Archive for June, 2006
Candika was talking to me last night about having a spa treatment when we go over to Bali from Yogyakarta. I am not the one for spas and things much preferring a good Turkish steam bath and a stretch.
In Bali there are some excellent spas and all charge different prices depending on what kind of treatment you require or want. I was reading a short article yesterday in the JP about the Yhi Spa and this one sounds like a great place for Candika to go. Actually if I think about it, I wouldn’t mind a nice Balinese lady or two massaging my body!.
If you do’’t find the Yhi Spa appealing to you then I suggest you check out Nick’s listings on this site. He has compiled a good selection for your perusal.
A new meaning of comfort
Yhi Spa at Meli Bali is a retreat offering peace, tranquility and rejuvenation of the inner-self and outer body. Yhi Spa is a combination of traditional and contemporary Balinese architecture and design. Based on traditional ingredients and recipes handed down through the generations, Yhi Spa recaptures the essence of Spa therapy. Upon entering Yhi Spa guests are warmly greeted by our Balinese staff with a cold towel and a cup of fresh ginger tea, offered customized treatments that pamper even the most discerning.
The Spa provides the ultimate therapy experience incorporating a holistic approach in treatment of purifying the body, balancing the mind and uplifting the soul. It is the essence of nature combined with professionally trained therapists that rejuvenates the senses and instills well-being for total relaxation.
The Yhi Spa consists of 10 private treatment rooms with 20 massage beds including 2 suites with bathtub, 1 lounge for relaxation, 2 steam rooms and Jacuzzi area for male and female.
Yhi Spa is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Inquiries and reservations can be made through Meli Bali Villas & Spa resort, tel: (62 361) 771510, fax (62 361) 776880 or email spa@meliabali.com or sales@meliabali.com
June 28th, 2006
Being in Bali between the months of September and December this year will be an exciting one with celebrations planned for the commemoration of the Battle of Puputan which occurred in 1906.
The Battle of Puputan was sparked by the sinking of a Dutch ship in 1904. The Dutch blamed the loss of the loads on Badung people. After fruitless negotiations, governor-general van Heutz deployed his troops to the southern coast of Bali in 1906.The king led his people into battle, which took place over seven days; many were killed and Badung was defeated. The prince, who was 11 years old, was exiled to Lombok.
Food festivals and traditional dance festivals as well as a golf tournament amongst others are planned as part of the celebrations. Here is a small article from the JP explaining all about it including an excellent website:
Battle of Puputan to be Commemorated: Bali
The 10th king of Denpasar, Ida Tjokorda Ngurah Jambe Pemecutan, told a press conference that the fighting spirit of the Battle of Puputan in 1906 between the Dutch and Badung kingdom has inspired efforts to lift Bali out of its economic slump.
Therefore seizing the moment to help recover the Bali economy, the Association of Indonesian Female Entrepreneurs(IWAPI) and Indo-PR will hold a series of events there from September through December.
Billed 100 tahun Perang Puputan Bali (100 years since the Battle of Puputan in Bali) the events will include a golf tournament, trade bazaar, Nusantara food festival, traditional dance festival and Puputan heritage exhibition.
“There will be about 260 booths in the bazaar mainly from small and medium sized enterprises and members of IWAPI” Indo-PR president director Damayanti Hakim Tohir said. “Mostly they will sell handicrafts.”
The Puputan Heritage will take place at the former Badung palace which now serves as the governor’s residence. There will be dozens of permanent artifacts on display. In addition the organizer is negotiating with a museum in Leiden to bring some Puputan artifacts to Denpasar.
For the dance festival the committee has asked seasoned dancers Retno Maruti and Bulan Tisna Djelantik to perform. Both dancers performed an extraordinary collaboration last month in Jakarta.
The Battle of Puputan was sparked by the sinking of a Dutch ship in 1904. The Dutch blamed the loss of the loads on Badung people. After fruitless negotiations, governor-general van Heutz deployed his troops to the southern coast of Bali in 1906.
The king led his people into battle, which took place over seven days; many were killed and Badung was defeated. The prince, who was 11 years old, was exiled to Lombok.
The organizing committee has managed to obtain a reproduction of 200 Battle of Puputan pictures taken by Dutch soldiers. The originals are kept in Leiden.
The committee plans to publish a bilingual coffee-table book containing pictures and the story of the Battle of Puputan as part of the series.
June 28th, 2006
I was reading this fabulous article in the JP yesterday but the only problem was that the authors name did not appear on the article. I naturally assume it is Balinese writer Made Wijaya by the way the article is written and the content.
Entitled Mystics in the Mountains, the article explores the mysticism of the many peoples living in the mountains of Bali and in particular those of Danau Batur and the Bali Aga in an unusual manner.
The original inhabitants of Bali, the Bali Aga, live a reclusive life in the mountains to the east, the north and certain parts of central Bali.
It is believed there are several thousand Bali Aga people living in the mountainous regions and they speak their own dialect. The Bali Aga inhabited Bali well before the Majapahit invasion in 1343AD. The Balinese today are actually descendants of the Wong Majapahit who were 15thC migrants from East Java when finally the Majapahit empire fell. There is a distinct indifference between the two and the Bali Aga ensure it remains this way by their seclusion.
I have always found the Bali Aga to be a fascinating and beautiful people whenever I have visited the villages. Many travellers I have spoken to over the years have found them to be aggressive and indeed unwelcoming. If you ever visit Bali, I strongly suggest you take some time to visit one or two of the Bali Aga villages.
Here is the article from the Jakarta Post:
Mystics in the mountains
There is something about the mountain people of Indonesia — the Batak Karo, the Baduy, the Tenggerese and the Lake Batur Balinese. They are descendants of the first tribes of proto-Malays who came hopping down the Malay Peninsula from present day Yunan, South China, and eventually reached the Sunda archipelago.
These early tribes must have jumped from mountain lake to mountain lake with their pigs and dogs and wet-rice cultivation. Over hundreds of years they displaced the ancient Indonesians who were forced eastward, we are told, to Flores, Timor and Alor where they remain to this day.
The mountain folk of Bali have more purely Mongoloid features - like dollar signs visible on their eyeballs? - than their coastal cousins who have more hybrid features due to contact with Yemeni, Indian and ancient Malay traders, fishermen, merchants and priests.
Features aside the mountain Balinese and particularly in the lakeside villages of Songan, Terunyan and Kedisan are as “rough as nuts” (as anthropologist Margaret Mead politely put it) but unified with a mysticism that presents itself as an intensely spirit worshiping culture. They also possess a strong sense of tribal identity not really found in lowland areas.
They are strong and wilful, temperamental, but profound. They are the keepers of the ancient flames and guardians of the ancient deities - the gods of the mountains and all the important lakes.
Last Sunday I headed for the hills to make offerings at Pura Batur, Kintamani, a high temple perched on the caldera that overlooks Lake Batur and its attendant volcano, Mt. Batur. The god of Pura Batur is the patron saint of agriculture, horticulture and landscapers.
Like most Balinese offices our office also worships Dewi Saraswati, goddess of the arts and education and thus designers. Our holiday is both Saraswati Day and Tumpek Landep, the birthday for keris and knives and thus lawn-mowers.
June 22nd, 2006
When I read that Tetanus had killed at least 18 earthquake survivors in Yogyakarta according to WHO and that more than 50 known cases of the infection spread through bacteria, I thought I had better get out my yellow book and check when I was last vaccinated.
When I looked at the yellow book I noticed I was up for more vaccinations including Cholera and Typhoid as well as Meningitis, I could feel my arms and my bum aching. Yes, I am a bit of a health freak as far as things like this are concerned having suffered a dose of Malaria back in 1994 in the jungles in the north of Java. Considering that I will be returning home to Yogyakarta soon and intend imbibing in a lot of photography around the mountain villages where the recent disaster occurred, it only makes common sense that I cover myself vaccine wise.
I have talked to a lot of travellers over the years and a majority of those who visited Bali were quite open in saying it will never happen to them - this is Bali - its safe here. I always consider it better to be covered rather than spend the rest of your holiday in a hospital or even worse in a morgue!. It makes common sense just like taking out insurance when you travel. If you don’t, then something is sure to happen. Murphy’s Law. And yes, I am speaking from the voice of experience on that one!.
When travelling anywhere in the tropics - whether it be only Bali or the other islands in the archipelago of Indonesia - be securely vaccinated.
My list is simple - Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Cholera and Typhoid. If you are worried about Japanese Encephalitis and Meningitis then by all means be covered but the former in reality is not needed for Bali and is a very painful vaccine procedure.
However, if you are heading over to Bali then I strongly urge you to at least have the Hepatitis A and B vaccinations. You do not want to end up with a bad case of the dreaded Bali Belly!.
But most important of all, when travelling anywhere in the world is a good and well stocked first aid kit. Never leave home without one!.
June 22nd, 2006
Famines are rare in Indonesia. I have seen farmers suffering hard times due to failed crops, mice infestation and destruction by rain&344; food crisis’ are now becoming more prevalent throughout the archipelago.
In the Sikka regency of East Nusa Tenggara a food crisis is threatening at least 50,000 families in 10 districts in following a failed harvest due to pests and insufficient rain. The regency has only 306 tons of rice left in the warehouse of its provincial logistics agency while residents need at least 50,000 tons.
The food crisis has hit 10 districts hardest: Bola, Kewapante, Lela, Magepanda, Mago, Meumere, Nita, Paga, Palue and Talibura. Many residents have started to consume alternative foods such as flour made from the putak plant. With its hard fibers the flour is difficult for children to consume. The Central Government has now promised to distribute 9,210 tons of rice to families in worst hit areas.
According to the article in the Jakarta Post, data from the social office showed at least 13,000 families were threatened by starvation and more than 35,000 families were experiencing a food crisis. Village heads were asked to report situations in their respective villages and list residents experiencing food crisis in order to respond appropriately.
The food crisis is not the province’s first. Last month a food crisis was blamed for widespread cases of malnutrition among children.
June 19th, 2006
Driving back from Gunung Batukaru, I took the left turnoff at Wongayagede where the 14 kilometre road leads to my favourite destination in Bali, Jatiluwih.
I had been on this road many times before and was aware of the narrow and twisting turns and of course the potholes. It was just a matter of keeping my eye on the road, but, with the panorama around me, it was difficult.
The winding road weaves its way through lush green terrain, dense banana groves, fields of chilli peppers and tomato plants, and, coffee plantations. Farmhouses dot the landscape, piles of coconuts on the side of the road ready to be picked up, and farmers lay out their padi rice on plastic sheets to dry in the sun.
Wide and gently sloping rice terraces on the hillside are a photographer’s delight and this spectacular panorama can be seen from many vantage points, and, most with restaurants or warungs. The Paddy Venture does have nice views (a tad expensive for what you see), but my favourite by far is Cafe Jatiluwih. Located in the hamlet of Jatiluwih and perched on a hillside, the food is as good as the view.
Driving through the hamlet of Jatiluwih is like driving through the ‘real’ Bali, practically untouched by western intervention. Here, life goes on in a slow pace, the locals are the friendliest on the island, and when you finally arrive at the village of Senganan where the road ends, you’ll want to turn around and do it all again. I did, many times over the years.
June 19th, 2006
I mentioned when I first arrived, at how dead the streets were and how not busy it appears in Bali. From what I have seen, and from who I have spoken with, it is still much the same.
It is slow season, which could be impacting the traffic. Nick and I spoke with Andrew this morning during the Super Bowl. His hotel has 100 rooms and 6 were occupied. When Nick and I cruise out at night to find a place to eat, 95% of the restaurants have no one or 1 table filled. We experienced a Party Packed Night on Saturday, but that was mostly expats and locals.
One thing I have noticed, is some restaurants do stay busy. Maybe it is a little bit of luck. Maybe not. 2 restaurants in particular are busy every night. Warung 96 and Captain Haddock’s.
Warung 96 is on Poppies II, plays pop music. The staff is reasonably friendly, the food is cheap and good enough. I am not really sure why they stay busy though. It could be that a crowd attracts more of a crowd and people definitely want to be around others. Warung 96 is about the only packed restaurant around our place, so that might be why?
Captain Haddocks is about a 15 minutes walk from our guesthouse and is a little corner shack with similar cheap prices, food, and music. The one thing that they do different, is the staff is friendly. Armadi is one of the waitresses that remembers our names, welcomes us with a big smiles and talks with us and other guests at any moment that she has. I watched her greet a variety of folks with hugs and kisses. When we leave, she says “see you tomorrow” and winks. While she talks with us she sells the Saturday night dinner because she does traditional Balinese dancing on Saturday nights. She gives the customer a lot of reasons to come back. Now that I think about it, the number 1 thing she does that keeps people coming back…she gives people attention and make them feel loved and wanted in some small way.
Now, where would you rather go. An empty restaurant, or be greeted by the hugging, smiling Armadi?
June 15th, 2006
Sanur has installed a series of CCTV’s (closed circuit television cameras) in order to help police monitor street action. This is the first time CCTV has been used in Bali in this manner.
Fifteen security cameras were installed on power poles and overlook shopping and restaurant areas. They are monitored by 2 staff. According to Bali police spokesman, Colonel Antonius Reniban, there has been a slight rise in crime since the economic downturn, but Bali is still relatively safe.
June 15th, 2006
Ika came to me the other day and asked my opinion about doing a Bali tour. ‘Sounds great’, I said. She meant doing a tour herself for other Javanese people.
Often I don’t appreciate that Bali has many levels of tourism, foreigners, high spending Indonesians from Jakarta, school groups and locals from Java. The way these small local tours work is that someone organizes a bus, hotel and itinerary, then gives people in the same town / village a few months to save up for it.
Domestic tour tours often follow a breakneck pace, with a 4 day trip meaning 2 of those days traveling to and from Bali. Once in Bali they’ll hit 10 points of interest in 1 day. I told Ika she should slim it down to a couple of things and let the people who never get to enjoy a beach, have a few hours on the beach.
Ika told me her mum will talk to all the locals in their part of Semarang and see if there are any takers, once the itinerary and price have been worked out. I won’t be taking any part in this, as I can’t see myself offering much to a group of Javanese people who can’t speak English. The price for their tour will probably be in the range of 1m rp - 1.5 m rp.
For a Javanese person that’s a chunk, and taking the family requires saving for several months. Hope it all works out for them.
June 15th, 2006
Bali has given a magical gift to the global surfing community. That gift is surf! Like a magnet, Bali’s surf has attracted the world’s best surfers to ride and discover Indonesia’s best-kept secret.
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Robert Koke, an American who ran a small hotel somewhere near the present Hard Rock Hotel at Kuta in the 1930’s, was the first person to surf in Bali. In the late 1960s Australian surfers started arriving to surf the Kuta area before discovering the world class waves of the Bukit Peninsula.
Surf movie producer Albie Falzon documented the discovery of Uluwatu in his 1972 movie, “Morning of the Earth”. Other movies and other surfers followed and by the mid 1970’s, a surf trip to Bali was an annual event for many Australian surfers.
Today, Bali is the front door for hardcore surfers setting to explore the many excellent quality waves throughout the rest of Indonesia. Before they head off to discover the surf of Java, Sumbawa, Lombok or the Mentawai Islands, they should never overlook the quality and perfection of Bali’s surf.
In Bali, the experienced surfer should start on the Bukit Peninsula. During the dry season, May to October, the western side of the peninsula creates some of the world’s best waves. Starting at the southern end is Uluwatu, a peeling lefthander which can hold a heavy swell.
Ulu’s, as it is affectionately known, has a number of sections: Temples, The Peak, Race Track and Outside Corner. The next wave north, Padang-Padang, is one of the best and heaviest lefthanders in the world and needs a solid swell to start working. Padang is for experienced surfers only!
Just across the channel from Padang is a series of long winding lefthanders appropriately called Impossibles, which can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. The next break is Bingin, another lefthander, which provides some of the most intense small wave tubes you may ever experience - watch out for the end section as it gets very shallow.
Next is a rare wave on this side if the Bukit, Dreamland, a right and left peak. Around the corner from Dreamland is Balangan a fun lefthander, which used to peel along a beautiful lagoon in a beautiful tropical setting - sadly the area is no longer as beautiful as it is now a large hotel development.
The southern shore of the Bukit has two waves. Nyang-Nyang, a bowly right-hander and Green Ball a longer right are both located at the bottom of large cliffs and require a lot of effort to be reached.
During the wet season, November to April, the eastern coast of the Bukit turns it on with some outstanding (right-handers). Nusa Dua is a big wave break known to hold well over 5 meter waves: There are three main sections: Top, Middle and End all producing long bowling rights. North of Nusa Dua is Sri Lanka, a bowly right, which breaks into a deep water channel. Across the Benoa Boat Harbor is the resort area of Sanur, this area has four main reef breaks.
Hyatt Reef, Tandjung Rights, Tandjung Lefts and Sanur Reef. Of these four waves the best and most popular is Sanur Reef, a world class right-hander.
Back on the west side of the island, around the Airport and Kuta areas are a series of reef and beach breaks. Waves break off either side of the airport runaway: Airport Rights break on the southern side into Jimbaran Bay, Airport Lefts breaks on the Kuta side. Both are excellent waves and worth a surf. North of the runaway is Kuta Reef a long lefthander and the first reef surfed in Bali.
The Kuta Beach Breaks tend to have their own character and can get very good; the best sports are Halfway, Padma and Double Six. This is the area of beach and surf where tourists, inexperienced with surfing and the ocean, have their first contact with the surf. Be warned, as this area can be dangerous when the swells get big.
Swim between the red and yellow flags and follow the instructions from the lifeguards. Experienced surfers should also exercise care and show respect to the local Balinese surfers.
Good surf is not restricted to the Bukit and Kuta areas. Following the coastline around the west and eastern sides of the island can be worthwhile, there are still secret sports to be found.
Along the west coast check out Canggu, about half an hour’s drive north of Kuta, a good right and left rock reef setup. Further north, Balian River Mouth is a fun left and right break and Medewi, a long winding left-hand point wave.
Access to all the breaks via car is easy, even Uluwatu now has it’s own car park right above the break. When surfing the Nusa Dua and Kuta Reef areas, you can still hire one of the local boats to take you out to the reef and return you at an appointed time.
There are two other areas accessible from Bali worth surfing during the dry season. The first is Nusa Lembongan Island just east of Bali, here you can surf Lacerations and Shipwrecks, two fast bowling (righthanders) as well as the less demanding Playgrounds a left and right.
The second area may well be the best wave in the world; G-Land or Grajagan located on the southern tip of East Java. This spiraling, dazzling lefthander has three main sections: Kongs, Money Trees and the crown jewel of the trilogy, Speedies. Since 1995 G-Land has hosted the annual Quicksilver Pro, the richest and most highly respected surf contest in the world. The 1997 Quicksilver Pro will long be remembered as one of the greatest contests ever when Speedies turned on in all its glory for the entire contest.
You can get to Nusa Lembongan by taking a boat from either Sanur or Benoa Harbour and finding accommodation when you arrive. G-Land is a bit more difficult and you must book, as the two camps are located inside a National Park. There are two camps to choose from, the Tiger Camp and the Jungle Camp. Ask at most surf shops in Kuta and they will tell you how to contact the camps.
Now that you know where to surf, how do you know what it will be like? Firstly you need to know the tides; Tubes Bar and most surf shops can provide you with a tide chart for free, knowing the tides is important when surfing the coral reefs. Accurate five-day swell forecasts can be picked up from outside the Quicksilver Board riders Club at Bemo Corner, Kuta and other - surf shops. Working out the right mixture of conditions is up to you. Good luck!
The Kuta area has the highest concentration of surf shops anywhere in the world. The newer, larger shops compare more than favorably with the best surf shops in the USA, Europe, Japan or Australia. All the major surf brands are represented, Quicksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Spyderbilt, Volcom, Stussy, Rusty and many more.
If purchased from surf shops they are all genuine products but be careful in the warungs where they are usually copies, which put nothing back into the Balinese surfing.
The genuine product is still a bargain compared to the Japanese, USA or Australian prices so enjoy your shopping for a new pair of board shorts or a tee shirt.
To get the best surfing equipment and other needs at reasonable prices, go to Dream Land Surf Shop in Kuta Square. Surfer Girl, as its name implies, caters to the needs of women and girls. It is sited at Jalan Legian, and offers excellent buys at very competitive prices.
If you want to party while in Kuta there are several great bar-cum-restaurants that cater to surfers. Check out Tubes Bar in Poppies II and All Stars Surf Cafe at Kuta Centre in Jalan Katika Plaza.
The Bali Surfing Association runs local contests as well as the Bali International Grommet Contest and the Billabong Asia Challenge. The local highlight is the annual Bali Open, which crowns the Island Champion each December.
Balinese surfing legends such as Made Kasim, Wayan Suwenda, Ketut Menda, Wayan Ganti and Made Switra still surf regularly.
The new generation of surfers spearheaded by Bali’s unofficial International Ambassador, Rizal Tandjung and ably supported by Ismael Dooley and Made Adi Putra all have international potential: Tandjung cemented his surfing reputation at the 1996 and 1997 Quicksilver Pro when he scored perfect 10 point waves in each event against the best surfers in the world.
As surfing has evolved from an alternative lifestyle into the huge commercial proposition it now is, Bali has gone along for the ride. It is now possible to arrive on the island and fully deck yourself out in quality surf gear from a range of well-known surf-wear companies.
One can easily buy or hire boards of all shapes and sizes, or even take surfing lessons at the “Cheyne Horan” school of surfing. You may simply like to hang out in surf restaurants and warungs, which offer menu items such as “surf-and-turf”, Californian hamburgers, and jaffles with good old Aussie vegemite.
Continuous surfing videos, an array of surfing memorabilia, and life sized fiberglass boards on larger than life moulded waves (providing the opportunity to capture that “perfect tube” on camera) are now common features of surfers’ establishments. But be careful if you are renting a board on the beach or taking surf lessons from the guy you just met at the beach. Surfboards are not toys and they can hurt you and other people when not used correctly.
For more information regarding Bali and Indonesian surfing, check out Indo Surf and Lingo or
Bali Waves website and see what they can do for your surf needs. Happy surfing and enjoy your holiday in Bali.
June 14th, 2006
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