Gajah Cave

Goa Gajah, literally means 'Elephant Cave”. Although named by 'elephant' it doesn't mean there is any real elephant live or ever live here. The name Goa Gajah derived from 'Lawa Gajah', which is mentioned in the manuscripts that found in this site. This temple complex was built for the first time around 11 century based on epigraph found in this site.

A seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village's local temple.

The cave it self is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is 'boma', a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Nowadays, those holes are used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as 'the God of knowledge'. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three 'linggas', that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India. On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

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Bedugul

Bedugul is the name of both a small city and a mountain-lake resort area, which Balinese have long used for weekend retreats. Bedugul is located on the main north-south road between Denpasar and Singaraja in cool damp mountain country, an excellent base for walking trips around the lakes and surrounding hills. Bedugul is located in a high plateau at the center of the Island.

Cool air and mists are natural for the place. Bedugul is a resort in Bratan Mountains, famous for its golf course; and also the Ulun Danu. Ulu Danu is an amazing temple, which seems to have risen out of Bratan Lake 1,200metres above sea level. There are many water sports available here are boating, water skiing, and parasailing. When the heat and humidity are get, why not escape to Bedugul. Bali's highland retreat has tucked into the crater of an extinct volcano 1400 meters above sea level. Bedugul is known for the quality of its fruit, vegetables and flowers. There are several places to stay near the lake and there is also an interesting temple, botanical gardens, an excellent golf course and a variety of activities on Lake Bratan itself.

Bedugul is a favorite place for Balinese family for weekend picnic. Bedugul is also a center of horticulture. We'll find plenty of fruits and vegetables here. Here we find 3 of Bali 4 lakes, Bratan, Buyan, and Tamblingan. Bratan, the largest of the three is perfect place for water sports such as para sailing, motor boating, jet skiing, water skiing, canoeing, etc. Bedugul fertile soil also produced abundance of plants and trees, some of them formed rain forests with their exotic birds, monkeys, and other creatures.

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Bali location Surfing

The main areas where surfers and tourists stay in order of distance from the airport are Kuta (busy, noisy and central), Legian (popular, some say better nightlife), Seminyak (more upmarket and less hectic). The three areas are merged in to one town. o Indonesian Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Air. Bali International Airport is inWalking from Seminyak to Kuta takes about an hour depending on start and finish points. Legian is halfway between.

* Flights from Dubai to Bali involve a stop in Singapore or somewhere else in Asia. Singapore Airlines are worth checking, als the town of Denpasar but is only 15-20 mins by taxi from Kuta. Don't bother staying in Denpasar.

Traveller's checks are fine but the exchange rate is lower.

Accommodation
* Most, if not all, hotels have lush gardens and swimming pools. * Seminyak a bit more pricey (or there's just fewer cheap hotels in Seminyak) with some very luxurious hotels directly on the beach.
* Sari Beach Inn a good choice in Legian. On the beach.
* Jayakarta Hotel also worth considering.
* The Bounty hotel on Poppies I in Kuta - well-known party central in good location if you want to be in the middle of it all, good buffet breakfast included, ok rooms, swimming pool, 5 min walk to Kuta Beach.

Books and Guides
* "Indo Surf and Lingo" - available in Bali surfshops - good guide to where to surf.
* "Bagus" - introduction to language (Bahasa Indonesia). * Captain Cooks bar
* Macaroni's - on Jl Legian near Poppies II.
* Sea Side
* Tubes, Poppies I - the surfiest surf bar in Kuta. Surf movies on big screen, important sports matches, or latest Hollywood movies. Food reasonable, beer cold. Food &

Drink
* Don't drink the tap water. * Street food is cheap eg 6000 Rp for satay and rice (less than $1).

Sightseeing for surfers and tourists
* "Jalan" means "road" or "street". Jalan Legian is the main road through Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. You'll find shops including many surf shops, cheap bars and retaurants, and a couple of hotels.

Waves
* Balian - 2-3 hours from Kuta/Legian, rights and lefts (long), bigger than Kuta/Legian.
* Bingin - fast barreling wave.
* Changgu - 30 min drive from Legian.
* Kuta - fast beach breaks, beginners will be fine in the soup.
* Legian - not quite as fast or heavy as Kuta, but almost.
* Medewi - less challenging LH wave breaking over rocks but a 3 hour drive from Kuta/Legian/Seminyak.
* Oberoi - (seminyak) bigger than Kuta/Legian but easier to catch and ride because not so hollow or fast.
* Booties - not necessary if you only surf the beach breaks at Kuta, Legian, Seminyak or some of the reef breaks like Dreamland at high tide.
* First Aid Kit / Medicine Kit - not so important if you staying around Bali but perhaps useful if you go on a boat trip.
* Surfboard - shortboard for fast breaking, powerful waves. Plenty of selection if you want to buy one. Prices aren't very cheap though.
* Warm clothes - not necessary, climate is warm and dry or warm and wet or warm and humid.
* Drugs.

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Bali Indonesia Tourism Failing to Compete

The very first Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report prepared by the World Economic Forum has been published with its overall results presented in summary form at the international travel forum ITB in Berlin on Thursday, March 8, 2007.

An exhaustive survey that compared nations in terms of the factors that make a country attractive to tourism resulted in a hierarchical ranking of 124 countries. Switzerland, Austria and Germany finished in the top 3 countries for tourism with Angola, Burundi and Chad occupying the lowest 3 rankings in the list of 124 nations. Also finishing among the top 10 nation (in order of appearance) were Iceland, the U.S.A., Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Luxembourg and the U.K..

In determining how a country stacks up in tourism terms, the World Economic Forum looked at the following factors considered to serve as the drivers of a destination's tourism: policy rules and regulations; environmental regulation; safety and security; health and hygiene; prioritization of travel and tourism; Air transport infrastructure; ground transport infrastructure; tourism infrastructure; Information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure; price competitiveness; human capital; national tourism perception; and natural and cultural resources.

Relying on publicly available data, observations from Travel & Tourism experts and independent opinion surveys the final results are intended to evaluate the "factors and polices that make it attractive to develop the Travel & Tourism sector in different countries."
Indonesia Ranks#60
While a complete ranking of all 124 countries is available at [World Economic Report Tourism Competitiveness Ranking] some of the more salient rankings include:
• #1 Switzerland
• #2 Austria
• #3 Germany
• #4 Iceland
• #5 The United States
• #6 Hong Kong SAR
• #7 Canada
• #8 Singapore
• #9 Luxembourg
• #10 United Kingdom
• #12 France
• #13 Australia
• #30 Taiwan
• #31 Malaysia
• #43 Thailand
• #60 INDONESIA
• #65 India
• #71 People’s Republic of China
• #86 Philippines
• #88 Vietnam
• #96 Cambodia
• #122 Angola
• #123 Burundi
• #124 Chad

from www.balidiscovery.com

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How to Acces to Bali by air, sea and Land ?

Bali very easily to be reached by plane and now there are opened international air lines running of a regular direct flights Europe, America, Australia and the majority of Asian countries to Ngurah Rai Airport. Denpasar is a instead Destination of Bali. Domestic flights are also available to Bali.

There are many modes of transportation to help you around Bali. A variety of excellent day of half-day and full and the packages during the night with excursion are provided by your office of hotel or many agents of voyage and organizers of voyages the ones of which around in Bali. Or you can find a car and a driver which will also act as a your guide. The taxis functioned starting from all the principal hotels and the airport with rates change according to destinations'. The companies of taxi, example Praja Taxi, Bali Taxi, Koperasi Ngurah Rai taxi instead of those belongs to the travel-agencies, proportioned taxis.

The public minibus or the large bus are available to each corner of the island with the price completely inexpensive but their stop here and much to take there and drop the local passengers. It can give you the experience of displacement with people of the country. For those which prefer to travel more into private, without-driver. The car or the rented motor cycle can be the choice. The types of cars available are usually Jimny or Toyota Kijang (a larger car with the part for 6 people). The price, however, always does not include the insurance and they change to depend on the type of vehicle and the duration of the hiring. A virtue important to have while on the road in Bali is patience! Although the system of road in the sectors strongly populated either completely reasonable (wise condition) compared to other countries in the process of development, it can be strongly encumbered at the peak periods. The ceremonious processions often catch up with the whole road thus if you are caught behind a procession, appreciate the color experiment. The roads can be completely narrow with the strongly pedestrian traffic on each side. the Gasoline-pumps and the service stations are available to each larger cities, however in the event of urgency there are always kiosks of roadside selling the fuel-outside of the drum at a dearer price of little.

While acting, to take please largest will be rules of traffic can somewhat different from those be led in your own country. The international license of control is required but one can apply for a provisional authorization in Denpasar and go for a test to the department of police force of traffic, Jalan Seruni-Denpasar, telephone (+62361)227711. It one is forced to carry a crash helmet while you are on the road and she is always available to the exits of hiring of motor cycle. The bicycles are available but consider dense circulation in Kuta, Legian and Denpasar. The bicycles are ideal in Ubud and the countryside if you are adapted. Some companies offer making excursions of the bicycle of mountain. The small horse-drawn vehicles invited to serve it dokar of at the convenient far-hours of transport and in addition to beaten ways.

BALI TOURIST INFORMATION

Overseas, you can contact the Indonesian embassy or consulate, or one of the following Indonesia Tourist Promotion Board offices:
ASEAN & Southeast Asia, 10 Collyer Quay #15-07, Ocean Building, Singapore 0104. Phone (65) 534-2837, fax: (65) 533-4287.

Australia & New Zealand, Level 10, 5 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Phone (612) 233-3630, fax: (612) 233-3629, 357-3478.
Europe, Wiesenhuttenstrasse 17, D-6000 Frankfurt/Main 1, Germany. Phone (49 169) 233-677, fax: (49 169) 230-840.

Japan & Korea, Sankaido Building, 2nd Floor, 1-9-13 Ahasaka, Minatoku, Tokyo 107. Phone (813) 3585-3588, fax: (813) 3582-1397.
North America, 3457 Wiltshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010-2203. Phone (213) 387-2078, fax: (213) 380-4876.

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BALI

Bali is one of over 13,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometres from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island home of approximately 4 million people is approximately 144 kilometres from east to west and 80 kilometres north to south.

The islands varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides provide a picturesque backdrop to the colourful and deeply spiritual culture of this 'Island of The Gods'.

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 travelled, it is still easy to find some peace and quiet if you like.
Balinese dance and music are also justly famous. As on Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances include:

* barong or "lion dance" — a ritual dance depicting the fight between good and evil, with performers wearing fearsome lion-like masks
* kecak or "monkey dance" — Actually invented in the 1930s by early German resident Walter Spies for a movie but a spectacle nonetheless, with up to 250 dancers in concentric circles chanting "kecak kecak", while a performer in the center acts out a spiritual dance

Festivals
Odalan procession
There are an estimated 20,000 temples (pura) on the island, each of which holds festivals (odalan) at least twice a year and there are many other auspicious days throughout the year, meaning that there are always festivities going on.

There are some large festivals celebrated islandwide, but their dates are determined by two local calendars. The 210-day wuku or Pawukon calendar is completely out of sync with the Western calendar, meaning that it rotates wildly throughout the year.The lunar saka (caka)
calendar roughly follows the Western year.

• Funerals, called pitra yadnya, are another occasion of pomp and ceremony, when the deceased (often several at a time) are ritually cremated in extravagantly colorful rituals.
• Galungan (next held on 20th August 2008). A 10-day festival celebrating 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.
• Nyepi, or Hindu New Year, usually March/April (next held on March 26, 2009). This is the one festival worth avoiding: on Nyepi, also known as the Day of Absolute Silence, absolutely everything on the island is shut down and tourists are confined to their hotels (find somewhere with a pool). However if you are in Bali in the weeks preceding Nyepi you will see amazing colourful giants (Ogoh Ogoh) being created by every banjar throughout the island. On Nyepi Eve the Ogoh Ogoh are paraded through the streets, an amazing sight, not to be missed especially in Denpasar.

Nyepi is a very special day to the Balinese as this is the day that they have to fool all evil spirits that no-one is actually on Bali - hence the need for silence. If this can be achieved, then it is believed that the evil spirits will go looking elsewhere for their prey and leave Bali island alone for another year. Balinese people are very religious and life is full of ritual - Nyepi is one of the most important days in their calendar. Police and security are on hand to make sure that everyone abides by this rule.

Nyepi also serves to remind the Balinese of the need for tolerance and understanding in their everyday life. In fact, Hinduism on Bali is unique because it is woven into and around the original Balinese animistic religion. The two now have become one for the Balinese - a true sign of tolerance and acceptance!
All national public holidays covered in Indonesia also apply, although Ramadan is naturally a

much smaller event here than in the country's Muslim regions.

Get in
By plane
Most visitors will arrive at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai international airport: Tel.: (62)(361) 751011. You can fly to Bali from major cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar etc) or from major cities in Asia and Australia.

Many travelers try to search for 'Bali' using travel websites and so for. It should be noted that Ngurah Rai's airport code is DPS. The airport is actually located between Kuta & Jimbaran and roughly 30 mins away from Denpasar.

By bus
There are direct bus services to Bali from all major cities on Java as well as Lombok, which use the ferries to cross over. These are cheap and easy, but slow.

By boat
Ferries cross from Gilimanuk in western Bali to Ketapang on the island of Java every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the crossing takes just 30 minutes (plus waiting around, loading, unloading, etc).

A number of speedboats and catamarans operate from Benoa Harbor near Kuta (~2 hours) and Padangbai (80 min) to the Gili Islands of Lombok. These are expensive (~US$60 one way) but convenient, see the Gili Islands article for details.
There are also public slow boats from Padangbai to Lembar (Lombok) every few hours, with the trip taking around 3.5 hours.

Bali's best-known attractions are its countless Hindu temples. Even the smallest villages usually have at least three, but the nine directional temples (kayangan jagat) are the largest and most important. Uluwatu, at the southern tip of Bali, is easily accessed and hence the most popular, with Tanah Lot a close second. However, for the Balinese themselves, the "mother temple" of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung is the most important of all.

Monuments
• Garuda Wisnu Kencana. Nusa Dua, Kabupaten Badung, 40 km south of Denpasar. Created by I Nyoman Nuarta. This is statue of the god Wisnu (Vishnu) riding the mythical Garuda bird.
• Bali Bomb, Jl. Legian, Kuta. This monument commemorates the 202 victims of the first Bali Bomb attack in October 2002, including 161 tourists from 21 countries. The site of the former Sari Club, obliterated in one of the blasts, lies adjacent to the monument. It has not been redeveloped

Do
Hot springs — There are several hot springs to be discovered in Bali. One of them, along the northern coast of the island, near Lovina, is Air Panjar where stone mouth carvings allow hot water to pass between pools which are set among a lush garden.

Spa — Bali is paradise for spa lovers and all sorts of treatments are widely available, but the Balinese lulur body scrub with herbs and spices — traditionally performed before a wedding ceremony — is particularly popular. Balinese massage is usually done with oil and involves long, Swedish-style strokes. In steep contrast to exorbitant Western massage fees, Balinese massage is an incredible value, and visitors should definitely avail themselves this luxury. In local salons, a one-hour full body massage will cost between Rp. 40 - 60,000, and the two-hour mandi lulur, which incorporates a body scrub and hydrating yoghurt body mask in addition to the massage, will cost about Rp. 100,000. The curiously named creambath is a relaxing scalp and shoulder massage, usually lasting 45 minutes, in which a thick conditioning cream is worked through the hair and into the scalp. A creambath typically costs about Rp. 40,000. Note that these same services in an upscale hotel will cost many times more.

Weddings — Balinese wedding getting popular in recent years. The exotic tradition, ceremonies, music and costumes has a special attraction among western people. Many couples who are already legally married to each other choose Bali as the perfect place to renew their vows. Full wedding services are widely available in Bali such as: ceremony arrangements, photography, videography, flowers, musicians, dancers, caterers etc. There are about ten wedding chapels available in Bali today (largely in luxury hotels) and the number is growing. You can find many professional wedding organizer to handle your wedding in Bali through the internet. Destination weddings, featuring all types of religious and presentation arrangements, are becoming increasingly popular with private villas being one of the island's many offerings for venues.

Voluntary work An excellent way to get to know and understand more of the country is to do some voluntary work. There are some organizations that arrange work for international volunteers in Bali and other places in the region.

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European Tour of Bali Art and Culture

The Gigir Manuk Cultural Dialogue in cooperation with the Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism, the Bali Tourism Authority and the Bali Tourism Board are conducting a road tour of Balinese Art & Culture to Europe from November 11-27, 2006.

Land Under the Rainbow
The cultural program, entitled "Land Under the Rainbow", will form the backdrop for a series of cocktail receptions hosted for the international travel industry, during which art & cultural performances by the renowned Bajra Sandhi Group will be presented during visits to the following European cities:

1. Brussels and Antwerp,
2. Belgium Den Haag, The Netherlands
3. Luxemburg
4. Paris, France
5. Aachen, Germany

Bajra Sandhi Performance Troupe

Founded in 1991, the Sanggar Seni Kreativitas Bajra Sandhi, more commonly known as Bajra Sandhi, is a group of Balinese artists who emphasize the spiritual connection between God and the arts. Striving for purity, truth and beauty through the arts - the troupe is comprised of 14 performers who alternate roles as dancers, musicians or singers " depending on the number being presented.

Past performance have brought the group to Athens, Greece where they performed in events paralleling the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games; to Hanoi where they helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam; and to numerous performance venues across Indonesia.

Among the highlights of the coming European tour, the group will present:

1. Gender Wayang - Music normally reserved as the accompaniment of a shadow puppet performance or for performance at a Balinese rites of passage - the Gender is based on a technically demanding rhythm motif, blending intertwined melodies with lively contrapuntal movements. Resonations created give a shimmering and vibrating quality, extremely rich in overtones, emanating from bronze keys struck with bare wooden mallets utilizing the pentatonic 'Slendro' tuning.
2. Baris Tunggal Dance - Inspired from the original Baris "Warrior" Dance, the name of this dance derives from the word "baris" meaning rows but also meaning troops of soldiers. With its recent development into a solo performance, the dance now describes the strength and grace of heroic movements of a soldier marching off to war.
3. Legong Keraton Dance - By legend, the Legong is the heavenly dance of divine nymphs. Of all classical Balinese dances, it remains the quintessence of femininity and grace. Girls from the age of five aspire to be selected to represent their community as Legong dancers. Foremost among the Legong repertoire is the Legong Kraton - formerly reserved for presentation only at Bali's royal courts. Highly stylized, the palace version of the dance enacts a drama performed by three dancers: the 'condong' - a female attendant of the court, and two identically dressed Legong dancers who adopt the roles of royal persons.
4. Jauk Dance - Taken from Bali's rich tradition of masked dance, the Jauk depicts a crooked and wicked giant king.
5. Sutasoma - A Balinese tari drama or dance-drama, the Sutasoma tells the story of the birth of Jinapati " the pure soul that arrives on earth with the birth of each newborn baby. Deriving his power from wisdom and peace, Sutasoma defeats the evil giant Purusadha through goodness and enlightenment.

The musical accompaniment in the dance drama derives from the rhythms of traditional lullabies for babies and children, where it at the same time also serves as a divine summon for the unseen 'good' forces to guard the infantile pure souls in this chaotic world.

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