There is nothing more relaxing, not only for the body, but also the mind. Those words my wife told me not long after we met years ago, and, being a Bhuddist she practices her principles taught to her by a Yogi teacher she studied under for well over a decade. Every morning she will go through a series of stretches and movements, breathing exercises and meditation. As a Bhuddist myself I do not carry out what my wife does with the exception of meditating. That, I enjoy and especially on a solitary stretch of beach or in the midst of a jungle. Recently on the Baliblog Forum somebody asked about Yoga teachers, courses and retreats in Bali. I could think of only one superb place on the island that offers everything – Balian Yoga Centre.
The creator of this magnificent place, Nirmala Mayi, was involved in a large clothing production business for eight years in Bali with her partner, and, she also started a restaurant in Bali, ‘The Golden Angel Cafe’ which is still successful to this day. But it is the Yogya Center that is her life. Yoga lovers and those who don’t know much about Yoga but want to be guided in the right direction, then I strongly urge you to get in contact with the Balian Yoga Centre. They will help you to discover you, offering an opportunity to explore Yoga.
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Although the predominant religion in Bali is Hindu-Dharma, Christianity has a presence on the island. There are many villages that are Christian enclaves and around the island you will find quite a few churches. Not so long ago I read about a quaint little church that is seldom visited except of course by its parishioners. In fact, you have probably driven right past it on your way to Pura Luhur Batakaru when you visited there. The main road north of Tabanan to Gunung Batakau is a scenic route passing through shrub-lined villages and rice terraces and lined with a mixture of tall trees and coconut palms. Along this stretch of road you will come to the village of Buruan where the road forks to the left leading up to Gunung Batukau. A few kilometres to the north I entered the village of Tengudak and on the right-hand side of the road is located the Catholic church of St Martins de Pons.
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Indonesians are great people for putting on spectacular festivals and I have seen a fair share on my travels around the archipelago. Bali is no different to any of the other islands and they enjoy a good festival or two…or three or four! Coming up this month on the 17th August is Indonesia’s Independence Day and the Balinese intend to celebrate this important date by putting on a 3-day sidewalk festival in Kuta. So, if you are travelling to Bali around this time then don’t miss this great festival. It proves to be an excellent day. Here’s more from the Bali Discovery:
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Responsible ecotourism includes those places or organisations that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people as well as evaluating environmental and cultural factors. These are integral parts of ecotourism and include the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities. Novotel Benoa Bali is the first Accor hotel in Asia to achieve Green Globe Certified, a Green Globe qualification which recognises the hotel’s commitment to successfully implement an integrated Environmental Management …
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Across Bali today it is Tumpek Uduh. This is a day to offer respect to trees, particularly the coconut palm that are important to the livelihood of the Balinese. In South Bali the trees are dressed in traditional Balinese clothes, complete with a headband, tlie udeng, a kilt-like kamben, and a special scarf, saput, as a belt. Then the tree is hit ceremonially with a hammer to notify it that offerings are nearby and to ask it to produce abundant fruit. Tumpek Uduh falls five weeks later on Saturday of Wariga, the seventh week This day has many alternate names, …
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Most tourists that come to Bali, more often than not, have a temple or two on their itinerary. There are the regular heavily-visited temples such as Pura Besakih, Pura Luhur Ulu Watu and the garden temple of Pura Taman Ayun. There are also several other beautiful and less visited temples on the island that are just as fascinating. The garden temples, in my opinion, are by far the greatest of all to visit. One such garden temple on the outskirts north of the town of Bangli in East Bali is Pura Kehen. When you first visit this grandeur structure it is almost mind-boggling because the temple rises steeply from the edge of the road at the foot of a hill and quite imposing with the multitude of steps leading up to the candi bentar or split gateway that is the entrance. Actually there are two entrances but visitors can only use one of them. Founded in the 11th Century by Sri Brahma Kemuti Ketu, Pura Kehen is the second largest temple on Bali and the most sacred in the region.
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I have often mentioned some of my favourite views in the countryside of Bali and everybody has their greatest discoveries. A while back I came across a ripper of a place with not only a great view of terraced ricefields, but also some of nature’s radar-users just hanging around. We were driving along the north-west road up to Pupuan from the main south coastal road and it was a hot day subsequently needing to satiate our thirst. Roughly about half-way up this stretch of road from Antosari to Pupuan heading north you will notice a small warung neatly tucked away on the right-hand side of the road just outside of Belimbing. The place looked just like the many others you see on these long stretches of roads in Bali that I almost drove by, but, Candika my wife nudged me to stop. I went in to buy a couple of bottles of water only to discover that at the rear of the building was a small, quaint café. My need for caffeine was greater than water!
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If you have been a regular on the Baliblog forum then you will have noticed of late there have been some inquiries and great answers regarding the best beaches on the island. The general consensus is that pasir putih, or secret beach, near to Candi Dasa is the favourite amongst readers. The pristine beach at Pasir Putih is an idyllic place to relax, soak up a bit of sun and swim in the clean and clear waters. I went to this ‘secret spot’ the same year Lonely Planet listed it in their Bali guidebook as the best beach in Bali. That was in 2004 and, although I haven’t returned there since, I can imagine it is now looking more like Kuta Beach on a bad day. Back in 2004 there was only a ramshackle warung and a couple of Javanese tourists from a nearby hotel. Like most beautiful stretches of yet-to-be-discovered beaches, once the word gets out, then it is a fee-for-all as far as the locals marking out their territory to build a warung and not long after that, no doubt, you would find a Mcdonalds or some other foreign enterprise despoiling the beauty of the area.
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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.
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Bali’s major arts and culture centre, Ubud has developed a large tourism industry and is located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the island’s central foothills. The town sits centrally among a group of villages - Padang Tegal and Nyuhkuning are to the south, Peliatan and Kutuh are to the east, Campuhan, Penestenan and Sayan are to the west and Sanggingan and Kedewatan are to the north-west. There is an abundance of accommodation to suit any budget, but if you can afford to lash out a few extra bucks then there are some great value-for-money resort villas in the area. Slightly out of town is Penestenan, you will find the Waka Namya Resort and Spa - a luxury Balinese architecture with a beautiful spa treatment available for every guest staying there.
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