Bali travel tour

1. Welcome to Bali Paradise Island

Bali is one of over 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometers from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island, home to approximately 4 million people, is approximately 144 kilometers from east to west and 80 kilometers from north to south. The island's varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides provide a picturesque backdrop to the colorful and deeply spiritual culture of this 'Island of The Gods'. One of the world's most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards, Bali has something to offer for a very broad market of visitors from young back-packers right through to the super-rich.

The History Of Bali , the word paradise

is used a lot in Bali and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unparalleled number one tourist attraction. Eighty percent of international visitors to Indonesia visit Bali and Bali alone. The popularity is not without its flip sides — once paradisaical Kuta has degenerated into a congested warren of concrete, touts and scammers live on overcharging tourists, and the island's visibility has even drawn the unwanted attention of terrorists in 2002 and 2005 — but Bali has managed to retain its magic. Bali is a wonderful destination with something for everyone, and though heavily traveled, it is still easy to find some peace and quiet.

The Island, Where, Width and Population
Bali is one of the 17,000 Islands of Indonesia, located between 8 and 9 degree south of the Equator. It takes 3 hours flight from Singapore or 5 hours from Sydney or 4 hours from Hong Kong and 8 hours from Tokyo, those closest cities in the pacific. There are direct and some connects flights from Europe, North and South America as well as Africa. A very narrow strait, called the strait of Bali, joins the Indian (Indonesia) ocean and the Java sea, separating Bali from Java. Bali’s total area is slightly more than 2000 square miles. According to the latest census Bali’s population is three million five hundred thousand people.

Religion
Most population of Bali (90%) are Hindu and the others are Catholic, Protestant, Moslem and Buddhist. The Hinduism in Bali mixed with local tradition and culture, thus almost everyday you can find ceremony or festival.
The Balinese will be accompanied by rituals from birth to death. The birth is celebrated through the "penyambutan" ceremony, The three Month ceremony when the child is allowed to touch the ground an given the name. Every six month celebrate otonan (birth day), after the adulation they have 'tooth filling' ceremony then wedding ceremony.
As we are Hindu we have also Cremation ceremony, if some one died we will cremate the death body. Common people said that through cremation the soul can go the Heaven.
Temples, houses and other building are celebrated every 210 days (6 month) as the anniversary ceremony. You can easily find ceremony almost everyday. This is one of the main reason why travelers come to bali.

Topography, rice fields, mountains and beaches
The mountain range is from Batukaru in the west and Gunung Agung in the East while in the center there are lakes which divides Bali into two plains, the Northern and the Southern plains. The Northern plain is much narrower, hilly and dry so that there is no much wet rice culture possible and yet the people here like in the rest of Bali live from agriculture. The mountain in some places comes right to the sea, the coast is swampy in the West, alternately sandy and full of pebbles in the center and rocky in the East. There are few beaches here good for swimming as well as snorkeling and diving.
The Gunung Batur is very active volcano. In this century it erupted in 1905, 1926 and 1963 when it kept erupting till 1974. One of its many craters once in a while emits smoke.

The highest Volcano - Mt. Agung was quite for more that 150 years, but it was certainly not dead yet. It erupted suddenly in 18 February 1965 when Bali was about to have a big purification ceremony, called Eka Desa Rudra, which is to be held every 100 years. The previous eruption must be 1811, because this was mentioned in the book, the history of Java, written by Raffles, when he was Governor General of Indonesia.

The center part of Bali are most fertile and in these regions the tourists can see the most beautiful rice field terraces. This part of Bali is, no wonder, called the rice belt of the Island. The South part lies white sandy beaches where mostly hotels are located such as : Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian and Sanur area.
To the South-East of central Bali lies the arid island of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan which used for snorkeling, beaching by most of Cruises company.

Flora and Fauna
Bali is though to be the last island of Wallace line that separates the flora and fauna of Mainland Asia and Australia, but in Bali there are no kakatoe birds, but one finds plenty of them in the islands East of Bali, e.g. in Sumba and Flores. A very few are found in Nusa Penida. There are more snakes and beautiful myna colored birds. The Australian flora and fauna are supposed to begin in Lombok, the island just East of Bali. In Nusa Penida one occasionally sees the white kakatoe and the Horned bill; a bird with very large beak, too big in proportion with the head, and the body.

Let's join us and explore Bali Island !

BALI Art and Culture

A. The DANCES :

The lifestyles of Balinese people is expressed in their dance. Not only do we learn about the Balinese religion from their dance creations but also we can come to understand the flow of cultural events and activities that belong to everyday life. We can discover Balinese attitudes, how they look at nature, and how they regard their fauna and flora.The very essence of the Balinese culture is dance and drama, which is perfo rmed during temple festivals and in ceremonies. The dances performed in hotels is a small fraction of what Balinese dance has to offer.
Balinese dance goes as far back as Balinese written history with much of the heritage originating from Java. Ironically, as a result of the Islamisation of Java, the Javanese culture has disappeared but has still survived in Bali and has become part of classical Balinese culture. Balinese dance cannot be separated from religion. Even the dances for the tourists are preceded by many dancers praying at their family shrine for taksu (inspiration) from the gods. Dance fulfils a number of specific functions: It may be a channel for visiting gods or demons, the dancers acting as a sort of living repository. It may be as a welcome for visiting gods. It may be entertainment for visiting gods. The typical posture of Balinese dance has the legs half-bent, the torso shifted to one side with the elbow raised and lowered in a gesture that displays suppleness of the hands and fingers. The torso is shifted in symmetry with the arms. If the arms are to the right, the shifting is to the left and vice-versa.

v The Ramayana
The story of the Ramayana greatly inspires the Balinese. Many of their dances are based on this great story which is often depicted in a ballet.
The Balinese version differs from the Indian Version. It is told that Rama, as the first son in a family, was the heir to the Ayodya kingdom but the king's second wife, through her treachery forced the king to crown her own son as the King of Ayodya and asked him to send Rama and his wife into exile.

Because he respected his father, Rama went with his wife called Sita and his beloved younger brother, Laksmana into a forest called Dandaka. Usually the first act of the ballet depicts Rama and entourage in the heart of the Dandaka forest.
Rahwana, the evil King of Alengka, enchanted by the beauty of Sita, wanted to have her as his concubine. He sent one of his knights, Marica, to temp Sita by transforming himself into a golden deer. Sita, captivated by her curiosity, asked her husband to catch the golden deer.
The next act explains how Rama succeeds in hunting the golden deer but as his arrow struck the golden deer it transformed back into Marica. Meanwhile Sita heard a distant cry for help. Laksmana, who had been asked by his brother to look after his sister-in-law, tried to explain to her that the cry sounds very suspicious. But nevertheless, Sita was convinced that someone was in need of help. So she sent Laksmana to look for this person and to help whoever it is. In his desperate attempt, Laksmana asked Sita, no matter what would happen, to stay inside the guarding circle that he created.
Rahwana, knowing that Sita was protected by the circle transforms himself into an old priest. He approaches Sita and asks her for a drink. Sita, without hesitation, extends her hands beyond the circle to hand him the water. Rahwana takes the advantage, snatches her hand and takes her to his palace in Alengka.
On the way, Rahwana encounters a mighty eagle Jatayu. By every means possible, Jatayu tries to rescue Sita from the evil king but fails and is killed by Rahwana.
Rama and Laksmana find the dying Jatayu who tells them the whole story of what had happened to Sita.
In his attempt to release his wife, Rama seeks the help from Hanoman and his monkey soldiers. Hanoman finds Sita in the palace's garden. She had been asked by Rahwana to marry him but she would rather die. Hanoman convinces Sita that he is Rama's messenger and talks of a plan.
Rahwana catches Hanoman and burns his tail but in so doing, set fire to the palace's' gardens. The pyrotechnics can be very impressive.
In the last act, Rama and his troops are depicted attacking Rakhwana's palace. Finally Rama manages to kill Rahwana and therefore takes his wife back to his country.
The abridged version ends here but if you see paintings in Kamasan style based on the Ramayana story, you would notice that in the last of serialised paintings, Sita had to prove she was still pure, and had not been tainted by Rahwana, by plunging herself into a fire. Because of her faith in her husband, God saved her from the fire and she lived happily ever after with Rama.
The Indian version reveals a very different ending with Sita saved by Mother Earth, never returning to her husband.

v The Welcome Dance - Tari Panyembrama

The Panyembrama is probably the most popular Balinese social dance. In keeping with its meaning in the Balinese Language, Panymebrama is frequently staged to welcome guests of honour who are making a visit to this islands of the Gods.
Four or eight young girls bearing a bokor, a heavily engraved bowl made from silver or aluminium, laden with flowers, dance expressively to the accompaniment of vibrant gamelan music.

During the dance, the flowers are scattered over the guest or audience as an expression of welcome. The Panymebrama has taken many of its movements from temple dances, such as the Rejang Dance, Pendet and Gabor, which are considered sacred and performed exclusively for God. There is an analogy between the secular Panymebrama and the religious temple dances, as all these dances are welcoming dances, the difference being in the place in which they are stage.
The Tari Panymebrama comes under the Balinese classification of Legong (individual dances), because it has no connection with other dances, has no story and was specifically created for welcoming and entertainment purposes.
The hospitality and friendliness conveyed through the smiles of the Panymebrama girls, charms the audience and so is very fitting as an opening for a show, etc.

v The Yudapati Dance
Yudapati is a dance which depicts a male character but is performed by female dancers. The word Yudapati is derived from Yuda which means war and Pati which means death. The dance represents the kamikaze warrior in defending the truth. The dance was created in 1987. It is based on the Baris dance.
The dancer wears typical male attire, headcloth, shirt, carved leather belt and other jewellery. The reason for a male being performed by a female is that the choreographer wishes to reveal all the subtle gestures and movements in the dance by using the flexibility of a woman's body.
Male dance performed by females is called Bebancihan. A number of other dances have been created in the s style, such as Margapati, Trunajaya, Prawireng Puti, Wiranata and Danur Dara. They require masculine interpretation and expression which is quite hard for female dancers. Yudapati dance was originally performed for religious purposes but nowadays is performed regularly as a tourist attraction in some restaurants.

v The Ghopala Dance
This dance provides the audience with an interesting insight into the lives of people who live in a simple and pure manner in an environment of blissful tranquillity. This dance originated in 1984 and usually performed by five boy dancers. The characters of the Ghopala dance are especially funny and will draw laughter from the audience.
The Ghopala theme depicts the world of children herdsmen who gleefully meet and play along the boundaries of rice fields while tending their cows. Their lives are filled with happiness as they dance and play in a way which highlights their individual characters. They never tire of their duties as herdsmen, faithfully defending the lives of their cattle. Thus the audience are transported to a distant time when people lived in peace and contentment, an age which had not yet become influenced by the bustle of business which now constantly steals our time.

v The Semarayana Dance
As we know, there exists many art forms such as music, painting, poetry, drama, sculpture, etc. and, of course, dancing is yet another and is a popular form of expression. Artists will take a certain aspect of a medium, build on it to form another. This is the case of the Semarayana dance developed in 1994 as a subject for a thesis submitted by Ms Ni Nyoman Sri Armita to the Indonesian Arts Academy of Denpasar for her graduation.
The main character is Dewi Chandra Kirana, a princess from the kingdom of Daha who disguised herself as a male youth so she could venture out and seek her beloved who had disappeared without a trace.
With shoulder length hair, commonly used centuries ago throughout Java and Bali, the princess was unrecognisable as a female. The symbol of manhood which fooled people she met on the road, was the use of the Balinese male headgear called the Destar. It is made from material that wraps around the head and has an artistic formation of bunched material at the front.
Balinese males still use the destar when attending ceremonies. The feature of the destar is the decorative use of gold lines.
Dewi meets her beloved but due to her disguise and the fact that he is partly obscured when they meet, a fight develops. In the ensuing melee, the princess's destar is knocked from her head and her sweetheart, Raden Inu Kertapati, recognises her and rushes to her side to embrace her.
And, of course, they lived happily ever after.

v The Barong Dance
The are several versions of the Barong Dance, as Bali has an abundance of myths and legends. There is Barong Ket, Barong Asu (Dog Barong), Barong Macan (Tiger Barong), Barong Bangkal (Pig Barong), Barong Gajah (Elephant Barong) and others.
One of the well known stories on which the Barong Dance is based, is the Kunti Seraya. The plot is very intriguing, showing the effect of the Gods intervention upon the people through supernatural powers.
It is told that Dewi Kunti, from the royal family of Hastinapura, was very ill. As a devotee of the Goddess Durga, she seeks help, however, the Goddess tells her that the price of health is her own son, Sahadewa. It seems that the Goddess fancied Sahadewa's young and luscious flesh for her dinner.
Dewi Kunta recovers from her illness and it is time to pay the price. She regrets her decision to pay the price but a promise is a promise. One of the Goddess's followers put her into a trance and enters her body. She becomes a terrifying creature and unconsciously beats Sahadewa mercilessly. She then takes him to an unpenetratable jungle and ties him to a tree. Later Sahadewa is given immortality by God and she overcomes the wrath of the Goddess and she is able to release her son.

v The Sanghyang Jaran Dance
The unique feature of the Sanghyang Jaran dance is the courage of the dancers who in a state of Kesurupan or trance, calmly step and trample on red hot coals just as if they were walking in cold water.
This dance is believed to have the power to invite the gods or sacred spirits to enter the body of the dancers and put them in a state of trance. It dates back to the ancient Pre-Hindu culture, a time when the Balinese people strongly believed that a dance could eliminate sickness and disease. The is dance is usually performed in the fifth or sixth month of the Balinese traditional calendar as it is believe that during these particular months, the Balinese are vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses.

v The War Dance - Gebug Ende
The Gebug Ende is a combination of dance and trial of prowess. It is usually performed by two to sixty male dancers who dance and fight on stage in pairs. Each dancer/fighter carries a one and a half metre long rattan stick as as a weapon and a shield called an ende. During the performance the two men try to beat one another with the stick while using the ende to protect themselves. The dance is called Gebug Ende as it literally means beating the ende or shield. One cannot afford to make mistakes in this dance as otherwise injury results.
The Gebug Ende is quite unique as it has certain rules that have to be followed by the participants. Led by a jury, this dance starts with two dancers, while the rest sit in a circle, cracking jokes and singing, while waiting their turn. The jury decide which of the two contestants loses the game and has to leave the stage. Then they will call the next men to the stage. This continues until all have had a turn. Sometimes the fight becomes very fierce and the dancers get thrown of the stage from the blows of the rattan stick. Bruises and wounds are common in this ritual.

v Legong Trunajaya - The dance of love and emotions
The Trunajaya dance describes the emotions of a young man through love and passion. The dance movements reflect the theme of courtship and love.
Truna meaning 'single' and jaya meaning 'to win' immediately gives an understanding of the dance. Ironically, the dancer are young women who take on the role of young men. The women wear a 'destar' normally worn by men and an unusual loin-cloth called a 'kancut'. The Trunajaya is normally danced by a single female but sometimes two, dancing together in synchronous movements and to the mesmorotic sounds of the 'Gong Kebyar', a fast, rhythmic beat which goes in harmony to the dance. The dance was created by Wayan Wandres, from Singaraja, Northern Bali.

v Calonarang - a spectacular dance which is a tale of combating dark magic and exorcising the evil spirits aligned with the witch-queen Rangda. The story has many variations and rarely are two Calonarang plays the same. If you can find an authentic Calonarang perofrmance, then you are in for a truly magical experience.

B. Art of Bali

Paintings of Bali have experienced remarkable evolution. Traditionally another means of expressing religious and mythological ideas, paintings of Bali have been subjected to a number of influences, including deep interaction with Western painters who came and lived in Bali. As with any other artistic expression found in the island, these influences have been uniquely adapted into Bali's personality, creating new nuances and styles of paintings that are distinctly Balinese.

The Batik of Bali provides another venue of showing the artistic excellence of the Balinese people. Their beautiful designs, inspired by religious mythologies to everyday encounters, spread throughout the world. Originally stimulated by Javanese motifs, dominated by wayang and other mythological characters, contemporary batik artists have also experienced artistic development that parallels that of paintings. Modern batik artists express themselves through various subjects, from objects of nature such as birds or fish t o daily activities such as cremation (ngaben) procession or tourist attractions as well as religious and mythological stories, accompanied by modern interpretation.

The Ikat and Double Ikat are two amazing techniques that the Balinese have perfected. A piece of Ikat cloth is woven in such a way that the ink is 'tied' (which is what 'ikat' literally translates to) in one of the two threads. A Double Ikat recursively repeats this technique; both threads contain ink. The ink will bleed to its neihboring area, and the result is a piece of cloth with distinctive, subtle patterns.

The village of Tenganan is well known for its superb double ikat work. A good piece of double ikat may take months to complete, and it usually belongs to the family heirloom. Certain patterns, such as the black and white, checkered, double ikat are considered to have protective powers against the evil spirits. Thus, they are used a lot to cover or to dress statues that guard the entrance to a temple or sacred masks like Barong.

NGABEN Cremation

Ngaben or the Cremation Ceremony is the ritual performed to send the dead through the transition to his next life. The village Kul Kul, hanging in the tower of the village temple, will sound a certain beat to announce the departure of the deceased. The body of the deceased will be placed at Bale Delod, as if he were sleeping, and the family will continue to treat him as if he were still alive yet sleeping. No tears are shed, for he is only gone temporarily and he will reincarnate into the family.

The Priest consults the Dewasa to determine the proper day for the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, the body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin which is then placed inside a sarcophagus in the form of a buffalo (called Lembu) or a temple structure called Wadah made of paper and light wood. The Wadah will be carried to the village cremation site in a procession. The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the Wadah, using fire original.

WEDDING Ceremony
The Balinese marriage, locally is better known as Masakapan, is held on an auspicious day selected by the priest. Invitations are sent out asking guest to bring certain types and amounts of food. The bridge and groom use to have their teeth filed during the ceremony if this had not already been done. While the bridge is being prepared for the marriage rite, men-arranged according to status-sit, eat and chew betel nut while being entertained by professional storyteller. The rite varies from area, but usually the bridge and groom offer food and drink to one another, and then eat together in public, an important symbolic act because in the past only married men and women are allowed to be seen eating food together. In the afternoon the priest performs a ritual purification and blesses the couple.

4. The Balinese special day

Every religion or culture all over the world has their own way to define and celebrate their new year. For example, the Chinese have the Imlek year and to celebrate it, have, as they called it in their own language, "Gong Xi Fat Choy". The Moslem societies have their Muharam year, and any of the people over the world using the Gregorian calendar, celebrate the New Year on January 1st.

The same thing also occurs in Bali, however the Balinese use many different calendar systems. They have adopted the Gregorian calendar for business and government purposes. But for the endless procession of holy days, temple anniversaries, celebrations, sacred dances, building houses, wedding ceremonies, death and cremation processes and other activities that define Balinese life, they have two calendar systems. The first is the Pawukon (from the word Wuku which means week) and Sasih (which is means month). Wuku consists of 30 items starting from Sinta, the first Wuku and end up with the Watugunung the last one. The Pawukon, a 210-day ritual calendar brought over from Java in the 14th century, is a complex cycle of numerological conjunctions that provides the basic schedule for ritual activities on Bali. Sasih, a parallel system of Indian origin, is a twelve month lunar calendar that starts with the vernal equinox and is equally important in determining when to pay respect to the Gods.

Westerners open the New Year in revelry, however, in contrast, the Balinese open their New Year in silence. This is called Nyepi Day, the Balinese day of Silence, which falls on the day following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens a new year of the Saka Hindu era which began in 78 A.D.

1. Nyepi

is a day to make and keep the balance of nature. It is based on the story of when King Kaniska I of India was chosen in 78 A.D. The King was famous for his wisdom and tolerance for the Hinduism and Buddhism societies. In that age, Aji Saka did Dharma Yatra (the missionary tour to promote and spread Hinduism) to Indonesia and introduce the Saka year.

The lead upto Nyepi day is as follows:

Ø Melasti or Mekiyis or Melis (three days before Nyepi)
Melasti is meant to clean the pratima or arca or pralingga (statue), with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to God. The ceremony is aimed to clean all nature and its content, and also to take the Amerta (the source for eternal life) from the ocean or other water resources (ie lake, river, etc). Three days before Nyepi, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines.

Ø Tawur Kesanga (the day before Nyepi)
Exactly one day before Nyepi, all villages in Bali hold a large exorcism ceremony at the main village cross road, the meeting place of demons. They usually make Ogoh-ogoh (the fantastic monsters or evil spirits or the Butha Kala made of bamboo) for carnival purposes. The Ogoh-ogoh monsters symbolize the evil spirits surrounding our environment which have to be got rid of from our lives . The carnivals themselves are held all over Bali following sunset. Bleganjur, a Balinese gamelan music accompanies the procession. Some are giants taken from classical Balinese lore. All have fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair and are illuminated by torches.The procession is usually organised by the Seka Teruna, the youth organisation of Banjar. When Ogoh-ogoh is being played by the Seka Teruna, everyone enjoys the carnival. In order to make a harmonic relation between human being and God, human and human, and human and their environments, Tawur Kesanga is performed in every level of society, from the people's house. In the evening, the Hindus celebrating Ngerupuk, start making noises and light burning torches and set fire to the Ogoh-ogoh in order to get the Bhuta Kala, evil spirits, out of our lives.

Ø Nyepi
On Nyepi day itself, every street is quiet - there are nobody doing their normal daily activities. There is usually Pecalangs (traditional Balinese security man) who controls and checks for street security. Pecalang wear a black uniform and a Udeng or Destar (a Balinese traditional "hat" that is usually used in ceremony). The Pecalangs main task is not only to control the security of the street but also to stop any activities that disturb Nyepi. No traffic is allowed, not only cars but also people, who have to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or not at all, the radio or TV is turned down and, of course, no one works. Even love making, this ultimate activity of all leisure times, is not supposed to take place, nor even attempted. The whole day is simply filled with the barking of a few dogs, the shrill of insect and is a simple long quiet day in the calendar of this otherwise hectic island. On Nyepi the world expected to be clean and everything starts anew, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the "force" of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.

Ø Ngembak Geni (the day after Nyepi)
Ngembak is the day when Catur Berata Penyepian is over and Hindus societies usually visit to forgive each other and doing the Dharma Canthi. Dharma Canthi are activities of reading Sloka, Kekidung, Kekawin, etc.(ancient scripts containing songs and lyrics).

From the religious and philosophy point of view, Nyepi is meant to be a day of self introspection to decide on values, eg humanity, love, patience, kindness, etc., that should kept forever. Balinese Hindus have many kind of celebrations (some sacred days) but Nyepi is, perhaps the most important of the island's religious days and the prohibitions are taken seriously, particularly in villages outside of Bali's southern tourist belt. Hotels are exempt from Nyepi's rigorous practices but streets outside will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles (except for airport shuttles or emergency vehicles) and village wardens (Pecalang) will be posted to keep people off the beach. So wherever you happen to be staying on Nyepi Day in Bali, this will be a good day to spend indoors. Indeed Nyepi day has made Bali a unique island.

2. Saraswati Day

Knowledge is very important for Balinese. Every Saniscara, Umanis, Wuku Watugunung, they celebrate Saraswati Day, the knowledge day. It is based on the Pawukon (Balinese calendar) system and the Saniscara (seven day cycle).

The name Saraswati came from "Saras" meaning flow and "wati" meaning a women. So, Saraswati is symbol of knowledge, its flow (or growth) is like a river and knowledge is very interesting, like a beautiful women.

Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge, symbolized by a beautiful woman with four hands, riding on a white swan among water lilies to tell humanity that science is like a beautiful woman. Her hands hold a palm leaf; a lontar, (a Balinese traditional book which is the source of science or knowledge); a chain (genitri with 108 pieces) symbolising that knowledge is never ending and has an everlasting life cycle; and a musical instrument (guitar or wina) symbolising that science develops through the growth of culture. The swans symbolise prudence, so that one's knowledge may distinguish between good and evil and the water lilies (Lotus) are symbols of holiness. The Lotus flower is the holiest for Balinese.

In the afternoon of Saraswati day we are not permitted to read or write the book because all the books are offered. In the evening, called Malam Sastra, people read books (especially religious books) in their houses or in the temple.
Saraswati day itself is celebrated by the Balinese people bringing offerings to their holy books and scrolls in their houses, while students celebrate it at school, usually in the morning, and the office-workers in their office. The philosophy of Saraswati day is that the most important thing for human life is knowledge.

3. Banyu Pinaruh

The day after Saraswati Day is Banyu Pinaruh day. "Banyu" means water and "Pinaruh" mean wisdom. In other words, we must have wisdom which always flows like water and which is useful for human kind. We pray for Dewi Saraswati (manifestation of God) to give us cleverness and wisdom. The people usually take a bath in the sea or a lake or river and drink traditional medicine which is made from many various leaves which is very good for our health. The philosophy of Banyu Pinaruh day is the second most important thing for human life is good health.

4. Soma Ribek
Two days after Saraswati Day, on Soma (or Monday), Pon, Wuku Sinta, is Soma Ribek day. "Soma" meaning Monday, and "Ribek" meaning full. On this day, Balinese bring offerings to the rice box. They thank God for food and beverage in their lives and pray to Dewi Sri (Goddess of prosperity, manifestation of God) to give prosperity. This celebration remind them to be selective when choosing food and not to over eat to improve their health. The philosophy of Soma Ribek day is the third most important thing for human life is food and drink.

5. Sabuh Mas
Three days after Saraswati Day, on Anggara (or Tuesday), Wage, Wuku Sinta, is Sabuh Mas day. "Sabuh" means belt, and "Mas" mean gold. On this day, Balinese bring offerings to the deposit box or the place where they keep their jewelry. They thank Mahadewa (manifestation of God) for cloth, money, gold, etc in our lives.

6. Pagerwesi
Four days after Saraswati Day, on Buda (or Wednesday), Kliwon, Wuku Sinta, is Pagerwesi day. "Pager" meaning fence and "Wesi" meaning iron. On this day, Balinese pray to Sang Hyang Pramesti Guru (manifestation of God). All Balinese have offerings to their Sanggah (temple in their home) and at all of their temples. This is the second biggest holiday after Galungan day for the Balinese. The philosophy of this celebration is that they must keep knowledge, health, food, cloth and gold high in their lives to keep the universe in balance.

7. Galungan is a ten day festival which comes around every 210 days and celebrates the death of the tyrant Mayadenawa. Gods and ancestors visit earth and are greeted with gift-laden bamboo poles called penjor lining the streets. The last day of the festival is known as Kuningan.

TOUR PRODUCT

Bali travel tour have many kinds of tour likes Fantastic, Unique and Cultural tour.

All of them are very intresting and specially.

I. FANTASTIC Tour :

1. KINTAMANI LAKE VIEW

A full day tour featuring visits to : BATUBULAN, to see the famous traditional performance BARONG & KERIS DANCE. Then proceed to MAS, the silver & gold handicrafts centre. UBUD, the Home of Top Painters. TAMPAKSIRING, the temple of TIRTA EMPUL which was built over than 1000 years ago. Holy hot spring can be seen around the temple. KINTAMANI, featuring Mt. Batur (an active volcano, and lake Batur). The spectacular View & fresh atmosphere dominate it`s beauty. Lunch will be served at the local fine Restaurant. Set in the top Hill viewing the marvellous scenery of the ELEPHANT CAVE an 11th century holy shrine.On the way back , you may encounter many Stops Over. Late afternoon back to the hotel.

2. BESAKIH MOTHER TEMPLE

full day tour featuring: KERTAGOSA, an ancient court hall at Klungkung which is surrounded by the lotus pool. Drive up to the hill, Bukit Jambul, passing the marvelous scenery of clove and rice fields. Lunch will be enroute. BESAKIH TEMPLE , mother temple in Bali, revered by all Balinese as the biggest and sacred temple. Located right on the slope of mount Agung, the highest mountain in Bali. On the way back, you will pass many places of interests. Late afternoon back to hotel, overnight.

3. BEDUGUL

A Full day tour visiting : ALAS KEDATON, monkey forest inhabitted by hundreds of protected monkey tribe. MENGWI, featuring Taman Ayun Temple, the royal Mengwi Dynasty temple. The next visit is BEDUGUL, a cool mountain Resort area. You may encounter the beautiful lake Beratan with ULUN DANU TEMPLE, a lovely Hindu-Buddhist water shrine. The gorgeous panorama and fresh atmosphere will refresh your sight. Lunch will be served at the local fine restaurant overlooking the lake. The last Stop is TANAH LOT, an off sea shore temple built in the small promontory. The wave Crash sound is believed could bring us a certain inspiration . you may take a picture of the beautifull sun set when the weather is clear. sunset. Late afternoon back to the hotel for a rest.

4. SINGARAJA

Full day tour, visiting: BEDUGUL (as described above) Continue on to visit Gitgit Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Bali. Then drive down to Singaraja city (former capital city of Bali), and Lovina, white sandy beach for the beautiful beach, famous for it`s Dolphins and sunset. Afterwards, proceed to visit Banjar, a District of Hot Spring and Buddhist monastery. On the way back, passing Pupuan to see the coffee, cocoa, avocado, clove plantation and the rice terrace. Overnight at Hotel.

5. EAST BALI

A Full day tour featuring: KERTA GOSA, an ancient court hall of 17th century. The Court set beautifully, surrounded by lotus pond. Then visit the Bat Cave Temple, where hundreds of Bats can be found hanging on the cave wall. Then proceed to Kusamba village, the traditional salt maker and the fisherman village. Then drive to Tenganan Village, the old village of Hinduism, bath pool of Karangasem city where the Royal Palace is located. Back to hotel, overnight.

6. MENGWI

An afternoon half day tour, by travelling north west via countryside journey takes us through Kapal Village, where temple elements are made here. Then step our pace to Mengwi, featuring Taman Ayun temple, The Mengwi Dynasty Royal temple. It is surrounded by lovely lotus pond. Then proceed to Alas Kedaton, the monkey forest with bats hanging on the trees, and an old temple in the middle of the forest. The final visit of the tour is Tanah Lot Temple, perhaps the most well known sacred temple in Bali, built in the small promontory of the sea shore. The wave crashing on the rock and beautiful sunset is worth full to be memorized in a picture.

7. ULUWATU TEMPLE

An afternoon half day tours. Starting the tour, pay a visit to the Nusa Dua area for the water sport activities, like the breathtaking parasailing, jet ski etc. Then continue to Kuta, Bali main tourist center. Many Tourism assets spread along the main road. Then direct to Uluwatu Temple, located on the southern tip of the peninsula, the ancient temple of Pura Luhur Uluwatu, perched precariously by the sea, is populated by a friendly tribe of protected monkeys Tribe. This temple stands on a hundreds meters of high cliff by overlooking the Indian Ocean and the beautiful sunset also can be seen there.

8. UBUD ARTISTIC AREA

Ubud is known as the home of artists, since many top painters live here. The fresh atmosphere, beautiful panorama, rice terrace setting, monkey forest, range of art shops along the Ubud center are available. Drop in some places of interest, those are: MAS, wood Carver village, CELUK, Gold and silver smith, BATUAN, Stone carver village. Lunch enroute.

9. DENPASAR CITY

Discover the capital city of Bali Visit the Bali Museum, where you can find the rich collection of historical goods. Then continue on to visit Art center, Bali main stage where many dance /arts performances are displayed. For those who like shopping, Matahari Department Store, Traditional Badung market is the right destination for you to collect Bali souvenirs.

10. Kuta area
As an international village almost all of the shops and restaurants here are for tourist market. You can find handicrafts, clothing, jewelry, CDs, furniture and leather crafts on each side of the road. But you can also see many street hawkers with their various offerings along the road. If you do not want to buy anything from them, do not make eye contact and do not ever look at their products, for if you do, they will follow you along the street and pester you to buy something.

11. Batubulan area
Batubulan, on the border of Denpasar and Gianyar, is the home of stone sculptures. You can find various kinds of style here, from traditional to modern, small to large. The craftsmen can make up your order and even arrange to ship it to your address back home.

12. Celuk area
On the way to Ubud you'll pass Celuk, the place for gold and silver jewelry. The artisans in this area are well known for their quality and various designs. Huge art shops along the main road give you a chance to compare prices.

13. Sukawati
This area is popular because for its Art Market. If you ask Balinese where to find art and craft with the cheapest price, they will recommend Sukawati. Here you can find cloth, paintings and statue, jewelry and also Balinese ceremonial items.

14. Some Beaches

The special Beaches of Bali island :

ü Sanur.

On the southeastern side of Bali, Sanur beach is easily reachable from Denpasar, about a 5 to 10 minute drive. Sanur is an excellent site to watch the sun rises, as you jog along the white sandy beach. Being one of the first resort developed in Bali, Sanur maintains

its traditions. Only a stone thrown away from the beach, ancient temples stand as solemn as they have been in centuries past.

ü Kuta and Legian

Practically on the opposite side of Sanur, the beaches of Kuta and Legian stretch on the southwestern side of Bali, again only about 5 to 10 minute drive from Denpasar or the airport. Surfing is a major activity in these beaches. Shops, Kecak dance performances, pubs, and other facilities make Kuta a tourist mecca.

ü Jimbaran

Jimbaran is directly south of the airport, on the way from Denpasar towards Nusa Dua. The village of Jimbaran is the narrow neck of the island of Bali, and thus it has two remarkably different beaches. On the west, Jimbaran Beach faces the Jimbaran Bay, recently lined by new luxurious resorts. On the east, the beach faces the body of water sheltered by Benoa Harbor.

ü Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua is a new luxurious resort area where the world's most sumptuous hotels gracefully integrate into the beautiful white beaches. Crystal clear water provides excellent snorkeling and diving site, and the waves on the northern and the southern part of Nusa Dua allow for great surfing opportunity.

ü Soka Beach

Further northwest from Denpasar, on the way to Gilimanuk, the ferry port town that connects Bali and Java, there is a small quiet beach called Soka Beach.

ü Medewi Beach

Continuing along the path towards Gilimanuk, near the village of Pulukan, the beach of Medewi is another beautiful beach.

ü Lovina Beach

Near the northern tip of the island of Bali lies a stretch of villages by the Bali Sea. Lovina Beach is the name. It is well known as an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling, and diving. Night life activities are also abound, as well as chartered boats to go out into the sea.

15. The Special shopping centre

· Shopping in Bali is not simply walking into a shop, picking something from a shelf and paying for it. Shopping is an art. In every traditional market and art shop around Bali bargaining is a must.

This traditional way makes shopping in Bali a fun time, where you can feel the warmth of human value in every transaction. Before you begin your shopping tour on this island, please obtain cash because most places do not accept credit cards.

Even if you are not a seasoned negotiator be prepared to enjoy the bargaining process. It is a fun activity and be patient and you will get the 'best (and maybe even local) price'. In some places you can bargain until you get 50% off. Always go in at less than a third of the price (maybe even a quarter) and bargaining and even walk away, until get the price you want. Then make sure you pay the right money.

I remember seeing a man negotiating for an umbrella on Kuta beach. He did well in the bargaining process and got the price to Rp5,000 and paid up with a Rp50,000 note. But he went away happy believing he had a bargain. Isn't that the most important part of bargaining - to be happy with your purchase. So where can you go to spend your Rupiah?

· Denpasar
As the capital of Bali, Denpasar is the center of "market" activity for local people. The biggest traditional market stands near Badung's river, Kumbasari market. It can give you an insight into the traditional Indonesia market where local people do their daily shopping. Fruit, vegetables and meat can be found in the basement; on the second level is the place for spices and dried goods; while household wares, clothing, art and craft is on the third level. Here you can get a very good price if you're smart in bargaining. In the northern part is Gajahmada Street, where you can find handicrafts and some shoe shops and restaurants. In the eastern part is Sulawesi Street, the place for all kind of fabrics on its both sides with some shops providing household ware in between. The area here is very colorful with all types of material from the traditional 'songket' (cloth woven with strands of gold or silver) to modern day stretchy and shiny material. Why not buy your cloth by the meter and have a suit or dress made up by a local tailor. In the southern part is Hasanudin Street where you can see gold shops, selling jewelry to local people but, of course, the visitor is welcome to buy but please bargain. On the west Side of the market is the place for people to buy coconut leaf and ceremony supplies.

· Kuta area
As an international village almost all of the shops and restaurants here are for tourist market. You can find handicrafts, clothing, jewelry, CDs, furniture and leather crafts on each side of the road. But you can also see many street hawkers with their various offerings along the road. If you do not want to buy anything from them, do not make eye contact and do not ever look at their products, for if you do, they will follow you along the street and pester you to buy something.

· Sanur area
The shopping center in Sanur is on Jalan Danau Tamblingan where the situation is almost the same as Kuta but with very few hawkers. Many products are on offer in the shops and nice restaurants.

· The Bypass
The Bypass is the term for Ngurah Rai Street, perhaps the widest road in Bali. If you travel from Nusa Dua to Sanur you will see on the road has many antique, pottery, natural stone and furniture stores. You can get excellent pieces and prices if you look carefully and remember to bargain.

· Batubulan area
Batubulan, on the border of Denpasar and Gianyar, is the home of stone sculptures. You can find various kinds of style here, from traditional to modern, small to large. The craftsmen can make up your order and even arrange to ship it to your address back home.

· Celuk area
On the way to Ubud you'll pass Celuk, the place for gold and silver jewelry. The artisans in this area are well known for their quality and various designs. Huge art shops along the main road give you a chance to compare prices.

· Sukawati
This area is popular because for its Art Market. If you ask Balinese where to find art and craft with the cheapest price, they will recommend Sukawati. Here you can find cloth, paintings and statue, jewelry and also Balinese ceremonial items.

· Ubud
This well-known village offers you fine arts with an international standard. Respected galleries such as Agung Rai, Sumertha, Rudana, Sika and Neka are recommended visiting as well as the big names of Hans Snel and Antonio Blanco.

· Tegalalang
Various woodcarvings can be found in this village and its neighbors. Very colorful carvings of flowers, animals and other designs are displayed along the road.

· Bono
This village is the home of bamboo. The villagers create furniture and mats from bamboo; they also make some articles from lontar leaf.

· Kamasan
This village in Klungkung is popular with its own style of painting called Kamasan where a drawing is made in black ink then colored by natural pigments.

· Tenganan
Tenganan, the Bali Aga (the original Balinese people) village in Karangasem, is the only place in Bali that produces Geringsing fabric. All the material for Geringsing is taken from nature and its process is very traditional. No chemicals are used in the process. There is a legend that when dying the cloth red, human blood was used. Nowadays a vegetable dye is used. But the price of this fabric is expensive.

II. THE UNIQUE TOURS

The tour is uniquely designed to take a closer look at Balinese people’s way of living, starting from how the villagers make a living through cultivating paddy, playing music using bamboo musical instruments, learning to dance the Balinese traditional dance, learning to make an offerings made from young coconut leaves, flowers, fruits (sliced or wholesome) and even sweets all for the deities as grateful gestures of the Balinese people. As a whole, Bali has amazing culture with its unique architectures, richly hued costumes and hand woven cloth, rice terraces and traditional irrigation system and cooking class. All will take you upon a new discovery and meaning of Bali.

1.Village Activity Tour

this is a good alternative to explore more about Bali. First we visit a village Elementary school, to see teaching and learning activities. Proceed with a visit to Bali's village family with it daily activities. A stop by at our home base for preparing self, prior to farming activities. Farming equipment such as farmer's hat, pickaxe, also mosquito repellent lotion will be provided. Farming activities in Sawah about 10minutes walk from our home base. Guests may participate in paddy rice cultivating up to planting paddy rice. Guests are highly recommended to bring sunscreen and a pair of rubber sandals. After farming, proceed to trek Sawah to the area of tropical plantations. A climbing coconut tree attraction is shown by a local here, then young coconut is served as refreshment. By walking back to our home base for boiling cassava demonstration on traditional kitchen. At the end a traditional lunch is served. Then back to hotel.

2. Bali Coffee & Rice Tour

Coffee and rice are two of important commodity in Bali. If you are a coffee addict, you will taste the difference. Historically, Bali coffee is the combination of Arabica and Robusta which is brought Dutch in colonials era. From Denpasar, we are going to north visit the coffee plantation with around beautiful view in Munduk. You will see the villagers’ activity in processing the coffee and taste a cup of Bali Coffee. Then we continue to visit waterfall and see the Batur lake. Lunch will be served nearby

3. Village Trekking

This tour drives you to north Tabanan regency which is famous with its rice field and is the biggest producer of rice in Bali. Here we will have trekking explore the natural beauty of village in Tabanan such as forest, hill, rice terrace, as well as the people. here, after 2hours trekking, we will have taking a bath at natural hot spring water. At the end of the tour you will get pain released with Balinese massage for one hour (own expenses). Lunch at local restaurant.

4. Balinese Recipe and Cooking

Balinese recipe is very rich of colorful spicy and the taste must be different from West. For ladies, if you like to discover the flavors, and would like to serve something difference for your dinner party, don't miss this tour. The tour starts with visiting the traditional market selecting the ingredient. The lesson will be held at our workshop hosted by our chef. The chef will give some recipes and the lesson preparing the Balinese cuisine. After finish you will taste your own cooking. The lesson will be arranged in two shifts.

5. Beach Horse Riding & Jimbaran Beach Dinner

An afternoon half day trip in the beach. First you will have 2 hour trip along the Saba beach by horse escorted by a groom. On the way to the beach you will also be able to enjoy the nature of village, river and rice field. The horse riding will end at sunset. After horse riding we will drive you to another beach to have dinner. Enjoy the seafood dinner overlooking the sparkling Jimbaran beach.

6. Experience "Kokokan & Elephant Tour

If you are an animal lover and something naturalist, this is an alternative for you. We drive you to Petulu village watching the phenomenon of “Kokokan” white heron birds that use the village as their home that they can live harmoniously with the villagers. White dropping from the birds cover most building and the road. The villager considers them to be sacred that they build shrine to house the spirit of the bird and there is ritual in every six month. Next we will experience Elephant Park which is set in exotic tropical garden in Taro. Don't miss their action of feeding and painting. The trip continues to Ubud with traditional house and its magnificent rice terraces.

7. Night Life Tour and Shopping

Passing by a place where all the night activity began. On this tour you will be escorted hanging around at night to hustle and bustle of Kuta area. We start the trip by accompanying you to do shopping where shops and stores .are sparkling at night. After shopping we will show you some favorite places for hang out at and then chose your place at your own expenses. We also show you some fine restaurant for dinner. In this tour you will also be free to select your own pleasure at your personal account.

8. Mt. Batur Sun Rise Trekking

Tracking to Mount Batur is one of the best moments to welcome the sunrise. Mount Batur is still live volcano, which is a must-do for the adventurous traveler. Have your best time at 5:30 AM start climbing and arrive at the top as the sun crests over the mountain. Enjoy the beauty of Bali from the peak and get the real fresh air come up from the forest. Your pick up time will be informed after making reservation depend on your location. This trip includes continental breakfast with special volcanic steamed egg, torch, drinking water, coffee break on top of Mt. Batur, Safety equipment and entrance ticket to hot spring.Suggested cloth : long pants, coats and sport (walking) shoes.

9. Camel Safari Riding, Uluwatu and Jimbaran Beach

This tour will start by experiencing the Camel Safari riding along the beach for 1 hour. Continue to visit Uluwatu Temple more than 80m sea level overlooking the Indian Ocean, inhabited by Monkeys. Then continue to GWK cultural park is Designed to Achieve the cultural integrity of Balinese Tradition through the visual and performing art. The Central of Giant Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue 146m. Above the Peninsula and 283m above the Indian Ocean. On the way back stop at Jimbaran to have sea food dinner.

10. Bali Zoo Park and Uluwatu Nusa Dua Tour

You will visit Bird Park at Singapadu village where you can find many kinds of birds and reptiles habitat. Then going to Ubud vilage to see the Balinese painting and experience the various style of Balinese arts. Also visit Goa Gajah temple at Bedulu village. Lunch at Sanur area. The trip continue to Nusa Dua white sandy beach and the water sport activities ( own expenses ) then to Uluwatu Temple with its beautiful panorama of Hindia ocean while enjoy the beautiful sunset. On the way back to hotel stop at Jimbaran area for sea food dinner (own expenses)..