The Balinese Culture

Bali is famous for dance, as well as painting, scuplture, and woodcarving. Balinese gamelan music is highly developed and varied. The dances portray stories from Hindu Epics such as Ramayana. Famous Balinese dances include Pendet, Legong,Baris,Topeng,Barong, and Kecak
National education programs, mass media and tourism continue to change Balinese culture. Immigration from other parts of Indonesia, mainly Java) is changing the composition of Bali's population.

The culture of Bali is unique. People say that the Balinese People have reached self-content. It is not an exaggeration that when a Balinese is asked what heaven is like, he would say, just like Bali, without the worries of mundane life. They want to live in Bali, to be cremated in Bali when they die, and to reincarnate in Bali.

It does not mean that the Balinese resist changes. Instead, they adapt them to their own system. This goes back far in history. Prior to the arrival of Hinduism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia, people practised animism. When Hinduism arrives, the practice of Hinduism is adapted to local practices. The brand of Hinduism practised in Bali is much different from that in India. Other aspects of life flow this way.

Traditional paintings, faithfully depicting religious and mythological symbolisms, met with Western and modern paintings, giving birth to contemporary paintings, free in its creative topics yet strongly and distinctively Balinese. Its dance, its music, and its wayang theaters , while have been continually enriched by contemporary and external artistry, are still laden with religious connotations, performed mostly to appease and to please the gods and the goddesses. Wood and stone carvings, gold and silver crafts parallel the development of paintings, gracefully evolving with external forces to enhance their characters. The Batik of Bali owes its origin to Java, and inspired the development of Ikat and Double Ikat.

Beach In Bali



One of the main reasons for attracting so many visitors is
Bali's image as a beach destination, with white sandy beaches
all around.

Most of it is true, we like to help you to distinguish the
different beaches to see if they fit your particular needs.

Kuta Beach - The most popular white sandy beach located in
south Bali attracts all ages and nationalities. It stretches
from the airport in Tuban over main Kuta, Legian, Seminyak,
Kerobokan all the way to Canggu.

This beach is good for sun bathing, "instant surfing" long
walks on the beach (great at sunset time and also at 5 AM)
and general socializing and "beach life". Everyone comes here
at sunset, central Kuta is the most crowded part of it.

Kuta Beach is not the perfect beach for untrained swimmers
because of unpredictable underwater currents. Close to the
beach they appear to be harmless, but be warned if you swim
out they can be tricky and making it hard at times to swim
back to the beach. Don't swim alone here, and stay close to
the beach, unless you are a surfer who "has seen it all".

Better for swimming is the Tuban part of it, with hotel life
guards and a less hyper active beach scenery than Kuta.

Calm are the waters on the other side of the airport to
the south at Jimbaran Bay. The beach is as white and sandy as
in Kuta but no big waves here. This sleepy fishing village
with only a few hotels and resorts make this area a perfect
spot if you are looking for a remote and relaxed beach life.

Moving further south to Bali most southern coastline you will
find a few remote beaches around and on the way to Uluwatu.
Some of these beaches are suitable for swimming, generally
more popular with experienced surfers, and Uluwatu itself has
a rocky coastline with great views from high above sea level.

This scenery remains persistent all the way to Nusa Dua, where
again white sandy beaches deliver the promise of a perfect
beach holiday. They offer excellent swimming in a protected
lagoon. The private beaches of the local resorts dominate the
beach life what limits access for non-staying guests.

North above Nusa Dua stretches Tanjung Benoa with white
beaches and again a bit busier waves, that make this area
perfect for water sports. You can rent boats and hire services
like parasailing, that is a perfect adventure above the ocean.

Further north at Sanur Beach we reach again a quiet lagoon
area of both white and black sands. The area between Grand
Bali Beach hotel and Bali Hyatt is accessible via a beach path
and the calm waters make this beach suitable also for
children just as in Nusa Dua.

Candi Dasa has not many beach areas except the private
constructed areas of some hotels, where else Lovina Beach in
the north again has a very long sandy coast with tranquil
coves. The ocean is calm and suitable for swimming and
snorkeling.

Bali is an Indonesian island located at 8°25′23″S, 115°14′55″E, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and one of the country's 33 provinces. It is in a chain with Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Bali is a tourist destination and, along with Java, known for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather and metalworking, and music, especially that played on the gamelan.
Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java and about 8 degrees south of the equator. The island is 153 km long and 112 km wide (95 by 69 miles), with a surface area of 5,633 km². The highest point is Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 feet) high, an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains cover from the centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Mount Batur is also still active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a catastrophic eruption — one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.

The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja and the capital, Denpasar, near the southern coast. The town of Ubud (north of Denpasar), with its art market, museums and galleries, is regarded as the cultural center of Bali.

In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, dry in the dry season and overflowing during periods of heavy rains.

Its population of over 3 million is mainly (about 93%) Hindu, but a very small part is Muslim (mostly coastal fishermen).

The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), Sanur, Jimbaran, Seminyak and the newer development of Nusa Dua. The Ngurah Rai International Airport is located near Jimbaran, on the isthmus joining the southernmost part of the island to the main part of the island.

There are major coastal roads and roads that cross the island mainly north-south. Due to the mountainous terrain in the island's center, the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains. There are no railway lines.

The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the north east has both: the main beach and the secret beach have white sand and the south beach and the blue lagoon have much darker sand.

Pasut Beach (Tabanan), near Sungai Ho and Pura Segara, is a quiet beach 14 km southwest of Tabanan. The Ho River is navigable by small sampan. Beautiful black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the famous seaside temple of Tanah Lot, this is not yet a tourist area.

Most of the Balinese people are involved in agriculture, primarily rice cultivation. Crops grown in smaller amounts include fruits, vegetables and other cash crops. A significant number of Balinese are also fishermen. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce batik and ikat cloth and clothing, wooden carvings, stone carvings and silverware.