THE ESSENCE OF BALI

 

Bali is divided into 8 regencies and one municipality and each regency has its own places of interest. The detail information will be given on the following pages;

 

1. DENPASAR MUNICIPALITY

 

The capital city of Bali is not generally a tourist area but there are a few main areas worth checking out. The Kumbasari market near river gives an interesting over view of an Indonesian market with household wares clothing, spices. Dried goods, and fresh produce. Besides as a center of Bali Government and traditional market, in Denpasar you can find a museum of Bali, and Werdi Budaya art Center.

 

 

 

 

2. BADUNG REGENCY

 

Located in the southern part of Bali, where the five star hotels and any other tourist facilities are located. Kuta beach which has known all over the world as the main tourist destination in Bali because of its beautiful white sandy beach, shopping center, restaurant, night life and any other facilities. Nusa dua is another tourism area, which is setted as become more touristic area where the five star hotels are easily found and 18 holes International golf course are laid in this area. Jimbaran with its white sandy beach and traditional fresh sea food restaurants and Uluwatu with its beautiful old Hindus temple are the other tourism area in Badung regency which might over you a memorable experiences.

 

 

 

 

3. GIANYAR REGENCY

 

Gianyar regency has known as the center of arts and crafts in Bali some about 15 minutes from Denpasar. Batubulan is the best place for finding stone carvings. Batubulan also has several venues offering regular performances of Barong & Rangda traditional dances. Celuk is the silver and goldsmithing center of Bali. Sukawati is now known for a number of specialized crafts, and for its huge, daily craft market called pasar seni. Batuan style of painting is noted for its inclusion of some very modern elements. Mas is the best place for finding woodcarvings. Bona and Belega is a center for a bamboo furniture roadside workshop and showrooms are stacked with bamboo chairs, tables, beds and wardrobes that are standard issue in many of Bali's hotels. Ubud is known not for beaches or bars, but for its art, music, architecture and dance.

 

4. BANGLI REGENCY

 

Many places of interest can be found in Bangli regency, such as: Kintamani, the beautiful panorama of Lake and Mount Batur. Pura Kehen, the state temple of the Bangli kingdom, is one of the finest temples in east Bali; a little like a miniature version of Pura Besakih.

 

 

 

 

 

5. KLUNGKUNG REGENCY

 

Semarapura (Klungkung) was once the center of Bali's most important kingdom, and great artistic and cultural focal point. Kertha gosa, the 'Hall of Justice' was effectively the Supreme Court of the Klungkung kingdom, where disputes and cases, which could not be settled at the village level, were eventually brought. This open sided pavilion is a superb example of Klungkung architecture, and its ceiling is completely covered inside with fine paintings in the Klungkung style. Pura Goa Lawah three kilometers east of Kusamba is the Bat Cave Temple. The cave in the cliff face is packed crammed, jammed full of bats the complex is equally over crowded with tour groups in the day.

 

 

6. KARANGASEM REGENCY

 

Located in the eastern part of Bali some about 60 kilometers from Denpasar offers you many places of interest such as; Pura Besakih 'the mother temple' is located on the slope of mount Agung. Built around 11th century, this temple consists of 23 complex but related temples, with the largest and the most important being Pura Penataran Agung. Gunung Agung 'Mount Agung'; Bali's highest and most revered mountain, Gunung Agung is an imposing peak from most of south and east Bali, although it's often obscured by cloud and mist. Most books and maps give its height as 3142m, but some say it lost its top in the 1963 eruption and is now only 3014m. Padangbai and Candidasa; is the only one tourism area with sandy beach in Karangasem regency. It's less hectic than Kuta region and is a good base from which to explore east Bali. Tirta Gangga; the tiny village of Tirta Gangga (Water of Ganges) is an increasingly popular place to stop off and relax for a day (or mare) while touring around east Bali.

 

 

 

 

 

7. TABANAN REGENCY

 

One of the best place to see in Tabanan Regency is Jati Luwih; the beautiful rice terraces. The spectacularly located Tanah Lot Temple is possibly the best known, and most photographed, temple on Bali. The tourist crowds here are phenomenal, especially at sunset, and the commercial hype is appalling, but the temple, perched on a little rocky islet, looks superb whether delicately lit by the dawn light, or starkly outlined at sunset. The Huge State temple of Pura Taman Ayun, surrounded by a wide, elegant moat, was the main temple of the Mengwi Kingdom. This temple was built in 1634. It's actually located in Badung regency but much closer to Tabanan regency. The beautiful scenery of mountainous area and the three lakes can be seen at Bedugul Area with its fruit market and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

8. NEGARA REGENCY

 

Negara is a friendly, prosperous little town, and not a bad place to break up a journey. The town is most famous for the bull races nearby. The West Bali National Park covers 19,003 hectares of the western tip of Bali. An additional 50,000 hectares are protected in the National Park extension, as well as almost 7000 hectares of coral reef and coastal waters. More than 200 species of plants inhabit the park. Local fauna includes black monkeys, leaf monkeys and macaques, barking, Sambar, Java and mouse deer, squirrels, wild pigs buffalo, iguanas, pythons and green snakes.

 

 

 

 

9. BULELENG REGENCY

 

With a population of around 100,000, Singaraja (which means Lion King) is Bali's second largest city, but it's orderly even quite compared with Denpasar. Singaraja was the center of Dutch power on Bali and remained as the administrative center for the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali through to Timor) until 1953. About 11 km south of Singaraja, are the pretty, and pretty touristy, Air terjun Gitgit waterfalls. The well signposted path (800m) from the main road in the village is a predictably lined souvenir stall, but the workers are quite friendly.

 

 

West of Singaraja is a string of coastal villages Pantai Happy (Tukad Mungga), Anturan, Kalibukbuk and Temukus which have become a popular beach resort collectivelly known as Lovina. The sand is Black and volcanic, not like the white stuff found in the south. The beaches are also thin and don't over much privacy, but it's mostly clean and fine to walk a long. In the West Coast of Singaraja, there is a hot spring temple. This hot spring is beautifully landscape with lush tropical plants. You can relax here for a few hours and have a lunch at the restaurant, or even stay the night and really indulge yourself.