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Bali Reviews

Paradise on earth-Bali
May 19, 2006 09:39 AM 11655 Views

If one likes nature and sea, Bali ia perfect combination of nature's beauty. A secluded place but equipped with all basic amenities and a perfect gateaway from the din and bustle of every day hectic schedule in modern day living.


Eacstatic blue lagoon coupled with world class hotel accomodations are a rare treat. There are plenty of good hotels, whose hospitality is legendary, the cuisine is tempting and mouth watering. One gets best of sea food, fresh and nice. The sea beaches are picturesque and spick and span. The costs are ranging frrom moderate to expensive.But one would get value for money during stay.


The balinese boast of an ancient hindu culture, which is very rare in India itself. They practice old vaidic cultures, which are not necessarily found in India. One can enjoy the rich cultural heritage of balanese people in their way of living, music, dance et al.


Bali is well connected internationally. It can be approached from Australia, Singapore, Jakarta or Surabaya in east java. It can be visited throught the year although better to avoid during rainy season.


UEP Subang Jaya Malaysia
Bali : Truly Beautiful
Sep 24, 2005 02:58 PM 14821 Views

Bali is a very special sort of place! This beautiful island offers not only a pleasant climate, very friendly and tolerant people, but a special sort of magic which hits you as soon as you step off the plane of the scenic airport at Denpasar. There is the gorgeous smell of flowers, the sight of flame trees and banyan trees, hibiscus, jasmine and bougainvilleas , the haunting sound of gamelan music and the unique architecture of the exotic temples, villas and luxury hotels.


Geographically, the fabled land of Bali lies between the islands of Java and Loubok. It is surprisingly small measuring around 140KM from east to west and only 80KM from north to south. Gunung Agung - the soared mountain is the tallest of a string of volcanic mountains that are found from the east to the west whilst in the gently sloping south are the well-known nice terraces of Bali.


The Balinese people have exceptionally strong spiritual roots and the main religion on the Island is Hindu Dharma which is an electic and unique blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs. Quite different actually from the Hinduism practiced in India to day. The people are naturally highly creative and since ancient times have employed their talents for religious purposes and their beautiful art work has been greatly inspired by stories from the Ramayana and other Hindu epics. The biggest towns are the capital Denpasar in the south and Singaraja in the north.


In modern, contemporary Bali, the major tourist destination is the area from Kuta to Seminyak : here there are literally hundreds of hotels, villas, night clubs, bars, restaurants and shops. A host of luxury 5 star hotels have been peaceful environments tend to stay in Sanur and Candi Desa on the east coast, or Lovina in the north. The charming village of Ubud, located in hilly region of Gianyor, is another place of great touristic appeal and is now widely regarded as the artistic and cultural centre of Bali.


Everywhere you go in Bali, you will realize that dance and drama plays a critically important role in the local society. It is through dance and drama that the Balinese learn about the tales of the Ramayana, Mahaborata and other epic stories. Among the best known dance dramas that you can see in Bali are the Baris, a warrior's dance normally performed by men, the Kecak, the Legong and the Barong and Bongola, a dance aobut the struggle between good and evil. The Wayang Kulit or Shadow puppet is one of the great story-telling traditions of the Balinese.


A major attraction for many visitors to Bali are the markets. There is the popular Pasar Seni (Art Market) at Sanur, market stalls at Poppies Lone in Kuta, handicrafts, gold work and lovely fabrics at the Kumbasari Market in Denpasar and the Ubud Art Market which is the perfect place to buy aromatherapy oils and incense, carvings, paintings and textiles.


The temples too attract a lot of curious visitors. There is Uluwatu cliff-top temple which is dedicated to the spirits of the sea, Pura Jayaprana in the north-west which offers superb views, and Pusa Besakih in the north east which provides marvelous views of Gunung Agung. The Pura Ulun Danu Batur near the village of Botur houses more than 90 shrines and the Pura Tirtha Empul which is regarded as the holiest spring in Bali and the temple is visited by those desiring mental cleansing.


The Puri Semara Pura is a palace dedicated to the god of love and the hall of justice, Bale Kerta Gosa, is well worth seeing especially for its beautifully painted ceiling and cowed pillars. Several of the water palaces are attractions in their own right particularly the Taman Ujung Water Palace in east Bali and the fascinating Puri Agung Kanginan, which features a red mix of styles including Chinese, European and Javanese.


Bali has a number of well-known lakes such as Lake Botur which has within the crater of Gunung Botur, Lake Brotan offering splendid scenery as well as water sports and Lake Buyon which offers solitude.


A man-made attraction in Bali which is gaining in popularity are the various Spas. Among the spas popular with foreign visitors are the Amoaras Spa in Seminyak, the Dynasty Spa Villa in Kuta, the Green Garden Spa, also in Kuta, the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa, and the Ibah Spa in Ubud.


The subterranean delights of caves are perhaps not to everyone's liking but Bali has several caves which attract a goodly number of visitors. The best known are Gua Gajah (Elephant Cave) which boasts some very interesting carvings, Gua Lawah (Bat Cave) which is famous for the host of fruit bots that inhabit the place and Goa Karang Sari. The latter cave extends over 200 meters into the hillside and hosts a torchlight procession during the festive seasons.


As this review has indicated there is a veritable hosts of sights and attractions in Bali to suit just about every conceivable taste and preference. Whether it be volcanic mountains, caves, lakes, temples, markets or palaces, the chances are you will find it on this lovely, tropical Island.


Thanks for reading and rating.


Recommend yes


BALI BABY !!!!
Dec 28, 2002 01:30 AM 13324 Views

First of all I’d like to pay my respects to all of those who have suffered and may have lost someone dear with the Bali Bombings. I went to the Sari Club in May,2002 when I was there on vacation, its just unbelievable what happened. My deepest condolences.


Other than that it is a beautiful place with great people. Although Indonesia is a Muslim country, Bali has predominantly a Hindu population, although their belief’s do differ from the Hinduism practiced in India.


The main action area is Kuta, whereby I resided at the Club Bali ( RCI affiliated ). Bali food is good although they have rice in some of the dishes as a side item, it is not accompanied by curry or gravy of any kind . Try eating plain dry rice (not pleasant – feel like a refugee ). Besides their menu’s are so minimal. Hardly any items present on the menu. Their restaurant Industry has a lot to learn from us Indians ( where some restaurants have Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental under one roof – albeit all tasting the same, Still). Infact at the restaurant at the view point of an active volcano, there was chicken , lamb and beef dishes on the menu, but when the host came to us she said “ I’ll tell u something, theres no lamb or beef”, so obviously there was only chicken. Great. Food’s cheap though and tastes good. That Bali beer is great tasting, can’t remember its name. A lotta restaurants to choose from including a Hardrock café.


The shopping’s great at Kuta – do bargain. Our hotel had a free bus transfer to the shopping area, although taxi’s are very cheap – don’t bother about the meter, decide in advance. Do not entertain hawkers, there will be a lot of them telling you to fill forms and stuff. The Hawkers in that trip to the Volcano are crazy, one of them sat in out car and refused to get out until we bought something. SO BE CAREFULL do not even inquire from them cause then you have to buy something. There are a lot of snorkelling areas, every hotel has its own suggestions. Do visit the Labuhanbajo or Lamborgan island (difficult name to remember ), where a trip there cost us US $35 per person ( depends on the mode of transport there – sailboat, medium and speed boat ), I had opted for the medium, includes a whole day trip with snorkelling gear, kayak boats, unlimited rides on underwater submarine and banana boats, with a couple of speed boats to take u to any part of the island, a great lunch and transfers from the hotel. It would be a day well spent.


As for culture they have the Bali Dance, a certain place has this, costs around 50,000 rupiah per person, if you like Bharatnatyam dancing, you might enjoy it, else you will sleep through it. What was even worse that after spending 2 hrs at this place, we had the same thing in the evening – complimentary of the hotel, and it was better than the one we had spent for. Damn. Do visit their temples.


Forget the white water rafting, go to Himarchal Pradesh, also I didn’t visit the west side of the island which I was told has better beaches. Maybe will do in my next visit there.


One more trip which should be avoided is that temple which over looks a supposedly great sunset. Our guide took us there thinking that there were no sunsets in India. (Costly – cause u gotta pay to see the sunset as the vantage point is in the temple complex + the guide charges arnd 250,000 rupiah). Infact he asked me “ In your country, do you have sunsets “ – I think he thought I was from Pluto.


YOUR RATING ON

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THE 'MAJIC' OF BALI
Jun 21, 2002 11:57 AM 8760 Views

There are three general beach areas to stay in, Kuta, Sanur or Nusa Nua.


I have been to Bali twice. The first time was for an International Convention and on our way to South Korea for the first time.


We stayed at the Sheraton Nusa Dua Hotel. There is a more expensive Sheraton next door but I didn't like it as much. Part of our package included a fabulous breakfast at the hotel for the ten days we were there.


It also included a few tours.


WHAT WE SAW ON THE TOURS:


DAY ONE:


On day we took a boat trip to Trunyan, an ancient Bali Aga village. The Trunyan cemetery is only accessible by boat. The people of Trunyan do not cremate or bury their dead. They lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose.


DAY TWO:


The next day we took a half-day tour. We drove past the Presidents Palace, (I had been to a Dinner there the first time I was here).


The tour stopped at a Batik Factory and a were given a demonstration of how the Balinese make Batik products like no other place in the World.


Along the way I saw a sign that read, 'Majic'. I asked our Guide if it meant 'Magic'. He said 'yes' and then said that, 'Bali in the only Hindu Island in Indonesia. When the Hindu Priest came to Bali they were smart enough to incorporate the 'old religion' with Hinduism. Magic was still being practiced in Bali.'


We then visited a Wood Carving Factory. It's amazing how fast a carver can make a box, mask or statue. We bought one of each.


The next stop was at the Monkey Park. At this point the rain began to fall. It was raining so hard that it was like we were standing in a shower. At the Park each of us had a Guide waiting for us with an umbrella, (it didn't help too much). Every since I was in Kenya I dislike Monkeys. I had told my Husband my African Monkey stories and he was not too sure he wanted to go into the Park. The Guide assured him he would be safe. The moment he walked in one monkey jumped on his shoulder, another tried to steal some mints in his pocket and a third tried to steal his wallet. Needless to say we left the Park. There was a Market outside the Park. Each Guide's Family has a booth there. It is polite to buy something from that booth. We bought a sarong for our Daughters.


We then drove to a Temple where the Priests were performing a Ceremony. The head Priest wore a white suit the others wore black suits. It was a lovely Ceremony to watch as they were putting bouquets of flowers on a table in the middle of the Temple.


Our tour ended just before sun set at the Hindu Monkey Temple. The Temple is attached to the land when the tides are low, (as it was when were there), and become an Island at high tide. We were told we could visit the Temple by walking through a series of caves. Our Guide told us there were snakes that lived in the caves. He assured us that they were not dangerous but I am afraid of snakes so I don't know what the inside of the Temple looked like.


DAY THREE:


We went to see Ubud. This Town was established by one of the Royal Family's as an Artists Colony.


We stopped at Sanur Beach and found out that there was nothing to see and it was a little too quiet for us.


I thought this would be such a special place that I was disappointed as all the little shops were selling the same things as the stalls in Nusa Dua, (but at a much higher price).


Our last stop was at Kuta Beach. When I was in Bali the first time the Market here was special and full of bargains. The Market had been expanded and the merchants were selling junk for very high prices. This beach is called the 'Austrian Beach' and it is very noise, a lot of people walking around with beer like they were at a big party. One young boy tried to sell cocaine to our Son. After that we went to eat at The Hard Rock Cafe and were happy to go back to our beach.


That night we went to see a performance of the Traditional Music and Dances of Bali.


The dancers of Bali are beautiful. You must watch their eyes because that is where so see the mood of the story they are telling.


SHOPPING:


1) Near our hotel was the Galleria Shopping Mall. In the Mall there are a lot of stores. There are brand name sporting goods, boutiques, bookshops, toys, duty free shop and the best Supermarket, (we bought a lot of beer, pop, cigarettes, potato chips and candy here.


There are a lot of Restaurants and Cafes in the Mall. I think we ate here almost every night, (it was cheaper than the hotel). We ate at an Irish Pub, a German, an Italian, a Fish and Japanese Restaurants. There was a great hot dog stand and an ice cream stand that we managed to eat at a few times.


I had my hair braided in small braids. I had a tattoo drawn on that lasted for a few weeks.


2) On the main road into Nusa there is a supermarket, crafts, clothing, music, electrical, kitchen Shops and the market stalls. The Market Stalls had the best buys.


SOME THOUGHTS:


I loved Bali and would go back any time.


There is so much to see and do but I am limited to 1000 words so this is the end. I hope you enjoyed reading about Bali


©LL2002


Bali, the heaven on earth
Jan 23, 2002 11:46 PM 8742 Views

Bali was my dreamland. When I was posted in Indonesia as the UNESCO Adviser, it was my cherished desire to visit Bali, and I did so with my family in 1973. Bali is quite different from the rest of Indonesia. The local language is Kawi, but the national language, Bahasa Indonesia, which I read, write and speak, is known to every one in the island. Bali has predominantly Hindu customs, although the Hindu rituals practised in Bali are quite different from those practised in India. So also the religious practices. Bali has more than 90% of Hindu population. Here the Hindus take beef, and boiled egg is used in temples as 'prasad'. In the oldest temple Beysakhi, there are no idols inside the temple. Idols are there outside the temple. The belief is that when God id tired he comes down to take rest in the temple. Bali has beautiful terraced land, against the backdrop of cocoanut trees. The landscape of Bali looks like a picture postcard. Bali is also the land of arts and crafts. Earthquakes are quite common in Bali, and the tall mountains in Bali are worshiped by the people. The women of Bali are very beautiful. Seldom I have seen a woman who is not slim. Most of the women know cycling, and move on cycles with two to three tier loads on their heads. Balinese Dances accompanied by the Gammelon orchestra are really worth seeing. When I visited Bali again in 1995 on another UNDP assignment, the road from Denpasar, the Capital, to the Beysakhi temple had become one continuous stretch of land. There is a Gandhi Ashram in Bali established by Madam Oka, who had won the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for promoting Gandhian values abroad. Even today, Bali is my dreamland.


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