Nusa Penida : The Golden Egg of Bali

Not many people know that Bali has a part (district) at south-east side consisting three islands. The biggest one is named Nusa Penida. The smaller island is called Nusa Lembongan and the smallest one is known as Nusa Ceningan, this island is situated between Nusa penida and Nusa Lembongan. Each of them has own tourist destination and unique art. However, Nusa Penida offers awesome beaches that are still pure and conservation for birds, plants, and turtle, and a very special dance, because of that people often call it as Golden Egg but it has not hatched yet. Why?

Nusa Penida is a district belonging to Klungkung regency. In order to get to Nusa Penida you have to take a trip to Padang Bay first. Then, you have to cross Badung Strait (between Bali Island and Nusa Penida) using “Roro-Nusa Jaya Abadi” the only ferryboat that can help you cross to Nusa Penida. After spending about one hour voyage then you will reach Toya Pakeh Harbor. At there you can travel the island by “omprengan” or modified pick-up car.

Nusa Penida has many tourism destinations that can be enjoyed. Beaches are very easy to be found in this island, Puncak Temu where you can find beautiful scene, several choices of art performance can be watched.

A beach which is closest to the harbor is situated in Toya Pakeh village. In this beach, there is a floating restaurant. The most important thing is you are allowed to dive in this beach and see very beautiful reef. Indeed, in this beach, reef is an important component that is still preserved from any damage.

Besides Toya Pakeh Beach, Nusa Penida has a very cozy beach. It is around 4 km from Toya Pakeh. This beach is situated in Sakti Village at Banjar Penida. I guarantee you that this beach is different from the famous Kuta or Sanur. The beach which people call it Crystal Bay, is very quiet, far from crowd. The water is sparkling blue. The sand is black but it is covered by white sand. The beach is very clean because people at Banjar Penida keep it clean. And the beach is gated by escarpment.

Far from the beach, situated on the top of elevated ground is Puncak Temu, from this place you can get bird-eye view of beautiful scenes of Nusa Penida. There are also some white shrines can be found in this place. Around the srines, there are many trees seems keep it from outside world. Different from other places at Nusa Penida which tend to be dry and lack of water, Puncak Temu is dominated with lush green vegetables signing that water is available there.

On very south of Nusa Penida there are villages named Sekartaji and Suana. In these villages, Nusa Penida Endemic Bird: little sulfur-crested cockatoo can be found. In all regions in Nusa Penida there is only four little sulfur-crested cockatoo left. One female and others are male. You are lucky if you can take a photograph of this bird since this bird is very energetic.
Nusa Penida does not only offer the amazing tourism destination but also unique dances. Sanghyang Dewa dance is one of them. This dance must be danced by little girl who has not got menstruation yet. People of Nusa Penida categorize it into sacred dance because it is danced on special day at the temple. That little girl is unconscious while she dances it.

The explanation above is only a few from various arts and tourism destinations in Nusa Penida. However, not many tourists have information about this island and only few tourists visit this island. Nusa Penida is a potential tourist destination but it has not managed yet. No wonder this Golden Egg has not hatched yet.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Manusia Purba Museum

Manusia Purba Museum is a small prehistoric museum with significant collections of prehistoric artifacts and prehistoric human’s bones. This unique museum is located in the west tip of Bali, in Gilimanuk, Jembrana regency. This museum houses collection of prehistoric bones and artifacts which were found by R.P. Soejoeno of Bali Archaeological Service during great excavation in 1962, in the village of Cekik, where the museum finally located.

Cekik site is one of the biggest necropolises found in Indonesia. In this site, the archeologists found various artifacts such as jewelries, bronze equipments, glass beads, pottery and sarcophagus, 100 complete prehistoric human skeletons adult were also found in an ancient graveyard in this excavation area.

The artifacts and the bones which were found in Cekik excavation site are exhibited in this museum in a modest display. The prima ballerina of this museum is two sarcophaguses which form a set of doublejar burial, it is a unique burial system in which the second jar contains a skeleton in a position of a man which his hand were tied in the back, which suggest that this unfortunate person was buried alive against his will to accompany the deceased person in the first sarcophagus.

Manusia Purba Museum of Gilimanuk houses a complete collection of early civilization in this island which provides useful information on the life and culture of ancient inhabitants of the last paradise; magnificent and important collections for a small and modest museum which is frequently unnoticed by the Balinese and the visitors. It worth a visit but one hardly knows it exists.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Subak Museum

Subak Museum is definetely one of the most interesting museums in Bali. It is located in Sanggulan village two km east of Tabanan. The Subak Museum houses exhibits on the history and development of Bali’s unique Subak irrigation organization. This is the only museum in Bali to focus on agriculture, provides all information on agricultural life of Bali and all its related aspects.

As its name suggest the main display in Subak Museum is the miniature of Subak which provides series of pictures of development of a Subak from finding a wellspring, creating tunnels and dams,channeling water through tunnels and dams to managing the water in the rice fields. Displays of farming implements for cutting, cleaning and pounding rice; tools for leveling land, ploughing, weeding, and digging water tunnels; various fish traps; tweezers for catching eels, wooden net used to catch dragonflies, and all implements in relation with Subak activities can be found here.

  

  

  

The Subak Museum provides a film which describes the process of handling the agricultural land. This process consists of various activities, from the meeting of Subak members to arrange the Subak rules to cultivating the land up to expressing gratitude to God for a good harvest. The museum also shows the variety of ceremonies commonly conducted at various stages of the cultivation cycle. There are also a miniature of kitchen with utensils used for cooking rice, a scale model of traditional house compounds which is built based on ancient architectural science of Asta Kosali Kosali.

  

  

  

For the visitors who want to get further information on Subak, a library with complete collection of books, palm leaves manuscripts and carved copper plates concerning with the Subak is at your service. The collections mainly deals with variety of rituals held at every stage of cultivation cycle, method of farming and auspicious days to start activities including their abstinences. The library not just houses collections in relation with Subak (irrigated field) but also provides complete collection of literature on Subak Abian(non-irigated ricefield).

  

  

  

Subak Museum not just gives complete information on Subak but also provides an image on how deeply rice farming intertwines inextricably with daily life of Balinese as well as with Balinese culture and religion.

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source:blog.baliwww.com

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Bali’s Botanical Gardens

Kebun Raya Eka Karya is the official title for Bali’s botanical gardens that stretch majestically across a plateau between two minor mountain ranges in an area known as Bedugul. The gardens provide a recreational destination for family gatherings, staff outings and international visitors interested in local species of flora.

Elevated high above sea level in the cool forest plains of the Tabanan regency, the botanical gardens cover approximately 154 hectares of fertile landscape and were established during the 1950’s as a branch of Indonesia’s national gardens in Bogor, outside the capital of Jakarta.

The gardens are within the vicinity of the landlocked Lake Beratan where the crisp air is a welcome escape from the humidity of Bali’s tropical south. There is also a traditional market close by where stalls are laden with locally grown fruit, vegetables, spices, vibrant potted orchids and other plant varieties suited to temperate conditions.

The gardens are crossed by a series of winding asphalt roads that can accommodate a family car ormini-bus for those who prefer to sightsee in comfort without overly exerting themselves. Alternatively, visitors can wander around and explore on foot to experience the clean country air and marvel at the diversity of native flora. Coloured tracks mark different routes that lead through pathways sheltered by towering trees to expose designated areas filled with roses, orchids, ferns and other plants that are cultivated for their medicinal properties.

A recent addition to the gardens is an innovative activity called Tree Top Adventures where a mini assault course, featuring suspended ropes, ladders and pulleys, is directed around a network of trees that soar into the sky. Participants must wear a safety harness and clip themselves onto the security cables as they make their way around the course. Designed to harmonize with the landscape and respect all existing flora, this activity introduces visitors to the natural beauty of the gardens and at the same time safeguards its existence for future generation to appreciate.

Trips to the botanical gardens can be arranged through any reputable travel agency and the journey, which is nearly 2-hours from Kuta, takes in some of Bali’s most stunning rural scenery of farmland, terraced rice fields and tropical forests. The gardens are extremely popular on weekends and public holidays when the Balinese like to come in extended family groups to a enjoy picnic luncheon and then pray at the nearby lakeside temple that is dedicated to the Goddess of water.

photo taken from planetmole.org

By mid afternoon a thick mountain mist begins to shroud the entire landscape of the gardens. The air becomes quite chilly and visibility is poor. Most visitors decide that this is the best time to pack up and make a few purchases at the market before venturing home. For those who decide to stay overnight there are plenty of simple guest bungalows in the Bedugul area that ideally suit travellers’ seeking a relaxed pace away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta and other major tourist destinations.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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