Tirta Gangga

This water garden was built by the King of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem in 1948. The architecture is the combination of Balinese and Chinese style. It’s located in Ababi village, Abang District, about 83 km from Denpasar and 6 km from Amlapura (the capital city of Karangasem).

Tirta Gangga was originally the bathing and resting place for the king of Karangasem and numerous pools still exist in the complex. In the north of the complex, a large natural spring shoots out of the ground believed to be sacred and directly derived from the River Gangga. It was totally destroyed by the Mount Agung eruption in 1963 and being abandoned for years.

Tirta Gangga Water Garden

Today after some renovations here-and-there people starts to come (especially the local) while they still use the spring to irrigate the rice fields for the whole region, and for every ceremony local use to take the water from here.

Menjangan Island or the “Deer Island”

Menjangan Island or the “Deer Island” is the island located closed to the National Park of West Bali, the natural habitat of deer. This island is accessible only by boat from Labuhan Lalang.

Surrounding of the island is the unspoilt coral, great visibility of the water, and lots of marine life and regarded as the best place for dive site in the island. Many of dive operators in Bali recommend this site as a MUST go. The closes town from the Menjangan Island is the Jembrana’s capital, Negara. There are some “losmen” in this town, some small restaurants, and minimarkets. But if you prefer to stay in a luxury resort, you can go for Matahari Beach Resort and Spa in the North West of Bali.

*The Menjangan Island

*The Matahari Beach Resort from above

If we travel from Denpasar, it will take you around 3,5 hours to get to this place, so make sure that you are in a perfect condition. Other close sites are the Lovina Beach, and the Hot Spring of Banjar.

Candidasa

Candidasa (formely names as Kehen Bay) is located at Samuh - Bugbug village, Karangasem district about 65 km from Denpasar and 12 km from Amlapura. But when it’s become tourist destination, the name Candidasa was started to be used.

There is no certain report about the historical backgound of the name. However, it is assumed that the choice of this name is connected with the story of “lingga” inside the temple lies on the top of Candidasa hills. An old manuscript found here mentions that Candidasa Temple was built on the 12th Century. There is a remain called “lingga” inside the temple, which is believed as the symbol of God Siva. In this holy place hermits often received their highest solitude or “heaven” by uttering 10 (Dasa) letters called “Dasa Aksara”.

Another story says that the name Candidasa was inspired by a statue near the lingga. It is a statue of Goddess Hariti that surrounded by 10 children. It is believed that Goddess Hariti could give blessing of welfare and prosperity to the people who pray here.

There are some restaurants, small hotels to star hotels and other facilities in this area. Candidasa is well known for its shiny white sand. Tourism industry flourishes significantly in this area that background by the Indonesian Ocean.

From this place, we will see Lombok Island and Nusa Penida in a distance and the sparkling light of “Jukung” or traditional boat at night that will always draw us to come again.

Hotels/villas in Candidasa:

Candidasa Beach Hotel
Candidasa Beach Hotel is located on the coast of Bali Island on the beach of Candidasa; 2 hours drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport of Bali. Right at the centre of Candidasa Beach Resort, just 10 km away from Padang Bay harbour. Hotel Candidasa is close to the most interesting place such as Besakih, Tirtagangga Water Palace, Tenganan, Kintamani.

Puri Bagus Candidasa
Puri Bagus Candidasa is nested in the white sands of Candidasa Beach, East Bali, within walking distance to the Candidasa township and a 7 minute drive to Tenganan village. Puri Bagus Candidasa sets in tropical gardens facing the Indian ocean, 50 traditional Balinese villas where ancient customs are still preserved. Exotic temples mingle with old Royal residences in this region of historic sites.

Hotel Rama Beach Candidasa
Hotel Rama Beach Candidasa is located on the most peaceful beach, with separate artificial private white sandy beach of 100m long and 10m wide. Constant cool sea-breeze. No trespassers, No hawkers. Complete Privacy. If you are looking for a complete rest, peace, and tranquillity, Hotel Rama Candidasa is the right place to stay.

Candi Beach Cottage
Candi Beach Cottage is located directly on the tranquil beach of Candi Dasa amidst swaying palm trees, in the quiet and natural surroundings of Mendira Bay on the East Coast of Bali.
The Water Garden
The Water Garden is located on Candidasa Beach, about 85 km from the Ngurah Rai International Airport of Bali. The Water Garden Candidasa is an idyllic hideaway here in Candidasa and set amidst prize-winning tropical gardens, waterfalls and lily ponds.

Restaurants in Candidasa:

Lotus Seaview: Very nice sea view restaurant.
Fajar Candidasa: Great setting with sea view. Very reasonable prices, Highly Rec.
Dewa Bharata: sea view restaurant.

Bali Art & Festival

This annually festival will be starting again this year on June 16 - July 14, 2007. Traditional artists and musicians from all over the island and sometimes from abroad (japan, australia, korea) were also participate in the 29th of Bali arts festival.

The first Bali Art & Festival was start in 1979 and inspiration from Prof. Dr Ida Bagus Mantra, former Governor of Bali. The idea is to preserve and accommodate the art and Balinese culture. And every year after that this festival is the place to perform their best, and to let everybody realize that some of their art already rare and has to preserve.

The opening day will be the same as year’s past, parade of traditional Balinese in traditional custom and centered in the Renon district of Denpasar starts from 3.00pm.

Get ready with your camera!

Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet Theater

One of my childhood favorite traditional entertainments was Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet Theater, and is Bali’s most complex sacred art form but yet also full of humor telling story and religious advice for the youth at the same time. It is a traditional medium of moral and spiritual instruction, but also wonderfully entertaining.

a wayang kulit show

The trick of how it displayed is very simple: an oil lamp is hung behind a screen of white stretched cloth, and in the space between them shadows are produced by flat, leather puppets. To carry this out is very difficult. A single puppeteer, manipulates all the puppets, often several at a time, speaking for them in a myriad of voices and in several different languages, while conducting a small assemble of gamelan musicians as well.

Génder (read “g” as in go)

Gender is the music that plays to accompany the wayang performance. The compositions of the small gamelan ensembles are complicated and played at lightning speed.

The Balinese wayang kulit adopted its form to its Javanese precedents, but over the past four hundred years it has evolved its own unique puppets, music, and ritual. The Balinese puppets, for example, are smaller and more naturalistic than those of the Javanese, which are more stylistic because Islam forbids portrayal of the human form. Balinese performances, which often begin late at night, are usually held after ritual or major event in the community.

The great Indian epics, the Mahabarata and Ramayana, provide most of the character of the wayang Kulit Theater, but serve as only a thematic sketch for the plot of the actual plays created by the Balinese puppeteer (dalang).

Ngaben

Balinese Religion is based on respect for and worship of God and ancestor. It is believed that after death, the body must be dissolved and returned to its original elements. Ngaben, the Balinese word for cremation is a purification rite which frees the spirit from its temporary earthly house and facilitates its journey to its next existence.

The Lembu where the body placed and cremated.

It is a custom and part of a tradition in Bali when someone dies, the whole villager (where one was lives) will help with the preparation for the cremation. The dead body is laid out in a special part of the house to be bathed and prepared. The night before the cremation, holy water will be collected from some main temple and used in preparation of the body and during the cremation. The entire villager (but especially for family and relatives) will participate on the day of the cremation ceremony. Before the body cremated at the cemetary, it will be placed into a wadah, after at the cemetary, and then they body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin which is then placed inside a form of a lembu (cow) which believes to be the vehicle of the spirits, made of paper and light wood. It will be carried to the village cremation site (usually in the village cemetery) in a procession. The ultimate procession is to burn the Wadah, using fire from a holy source.

When all the procession has done the ashes are placed in the sea, and it is the final separation of the soul from the body.

Food of Bali-Overview

THE FOOD OF BALI

The staple food of Bali is white, polished rice. Nowadays cooked rice (nasi) is of the fast growing "green-revolution" variety found everywhere in Asia. The traditional Balinese rice (beras Bali) tastes better, but is restricted to a few areas and is now mainly used as a ritual food. Other, less frequently grown varieties, are red rice (beras barak), black rice (ketan injin), sticky rice (ketan) and a type of dry rice (padi gaga) grown in the mountains. Rice consumption averages 0.5 kilo per day.

Many local vegetables grow in a semi-wild state. These include the leaves of several trees and shrubs, varieties of beans (including soybeans), water spinach (kangkung), the bulbs and leaves of the cassava plant, sweet potatoes, maize, etc. ne flower and trunk of the banana tree, young jackfruits (nangka), breadfruits (sukun, timbul) and papayas may also be cooked as vegetables. Foreign vegetables such as cabbage and tomatoes are now commonly found also.

Though they form a major part of the diet, vegetables are considered low-status; high status foods are rice and meat. Because it expensive, however, meat is reserved for ritual occasions. Surprisingly, fish plays a relatively minor role as a source of protein. Though the seas surrounding Bali are rich, the Balinese are not avid fishermen, as the sea is considered dangerous and impure.

Some tourist restaurants present special Bali nights, featuring dishes such as suckling pig, a Balinese banquet favorite. Unless you are invited to dine with a local family, these special events may be your only way to sample the true Balinese cuisine. Almost every restaurant will serve nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice with a fried egg on top) and mie goreng (fried noodles with egg). These basic dishes are generally the favorites amongst tourists and travellers.

Vegetarian versions may be requested. Another Indonesian favorite is satay (spicy marinaded thin slices of meat, threaded onto a skewer, barbecued, and served with a spicy peanut sauce). Satay ayam is chicken served in the same way.

The distinctive flavor of Balinese cuisine derives from a sambal condiment and spice mixtures. A standard mixture will include shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal, cardamom and red peppers ground together in varying proportions depending on the recipe. A distinctive flavor is also imparted by strong-smelling shrimp paste (trasi) and chopped cekuh root.

The usual drink served with Balinese food is water or tea. Apart from this, there are three traditional alcoholic drinks - drops of which are sprinkled onto the earth during rituals to appease the bhuta or negative forces. Tuak (or sajeng) is a mild beer made from the juice of palm flowers. 'Me flower is tapped in the afternoon, the juice collected overnight in a suspended container, and the next morning it is fermented and ready to drink.

Arak or sajeng rateng ('straight sajeng') is 60 to 100 proof liquor distilled from palm or rice wine. It is basically colorless, but may have a slight tint from the addition of ginger, ginseng, turmeric or cloves. Brem is a sweet, mildly fermented wine made from red or white sticky rice. Yeast is added to the cooked rice, which is wrapped and after about a week liquid squeezed from it is ready to drink.

The Food of Bali-2

KUAH SIAP
(Chicken Stock)

INGREDIENTS:
5 kg chicken bones, chopped in 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces
1½ cups chicken spice paste
1 stalk lemon grass, lightly bruised
3 fragrant lime leaves
2 salam leaves
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 large red chili whole
1 tsp salt

PREPARATION:
Rinse bones until water is clear, place in large saucepan with cold water to cover and bring to boil over high heat. Drain and discard water, wash bones again under running water. Return bones to the stockpot, cover with fresh water and return to the boil. Reduce heat and remove scum with a ladle. Add all ingredients and simmer stock gentle for 4 – 5 hours, removing scum as it accumulates. It is important not to cover the stockpot during cooking, as it will make the stock cloudy. Strain stock, cool and store in small containers in the deep freezer. To make beef, duck and pork stock, follow the same amounts but reduce simmering time for pork to 2 hours. This recipe makes about 3 liters of stock

BASE BE SAMPI
(Spice Paste For Beef)

INGREDIENTS:
250 gr large red chili, seeded and peeled
40 gr bird's eye chili, finely sliced
50 gr garlic, peeled and chopped
200 gr shallot, peeled and chopped
50 gr ginger, peeled and chopped
150 gr laos, peeled and chopped
2½ tbsp black pepper corn crushed
2½ tbsp coriander seed crushed
100 gr candlenut
40 gr palm sugar, chopped
150 ml coconut oil
250 ml water
3 salam leaf
¾ tbsp salt

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients except salam leaf, water and salt, place in food processor and grind coarsely. Place ground ingredients in heavy sauce pan, add all remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for approximately 60 minutes or until all water is evaporated and marinade changes to golden color.

Set aside and cool.

The Food of Bali

OVERVIEW:
Balinese food gets its characteristic flavor from a blend of spices, herbs, roots and other savory ingredients, which are prepared in different ways. The basic seasonings (known as base – pronounced barseh – are sometimes finely chopped or sliced, other times pounded to a fine paste. Some spice pastes are made from raw ingredients, while for others, the ingredients are either steamed or roasted before pounding.

These spice pastes can be prepared in advanced and stored in a refrigerator for up to one week. They can also be divided into smaller quantities and deep-frozen. If you are using a mortar and pestle, grind the dry spices such as pepper and coriander first; then add the hardest ingredients, the roots such as laos and kencur. When these are finely ground, add the shallots and chilies, then finally soft ingredients such as shrimp paste.

If using a food processor, blend the dry spices first then add all other ingredients, except the oil.

Spice pastes keep refrigerated for up to two weeks, or spread finished spice paste in ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen paste will keep easy up to 6 months.

SAMBAL MATAH
(Raw Shallot & Lemongrass Sambal)

INGREDIENTS:
15 shallots, peeled, cut in half and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, cut in half & sliced
15 small sliced chilies
5 lemon leaves (daun limau) chopped very fine
1 tsp roasted shrimp cake (terasi), finely grated
4 stalks lemon grass, bruised and very finely sliced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly squeezed limejuice
80 ml coconut oil

PREPARATION:
1. Combine above ingredients in deep bowl and mix well for 5 minutes.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BASE GEDE
(Basic Spice Paste)

INGREDIENTS:
300 gr large red chili halved, seeded and chopped
100 gr garlic, peeled and chopped
75 gr ginger, peeled and chopped
500 gr shallot, peeled and chopped
75 gr laos, peeled and chopped
100 gr kencur root, peeled and chopped
175 gr fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
2½ tbsp dried shrimp paste, roasted
2½ tbsp coriander seed crushed
75 gr candlenut
1¼ tbsp black pepper corn crushed
2½ pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
8 cloves
150 ml coconut oil
250 water
¾ tbsp salt

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients except water in food processor and grind coarsely. Place in heavy sauce pan, add all remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for approximately 60 minutes or until all water is evaporated and marinade changes to golden color.

Cool before using

SATAY

INGREDIENTS & PREPARATION: Sate Lilit (Minced Seafood Satay) Sate Sampi&Udang (Beef Satay and Shrimp Satay) Sate Lilit Bebek (Duck Satay)