How to get there (including how to book airfare to Bali), how to get around, where to find stuff and how to ask for it. These are tips from the local insider to make your stay here a breeze.
I am always on the lookout for crazy signs on my travels, things that put a different perspective on things, and just crazy things in general. Some of these I have found as I travel up-country in the island I am visiting, and others, well they are seen as I walk around the streets of towns or villages. They are the kind of signs that stand out and give you a rye smile. Naturally, we have all seen the mistakes in menus in warungs and restaurants like ‘Black Paper Steak’ instead of Black Pepper Steak. There are a lot of these signs around the place if you care to keep your eyes open. We all know that the watches that are sold on the streets in Kuta tourist strip are copies, but, people still buy them and they are a good deal. Well, sometimes.
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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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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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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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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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With Garuda Indonesia offering three flights a day ex Perth and Indojet offering fares of $195 to the island, it is no wonder that tourism is booming. Already this year the tourist arrivals have exceeded all expectation and looking to increase even more before the end of the year. On top of that, it is expected that tourist record numbers will far outstrip this year’s figures. So, is Bali in need of a new or alternative airport to cope with this massive influx? The airport seems to have expanded as …
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Travelling to Bali and fancy a couple of days shopping in Singapore as an added bonus? Then there is good news with a joint agreement between Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia covering code-sharing, joint marketing and promotion, and network development. So, you can hop over to Singapore, lighten your wallet, and then return to Bali for the duration of your trip. With the agreement it means an extra flight has been added taking the total number to four. The current permit allowing a fourth daily flight by Singapore Airlines is valid until December 31, 2008 and will be …
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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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