In several last years, various centers nightlife or entertainment was present here giving entertainment to tourists at Bali. There were the names like Hu’u Bar, the Bahiana salsa bar and that was other. It is not surprising, if get worse the night, this region was increasingly busy by the visitor

Nightlife at Seminyak

Night spots in Seminyak nicely complement the class and sophisticated atmosphere of this side of Bali. Although Seminyak’s nightlife still falls short compared to that of bustling Kuta, most of the clubs and lounges in Seminyak are designed with luxurious interiors. They offer a wide range of exciting opportunities for a night of fun – from quality martinis, wines,and cocktails, to DJ twirl tables, sexy dancers, pool side bars

Some of the well-known nightlife spots in Seminyak are Ku De Ta Bali, a favourite ocean front hangout serving fine dining selections; the Bahiana salsa bar with its live performances, the cosmopolitan Hu’u Bar with their offerings of over 70 cocktail choices; Obsession World Music Bar which offers some great entertainment, and many others. No wonder, if more into the night, the area is more crowded by visitors.Similar Posts:

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What they seem to have trouble understanding is that real people live and work on this ‘Island of the Gods’. When telling tourists that you live in Bali, that same look of shock mixed with disbelief comes over their faces. But Bali is not only a holiday destination, it is a place that many – both locals and foreigners – call Home.

Bali is a beautiful peaceful place, alive with art, culture, history and contrasts. But Bali is not only its clichés. Yes, it is covered with palm trees, rice fields scattered with old men and women, and gorgeous beaches, but there is so much more. Bali is a community made up of so many cultures and religions. It is one of the most open-minded of places.

There are things in Bali that we sometimes take for granted – the white sand beaches, the amazing coral, the world-famous surf – that many people would love to experience. But this is not all there is to Bali. It is a community. It has its troubles and its problems just like any other. With so many people from different countries, religions and backgrounds living here, there is bound to be some conflict. Yet Bali seems to have a tolerance like no other.

Four years ago Bali experienced a terrible tragedy – the infamous Bali Bomb, where over two hundred innocent people died. Where other countries might have fallen apart, or declared war, Bali stayed calm. Although what happened that night in October was terrible, it brought the people of Bali – locals and tourists alike – closer together. Everyone began looking out for one another in a way they hadn’t in the past. We banded together to return the island to the paradise home it had been before.

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The Jukung
How the jukung came into being remains vague. However, it is certain that the jukung is foremost among the types of traditional vessels widely used in Bali (and also in the neighboring island of Lombok), generally used for fishing. The exoticism of these 10-meter long boats lies in their single multicolored sails.

Obviously their owners are indeed fond of decorating their boats. Also contributing to the exoticism are their outriggers. These beams are usually made of bamboo and function as stabilizers that prevent the jukung from capsizing, and are positioned parallel to the boat’s framework. That is why these types of boats are also referred to as double outriggers. Essentially of Balinese origin, the double outrigger jukung is but one of the many genres of Pacific/Asian outrigger canoes that use the lateen (triangular) sail.

In line with developments, nowadays fishermen equip their jukung with outboard engines that are used during the absence of wind to push the sail. Upon landing, you can note another unique characteristic from up close: the front part of the boat resembles the face of a fish; hence the whole boat will resemble a fish. Although the fishing jukung only operates out to several kilometers from the coastline, bad weather and other factors sometimes renders orientation difficult. The fishermen say that the eyes help in ‘guiding’ them through the points of the compass.

Spectacular Spectacles
If we move further north from Sanur, we can encounter the jukung again along the coast at Kusamba and further north again at Candidasa, where armadas of jukung can be found. The colorful sails out at sea easily catch the eye from the roadside, in contrast to the black volcanic sand. When they are at sail they add a spectacle to the scene. Usually the jukung all sail together until the seas are filled by the armada, flocking like birds on the calm sheen of the ocean.

Further to the north in the area of Amed the jukung armada becomes even more dominant. The morning seas somehow belong to them, as hundreds if not thousands of jukung decorate the sea there.

Behold the real spectacle. Stay overnight in this coastal area that is filled with options nowadays, and wake up before daybreak to witness it all. Not only will you take in the fresh morning sea breeze, but in the far eastern horizon you will also see a red ball of fire rising up in the crimson sky, emerging from the waves. Then faintly and gradually, around the rising sun, you will see hundreds or even thousands of these colorful sails. Eventually the sails become clearer, and in their numbers they somehow show as if they are having a race. Sails slightly fluttering and beams bobbing up and down, they leap up once in a while, signifying their high speed.

After several hours out at sea from the early morning, it’s time to go home. Starting as small dots on the horizon until their colors fill the sea, they are ready to land. Every jukung is part of an armada. Each armada has its own landing site. And every bay is filled with hundreds of jukung. We even noted a bay that had up to 500 jukung!

With their high nautical skills the fishermen start to maneuver their jukung towards their bay. Slowly they approach the coastline. Then how do they land so many boats at a single bay? Especially since each boat is manned by only one person. It seems impossible to land without the guidance or assistance of another. This is where their expertise comes into place, which is another spectacle to witness.

One by one the jukung await their turn to land. The timing of the wind cannot be predicted. Thus many of the jukung distance themselves several meters from the coast, and fellow fishermen who had reached land first must immediately lend a helping hand to the following jukung. As soon as the last wave washes ashore, the boat gets pushed inland and is greeted by 2-3 of their fellow fishermen.

“Come on… heave… one… two… three!”, and “Woosh…,” the waves toss the fishermen and the jukung as they pull in the wooden vessel. “Crackle, crackle, woosh…” is the sounds as the water dissipates through the stones and coral. A second later another wave arrives and the fishermen once again prepare to heave the jukung up in synchrony with it. “One… two… three… haa…!” little by little the boat is lifted further from the waterline and towards its parking space. Full spirits behind colorful sails….

The parking process for each jukung must be completed in the nick of time because the hundreds of others cannot wait too long… they are all near to the coastline. In the event of a bad synch, the jukung may capsize or even break with the wrong momentum of the tide. When a jukung is being drawn in, usually the others are already very close. So by the time one jukung has been successfully parked, there is another already prepared to be lifted, while another is readying to land, and others are still at sea.

Quite a beautifully hectic and dramatic scene. And surprisingly, this synchronicity of 15-20 minutes usually sees three quarters of the armada already parked neatly on the shore!

A Priceless Asset
Sights not found elsewhere. The jukung are usually used by fishermen in calm seas. You will seldom see one in the high seas or in the open Indian Ocean for instance. Its existence also follows the rhythm of its master – the fisherman. The sea as their source of living is virtually limitless. Yet their parking spaces are becoming scarcer. The coastline is becoming filled with various hotels and restaurants. Even some coastal village areas have shifted. But these outriggers are iconic to Bali – the real Bali… as depicted in those guidebooks in decades past. An exotic part of Bali, we hope, that would not soon become an exotic past.

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Start off our journey this time to the west of the island. Most overland journeys going to the neighboring island of Java, the regency of Banyuwangi to be precise, would travel through this region. Yet you do not need to hop between the islands to look for a hoard of highlights to explore, as the region itself is dotted with abundant historical sites to see.

Embarking from Bali’s south you would cross the regency borders of Badung and Tabanan and travel along the main road for around two to three hours until you reach a stopover, a spiritual stopover that is. But before reaching the stopover, head out to the west’s own site to surf - the rolling waves and the beaches of Medewi.

PANTAI MEDEWI
Pantai Medewi, or Medewi Beach is often considered the ‘Kuta’ of the Jembrana regency. So if you do get bored of the crowded waves in the south, head to the northwest. Medewi is great fun for surfing due to its long curling waves, plus it is a scenic sunset vantage point. It has now become a favorite alternative for surfers, and several accommodation facilities are available nearby. And on the culinary side, there are restaurants that cater to international taste buds there too.

RAMBUT SIWI
This temple, referred to in veneration as ‘Pura Luhur Rambut Siwi,’ is located in the village of Yeh Embang at Mendoyo in the Jembrana regency and celebrates its Pawukon calendar-based anniversary of Umanis Perangkabat on June 17.

According to knowledgeable local elders, Rambut Siwi is closely related to the legend of high priest Dang Hyang Nirartha while on his way from the Majapahit kingdom in East Java to Bali circa 1489. When he entered the temple grounds, he took a strand of his hair and placed it at the temple as an offering and as a curing talisman, as there was a plague in a nearby village. Ever since, it has been referred to by its current name, rambut meaning ‘hair’ and Siwi meaning ‘worship.’

Rambut Siwi is a scenic stopover, surrounded by terraces of rice fields and a cliff with crashing waves beneath. Nearby there are resting spots that enable weary drivers to take a break and enjoy the view. It is also a spiritual stopover for the Balinese Hindus who continue their journey to the west, where they can pray for a safe travels north and further westward.

PANTAI CANDIKUSUMA
Candikusuma Beach is about 12 km to the west of the capital city of Jembrana, named Negara. Candikusuma often is the sporting site for Jukung sailboat contests each August 17 for the Indonesian Independence Day celebration.

PALASARI
In the village of Palasari stands a majestic Catholic Church that has also become a symbol of religious tolerance. The commune was initiated by Father Simon Buis, SVD in 1940.

Further northwest and around the tip of Gilimanuk, where the crossing to East Java’s Ketapang harbor takes place, enjoy the diving and snorkeling playgrounds of Menjangan Island. And just near the bay lies a site of Bali’s own Romeo & Juliet.

PURA GEDE PERANCAK
This prominent Hindu sea temple is located in Perancak, and also commemorates the site of Dang Hyang Nirartha’s arrival in Bali in 1546. Continuing up the road from Rambut Siwi, one follows a signpost just before Delodberawah where a crocodile statue (among the icons of the Jembrana regency) stands in the middle of the road. Another icon of the place - bull racing - is organized here. Called Makepung in the local tongue, these bull races were initially competitions among farmers, where a pair of highly decorated bulls pull their masters on cikar chariots. The muddy rice field race courses are up to 4 km long. The races are now an annual affair with two major events - the Governor’s Cup and the Regent’s Cup, and usually take place at a dedicated circuit on Dlodberawah beach. Jegog bamboo orchestras and dancing are always featured during the races. According to the regency’s Cultural and Tourism Government Office, the racing calendar for this year will include events on July 5 and 19, August 2, 16 and 30, September 13 and 27, October 11 and November 1 - considerably a lot of time to plan ahead…

PURA JAYAPRANA
In the bay of Teluk Terima there is the eternal love story of Jayaprana and Layonsari, Bali’s own Romeo & Juliet. The story goes that the King of Kalianget was smitten by Layonsari’s beauty and wanted to kill her lover by inviting him on a hunting trip into the thick West Bali Jungle. At Teluk Terima, Jayaprana was murdered by one of the king’s guards. Upon hearing about the death of her lover, Layonsari thrust a keris dagger into her own heart.

High on a small hill overlooking the bay is the burial grounds of the two lovers, which was later developed into a temple site. Golden yellow cloths adorn their graves as worshippers from all around come in reverence and remembrance of their strong love.

PATHS TO DISCOVER
Pura Luhur Sari Teluk Trima is the first temple you come across on the Gilimanuk to Singaraja route. Then Pura Menjangan, Pura Pulaki and Pura Pabean follow after. A staircase rises towards a densely shaded and grey macaque inhabited temple ground. Just across from this site are two other significant temples, Pura Pabean and Pura Agung Pulaki.

The island’s west is dotted with numerous highlights. Might as well take your time and discover them all.

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The Bali Arts Festival 2009 opening parade which traditionally to open the Arts Festival will be conducted and lead by Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika. While the thirty-first Bali Arts Festival will be opened officially by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, foreign ambassadors and a number of ministers at the Ardha Candra Art Center in Denpasar which will be the drama and dance play “Bima Swasrga”.

Each year, the Bali Arts Festival, beside the fed classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new “dance choreography” is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into “colossal” Sendratari Ballets.

BALI ART FESTIVAL 2009 SCHEDULE

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Many cultural observers have considered Balinese culture as the perfect form of a social model, with every member of the community playing a significant part within the social structure, ever lively and at large engaging in community activities and constantly attending various ceremonies. Balinese women play a central and integral part in the scheme of things, and although their roles differ from the men, without them the whole system would not function.

From their early years of childhood, a young Balinese girl would be exposed and actively involved in how to prepare from the simplest to the most intricate flower offering, and present them in sequence at the family temple, with the simple rituals and prayers that would eventually be embraced throughout her lifetime and future family life. They pick up Balinese dance and traditional food preparation and how to proactively get involved in the grander view of community activities. In no time, once a girl reaches puberty, she is expected to be fit to handle the ‘tricks of the trade’.

The Balinese woman is in one way a symbol of the island’s beauty, but now she has also risen from the traditional cocoon and has reached out into other non-traditional roles. Over two decades ago, it would be quite hard to even encounter a female traditional musician, be it a gamelan player or a traditional shadow puppeteer or dalang. The cocoon mentioned is the notion that a Balinese woman is restricted to her housekeeping chores and the mothering role in a family, and that they would have little time to pursue different interests.

But that all has changed through the advent of time, as much transformation has swept over the artistic world, with cultural exchanges taking place constantly between performing artists from all over the world. Women are now seen as viable creative forces, and female performing artists are now considered among the creative forces within the artistic world. Swasthi Bandem for instance, wife of former Head of the Denpasar Arts Institute (then STSI, now ISI) Made Bandem, had created a lineup of new and colorful Balinese dance creations or tari kreasi baru, such as Tari Cendrawasih among many others.

Women’s gamelan groups have become popular, showing that their skills can guarantee a good performance. The originally patriarchal culture of Bali somehow determines that women conform to expectations. But they have challenged this. Aside from her regular household duties, a Balinese woman will spend a great amount of time making temple offerings and in ritual activities, thus not having a lot of spare time to hit the mallet. But tackling the multitude of ritual obligations that take precedence over rehearsals, some women’s gamelan groups have succeeded.

Within a span of 25 years, from 1980 to the start of the millennium, there has been a significant change in the activity of the island’s performing arts especially in Denpasar. This change is noted by the increase in women’s roles. Women have been able to emerge and perform important roles in around 15 genres of Bali’s performing arts, especially those categorized as ‘entertainment’.

Besides this increase in quantity, the quality of their performances have also risen significantly, considerably higher in competitive stature between individuals and groups, making way to occasional competitions held at local or district levels.

The various factors affecting this phenomenon include the sense of so-called equal rights in Bali, social change within the Balinese society, women’s awareness in getting involved with arts, the huge acceptance of society and the local government, the effects of tourism, the emergence of art schools and classes throughout the island, and the annual celebration of the Bali Arts Festival or ‘Pesta Kesenian Bali’ (PKB).

The Bali Arts Festival, a month long showcase of the island’s fine arts and artisans, which traditionally takes place around the months of June and July, is proof of what Balinese women are capable of amidst their traditional chores. This is due to the multitude of women artists who take part in the vast creations, old and new, of the island’s performing arts. The event is also the best opportunity for photographers and visitors from the world over, by which to witness the true beauty of the Balinese women in colorful traditional attire, in parade, and in live performance.

And for the current state of the female musicians and art troupes, they are also frequently seen in tourist venues, televised broadcasts, and at local temple festivals, therefore gaining affirmed acceptance and spreading the charisma of the all-able Balinese woman figure.

In the realm of traditional dance itself, there are many more dances performed by women that are owed to the beautiful images of Bali. Legong for instance, is the quintessence of femininity. It is one of Bali’s most exquisite dance forms, being over two centuries old, and was intended to be performed by prepubescent girls who symbolized divine celestial angels. Tightly bound in gold-leafed costumes, the girls performed in unison, the flowers at their headdresses quivering with every eloquent movement and shift of their shoulders.

In the realm of godesses and mythology, Balinese culture holds the goddess Dewi Sri (the goddess of rice and fertility) in special esteem, as Bali, originally an agrarian community, depends on its ability to harvest rice 3 or 4 times a year. In Balinese Hinduism, the trinity of Brahma (the creator), Wisnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer) also has other lower representations through their ’shakti’ or consorts, with Dewi Sri being one of them. Another extremely important female goddess is Dewi Danu (the goddess of the crater lake) from which Bali is supplied with water year round. At the temple of Pura Ulun Danu Batur, it is written “Because the Goddess makes the water flow, those who do not obey her may not possess (the result, the harvests) of her rice terraces”.

Traditional village life has had to accommodate tourism and Balinese women have had to adapt. In years past men could take more than one wife and a woman’s role would be to serve and be part of an extensive family. Polygamy is uncommon these days and with national law the consent of the first wife is ultimate. In the late 20th century, educational opportunities increased and interactions with Westerners presented some women with the chance of employment outside of the village.

Balinese men are constantly under pressure from their families to provide a son as an heir. With modern life comes financial stress, and the challenges of village duties and the effort of trying to balance a career with a ceremonial life all take a toll. But the Balinese woman moves on, taking on modern careers in every aspect of life thinkable: policewomen, hotelier, banker, notary and lawyer, teacher, etc. But somehow they have never and seemingly never will part from their traditional roots and duties­: raising children and being a source of love within the family, preparing daily offerings and rituals and tending to the communal duties of the village society.
Yet with all the constant challenges, the future ahead for the Balinese and the Balinese woman in particular is bright. Somehow the Balinese women manage to exhibit great perseverance and above all beauty and elegance in the face of even these most challenging times.

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On Nyepi day proper, which starts with sunrise, don’t expect to be able to do very much at all. You will have to stay within the grounds of your resort. No traffic is allowed, not only cars and motorbikes, but also people, who have to stay in their individual houses and are not permitted to leave for anything short of an absolute emergency (panic not anyone in need of medical attention – the hospitals are fully operational during Nyepi).

Light is kept to a minimum, radios and televisions are tuned down, and no one works, of course. Even lovemaking, this ultimate activity of all leisure-timers, is not supposed to take place, nor even attempted during Nyepi. A whole day simply filled with the barking of Bali’s wild dogs, the shrill of insects and simply a long, long period of uninterrupted quiet. A welcome day of serenity, of calm and an opportunity for the island and it’s people to rest.

Nyepi is a religious event. Bali is a Hindu society, one that believes in the karmapala principle, according to which the dynamics of life, and of Man’s individual fate, is set in motion by ‘action’. Man is in the midst of a Samsara cycle of incarnations, each of which is determined by the quality of his actions (karma) in his existence.  His ‘ideal’ is thus to put the system to rest, to control one’s actions, and thus to subdue one’s inner demons. Only in such a way can Man hope to achieve ‘deliverance’ from his cycles of life (moksa) and eventually merge with the Oneness of the Void, the Ultimate Silence of Sunya.

The Day of Silence is a symbolic replay of these philosophical principles. At the beginning of the year, the world is ‘clean’. It has been cleansed in the previous days. All the effigies of the gods from all the village temples have been taken to the sea or to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There they have been bathed by the Neptunus of Balinese lore, the god Baruna, before being taken back to residence in their shrines of origin. On the eve of Nyepi all villages also hold a large ceremony of exorcism at the main village crossroad, by lore the meeting place of the demons.

There at the crossroads a Siwa priest addresses the gods, a Buddha priest, the middle world and a Sengguhu priest the netherworld. At night the demons of the Bali world are let loose on the roads in a carnival of fantastically crafted monsters - the Ogoh-Ogohs.

Thus, on the day of Silence, the world is clean and everything starts anew, Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the ‘force’ of the world.  Hence the mandatory religious prohibitions of mati lelangon (no pleasure), mati lelungan (no traffic), mati geni (no fire or light) and mati pekaryan meaning that nobody may undertake any work, even Ngurah Rai airport remains closed for business for one day of the year.

There is more than mere religion, though, to Nyepi. Twenty years ago, there was still fun to it. Traffic was discouraged, but there were almost no cars anyway, and people would walk freely around, visit friends and the like. But now, Nyepi has become a demonstration of identity. Faced with urbanization, large-scale migration of non-Balinese to the island and a withering of its agrarian basis, not to mention the millions of tourists visiting the island, the Balinese use Nyepi to remind all those visiting guests of who exactly is ruling the land.

And they do it so gently, as with almost everything Balinese, in the most peaceful manner. Think of the Balinese demons. Which other people in the world take its demons in the streets in a non-political carnival, as the Balinese do in the Ngrupuk cavalcade of the night preceding Nyepi?

This cavalcade of demons is as relaxed as Nyepi proper is serious. The parade is held all over Bali, but the most fantastic one is undoubtedly that of Denpasar. There all the banjar (ruling village heads) neighborhood participants and hundreds of youth associations make their own Ogoh-Ogoh monsters. Banjar neighborhoods and youth associations, who raise a special ‘tax’ for the purchase of the needed glue, bamboo and cowhide, make the Ogoh-Ogoh. Some work at it for weeks on end and spend millions of Rupiah on their creations, hoping to have the most beautiful effigy of the village or of the entire neighborhood.

Some are giants from the classical Balinese lore, while others are guitarists, bikers or even AIDS microbes. All with fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair. Thus, when they all come out at sunset, illuminated by torches and with the accompaniment of the most demonic gamelan music (bleganjur) of the Balinese repertoire, Denpasar becomes another, gentler Rio Den Janeiro. Heading for Gaja Mada street and the Puputan square, they surge suddenly by the hundreds, more ‘horrible’ the ones than the others, each carried on the shoulder of four to thirty youths, jerking this way or that way so as to give the impression of a dance, or suddenly turning in a circle, much to the fascination of the spectators.

This is not a small procession, it lasts for three to four hours, as if Bali has an inexhaustible pool of demons. All the Ogoh-Ogohs eventually head for the Puputan square, where they are burned. The world is then cleansed and ready for the day of Silence, a day without demons.

Today’s Ngrupuk festival has lost some of its symbolic religious meaning. Youth see it as an occasion for merriment and creativity, travel agents as a business opportunity, Banjars and youth associations as a means to assert their ’superiority’. Fights sometimes erupt with politics never far beneath the surface. For this reason the present tendency is toward the control of the Ngrupuk festival and its demons.

Let’s us hope, though, that the Balinese demons will always remain as gentle as they have throughout the centuries and that the world at large can be inspired by Nyepi, a very sacred and inspirational day of peace.

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Ketut Cenik was born in 1920 in the Batuan village of Gianyar. She learned to dance when she was 15 years old. She had no master to teach her, but she often sensed something improper, for example when her teacher showed a slow or less enthusiastic movement. But to find the best teacher was impossible for her as she was very poor, though she still had a strong desire to one day make her dreams come true. So just by observing a dance taking place, she was able to follow the movements. She could feel the vibrations from the gamelan so when she heard it, her body just moved along with the gamelan sounds. This gave her the ability to perform any Balinese dance, including the difficult Joged Pingitan.

Joged is a social dance which is very popular in Bali. The movement patterns are active and dynamic. Joged is a unification of Legong, a classic Balinese dance that has complex movements, and the Kekebyaran, a dance that is of a merry and dynamic character. Among the characteristics of the Joged is that it may be improvised. Joged is for couples. The dancer who is a woman invites men in the audience to join in on the dance.

Meanwhile, Joged Pingitan has a different role that other Joged general dances. It is called Pingitan because there are some parts of the dance that are ’secluded’ or ‘hidden’ (pingit). The so called hidden part is when the pengibing or invited men dancers are only allowed to dance equal the female dancer’s movements, but he is not allowed to touch her. The dance is usually based on Prabu Lasem’s story or some part of the Calonarang epic. History has it that the Joged appeared around the year 1884. In the beginning, this dance was only performed before the king and the dancers were his mistresses. Nowadays, it is hard to find a dancer who can dance the Joged Pingitan because of the highly complex movements.

When I visited her at her house, Ketut Cenik was busy preparing offerings for a ceremony the next day. She was so friendly, welcoming us with a large smile. She has not many daily activities except dancing, as the daily household activities are done by her grandson’s family. Once a week she teaches children at the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA). She often dances in temple ceremonies. Dancing, as it is, can also be considered another form of offering.

Her grandson’s wife told us her grandmother will suffer a headache if one day were to pass without her dancing. Ketut Cenik opened her eyes widely pretending to be angry at the comment, but then she smiled and said, “Nak saja mula keto (that’s true).” She loves dancing. She married I Nyoman Reneh who is also a dancer, and has passed on her talents to the next generations.

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Singaraja, the former capital city of Bali, was a bustling center of commerce and government while under Dutch rule, but now is a sleepy town with tree-lined boulevards and colonial style residences. Gedong Kirtya, on the main road, holds a unique library of old Balinese manuscripts.

Far from the main tourism areas of the island’s south, a wide variety of natural attractions thrive and wait to be experienced from the east to the west of North Bali. From a host of hot springs to cascading waterfalls, great dams to fishing villages and ancient temples, it is the calm coastline that this area is most famous for.

Nightlife in Lovina can be enjoyed in cozy bars where you can have a cocktail or a Bintang beer and listen to live music. Accommodations are just as secluded and relaxing, with food and beverage outlets of their own. But many do opt to go out and explore the neighborhood.

The coast of Lovina (named by the island’s late author and nobleman Anak Agung Pandji Tisna as an acronym of ‘Love Indonesia’), as well as most of the northern coastline, is comprised primarily of black lava sand, and best noted for its wide stretches of beach and mirror-like sheets of water at sunrise and sunset. The coral reefs can be accessed via a short boat trip that offers many exciting marine sights.

Engage in snorkeling, fishing, a casual dip or take a romantic stroll at sunset. A multitude of shopping opportunities can be found also, both in small shops and market places, intricately woven in with the local community life. One of the most famous sights is the dolphins, frequently seen jumping high out of the water. Dolphin watching tours in Lovina have become an icon of the northern coast, adding to the natural appeal of the area.

Dencarik Village vineyards reside in the upper hills, and the island’s major Buddhist monastery overlooks Lovina’s coast from within a valley. Brahma Vihara Arama is a sanctuary for learning Buddhism and meditation. Also within the immediate vicinity are more highlights, namely the Banjar Hot Springs and the Tigawasa Village, renowned for its intricate bamboo weavings.

Kayuputih is a mountain village in a rich plantation area full of cacao, coffee, mango, tobacco, cloves and a regular harvest of swallow’s nests. Excursions to these sights make for a memorable experience. Breathtaking views of the northern coastline, from neighboring Java’s volcanoes on the western horizon to Bali’s eastern coast, can be viewed from the hills. While on a stroll, take a break and sit in a village warung and enjoy a coffee.

A hotel which is significantly involved in an environmental project is the Tamansari Cottages in Pemuteran, a popular snorkeling and diving site in northwestern Bali. The 29-cottage resort has succeeded in pioneering a coral propagation movement, the world’s largest bio-rock project ever, and also works with the fisheries community and pecalang traditional village security system without which such a risky endeavor would be almost impossible. Last but not least, it has a good relationship with its neighboring tourism entities.

The days and nights at Waka Shorea, the boutique resort nestled along the far shore of Teluk Terima in the heart of the Bali Barat National Park, enables guests to gaze out across the waters of the pristine bay at the island of Menjangan. The island itself is an underwater haven for diving and snorkeling.

Menjangan diving has become a highlight on the underwater adventurer’s itinerary. With its 15 to 45 meter visibility and 5 to 40 meter deep drop offs, it boasts rich marine biodiversity including napoleon fish, sea turtles, and various unique tropical fish species. In the outer depths are white tip and black tip reef sharks, barracuda, and sometimes eagle rays and sunfish.

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• Shopping in Bali
• East of Batur

The air was clammy, and the atmosphere heavy and eerie. Ducking through the undergrowth,  briefly recoiled as  was greeted by a macabre collection of about fifty skulls, artfully arranged upon a moss-encrusted altar. The startling heartlands of Bali were to throw up more than a handful of startling surprises along the way.

At the mysterious village of Trunyan, which lies cut off from the world on the eastern shore of Lake Batur. The residents of Trunyan are the Bali Aga people, descendants of the aboriginal Balinese, who inhabited the island long before the Majapahit invasion in the 14th century. The Bali Aga sought refuge from imperialistic strangers by living in isolated seclusion, fiercely safeguarding their own culture through the conviction that they are descended from the gods.

The crescent-shaped Lake Batur is set within the gigantic caldera of an extinct volcano. It is reminiscent of a huge soup bowl with a serrated lip, a floor half covered in water and a set of volcanic cones – the volatile mass of Mt Batur – budding in the centre. At 1717 metres high, Gunung Batur is by no means Bali’s highest volcano, but it is Bali’s second most sacred mountain after Gunung Agung, and has erupted more than twenty times during the last two centuries. Tourists flock to the locality, now collectively known as Kintamani, to enjoy an Indonesian buffet lunch in one of the many panoramic restaurants that overhang the ancient crater rim, offering spectacular views of the mountain and the lake.

Not many people, however, visit Trunyan. Most are discouraged by stories of touts demanding extortionate boat fares that increase halfway across the lake. Tour guides from Kuta claim that taking tourists to Trunyan is more trouble than it’s worth, generally proving to be full of unnecessary hassle and unreasonable expense for the visitor.

Most of the villagers are fishermen and sustenance farmers, growing cabbage, onion and corn in plots near the lakeshore. Despite their exceptional conservatism and resistance to change, a proportion of the younger men have had to leave the village in order to find work.

The spectacular view of this green mountain backdrop and deep blue lake with Mt Batur to the east was a treat: few get to see Bali’s most active volcano. A massive 1,100-year-old milkwood tree in the centre of the village, and the imposing ‘balai agung’, where the council of elders make their decisions. The weatherworn ‘Pura Pancering Jagat’, meaning ‘temple of the navel of the world’, stands under another huge and ancient tree – a banyan that is said to be over 1000 years old. Secretive and protective about the customs exclusive to their community, the people keep hidden the 4-metre-high statue of ‘Ratu Gede Pusering Jagat’, the powerful patron guardian of the village. This megalithic statue is fiercely guarded and attributed with magical powers, and only viewed at the time of the temple ‘odalan’, the anniversary ceremony that takes place in Trunyan around the October full moon.

To this day, the people of Trunyan retain a social order aligned with prehistoric traditions; cremation is not practiced here. The village actually has three cemeteries, Sema Bantas – the burial place of those who have committed suicide or died in an accident, Sema Nguda – the burial place of children or other young people who have not yet married, and the Sema Wayah – the kubutan where the dead are not buried at all! This shadowy cemetery is situated about 500 metres outside of the village, and accessible only by boat. Here, the bodies of the dead are wrapped in cloth and simply left in bamboo cages on the ground until they have decomposed. Strangely, there is no stench due to the presence of the encompassing ‘Taru Menyan’ tree. The tree is believed to produce a fragrant smell, while its roots, buried deep beneath the bodies, bafflingly eliminate any trace of odour. the cemetery only ever accommodates a maximum of eleven bodies at one time. When a fresh body is brought in, the bones of its predecessors are kicked away and the skulls placed upon the altar.

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