Winter Vacation Information

Bali is renowned throughout the archipelago of Indonesia and overseas for their handicrafts . You could say that Bali is a mecca for arts and handicrafts. You might browse what is on offer in the Kuta area, but if you want the genuine article and not just a ‘copy’ [as so often seen in the tourist strip] it is far better to visit the village of origin for the particular handicraft you re seeking. Of course there are handicraft centres located in the tourist strip which sell the genuine handicraft but I have so often found the products to be mass produced. Even so, these places are well worth checking out before you head up country. This way you can get an idea of quality. If you are an independent traveller then there are local buses to the villages that specialize in various products, but, it’s easy to get the places mixed up. Most organised tours to the major tourism objects in Bali travel through a majority of these handicraft villages and stop at these places so you can peruse the particular handicraft associated with the village. Batubulan : Here you will find stone sculptures of all sizes lining the street are there are many stone figures and statues. These include Buddhas, demons, and ornaments for family shrines. You can actually watch the carvers at work in certain places. Batuan : Known for traditional woven cloth, craftsmen in this village also create carved and decorated painted wooden panels. Celuk : Famous for its weaving, gold & silver. Celuk is a mile long street lined with silversmiths. You can buy ready made stuff in one of the many large shops or order custom work to suit. Bona : This is a place known for its traditional dance performances, however, there are places where you can purchase some excellent bamboo furniture. It is also a centre for plaited baskets, hats and sandles. Puaya : This place is located close to Sukawati and is renowned for its puppets made from old Chinese coins. Leather puppets also made here. Mas, Peliatan and Ubud : These villages are located in the cultural heart of Bali, Ubud. They are carving & painting centres. Some of the best carvers are found in Mas. Penestanan : Known for its paintings and beaded purses. Goa Gajah : Although the main attraction here is the Elephant Cave, this place is known for its baskets and shell carvings. Bangli and Tampaksiring : In these villages you will find handicrafts made from coconut, cattle-bone, and buckhorn carvings. Klungkung : Wood carvings, hornwork, bone carvings and fine woven silk is the major handicraft. Also there are shops selling Chinese porcelain, ornamental gold and silver jewellery. Take the time to walk around the small shops and down back alleys. Blaju and Gianyar : The famous weaving centre of Bali. There are many fine pieces of sarong in the various shops and weaving centres. Although a good place for textiles, you will find the prices a bit steep and in a lot of the places they are fixed price. The above are the main handicraft areas in Bali but there are smaller villages each with their own speciality. Take time to explore when you travel in Bali. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

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Indonesians are renowned the world over for their textiles . Balinese traditional textiles are much more than simply decorative pieces of cloth. In Bali , the Balinese produce textiles for a variety of markets and, one of them the tourist trade. Various forms of cloth are produced on the island of Bali and each one beautiful in its own right. Batik is a textile is manufactured mainly in factories these days but there are some smaller places in the outer lying villages where the batik process is still as it has been for centuries. The two main styles of Batik are batik tulis and batik cap . The art of Balinese textile decoration is best expressed in skirt, chest and head cloths. There are three main categories of Balinese textile and these are Prada , Songket and Ikat . The main batik manufacturing town on Bali is at Gianyar where many factories can be found and visited. Be warned though, the price you pay at the factory is inflated and you would be better of checking the street prices in markets such as Sukawati first. Be warned though that purchasing traditional cloth in the markets along the tourist strip will not give you the quality you will find in the places of origin. There are other traditional weavers in other places across Bali that weave stunning pieces of cloth and it is to these places you should visit. There is one special place on the island which will accommodate all your needs; Threads of Life . This place is well worth a visit for top quality traditional textiles. Grinsing is one of the rarest weaving techniques practiced and you will find this textile in the traditional village of Tenganan , East Bali. Gringsing is also known as the ‘flame cloth’ and in this elaborate dyeing process both the warp and weft threads are carefully bound before dyeing. This creates numerous patterns that once finished seemingly fit together perfectly and harmoniously. Tenganan is the only place in the world where the double-ikat process is practised. There are not many women left in Tenganan who know this practice of weaving but it is being handed down to the next generation. To weave a piece of gringsing could take up to three days but the finished product is superb. When you visit the village you are welcome to have a look at this weaving process and of course for a fee!. Endek is a tie-dyed woven textile popular with most Balinese. Wooden hand-operated looms are used in the process of the weft-ikat method. This is where sections of the cloth are tied and then wrapped before immersing them into tubs of dye. The basic designs are irregular and soft wavy patterns. Also created are diamond designs and a zigzagging pattern. Endek is a versatile cloth for the Balinese because it can be worn for both daily use and ceremonial purposes. Songket is a brocaded silk that has interweaving patterns of silver and gold thread and is classified as the ceremonial dress of all Balinese. Worn mainly on religious occasions, it is also worn to weddings, tooth filings and other important ritual events. The cloth is tapestry in appearance and has various motifs including wayang figures, birds, butterflies, flowers and leaves. The process of weaving is done on back-strap looms. Because of its thread and quality it is generally accepted that it is a wealthy man’s cloth. Interestingly, the kain songket is bought in two pieces and then sewn together. The men wear the songket saput. This is a narrow piece of cloth worn over a sarung. Together with a songket udeng or head band this is for more formal and ceremonial occasions. Decorated with silver or gold thread, kain prada is a lustrous fabric woven of cotton or silk. A ceremonial cloth, it is generally two meters in length and can take up as long as three months to weave from start to finish. Various patterns include lotus blossoms with swastikas as border decorations. These are however the most common motifs.

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How many of you can remember your very first time to Bali ? Before you even left your home shore, what images of the island did you conjure up in your mind? No doubt a lot of first-time Bali travellers have these embedded images in their minds of white beaches lined with coconut palms being lapped by crystal clear blue waters. Maybe even rich, luscious, green jungles bordering tapestry-like rice fields with a background of mountain ranges. Then there are those folk who have images of stunning temple structures with colourful ceremonies being performed. Or, maybe a delightful and peaceful people who are welcoming and accept you into their lives. Whatever your pre-conceived images of Bali are, there is one certain thing; Bali is beautiful and will always be this way.

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How many of you can remember your very first time to Bali ? Before you even left your home shore, what images of the island did you conjure up in your mind? No doubt a lot of first-time Bali travellers have these embedded images in their minds of white beaches lined with coconut palms being lapped by crystal clear blue waters. Maybe even rich, luscious, green jungles bordering tapestry-like rice fields with a background of mountain ranges. Then there are those folk who have images of stunning temple structures with colourful ceremonies being performed. Or, maybe a delightful and peaceful people who are welcoming and accept you into their lives. Whatever your pre-conceived images of Bali are, there is one certain thing; Bali is beautiful and will always be this way.

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I have great news for incoming tourists to Bali . The new immigration laws that I wrote about the other week concerning having your photo and fingerprints taken upon arriving in Bali are now cactus! In other words, dead, habis , gone and for the near future, not to return. It’s the first sensible thing that has been done on the island. All this came about after mass angry complaints from arriving tourists. Apparently tourists were forced to stand in line for hours, some up to four hours, having this process done even before obtaining their VOA. For those of you travellers who obtain other visas such as a social/budaya visa , the process of having your fingerprints and photograph taken on your second extension still remain.

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Perth is really getting the best of it all in airline services to Bali . Yet another international air carrier has opened a service from Perth to Bali . Starting next week tickets will go on sale for Strategic Air flights in June starting on the 12th . Strategic Air is Australian owned. Its head office is located in Brisbane. The skies over Bali are getting pretty crowded with Perth-Bali flights having several airlines flying there. One can understand why Perth is so popular with airlines considering the majority of Australian tourists visiting Bali hail from Perth. I had a look at the flight times on their website and they are comparable with that of Garuda Airlines.

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There are so many great restorans and warungs on the island of Bali and each serving delicious masakan asli Lombok. Candika and I were both looking forward to eating both Taliwang (grilled chicken) and Sasak food. We found the latter at a great warung in Lobar called Rumah Makan Bengkel ‘Murah Meriah’. They serve delicious Khas Sasak Asli Lombok. This décor of this place is typical Sasak and not only is the food fabulous, it is very cheap. Four of us ate there and the bill only came to Rp55,000. Unbelievable value. Rumah Makan Bengkel is extremely popular and when we were there for makan siang, the place was practically full. We ordered a selection of Nasi Udang Usus, Nasi Ayam and Nasi Siput amongst others, all of which was accompanied with several condiments and a very spicy sambal terasi. A great feast was had by all and I would really recommend a visit here next time you are in Lombok.

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It is always great to get out of the crazy mania that is the tourist strip in Bali and take a road trip out into the countryside. I am constantly talking to people after their roadtrips and often ask them did you stop in this town or that town. It is amazing just how much people miss out on by not stopping in the major towns in Bali. To a majority of tourists these major towns look the same and uninteresting. But if you take the time out to walk along the streets, enter the traditional markets or even chat with the locals, you will be pleasantly surprised. For those independent travellers, the major towns I have listed all have the large bus terminals where you can connect to various part of the island. Travelling by local bus is an adventure in itself and for those who have yet to try it, I urge you to at least give it a go once on your travels to Bali. Tabanan : Tabanan is just like any other large town that you would pass through on your day trips in Bali. When you travel to the west of Bali or travel north to Gunung Batakau and even certain areas in west-central Bali then you will pass through Tabanan. It’s dusty in the dry season and seems to get very hot but if you look carefully then you will be aware of an enchanting place worthy of a stopover. What I like about the town are the numerous statues, some in plain view and others seemingly hiding on the side of the road. Tabanan is a bustling mini-metropolis with small industries and you will find a lot of the shops are Chinese owned which accounts for its numerous Chinese residents. The town was once a powerful kingdom in the 17th century and the town is famous for its gamelan. Singaraja : This town is often referred to as Lion City . Located on the north coast just east of Lovina, Singaraja was once the capital of Bali under Dutch colonial administration. It is a place not renowned for people to stay overnight or for a few days and most travellers travel further along the coastline to places like Lovina where the accommodation is more prodigious and of better quality. However, it is a city of charm with its wide, tree-lined streets and Dutch colonial architecture present every where you look. Singaraja is also an educational centre having two university campuses. But, that is not all that the Lion city has to offer. Being steeped in history, Singaraja has some great places to visit as well as some really good warungs and restaurants, and, not to forget the numerous market places. A turn down any corner will reveal a surprise and the people are amongst the friendliest on the island. Gianyar : Gianyar is the capital of the Gianyar kabupaten (regency), the same regency that includes the town of Ubud. Your reasons for going to Gianyar may vary and the most common reason is you are just passing through on your way to East Bali or Kintamani. Gianyar is also a centre for Balinese weaving and has several jeweller’s shops selling traditional gold jewellery. Located in town is the palace, Puri Gianyar, built in 19th century. Puri Gianyar is one of the few traditional Balinese palaces still in existence and one of the only ones still lived in by a royal family. A familiar landmark downtown is the huge white statues of Krisna on his 3-horse chariot and Vishnu on the shoulders of the winged horse Garuda. Bangli : Located in the southern part of the regency, on the foothills of Gunung Batur . The ancient Kehen Temple ( Pura Kehen) in Bangli, is famous for its enormous Banyan Tree. The temple walls are inlayed with pieces of chipped porcelain and the upper sanctuary has 11 tapering merus ( resting places of the gods). There is a small museum,Saison Buddha Bangle, nearby. Every 3 years the Kehen temple celebrates a unique festival, in which offerings tower high in the courtyard and ritual Baris Warriors Dances are performed utilizing different weapons. The nearby Sasana Art Centre also organizes the occasional art & dance performance. The view beyond the town of Bangli, from Demulih Hill offers an astounding view. Situated at 400 m above sea level, the mountain ranges of northern Bangli are the biggest producers of bamboos in Bali. Most of traditional buildings in Bali use bamboos from Bangli as materials for the roof. In the traditional buildings in the mountain ranges of Bangli, the bamboo is used as the roof cover. Klungkung : The town of Klungkung is the capital of Klungkung regency, which includes the islands surrounding Nusa Lembongan and it has an important history. After the Majapahit invasion of Bali in 1343, the new rulers set up a court at Gelgel, which is south of Klungkung. The prime minister of the Majapahit empire, Gajah Mada, appointed a Dewa Aging, which means ‘Great God’ to rule over the entire island. The Dewa Agung was for almost 200 years based in Gelgel. When the Majapahit empire in Java, fell in 1515, to the advancing Muslim, Mataram empire, Bali received an influx of Javanese artisans and members of the royal court and during that era, Gelgel became a center for the arts. The court was moved to Klungkung at the end of the 17th century. Bali developed separate kingdoms soon after and the strength off Klungkung was over. Amlapura : The name of the town used to be Karangasem, the same name as the district, but was changed in 1963 after the eruption of Gunung Agung.This city has a small one-way system downtown which is really easy to navigate (if I say its easy, its easy). For the tourist passing through there are local warungs along the main street, Jl. Patih Jelantik, though nothing to write home about. Amlapura does not have any bars, although there is a nightmarket, serving a selection of local food. The population of Amlapura is a mixture of Balinese Hindu’s Chinese and Muslims, evidence of its turbulent history. Amlapura is a fairly clean, typical Balinese town, with the usual streetside shops selling pots, pans, fans and stuff most tourists wouldn’t touch. Negara : is the main town in west Bali in the district of Jembrana. Most visitors to Bali will have little reason for visiting Negara, other than for the mecepung (buffalo) races in Perancak close by, or to drive through on the main road to the port of Gilimanuk. Negara The town has a strong Muslim influence being located close to Java, with a large mosque in the center of town. Situated on flat land, Negara had wide streets, local warungs and sparce accommodation options. One block south of the main through road is Jl. Ngurah Rai, which is a handy place for a pitstop. Located there are a couple of banks with ATM machines, a petrol station and Hardy’s supermarket. Highlights of Negara itself, other than the buffalo races include the bamboo gamelan orchestra which the area is famous for. This is called a gamelan jegog and some tourist buses heading to Java will stop for lunch which includes a short gamelan display. Directly to the north of Negara, following the large roads running out of downtown, one can very quickly access some lovely scenery. Simply head north on any route, most of which are decent enough for cars and you’ll escape downtown and be amongst Balinese villages and curving roads with great views of the coast.

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There are times when one just doesn’t feel like tramping around the various markets in the tourist strip of Bali ; that relentless search for a cool T-Shirt or a pair of boardies or even handicrafts. The prices always vary from vendor to vendor and it really gets to be a hassle bargaining even though at times it can be enjoyable. Take heart though because there are several factory outlets along the tourist strip that can accommodate all your shopping needs. These factory outlets sell just about everything you can buy in any of the markets and some of them even sell packaged Balinese delights . The prices, in general, are far cheaper and one can shop at one’s leisure without being hassled. Here are a few of them. Joger : Located on Jalan Raya Tuban not far from the Supernova shopping centre, this place is extremely popular with domestic tourists and at most times crowded. Joger is an amazing place to shop with practically all handicrafts made in Bali on sale at great prices. They have a vast range of T-Shirts and bags. Geneva : This two-storey complex is located on Jalan Raya Seminyak and set back off the road. The entrance is via a flight of stairs. Geneva has a good selection of knick-knacks and other woodcarvings. Their clothing selection is extensive and all goods are stacked on shelves for easier access. Geneva’s prices are comparable with other factory outlets. Most of the Balinese handicrafts are on sale here including topeng (masks) and lukisan (paintings). They do have a good selection of bedspreads and other home items. Kampung Bali : Located on Jalan Merta Nadi behind the Bali Bakery in Kuta , this place is one of the better factory outlets around town. The L-shaped building is huge with a vast array of clothing, handicrafts and packaged Bali food for sale. Kampung Bali is the kind of place that affords relaxed shopping at great prices. Kampung Bali also has a good selection of hand-crafted musical instruments. It’s not only that, they also have a great selection of sandals and aromatherapy products as well as shelves and shelves of batik clothing and batik pieces. Their selection of bedcovers is fabulous. Do browse around the food section and buy some of the packaged nuts and krupuk . <img src=”http://www.baliblog.com/files/2010/05/krisna5r.jpg” alt=”krisna5r” title=”krisna5r” width=”400″ height=”267″ class=”alignright size-full wp-image-9813″ img align=’right’ border=’1′ style=’margin-left:7px’/ Krisna Oleh-Oleh Khas Bali : In my opinion probably the best factory outlet in Bali. Located on the Sunshine Road , Krisna is massive in size and offers everything you will need as far as handicrafts and clothing are concerned. This complex has an excellent warung just outside the main building serving delicious traditional food and there is even a small playground for the kids. Krisna Oleh-Oleh Khas Bali has a superb array of packaged Balinese delicacies at good prices. Their selection of Balinese handicrafts is the best and the choice of all manner of clothing, outstanding. One could spend hours just shopping in air-conditioned comfort. There really is no need to tramp around local markets when you can purchase all that you need at Krisna.

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There were two places I wanted to visit when I visited Lombok ; the traditional weavers of Sukarara and the pottery at Banyumulek . Fortunately I was able to experience both of these places in the short time I had in Lombok. Banyumulek is one of the three major pottery villages on the island. Here you will find several showrooms with all forms of pottery from floor to ceiling and most are open from 8am-5pm. Lombok has always been famous for their traditional pottery and I was amazed at the colourful selection on sale. I was intrigued to see the potters at work behind the showroom throwing their pieces of clay on a crudely made wheel spun around by foot-power. At most places you can see the full process of creating one of these magnificent pieces of art from a handful of clay to the finished product. Candika was impressed with the clay figurines of animals; some grotesque and others, stunning life-like. I was more interested in a few decorative pots of varying sizes for decorating the home and found exactly what I was looking for. Most showrooms can arrange shipment to your home country for a reasonable price including insurance. Bayumulek is located around 8 kilometres south of Mataram. Head to the woodcarving village of Labuapi and it is a further 2 kilometres to Banyumulek .

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