The Exotic of Taman Ayun Temple

Its holiday time! ? Where will you go? So many interesting places in Bali, sometimes up to confusion to go. The beach or the mall was bored .. At last week this morning we decided to visit Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, which are located very close to Denpasar. Travel about a half hour from downtown Denpasar on the northwest one-way by road to Bedugul and Singaraja. Taman Ayun Temple is located in Badung regency Mengwi.

Arriving at the temple we immediately parked my motor cycle and took pictures in front of the temple area that looks so beautiful. Taman Ayun Temple is surrounded by an artificial pond that makes the atmosphere cool in the neighborhood temple area. Although the water was green and brown but it looks clear. In the gate of temple there are 2 statues guard which is right on the edge of the pond. The existence of clusters to increase the beauty of the lotus pond in this temple complex.

After entering the gate we met two mothers guard booth and buy a ticket in with the price of 3000 rupiah. According to the guard booth mother Pura Taman Ayun was built about 400 years ago around 1634 BC by the king of Mengwi Kingdom, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Made Agung. Next we go to the main page of this temple Taman Ayun. The front page of this temple is so wide and planted with grass so green and lush impressed. In the corner of the temple there is a kind of gajebo buildings with traditional Balinese roof of palm fiber and there are also memorial fountain that leads to a 9 direction of the wind.

To go into the temple area are paving the road to the right and left decorated with flower pots. So airy look and so relieved the landscape. After a while running then we will enter the second door, a Balinese gate decorated with carvings and engravings, beautiful with a few stairs. Right in front of the entrance there are two small buildings that are similar to existing kulkul in each row in Bali. In even this area looks spacious and roomy with a view of the main gate to enter the main building temples. The main door looks tall and elegant with Balinese ornaments and carvings. There are 3 entrances which leaves the door made ​​of wood. For visitors who do not intend to worship must go through the side door on the left. Since we are only visiting and do not pray then we follow the directions as per the instructions and enter from the left side door.

Once entering the side door to the left, you will see beautiful views of the temple even though the main building (the most sacred building of the temple Taman Ayun) given a fence made ​​of brick. Visible Meru (pagoda with terraced roof typical bali) the beautiful and exotic tall. It was wonderful to immortalized in the form of photographs. The more into the scenery looks the better eye even after being in the back of this shrine. Looks neat rows lined Meru sequentially from the lowest and getting into the back of higher and higher. Seen from Meru by one level to the highest Meru (11 level) looks so beautiful. On the right and left part of this sacred pond is overgrown with a kind built by lotus flowers are beautiful. Could I also was stunned, thinking how great architects who built temples along with the building of this beautiful Meru .. Though the temple is built about 400 years ago so it was about 4 centuries standing, but still sturdy and still look so beautiful and exotic. It turned out that not only will the beauty captivated me the Taman Ayun temple, several foreign tourists who come from Korea and India as well as admire the beauty of this temple. They are incessantly taking pictures from various angles in order to get the best angle. And I think from any angle Pura Taman Ayun remain good for immortalized ..

After enjoying the beauty of the building satisfied the main Pura Taman Ayun we finally exit through a side door on the right. I accidentally directing views to the west, which is a kind of building kulkul and there are steps that can be climbed. Finally we went upstairs and look beautiful scenery from above the temple area. Here again the view from no less elegant start of the pool that surrounds the temple to the composed and clustered Meru peeking out from behind the thick foliage. The view is so interesting.

Before leaving this sacred building us a time to enjoy the coconut ice and snacks are sold by merchants who sell in front of the temple area. As soon as the fresh young coconut ice so drive out thirst that had been my feeling. A pleasant journey and was so impressive in this day .. 


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Padang - Padang Beach, Jimbaran, Bali

Padang - Padang beach is a beach with white sands and exotic coral. It is located in Jimbaran, Badung Distric. The beach is still natural to fit in great waves to surf.

SEMINYAK

A few miles north of Kuta is Seminyak which is the hippest part of southern Bali. More upmarket than Kuta and home to Bali's best bars, clubs and restaurants with new places opening almost weekly. Creative energy is the phrase that best sums up Seminyak, energy which also extends to the fashion boutiques.

Cool comes at a price, featuring strongly are world class hotels and resorts located next to the beach. Expect prices to be a little higher than Kuta.

Sunset time at Seminyak beach

Kuta Karnival – 9 Days of Fun on the Beach October 18-26, 2008.

Following the first Kuta Karnival held in 2003, this will represent the sixth year for the festivities which now garners national and international press coverage. The 2008 Karnival will also feature Balinese dance competitions, environmental conservation exhibits, a fun cycle show, seminars and a mass street parade. Based on past years, the Kuta Karnival is expected to draw more than 90,000 people.

Some of the highlights of this year’s Kuta Karnival:

1. Opening Ceremony - Held on the first day of the event, this day will be marked by a traditional Sekar Jagat dance and “Bali Paddle for Peace” in which 1,000 surfers will take to the ocean to spread flower pedals on the waves. 500 turtles will also be released back into the local seas.

2. Food Festival - Tentatively set for day 8 and 9 of the Kuta Karnival more than 60 of Bali’s best restaurants will set up kiosks along Kuta Beach. A children’s play area will be in operation and live entertainment will be on offer from a central stage during these two days when more than 30,000 visitors are expected to attend.

3. Tebs Shocking Games - Tebs will be offering samples of their beverages and a number of adventure activities including rope climbing and rope games offered under the careful supervision of the professionals from Tree Top Bedugul.

4. Beach Volley Ball Competitions - Volley Ball competitions between both local and international teams at the competition arena on each day of the Kuta Karnival.

5. Beach Soccer - Held on “Surf Family Day” informal soccer matches for all those who wish to take part.

6. Sand Creations - School children will have the opportunity to compete for prizes as they display their ability to build sand-based sculptures.

7. Life Guard Demonstrations - See life-saving techniques demonstrated by the Kuta Life Saving Association.

8. Surfing and Body Building - Competitions to be held at “Halfway Point” on Kuta Beach.

9. Skate Ramp - Bali’s landmark skate arena located on the beach will allow everyone a chance to try their skill at skateboarding. Day 3 will be dedicated to a final skate boarding competition.

10. Tug-of-War- See companies, clubs and community groups compete.

11. Traditional Dance and Music - Scheduled for every afternoon of the Karnival - a different traditional Balinese dance each day.

12. Surfer Girl Balinese Dance Competition - Traditional dance competition for children.

13. Traditional Kite Flying - Scheduled for day 2, some 3,200 kites are targeted to participate. at the Bali Garden Hotel.

14. Arts Attractions - Alumni from Bali’s Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) will perform during the Karnival.

15. Bali Islamic Festival - Islamic-themed activities will be on offer at the Discovery Shopping Mall.

16. Beach Stalls - Local merchants and organization offering knowledge and goods from their bazaar stalls stretched along the beach.

17. Suzuki Music Festival - scheduled for each day of the Karnival, see new products and national bands perform.

18. IndieFez XL - Sponsored by XL on the music stage, Day 5.

19. Cardinal Awards - A competition between local bands and models. Winners will compete in Bandung, West Java in a national competition later in the year.

20. Karnival Parade - Set for the last day of the Karnival in the parade will include decorated floats, roller skaters, cyclists, big bikes, antique cars, gamelan orchestras, and horse-drawn carts.

21. Jalan Santai - A fun walks by more than 2,000 people through Kuta Beach.

Legian Street, Kuta, Bali

Jl. Legian is the main street in Kuta as far as tourists are concerned. Packed with bars, nightclubs and restaurant on the lower Kuta end, it turns more into a shopping location in the Legian area. Small clothes shop, bag shops, handicrafts galore, plus salons, jewelry stores as well as the local mini markets. This afternoon I checked out a few places on Jl. Legian and got the impression business was slow. The trend in this area is definitely for boutique type clothes shops, AC with a glass window and fixed prices. They often sit next to a local shop selling stuff like pillow cases, an avalanche of color spilling out onto the sidewalk.
l. Legian is a handy place to rent a scooter / motorbike, buy petrol, get your tires pumped, buy a SIM card / pulsa for your phone. There is a bank BCA ATM machine next to Glory Restaurant. You can also find a postal agent on the other side of the street as well as a DHL office further down. The nice thing about the shops on Jl. Legian in the Legian area, is they are not as busy as Kuta. This enables you to shop with more elbow room and have the time to bargain in peace. Your best option for food on Jl. Legian in Legian is Glory Restaurant. This family friendly place does good food and even has a Balinese buffet on Sundays. Most of the other restaurants are down Jl. Padma, Rum Jungle Rd and so on.

If you hit this street at the right time, you can often see ceremonies taking place at the Pura Agung on Jl. Legian, Balinese people lining the sidewalk in ceremonial attire. This is a photo op for anyone staying in Legian. I liked this photo of female office workers all departing at once.

Shopping in Kuta

Virtually everybody comes to Bali to shop, and even if shopping wasn't the ultimate aim, you'll still end up with fascinating and irresistible buys. Bali is a treasure trove of fine art and handicrafts, antique and semi-antique furniture, paintings, delicately carved jewellery, wood and stone carvings, masks, woven and dyed fabrics.

Bargaining in markets, shops and art shops, is normal practice and getting a good price depends largely on one's bargaining prowess. As bargaining forms a large part of the fun of shopping in Bali, remember to carry cash, as not all places accept credit cards - and be good humoured. Shops are usually open from 10am to 11pm.

International labels, local designer clothes plus skillful tailors and dressmakers offer reliable 24-hours services. Shops selling similar items are normally grouped together to make comparing prices easy, and if the shop you're in doesn't have a particular colour or size, why, just pop over next door!

Kuta's main road is lined with shops selling everything from swimwear, sarongs, handicrafts and CDs to jewelry, clothing, furniture and leather goods. There are even more street hawkers peddling watches and bracelets. Remember to firmly say no, if you're not interested.

The north of Legian Street, from Seminyak to Kerobokan, is now an enclave of boutiques specializing in local designer clothes, antiques, furniture and lifestyle goods. Stop for a bite to eat at interesting delis and warungs. Hawkers are scarce at this end of this street, so you'll have no need to worry about being harassed.

If you just don't enjoy haggling for the right price, Kuta has a number of department stores and shopping centres with fixed prices. Try Kuta Square and Kuta Centre located very close to each other in Jalan Kartika Plaza. Kuta Square is also popular with local shops and a branch of the Matahari Department Stores & Supermarket. Galena Nusa Dua with over 80 specialty shops is also a hit with the avid shopper, as it has everything a tourist and shopper could be interested in.

NUSA DUA

Nusa Dua is part of the Bukit Peninsula in southern Bali. Was designed for the luxury conscious with a heavy concentration of big name hotels lining the beautiful white sand beach. Some of the resorts have private beaches but most areas are accessible. The stretch past the Hilton Resort has been a public beach. At present you will find some simple warungs selling good food at cheap prices along this beautiful stretch of white sandy beach that offers excellent swimming conditions in a protected lagoon

Crystal clear water and stretches of white sandy beach of Nusa Dua makes Nusa Dua a perfect spot for luxurious resorts to which your exhausted bodies, after a Barong performance at Batubulan and a long climb of the steps of the Mother Temple Besakih, will want to rest. Some of the most sumptuous and luxurious hotels in the world find their home in Nusa Dua Bali.

You can relax in the Thalasso spa of the Grand Mirage Resort after a day of surfing or diving. Or you can tee off into the sunset, while watching the gentle waves come from the blue sea and caress the banks surrounding the luscious greens. Tranquil swimming pools under the coconut trees seem to be one with the distant blue sea. Art galleries and numerous shops surround them.

In Bali, Nusa Dua is the place to stay in style.

The resort is known for its clean white beaches and clear waters. The surf is gentle along the northern side of the peninsula, bigger along the south.

The most convenient form of transportation to and from Nusa Dua is by taxi.

Eating in Nusa Dua

The Nusa Dua complex has many international restaurants (with international prices) in the five star hotels. A 7-course French meal at the chic Semeru Rotisserie in the Putri Bali costs $55/person. All hotels hold theme buffet dinners featuring Balinese dance for $30-$40/person.

The Galeria area offers Spanish, Indonesian, Balinese, Italian, Korean, Thai, Swiss-German, Chinese, Japanese, and Western cuisines. Try Warung Bali to taste some local flavor, Sendok Restaurant for a variety of international dishes and Escargot for French cuisine. For fresh spicy seafood, try the Jala-Jala restaurant in the new Nikko Bali hotel. For excellent Japanese food including sushi and teppanyaki, the Matsuri Japanese Restaurant, next to the Galleria Shopping Complex, is a must.

For cheaper food and more natural surroundings, head for the village of Bualu just outside the resort. Outside the main gate to the right is the big Lotus Garden (free transportation in Nusa Dua area) restaurant which serves fesh, homemade pasta, grilled seafood and steaks. If you like spicy West Sumatran food, try Mega Meriah Padang on JI. Bypass Ngurah Rai. The best price-quality deal, though, is the Ulam Restaurant, just outside the gate facing the Hilton. The specialty is the seafood basket for $8 per person. It's a favorite haunt of ministers and celebrities. Kuta's popular Poco Loco Mexican food has opened a branch at JI. Pantai Mengiat. Also on JI. Pantai Mengiat is the Nyoman Beer Garden with its extensive international menu, featuring great pasta and fresh seafood