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Kintamani
Volcano Tour: The first stop is often in
the village of Batubulan to watch a performance
of the Barong and Kris Dance. Afterwards you
visit the villages of Celuk (silver jewelry)
and Mas (wood carving) to see Balinese artisans
at work. Ubud, Bali's cultural center, has grown
to a busy town with numerous Balinese art galleries
and shops. A scenic drive over small roads overlooking
beautiful rice terraces brings you to the mountain
village of Kintamani (about 5,000 feet above
the sea) which offers spectacular views of Lake
Batur and the volcano. You can cross the crater
lake below the still active Mount Batur and
visit the "Bali Aga" village of Trunyan. Return
through traditional villages with stops in Tampaksiring
to visit the temple of Tirta Empul, and to visit
the Elephant Cave "Goa Gajah", a hermitage from
the 11th. century used by both Buddhists and
Hindus.
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The
"Mother Temple" and East Bali Tour: Drive
to Besakih through various villages visiting
on the way a weaving factory, see the famous
painted ceiling at the old "Palace of Justice"
in Klungkung, and visit the school of painting
in Kamasan. The "Mother Temple" in Besakih is
Bali's most holy and Indonesia's biggest Hindu
temple. It was build in the 11th. Century in
an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) on
the slopes of Mount Agung. You pass picturesque
rice terraces on the way to the walled "Bali
Aga" village of Tenganan, and continue to Candi
Dasa on the East coast. On the way back it's
recommended to stop at the famous Bat Cave "Goa
Lawah" with thousands of bats hanging from the
walls.
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Bedugul
Tour: After a stop in Sangeh to visit its
holy forest inhabited by wild monkeys, drive
up into the mountains to Lake Bratan (1,200
meters above sea level) and the picturesque
water temple Ulun Danu. Visit the busy flower,
fruit and spice market in Candikuning where
most of Bali's vegetables come from. Drive back
through small country roads, villages and rice
fields, with a stop in an artisan village specializing
in gold threaded textiles (Ikat) worn during
important ceremonies.
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North
Bali Tour: Drive the scenic road via Pupuan
through the mountains to Bali's North coast.
You'll enjoy beautiful views of picturesque
rice terraces, and large plantations growing
vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cloves, and even
wine grapes. Near the village of Banjar is a
popular hot spring where you can take a bath
in the natural pond. After a lunch on the black
beach in Lovina you pass the old capital of
Singaraja on the way to Git Git, famous for
its multi-tier water fall. Return over back
roads to see the unspoiled Bali. (This tour
can be combined with the visit to Bedugul.)
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Monkey
Forest & Tanah Lot Tour: Visit the royal
Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi (built in 1624),
the holy monkey forest near Sangeh, and famous
Tanah Lot. This picturesque Balinese temple
was built in the 16th. Century on a huge rock
100 yards off Bali's West coast and is surrounded
by the sea during high tides. Spectacular sight,
however, spoiled by thousands of tourists visiting
every day during sunset. To avoid these, enjoy
the view from the lobby of the nearby Le Meridien
Nirvana Resort.
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Handicraft
Villages & Ubud Tour: Visit the artisan
villages of Batubulan (stone carving), Celuk
(silver & gold jewelry), Mas (wood carving),
and Pengosekan (painting). Stop at the "Bali
Art Market" in Sukawati to bargain for all kinds
of handicrafts and textiles.
Already in the 1930s Ubud had been made famous
around the world as Bali's cultural center by
the German intellectual Walter Spies, the Dutch
painter Rudolf Bonnet and other foreign artists
who'd made it their home.
Today Ubud is a fast growing town with numerous
art galleries and shops offering paintings,
wood carvings, textiles, and all kinds of souvenirs.
Don't miss the MUSEUM PURI LUKISAN in
the center of Ubud, the NEKA MUSEUM in
Campuhan, the NEKA GALLERY in Ubud, the
AGUNG RAI GALLERY in Peliatan, and the
AGUNG RAI MUSEUM in Pengosekan to see
the difference between creative art and more
commercial products. Problem is that when you
see their "Permanent Collections" at many "Galleries"
you've seen real art, and when you return to
their show rooms you don't like any of the very
commercial products any more.
The SENIWATI GALLERY - ART BY WOMEN,
founded in 1991 by Mary Northmore (the very
personable wife of famous painter Abdul Azis)
to help Balinese women to be accepted as artists,
is a place you should not miss whatever you
do. The main purpose of this Bali art gallery
is to expose the long understated brilliance
of independent women artists resident in Bali,
and to motivate, train, and encourage young
Balinese girls with obvious creative gifts.
Visit also the BLUE MOON STUDIO and GALLERY,
founded in 1994 with an emphasis on exhibiting
contemporary artists.
The LOTUS CAFE is perhaps the most popular meeting
point in town and has become kind of an institution,
and MURNI'S as well as the BRIDGE CAFE offer
tasty snacks and full meals in very pleasant
surroundings and at reasonable prices. The various
Balinese dance and Wayang Kulit performances
(see below) in Ubud and in nearby villages are
worth spending the early evening there.
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Surfing
Bali is well-known as a paradise
island located at the Pacific Ocean and is
a perfect holiday destination for all ages.
Some of the best surfing beaches in the world
can be found on the western side of the island,
whilst the eastern part of Bali is a wonderful
haven for families, surrounded by picturesque
beaches and gentle seas.
If you have always had a secret
inclination to surf, here is your chance.
Experience the thrill of surfing with qualified
professional instructors on Bali's Kuta beach.
The long, rolling waves and safe sandy bottom
make Kuta beach a renowned surfing venue.
Beginners will usually be given a two-hour
group lesson in the swimming pool. Here you
will be taught the basics of water safety,
surfing etiquette and surfboard handling.
After that, the lesson adjourns to the beach
where another team of coaches will show you
the finer points of surfing.
Skydiving
One of the fastest growing
high adventure sports is skydiving. Rapidly
gaining popularity in Bali, tandem skydiving
is available to give you the adventure of
a lifetime at 10,000 feet above ground. You
will first be given a 30-minute introduction
to the sport and a briefing on safety. Next,
you will be fitted into a harness before boarding
the aircraft. The plane will take about 20
minutes to climb to the required height whereby
at this point you should be securely attached
to the harness of your instructor. At the
right moment, the Tandem Master will signal
you to jump out of the aircraft and you will
instantly be hit by the thrilling sensation
of free-falling! When you've reached 4,000
feet, the Tandem Master will pull the rip
cord to open the main parachute, pulling you
up from an amazing 180 km per hour to a steady
20 km per hour. You will get to see Bali at
an unbelievable bird's eye view. The instructor
will then regain control at about 500 feet
above ground for a smoother landing. It will
definitely be an unforgettable experience.
Elephant Safari Park
Do not leave Bali without
visiting the Elephant Safari Park, which is
situated in the cool jungle of Desa Taro,
20 minutes north from Ubud. This nature park
offers you the priceless chance to feed, touch,
and interact with these wonderful creatures
that are set in an exotic, landscaped environment.
Elephants can be seen immersing themselves
in the cool waters of the park or grazing
peacefully. Elephant Safari ride tours are
also available where you will sit atop an
elephant in a traditional teak wood chair,
while swaying through the refreshing jungle
of Desa Taro.
Bali Bird Park
Bird-watching enthusiasts,
good news for you! You will be able to catch
sight of the world's rarest and most captivating
feathered friends at Bali's Bird Park. Hundreds
of species dwell within this scenic and fascinating
park, enthralling you with their brilliant
colors and rarity. Indonesian parrots, cassowaries,
black palm cockatoos, hornbills, and an impressive
collection of Birds of Paradise will delight
you. Apart from these exciting creatures,
the extraordinary komodo dragons also make
their home here. Set in magnificent botanical
gardens with a backdrop of ponds and waterfalls,
the Bali Bird Park is the perfect environment
to enjoy the glorious myriad of birdlife as
well as nature.
Jungle Trekking
Explore and discover Bali's
glorious flora and fauna via the nature reserve
of Mount Batukaru in an 'off-beaten' track
adventure that will lead you into the cool
surroundings of a tropical rainforest. You
will be introduced to the hidden world of
Bali's wildlife and native plants, as you
pass by ancient strangler trees, ferns, wild
orchids and hanging lianas - the home of many
species of tropical birds and animals. Stop
awhile for a reviving picnic lunch by a clear
mountain stream and savor the crisp mountain
air before continuing your journey to the
archaic temple of Batukaru.
Rice Paddy Trek
Follow the farmers' tracks
through Carang Sari's emerald-green paddy
fields to catch a piece of traditional rural
life that has remained unchanged for a thousand
years. Skirting the Ayung River valley, you
will have the chance to observe the timeless
routine of plowing, planting and harvesting
using hand-crafted tools and primitive techniques.
Do not forget to visit village temples, coconut,
mango and jackfruit plantations, all set in
a background of unspoiled Balinese countryside.
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