tropical climate - the average temperature hovers around 30°C (mid-80s°F) all year. Direct sun feels incredibly hot, especially in the middle of the day. In the wet season, from October to March, the humidity can be very high and oppressive. The almost daily tropical downpours come as a relief, then pass quickly, leaving flooded streets and renewed humidity. The dry season (April to September) is generally sunnier, less humid and, from a weather point of view, the best time to visit, though downpours can occur at any time.

There are marked variations across the island. The coast is hotter, but sea breezes can temper the heat. As you move inland you also move up, so the altitude works to keep things cool - at times it can get chilly up in the highlands, and a warm sweater or light jacket can be a good idea in mountain villages such as Kintamani and Candikuning. The northern slopes of Gunung Batur always seem to be wet and misty, while a few kilometres away, the east coast is nearly always dry and sunny.

Air-con is not really needed on Bali at night. A cool breeze always seems to spring up in the evening, and the open bamboo windows, so common in Balinese architecture, make the most of the light breezes.

Bali & Beyond - Craft & Culture

Hearty Welcome, Peaceful Gestures
At temple prayers a significant yet uniform array of hand gestures are used, from the series of prayers with flowers between fingers at the forehead to the receiving of holy water from the attending priest.
Photo by Vincent Herry

Photo by Werner Duderstadt

Photo by Ananda Yoga

As you might have noticed, from the first pages of this and every edition of Bali & Beyond, we greet and introduce to you through our Team Talk with an ever hearty welcome and that Balinese opening and closing remark. Go on, take another look.
"What do those mean?" you ask. The solemn utterance that you will always witness during your adventures through Balinese communities and spoken language conjures something that is simply expressed from the heart, but meant for the universe.

A humble opening remark of "Om Swastyastu" can be divided into two parts, "Om" and "Swastyastu". In polite Balinese social manner, it is common to greet one’s guest (all honored), or to start a formal discussion or to open a formal speech with the remarks. The greeting contains a hint of prayer and spirituality to it, from the word "Om", originating from the holy alphabets A, U and M (the letters of Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa, the holy Hindu trinity or Tri Murti). The Three are combined in one word. Su (good) + asti (state of being) + astu (hope), and this latter would mean, "in hopes that the universe goes in good accord".

So instead of greeting a simple, "Hi, how are you?" or "How do you do?" the Balinese would rather greet with hopes for the happiness of the entire universe! Which, the universe of course, includes you and me and everyone in the greeting as well. It can be addressed disregarding timeframe, either in the morning, afternoon or night.

At the end, a customary, and again heartily, "Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om" closes, literally "Om Peace, Peace, Peace, Om". Santi is Sanskrit for peace. The three repetitions express the pray of Peace in Heaven, Peace on Earth and Peace in the Underworld. Peace everywhere, no exceptions.

If you call up a friend at their Balinese household – you will often be greeted with this opening remark. And the next time you meet up with a Balinese friend, try using it, and you will gain much smiles, respect and gratitude as a first impression, and perhaps make more Balinese friends. But the ending is disregarded for common conversational use. In actual person-to-person encounter and exchange of greets, both hands are usually pressed together at the chest and with a slight bow or nod.

This makes way to another silent language, the rich world of Balinese hand gestures. Besides the common greet and pressing of the palms, the Balinese are also fluent with gestures which perhaps make way to such a broad silent language on its own.

At temple prayers a significant yet uniform array of hand gestures are used, from the series of prayers with the aid of flowers above the forehead to the receiving of holy water from the attending priest. The preists themselves address the communal prayers with such eloquent hand movements and specialized bell-ringing. Such is the same with flower offerings. Pay attention as the Balinese place flower offerings at their shrines or roadsides, their right hand wrists wave in such a way so typical, gesturing the offering is heartily being made along with the ‘witnessing’ glare and mystifying wafts of incense.

The young Balinese constantly train their hands and fingers to become more flexible at dance performances and musical gamelan orchestras. The non participating little girls and boys at the communal banjar dance lessons spend a great deal of time playing and experimenting dance movements in imitation to their seniors or on their own.

This flexibility finds its most beautiful expression in the hand-postures of dancers, most of which are derived from Indian mudras, although they do not have the symbolic and narrative meanings as in the Indian kathaks, but purely ornamental functions. At a Baris or Legong performance try looking at the audience for a little Balinese boy or girl playing around in the audience, imitating waves or twirls.

The flexibility of Balinese hands and wrists is visible both in the utter relaxation of the hands at rest and the rapid flexing of the hands at the wrist that is characteristic activities, from bet-soliciting at cock-fights, the playing of the gamelan, and up to the Balinese surf athletes who ‘dance’ the waves in a Baris-like gait.

Patra Bali

Bali is very identical with its culture. This relation makes Bali as a magnet for visitors coming to Bali. Among them are certainly difficult to distinguish religion, culture and art. As all of them are integrated into a unity. However, Hindu Religion in Bali seems to be a stream for the development of culture and art in Bali.

The wave of foreign culture is sunk by the current of local culture. If it exists to be a new culture, it will be born as a new concept of culture that is more delightful. Let us see, Patra of Egypt (Egyptian Pattern), Patra of China (Chinese Pattern) or barong ket, barong landung or young artists in Ubud.



Patra of Egypt



Patra of China



barong ket

When this transformation of value entered into (bertiwikrama) the system of Balinese culture, and it became a topic of conversation, it is very difficult to differ whether their conversation involves religious, cultural or art issues, Balinese never care about them. Most of Balinese surrender their understanding on conducts and duties to Hyang Widhi. They call it doing yadnya

Balinese culture is very close with the traditional arranging system of value in the society, starting from water division, pattern of cultivation, yield division, sub village system, place of shrines, color of clothes and so forth. The culture exists, borne, and develops in accordance with the dynamic life of Balinese society. Culture is signaled with three important dimensions: idea, behavior and physic.

Therefore, sor-singgih (level of language), pawiwahan (wedding ceremony), subak (traditional irrigation system), dadia (family group) and so forth are parts of Balinese Culture.


place of shrines


sor-singgih


pawiwahan

The Lost Culture

Zdej smo ble 3 dni v Dreamlandu...kar dobesedno je kar se tice bivalisc, okolja in valov....je pa ravno nasprotje kar se tice cistoce (including WC) in GUZVE V VODI! res so lepi valovi, pa ravn pravsni , po tleh so skale pa neki podobnga , ampak lih prov globoka voda, res super...ampak guzve je pa toooook.....ce nisi lokalc al pa star ata z longbordom ulovis bl mal. ampak kaj cmo vsak raj ima svoj hell.

Lepo je pa res...klifi, zelenje, slamnate bajtice direkt na plazi....fuuul rajsko.

No edin higiena je bl na psu...ker nimajo vode in je vse bl tko....verjetn si predstavlate...no al pa ne:) punce so se najprej neki prtozevale ampak pol smo se navadle tut na to in je blo d best! pa za jest je blo tut ful dobr ce si potisnil v podzavest smrad ki je prihajal iz kuhinje vedno ko si sel na wc zraven nje;) HEHE...
2 Our Dream home 360°
2 Our Dream home 360°

Dons je pa prsou swel (to so veliki valovi)in je blo prov fajn videt tam kako se voda premika in jo mece na plazo , k je bla plima, en sam lokalc je pa furov to...norc!

dons smo sli na Uluwatu pogledat pa je bla sama pena povsod, pa v tempel z opicami, ful so lusne (ampak nisem nobene mogla prepricat da bi sla z mano na avion do slovenije, sori ati), pa sli smo se neke kipe gledat , lepo vse ful....po celem dnevu smo se pocutle prov delovno>)

No zdej smo nazaj v kuti za eno noc (zuranje...po osami v divjini:) jutr je pa vsaj plan tak, da gremo v Ubut k je neko kulturno sredisce Balija , za par dni.
3 Wel come to toilet!
3 Wel come to toilet!

aja pa se dobra novica iz ljubljane> v 3. letniku sm!!!jeej ....zdej loh se za kak mesec podalsam ....kaj pravis ati? ;) hehe

aja pa glede vremena nism se povedala: kok je tle ugodna klima: lih prov toplo, skos mal oblacno, nc dez ne pada....super....tko da ze zdej opozarjam une (sej veste keri ste) k bi tezil zakaj nism nc rjava k bom prsla dam!! da naj NE tezijo

objemcke vsem

Bali Culture and Customs Media

Temple procession in BaliEach 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.

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!

Badung Bali

With a reputation as being one of the most beautiful and diverse tourist spots in Asia, Bali attracts almost 1,000,000 visitors a year, from all around the world. Geographically, Bali lies between the islands of Java and Lombok and is one of more than 17.000 islands that make up the Indonesian Archipelago. Bali is small, stretching approximately 140km from east to west and 80km from north to south. Running east to west and slightly off center, are a string of volcanic mountains, the tallest and most recently being active Mount Agung, which reaches 3.142m at its highest point and last erupted in 1963.

Lying just 8° south of the Equator, Bali boasts a tropical climate with just two seasons a year and an average annual temperature of around 28°C. The rich volcanic soil and healthy monsoon season make this island extremely fertile and a range of crops is grown here. The wide, gently sloping southern regions play host to Bali's famed terraced rice fields, among the most spectacular in the world. In the hilly, northern coastal regions, the main produce are coffee, copra, vegetables, spices, cattle and rice.

The Balinese people have strong spiritual roots and despite the large influx of tourists in recent years, their culture is still very much alive. The main religion is Agama Hindu Dharma, which arrived in Bali with the spread of Hinduism through Sumatra and Java during the 11th century. Although originally from India, the Balinese religion is a unique blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs, with customs that are very different from the traditional form of Hinduism practiced in India today. With the arrival of Islam in neighboring Java during the 15th century, a large member of courtiers, artists, musicians and craftsmen fled to Bali, creating an artistic renaissance.

Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally used their talents for religious purposes and most beautiful work to be seen here has been inspired by stories from Ramayana and other Hindu epics. The incredibly colourful cremation pyres and the everyday offerings to the Gods, placed inside every shop and business, are made with precision and an eye of beauty. The majority of Bali's population of 3.000.000 live, for the most part, in tight village communities with large extended families. The largest town are; the regional capital Denpasar, population approximately 250.000, and Singaraja in the north.

The main tourist area is Kuta, situated near the airport. During the tourist boom of the 70's, this small village became a major attraction because of its famed white-sand beaches, the surf, and stunning sunsets. Today, Kuta is a major hustling and bustling resort town, with hundreds for hotels, bars, restaurants and shops.

Those in search of a little peace and quiet tend to head for the more sedate resorts of Sanur and Candi Dasa, on the east coast, Ubud in the center, or Lovina in the north. Another major resort on the southern-most peninsula of the island, Nusa Dua, caters for the more up-market crowd, and is home to almost all of the bigger 5-stars hotels, as well as one of Bali's golf courses. The central village of Ubud, in the hilly region of Gianyar, has also recently blossomed as a tourist attraction and is now considered to be the artistic and cultural center of Bali.

Bali Climate and Time Zone

Climate
The climate in this archipelago on the equator is tropical. In the lowlands, temperatures average between 21 degree Celcius and 33 degree Celcius, but in the mountains it can go as low as 5 degree Celcius. Humidity varies but is always high, between 60 % and 100 %. In general, Indonesia experiences two yearly seasons of monsoon winds: the southeast monsoon, bringing dry weather (musim panas - dry season), and the northwest monsoon, bringing rain (musim hujan- rainy season). Often the changing seasons can bring the time of high waves (musim ombak). The rainy season is normally November to April, with a peak around January/February, when it rains for several hours each day. The rain is predictable, however, and always stops for a time, when the sun may come out. Before it rains, the air gets very sticky; afterwards it is refreshingly cool. The dry season, May to October, is a better time to come, and especially June to August. This is the time to climb mountains or visit nature reserves; when wild bulls go in search of water and sea turtles lay eggs more often.

Time Zone
Bali is on Central Indonesian Standard Time, the middle of Indonesia's three time zones, which is Greenwich mean time + 8 hours. It is the same time in Bali as Singapore, Hong Kong and western Australia.

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