About Bali

Bali Highlight

Mount Batur

(Gunung Batur) is an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung Bali Indonesia.  The south east side of the larger 10 by13 km caldera contains a caldera lake.  The inner 7.5 km wide caldera, which was formed during emplacement of the Bali (or Ubud) ignimbrite has been dated at about 23,670 and 28,500 years ago.

The southeast wall of the inner caldera lies beneath Lake Batur.  The Batur cone has been constructed within the inner caldera to a height above the outer caldera rim.  The Batur stratovolcano  has produced vents over much of the inner caldera, but a NE-SW fissure system has localized the Batur I, II, and III craters along the summit ridge.    Historical eruptions have been characterized by mild-to-moderate explosive activity sometimes accompanied by lava emission. Basaltic lava flows from both summit and flank vents have reached the caldera floor and the shores of Lake Batur in historical time.  The caldera contains an active, 700m tall stratovolcano rising above the surface of Lake Batur. The first historically documented eruption of Batur was in 1804, and it has been frequently active since then.  The substantial lava field from the 1968 eruption is visible today when viewed from Kintamani a town that straddles the southwest ridge of the greater caldera.

The caldera is populated and includes the two main villages of Kedisan and Toya Bungkah. The locals largely rely on agriculture for income but tourism has become increasingly popular due to the relatively straightforward trek to the summit of the central crater.

The lake, Danau Batur  is the largest crater lake on the island of Bali and is a good source of fish.

On September 20, 2012 UNESCO  has made Mount Batur Caldera a part of the Global Geopark Network

Gunung Kawi

is an 11th-century temple complex in Tampak Siring north east of  Ubud in Bali Indonesia.  It is located on the river Pakrisan.

The temple complex comprises of 10 rock-cut candi (shrines) carved into the cliff face.  They stand in  7m high (23 ft) sheltered niches cut into the sheer cliff face.  These monuments are thought to be dedicated to King Anak Wungsu of the Udayana dynasty and his favourite queens.

Gunung Kawi is a Hindu Temple complex with old omission from the stone era located in Gianyar regency.  Based on the inscription of Tengkulak A on 945 saka (Balinese calendar) which is released by Marakata King, the ancient omission complex is located at the Pekerisan River then it is called Katyangan Amarawati.  Pekerisan River is also named by Jalu which is according to the inscription chiseled above of the biggest temple door sound ‘Haji Lumahing Jalu’.  The name of Gunung Kawi is the name given on the omission which is related to the complex of temples because the temple in this area is like the symbol from the mount.  There are 3 temples which are called Gunung Kawi in Bali and they are Gunung Kawi in Sebatu countryside, Gunung Kawi Temple in Keliki countryside and Gunung Kawi Temple in Babitra countryside. The ancient omission complex of Gunung Kawi was founded in the 10th century. It is founded in the era of Udayana about 989 M. At the period of Marakata governance in 1023, the omission which is called Katyagan Amarawati was developed and continued by the governance of Anak Wungsu which is between the years of 1049 – 1077 M.

Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave,

is located on the island of  Bali near Ubud , in Indonesia.  Built in the 9th century, it served as a sanctuary

At the façade of the cave is a relief of various menacing creatures and demons carved right into the rock at the cave entrance.  The primary figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname Elephant Cave.  The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana written in 1365.  An extensive bathing place on the site was not excavated until the 1950s.  This appears to have been built to ward off evil spirits.

Tirta Empul Temple

is a Hindu temple located in the middle of Bali Island, Indonesia , famous for its Holy Water  where Hindu Bali people go for purification.

The Tirta Empul Temple was built in 962 A.D. during the Warmadewa Dynasty (from the 10th to 14th centuries), at a site where there was a large water spring.

On the left side of the temple is a modern villa on the hill, built for President Soekarno ‘s visit in 1954, which is now used as a rest house for important guests.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

is a Balinese sea temple in Bali.  Built in the 11th century, it is one of nine directional temples meant to protect Bali from evil spirits.  It is located in Pecatu village, Kuta South District of Badung Regency of Bali.

Tanah Lot

is a Rock formation off the Indonesia island of Bali. It is home of a Pilgrimage temple. The Tanah Lot temple is a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography and general exoticism

Tanah Lot means “Land [sic: in the] Sea” in the Balinese Language Located in Tabanan Regency, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 15th-century priest Nirarta. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island’s beautiful setting and rested there.  Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts.  Nirartha then spent the night on the little island.  Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese Mythology for centuries.  The temple is one of seven sea temple around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples were established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast.  However, the temple had significant Hindu influence.

At the base of the rocky island,  poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders.  A giant snake purportedly protects the temple, which was created from Nirartha’s scarf when he established the island.

Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana, or Garuda Wisnu Kencana

(GWK), is a 240 hectares private cultural park on the Bukit peninsula at the southern end of the island of Bali in Indonesia, 15 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport.  Bukit is a limestone plateau with Uluwat to the west and Nusa Dua to the east.

It is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu, and his mount, Garuda, the mythical bird who is his companion.

Currently, the statue of Vishnu is 23 metres (75.5 ft) high, although the original plan was for a 146-metre (479 ft) gold-plated Vishnu riding Garuda on top of an 11-storey entertainment complex.  Garuda wing span will be 64 metres (210.0 ft) across.  When it’s completed, it will be the largest statue in the world.  The idea was not without controversy, and religious authorities on the island complained that its massive size might disrupt the spiritual balance of the island, and that its commercial nature was inappropriate, but some groups agree with the project, because it will make new a tourist attraction over barren land.

After dormant moment, in 2013 Nyoman Nuarta who has most of the GWK’s land and PT Alam Sutera Realty Tbk (IDX:ASRI) made join cooperation, but there is no declared share portion available.  PT Alam Sutera Realty Tbk will build some luxurious villas and apartments in the GWK area and as compensation the company will disburse Rp150 billion ($14.4 million).  Nuarta will spend from his own pocket another Rp20 billion to make another bust, because the existing bust will move to another site 300 meters from the original site and Rp29 billion to make a new design of stainless steal framework of the statue instead of using galvanized steal in the previous design.  It is predicted that the project will be finished in early 2015.

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan,

or Pura Bratan, is a major Shivaite and water temple on Bali , Indonesia — the other major water temple being Pura Ulun Danu Batur.  The temple complex is located on the shores of Lake Beratan in the mountains near Bedugul.  Water temples serve the entire region in the outflow area.  Downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association (Subak).

Built in 1663, this temple is used for offerings ceremony to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali.  The 11 stories of pelinggih meru dedicated for Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Budha statue is also present inside this temple.

Pura Ulun is featured in Indonesian banknote

Lake Bratan is known as the Lake of Holy Mountain due to the fertility of this area.  Located 1200m above sea level, it has a cold tropical climate.

Jatiluwih

village in Penebel District, north of Tabanan, has paddy fields following the contours of terraced land against the background of spellbinding Mount Batukaru and Mount Agung use traditional Balinese irrigation known as subak, Bali’s community-based water control management system. It lies at an altitude of 700 meters, the cool atmosphere of more original beautiful Jatiluwih is better than the most well known Tegallalang which has plenty of cafes and souvenir shops.  Two routes to Jatiluwih are Denpasar>Kediri>Tabanan>Penebel>Jatiluwih or Denpasar>Mengwi>Baturiti>Jatiluwih. Jatiluwih which has gained acknowledgement from UNESCO as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

Lovina Beach (or often simply Lovina)

is a coastal area on the northwestern side of the island of Bali, Iindonesia. The coastal strip stretches from 5 km west of the city of Singaraja to 15 km west. Singaraja is the seat of Buleleng Regency. The Lovina area contains the small villages (from east to west) of Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Anturan, Banyualit, Kalibukbuk, Kaliasem and Temukus. It is becoming more popular with tourists but remains far quieter than the tourist hotspots of the island’s south side.

The area takes its name from a home owned by Panji Tisna (1908-1978), a Regent of Buleleng and pioneer of tourism to Bali in the early 1950s.

Popular activities for visitors include early-morning boat trips off the coast to see Dolphin

Around the 1950s, Anak Agung Pandji Tisna, had traveled to several countries in Europe and Asia. He stayed several weeks in Bombay (now Mumbai). What attracted him most was the life of the people in India. By observing the people’s way of life in the area, he got the thought and the outlook for Bali, especially the development of social welfare in the Buleleng region. While he was in Bombay, Panji Tisna saw a place that was beautifully laid out as a spot for leisure on the beach. The land had much similarity with what he owned on Kampung Baru Beach – Buleleng – North Bali, which also was between two rivers. Pandji Tisna was inspired to create a resort like that. The land he already had in hand.

Returning from abroad in 1953, Anak Agung Pandji Tisna immediately began to build on his land, a cottage called Guesthouse “LOVINA”. The place was designed for the “travellers” or tourists for a vacation. The guesthouse was furnished with three bedrooms and a small restaurant near the sea. Some business observers claimed that the plan of Panji Tisna would not work as expected. They thought it was too early to make business of such a kind on a secluded beach like Tukad Cebol. Local cultural observers stated that “Lovina” was a foreign word, not Balinese. Furthermore, there is no letter “v” in Balinese alphabet. In 1959 Anak Agung Panji Tisna sold the Lovina Guesthouse to his relative, Anak Agung Ngurah Sentanu, 22 years, who became the owner and manager of Lovina. Business was going pretty well. However, there were no travellers or tourists. Only a few of Pandji Tisna’s friends came from America and Europe, as well as the regional government officials and businessmen from Singaraja for a vacation. On special days such as Sundays and holidays, like Galungan and Kuningan, many people, including students, however did come to enjoy the natural atmosphere on the beach of Tukad Cebol.

Ubud

is a town on the Indonesia island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar Regency. One of Bali’s major art and culture centres, it has developed a large tourism industry.

Ubud has a population of about 30,000 people.  Recently, it has become difficult to distinguish the town itself from the villages that surround it.

8th century legend tells of a Javanese priest, Rsi Markendya, who meditated at the confluence of two rivers (an auspicious site for Hindus) at the Ubud locality of Campuan.  Here he founded the Gunung Lebah Temple on the valley floor, the site of which remains a pilgrim destination.

The town was originally important as a source of medicinal herbs and plants.  Ubud gets its name from the Balinese word ubad (medicine). In the late nineteenth century, Ubud became the seat of feudal lords who owed their allegiance to the king of Gianyar, at one time the most powerful of Bali’s southern states.  The lords were members of the satriya family of Sukawati, and were significant supporters of the village’s increasingly renowned arts scene.

Tourism on the island developed after the arrival of Walter Spies, an ethnic Germany born in Russia who taught painting and music, and dabbled in dance. Spies and foreign painters Willem Hofker and Rudolf Bonnet entertained celebrities including Charley Chaplin, Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, H.G Wellsa and Vicki Baun. They brought in some of the greatest artists from all over Bali to teach and train the Balinese in arts, helping Ubud become the cultural centre of Bali.

A new burst of creative energy came in 1960s in the wake of Dutch painter Arie Smith (1916-), and development of the Young Artists Movement. There are many museums in Ubud, including the Museum Puri Lukisan, Museum Neka and the Agung Rai Museum Of Art.

The Bali tourist boom since the late 1960s has seen much development in the town; however, it remains a centre of artistic pursuit.

Taman Ayun Temple.

Pursuant to Papyrus Chronicle of the Mengwi (Lontar Babad Mengwi), the temple which is now referred by Taman Ayun Temple that it had been newly sanctified in the year 1634 M and it is named with Taman Ahyun Temple. The word of Ahyun is coming from from the root word Hyun meaning a temple is founded in the park (pool with the beautiful garden) which can fulfill the desire. The word Ahyun is then changed into Ayun word. Taman Ayun Temple is one of Hindu Temples in Bali become tourist destination which has been visited by many tourists from local and foreign. This temple is usually visited by tourist once having a set tour to Tanah Lot Temple due to this temple is the same route of the Tanah Lot Temple Tour.

Temple Position and Function

The function of Taman Ayun Temple is a place to pray the god in their manifestation. It is according to the content of Babad Mengwi and the existence of temple building structure, especially the temple that is located in third area (Jeroan). According to Astadewata, the special God is worshiped in Taman Ayun Temple is the God in manifestation as a Wisnu God which his palace located in top of Mangu mount. In papyrus of Usana Bali mentioning that one of Dewa Catur Lokapalas carry through its worship is Meru Pucak Pangelengan that is a temple building with 9 multistoried roofs. Pitara God is a holy soul deity of ancestor who is also referred as the other names of Hyang Pitara or Dewa Hyang. Pitara God is obliged to be worshiped by clan heir (Prati Sentana) in the form of temple ceremony which the same meaning as by the ceremony to the god. The worshiping existence to Pitara God in Taman Ayun Temple can be searched and proved by pursuant to the existence of temple building which lay in by consecution in east which is called Paibon that is representing Special Temple. Taman Ayun Temple in capacities or its status as special altar for the King family of Mengwi Palace or as a Merajan Agung from Mengwi King Families specially for the founder of Mengwi Empire that is I Gusti Agung Putu.