Bali Bali Daily
Discovery Mall Evolving
After a 10 year absence from Bali having had these years in Yogyakarta, Central Java, I returned in 2003 to see many changes had occurred on the island of Bali. One place that particularly took my attention was the near completion of the Discovery Mall on Jalan Kartika Plaza. At that time I can recall mentioning to my wife as we passed on our way from the airport that the white edifice would be a ‘white elephant’. How wrong was I in my statement. Of course every year I have returned to Bali since 2003 and over the years I have seen the Discovery Mall evolving into one of the best shopping complexes on the island. There are not many tourists to the island that dislike the place as it offers an excellent choice of restaurants, coffee shops and stores, but also affords spectacular ocean views from the rear of the building. Little by little over the years a new shop or restaurant has been added, another bank installed in the complex making it a delightful place to spend a few hours, or in some cases with over-enthusiastic shoppers, a whole day.
Date: July 1st, 2008 |
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Sanur Village Festival
It’s back again for its third year after two very successful previous years. This fun and cultural events festival highlighting Balinese art and cultural performances will be this year around the area of the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel on Jl Pantai Segara. But, it’s not only art and culture performances that will be the highlight. There will also be a food bazaar, bonsai and orchid exhibition, contemporary music performances and for the fashion aficionado, a delightful fashion show. Of course there are numerous other activities sure to please all during this five day event. As with the same last year, there will be an international cartoon exhibition, and the popular jukung festival of local village boats. Naturally the music festival will no doubt draw big crowds to the beach and all in all, this promises to be the greatest festival up until now. The kids are never left out of the activities and the kite festival will delight them and no doubt all the adults as well. One part of the festival that I am looking forward to seeing is the photo contest. The theme for the photos have to be centred around the Sanur area and prizes are up for grabs.
Date: June 24th, 2008 |
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Threads of Life
The Indonesian archipelago occupies an esteemed place in the world of textiles. Peoples of this vast chain of islands use a wide variety of woven, embroidered and resist-dyed techniques to prepare fabrics of great ingenuity and beauty. – Indonesian Textiles: Michael Hitchcock .
More and more traditional textiles and their ritual use are disappearing, becoming endangered if you like, across the archipelago. Unless practices are handed down through generations then indeed their fate is cast. However, there is a couple, Jean and William Ingram, who have lived in Bali full-time since 1993, and now reside in Ubud who have forged a unique co-operation with Yayasan Pecinta Budaya Bebali in order to have these natural-dyed and handmade ritual textiles and their production survive. Threads of Life can be found in the centre of Ubud and is a place highly recommended for those lovers of Indonesian textiles. You can purchase textiles on the premises, watch the various techniques in the processing, or even get involved and sign up for one of the participation classes. The two hour class is an Introduction to Indonesian Textiles and the three hour class is an introduction to textiles and their use in Indonesian Culture.
Date: June 18th, 2008 |
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Bali Arts Festival Programme
The 30th Bali Arts Festival was officially opened yesterday by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and it apparently was quite a colourful affair with dignitaries present like the Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik. As I mentioned in a previous article, the month long event will feature traditional dance and drama, discussions and exhibitions as well as artist delegations from 22 countries. Unfortunately I cannot make it to festival this year due to previous commitments but for those in Bali at the moment, I strongly urge you to go and see at least some of the performances. Here’s the programme of events for the Bali Arts Festival courtesy of Bali Paradise:
Date: June 15th, 2008 |
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Bali Arts Festival
Without a doubt my favourite festival is the Bali Arts Festival and it will be held from June 14 to July 12, and will feature a plethora of local and international performers. This is a wonderful spectacle and a great introduction to Balinese artistic traditions and culture for those who are first-timers to the island. Even for the regulars, it is a festival not to be missed. The events take place throughout each day for an entire month. There will be handicraft exhibitions, cultural performances, music, classical palace dances and also historical exhibitions. What …
Date: June 8th, 2008 |
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Crap in Bali
Seems like a stupid title to an article but, that’s what it’s about. Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Over the decades tourism has increased on the island to the point now of what is referred to a ‘mass tourism’ where the island is literally saturated. Although this is great for the Balinese as far as the economy is concerned, there are some things that need to be addressed. Consider it my quirky sense of humour, but, haven’t you at one time or another whilst sitting on the throne in Bali doing your morning duty and wondered where ‘it’ all goes. After all, Bali is only a small island. I am not talking about No. 2 here, but the big one. Yes, No. 1. Seriously, if you think about all the tourists over the decades that have deposited their bodily waste deep into the bowels of wherever via pipes, that amounts to a fair amount of shit!. I have no idea what sources these hotels used over the years to process these disposable items. On one occasion back in the 80’s I recall talking to a farmer who claimed that he regularly obtained the effluence and used it as fertiliser. Sounds feasible I suppose as it is bio-degradable and would have some nutrients (not just the yeast from Bintang).
Date: June 26th, 2008 |
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Royal Cremation: Ubud
There is one thing that I encourage all visitors to Bali to do is witness a cremation. Culturally and spiritually inspirational, Balinese cremations are a colourful and, depending on the caste level, an extravaganza to rival any funeral in the world. Naturally, over the decades I have seen many but I was fortunate in the late 80’s to see preparations and then the whole funeral procession and subsequent cremation of a person of Brahma lineage. Respect for and worship of God and ancestors is the basis of the Balinese religion. The combination of Hindu elements makes the whole process a moving experience and one that is not to be missed.
Date: June 20th, 2008 |
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Billabong Pro Junior Series Indonesia
Indonesia’s hottest junior surfers will be joined by a truly international field of the world’s best junior’s to put on a display of hi-fi surfing from June 18-22 at Bali’s most popular lava bottomed black sand right-hander of Keramas Beach, as the opening event of the Billabong Pro Junior Series Indonesia blasts off. The waves at Keramas Beach consistently offer up hollow sections, steep walls, and perfect ramps, providing the amping juniors just the right forum in which to show off their complete repertoire of high scoring manoeuvres. All this talent, together with the promise of a new swell on the horizon, promises to bring an overload of high-grade action for the lucky spectators on the beach.
Date: June 18th, 2008 |
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Bali International Triathlon
Dust off your running shoes, grease-up the bicycle and find your swimming gear. It’s on again – the Bali International Triathlon to be held from June 27 to 29. In its second year, the triathlon looks to attract even more competitors than the previous year. According to sources there are 250 athletes from a variety of countries as well as local runners. This is grueling race as any of you would know if you have ran or swum in a marathon as it tests not only your physical fitness but also your mental concentration. The …
Date: June 12th, 2008 |
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Ecotourism in Bali
More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and, as they travel, are also aware of their carbon footprint. But it is not only this that we have to take into consideration. Ecotourism is an excellent alternative to the mass tourism that exists now in Bali and therefore we should look to utilising the resources of the locals when we choose where to travel on the island, what to see and do so that the profits are fed back into the community and not into some big bosses back pocket. This can be done in several ways. Use locally owned tour operators, or better still, those independent drivers who one often sees on the streets offering day-trips around Bali. Another is to stay in the not-so-fancy hotels but instead staying in reasonable accommodation owned by the Balinese themselves.
Date: June 5th, 2008 |
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