The Beautiful Belandingan Village

Perched on the east slope of mount Batur, Belandingan is a remote village, which is quite difficult to reach since the road to this village is bumpy. However, Belandingan worth every bit of your effort to reach it. Belandingan has beautiful panorama, unique culture and of course pollution-free and fresh air, even on the way to this village you can enjoy the beautiful views along the bumpy road.

Belandingan is located on a hilly area, make it suitable for jungle tracking and agro-tourism. Most of the inhabitant of Belandingan are farmers and their farms are usually far from their house so they made huts (pondok) in their farms and live there most of the time. They usually go back to their house when there is a temple ceremony in the village.

In addition to the picturesque view of the surrounding, Belandingan also has a unique traditional house architecture compare to other Balinese traditional house architecture. Belandingan’s traditional house is all-inclusive house, which its kitchen is intergrated into the house while other Balinese traditional house has seperated kitchen within the house compound. the Belandingan’s traditional house is almost enterily made of bamboo which is make it unique and eco-friendly.

In short, Belandingan is an interesting village that worth a visit.

Source:blog.baliwww.com

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Central Ubud Overview

Central Ubud is an interesting area where you can make hints what Ubud has to offer. Central Ubud has great restaurant and warungs, accomodation and interesting tourist destinations that serve as hallmarks of Ubud.

In Central Ubud you can visit Puri Saren, Ubud’ s main palace. This palace lies on the northeast comer of the town main crossroads facing the market, the exact center of Ubud. This is an elegant palace with cool nuance. Visitors are free to roam in inner courtyard of the palace to see the ornate thatched Bale (traditional house), royal heirlooms, and numerous colonial-era photographs.

Other interesting site is Pura Saraswati next to Puri Saraswati Bungalows, the royal temple of Ubud, that is situated near the Puri Saren Agung, behind Cafe Lotus. The temple is a masterpiece of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad. The visitors can find a magnificent lotus pond, beautiful garden, numerous of beautifully carved Bale and shrines. This temple is dedicated to the goddess of learning, Dewi Saraswati.

For art lovers, Central Ubud has Puri Lukisan, the “Painting Palace” of Ubud. This museum not just offers beautiful painting but also magnificent statues, a nice place to relax while enjoying beautiful work of art.

Central Ubud houses good restaurants and warungs that have been known as Ubud’s legends.

Ibu Oka’s roasted pig is a popular eating establisment  in Ubud.  The food stall has stood here for the past 20 years, a legend. The babi guling (spit-roasted pig) here is world-famous, and this humble eating place is virtually a place of pilgrimage. The roast pork is served with rice and spiced veggies. There are normal tables and chairs but you can also sit on the floor at low tables inside the bale (pavilion).

Next to Ibu Oka’s, across Kanjeng Street is Café Lotus. This cafe provides you not just delicious food and excellent beverage but also nice and pleasant surroundings. Surrounded by lotus pond and impressive Ubud palace’s family temple rise majestically in the background, a gamelan plays daily in the small raised wantilan will give a relaxing effect to you and if you happen to come there when the lotus is bloom you will surely enjoy the most soothing view in Ubud and of course, at a reasonable cost.

Ary’s Warung is also a good choice. This eatery maintains its long and impeccable reputation of providing friendly service and delicious dishes. The warung has two levels; if you choose to sit downstairs, at street level, you will be surrounded by warm finishes of teak and coconut wood, marble and natural stone, antique wall decorations and tropical greenery with a very stylish bar setting, this section usually for luncheon. Or, upstairs on the open-air terrace, a spacious room, an open tree-lined veranda, which seems to catch whatever cooling breezes are present at the time. You can lounge in oversized rattan chairs while enjoying the view of Ubud’s main street and village temples.

Another great restaurant is Casa Luna, a very large restaurant but with excellent interior design and relaxed tropical atmosphere. Apart from delicious food, Casa Luna’s  attentive staff even watch your children while you are eating.  The Balinese food and homemade cakes and desserts served in Casa Luna are favorite as well as the delicious Mediterranean dishes.

Central Ubud also offers good range of accomodation for all kinds of traveller, here are some good choices :

Pradha Guest House is situated just a stone throw from Café Lotus close to Ibu Oka’s. Pradha Guest House offers comfortable accomodation  in reasonable prices. This guest house also has swimming pool, restaurant and spa.

Villa Chempaka

Villa Chempaka is good mid-range choice. It is offers balinese style villa with complete amenities, wooden floor,  swimming pool, and terrace with garden and rice field view.

Samhita Garden

Samhita Garden is great choice for upmarket travellers. It offers 9 superior bungalow, 2 suites and 2 villas. The room and villa have complete amenities and entertaiment facilities. Samhita Garden provides facilities such as swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Komaneka at Bisma

The newest Komaneka in Ubud is designed as a sophisticated and contemporary lifestyle destination. It’s elegant villas, each with its private pool, and spacious suites are completed with an Indonesian fine dining restaurant, luxurious spa-villa, and wedding chapel

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Tanah Lot, To Open 24 Hours

Tanah Lot still has the allure that this sacred sea temple is never empty of visitor. From morning till afternoon, this magical destination is flocked by tourists, locals and foreigners. And after exploring the sea temple standing on the water and watch the golden sunset they will return home. Night is not so attractive. But it will change soon.

The management will give opportunity for those who want to experience Tanah Lot at night. Thus, they plan to install 100 lamps in several spots. “This year we focus on the lightings and we predict this project will cost 1 Billion Rupiah,” said Tanah Lot Operational Manager, Made Sujana. Further he said that this project will give the option to the travelers who have no time in the morning to visit Tanah Lot.

“If the visitors usually enjoy the sunset only but after the lightings is installed, they can watch the show of Kecak dance or savor the dinner at restaurant situated around the beach,” Made Sujana added.

He also mentioned that the installation of 100 lamps will be done into two areas; each will have 50 lamps. 50 lamps will be installed around the beach to lighten up the exotic temples. When the temple on the rock is lightened it will give dramatic effect. In the meantime another 50 lamps will radiate the parking area. Hence from the first spot of this destination, the visitors will feel enthusiastic and it will last when they leave this place.

Tanah Lot’s Management also urges the local government to install the lamps along the entrance way to Tanah Lot. “Especially the long road Mungu-Beraban, it needs more lightings and maintenance of the broken road,” Sujana explained.

This refurbishment will result in the new Tanah Lot. This sacred temple for Hindu community to pray as well as majestic destination that will hypnotize more tourists will be planned to open for 24-hour nonstop.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Bali International Convention Centre

Developed as a luxury resort complex in the southern-most tip of Bali, Nusa Dua is home to the island’s most luxurious hotel and resort accommodation and conference facilities. Located in a secluded enclave with access controlled by private security, and just 10 kilometers from Bali’s international airport and 25 minutes from the chic and vivacious Kuta, Legian and Seminyak districts, Nusa Dua exceeds all expectations as a world class tourist destination.

Building an International Reputation

Choosing a location for a large global meeting is a challenging task. Size, security, access for the world¡¦s main air carriers, full back up equipment, luxury accommodation within easy reach, professional interpreting and media facilities, first class management and catering, unique tour and entertainment options are all to be taken into consideration.

BICC has risen to the challenge. That is why so many world meetings and conventions made this their first choice. 

With exceptional conference facilities catering to international conferences and world summits to corporate conventions and exhibitions, BICC is the pride of Nusa Dua with facilities and services that rival anywhere in the world. Indoor and outdoor venues, both on site or in a location of your choice, can be catered to with BICC’s internationally renowned level of quality service and attention to detail. 

Meeting facilities can easily be arranged for a wide spectrum of requirements and needs; be it a small scale company presentation or a private power breakfast to a full blown international conference with delegates from all over the world.

Facilities include:

17 meeting rooms
2,700 square meters exhibition space
Exclusive bonded warehouse
Built-in and portable simultaneous interpreter system
10 meter ceiling in Nusa Indah Hall
Secretariat Offices
Ballroom Foyer (air-conditioned with natural lighting)
Auditorium with 506 seats and built-in stage
Broadband internet access in all meeting rooms
Wi-Fi connection
Dedicated Convention Services and Audio Visual Team

Adjoining to the Bali International Convention Centre is the Westin Resort Nusa Dua Bali. Each one of 346 spacious guest room offer the Heavenly Bed, flat screen television set connected to over 30 TV channels, an electronic safe, voice mail system, wireless internet service, complimentary tea/coffee making facilities, iron and ironing board and refreshment centre. The luxury suites feature separate living room and bedroom areas, all with balconies.

There are over 3,000 first class hotel rooms in the immediate vicinity of Nusa Dua Resort Area. Some of the closer properties include:

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa

The Laguna Resort & Spa

Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort

Grand Hyatt Bali

Ayodya Resort Bali

Novotel Nusa Dua Golf Resort

Nikko Bali Resort & spa

source: blog.baliwww.com

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Diving at Pemuteran

Pemuteran area, with its scenic beach is located four km west of Pulaki, 28 km east of Gilimanuk and 40 km west of Lovina. For diving enthusiast Pemuteran offers some of the island’s best diving and snorkeling with great dropoffs just one km offshore. This idyllic resort is also strategic to be used as a base for diving the North Bali areas, with its quiet and pleasant atmosphere and range of accommodation from budget to luxury.

For diving activities, Pemuteran is a good site for beginners since there is hardly any current there. Diving in Pemuteran is good year-around but the best times are from March to early May and September to January. The water temperatures are around 28º – 32ºC and visibility is good.

There are many good dive sites around Pemuteran, such as Napoleon Reef, is an underwater mound, about the size of football field. With its flat top, Napoleon Reef is home of sponges and corals, cuttlefish, and manta rays. Another good reef is Lebar Reef that is covered with thickets of staghorn and tabletops acropora and fan gorgonians.

Another good site is Kebun Batu (Rock Garden), a huge boulder rise from the bottom to just meters below the surface, covered with sponges and corals and serves as home for various fishes. Pemuteran not just offers beautiful sponges and corals, there is also a site known as “Close Encounters” where divers can get a close encounter with big fish such as reef shark, tuna, mackerel, Napoleon wrasse and occasional whale shark.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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The Serene Pemuteran Area

Pemuteran is a coastal area, situated in the northwest of Bali. Pemuteran area is including to the edge Bali Barat National Park, a government-protected park with only few minutes drive to the east from Teluk Terima. Pemuteran receives less rainfall than other island areas during rainy season and is too dry for rice cultivation. Its people traditionally live from the sea. Pemuteran has the largest area of shallow coral reefs in Bali that are easily accessible, because the area is calm and free of strong currents and waves which affect most other parts of the island.

In the last decade, Pemuteran Area has been developed as a tourism resort with nine small mountains as a dramatic backdrop and Bali Sea in the front, Pemuteran offers uncompromising beautiful view. In two hours, you can climb to the top of the mountains to the west from where you can view either the sunrise or sunset. Pemuteran is also armed to teeth with tidy, black sand, scenic beach, a serene beach far away from the hustle bustle of the south Bali, a perfect place for those who give more emphasis on tranquility and peacefulness.

  

  

Pemuteran is also a perfect place for water sport lovers; you can do various water sports here such as diving, skiing, fishing, and parasailing. As I said earlier Pemuteran has the largest area of shallow coral reefs; the spectacular coral reef growth near land made for a diving and snorkeling paradise. For the divers, Pemuteran has the Napoleon Reef 1.5 km offshore; the soft coral like flowers blooming, plenty of reef fish such as damsel fish, silver fusilier, blue dancers, snappers, with occasional manta ray. Because the area is furthest from the island’s main tourism centers to the south, it was quiet and unspoiled.

  

  

Pemuteran community declared that the reefs are protected no-fishing zones, for eco-tourism use only. Local fishermen banned bomb and cyanide reef fishing in Pemuteran Bay to preserve the beauty of the reefs. Through such conservation efforts, the healthy Pemuteran bank reefs drew increasing numbers of divers and snorkelers to view the coral gardens.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Diving at Menjangan Island

Located on the north western tip of Bali, Menjangan Island can be reached by boat from Labuhan Lalang port or from Terima Bay in Buleleng regency. It is received its name from the wild java deer that graze on its open savannahs. Menjangan Island is one of Bali’s premier scuba diving and snorkeling locales, this island has reefs that are frequented by species of fish of every size, shape and color. Menjangan Island boasts of 110 species of reefs and 226 species of reef’s fish and other kind of fish.

Menjangan Island has a good geographical position. With no current and wind-generate waves to contend with Menjangan Island is suitable for beginning and intermediate divers. And when it comes to visibility, Menjangan Island holds the sway, occasionally, the water can be crystal clear, and for the rest of the time visibility seldom go under 25 meters.

Under the water surface, Menjangan Island has variety of underwater terrain, from two meters below the surface to 150 meters offshore. The interesting feature which is offered by this island to the divers is soft coral walls around the island. The walls are almost vertical and extended down to 35-60 below the surface. The reef has unusually rugged surface with caves, grottoes, crevasses and funnel-like splits break up the coral wall, with nooks and crannies texture the surface of the walls. The walls are covered various large-size Gorgonians, huge-barrel sponges and soft corals.

On the south side of the island, divers can explore a spectacular 120-meter dropoffs and caves. On the north western end of Menjangan Island lies the “Anker” wreck, a 25-meter wreck lies on a sandy slope from 7 meters down to 45 meter underwater. This spot has excellent soft corals with variety of fish such as parrotfish, surgeonfish, unicornfish, butterflyfish, batfish, damselfish, triggerfish, scorpionfish, bannerfish and other reef life.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Tulamben

Tulamben is a small fishing village on the north-east coast of Bali. It is among the most popular dive sites on Bali since the wreck of the Liberty, a US Army Transport ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 lies just off shore. During high-season, up to 100 divers descend to the wreck each day.

The town’s name is derived from the word batulambih, which roughly translates as “many stones” a reference to the destructive eruptions by Mount Agung that have affected this part of Bali from time to time. The modern name evolved over time, first to “Batulamben” and finally settling on the contraction Tulamben (“batu” means “stone” in Indonesian).

The wreck lies in shallow water and is considered appropriate for divers of all certification levels. The ship rests in 30 meters of water, is roughly 25 meters from shore and can be reached with a short swim from the beach. The highest point of the wreck tops out about 5 meters from the surface. The ship was torpedoed by the Japanese off the nearby Island of Lombok and the ship was towed to the beach at Tulamben for salvage operations. The 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung, which devestated much of the eastern side of Bali, drove the ship into the water just off shore, where it became encrusted with coral and a home to other sea life.

The best conditions for diving here are during October and November, when the weather is generally calm and during the start of southeast monsoon, which typically extends from May to July. In addition to a wide variety of corals and invertebrates on the wreck itself, large fish frequent the wreck in some seasons, most popularly Mola mola and whale sharks. Professional divers have praised local residents for minimizing local fishing activity.

source:blog.baliwww.com

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Diving and Snorkeling at Padang Bai

Snorkeling

There is good snorkeling in the bay, though the snorkeling at the Blue Lagoon is much better. Many of the local dive operators organize trips to this spot. If the waves are large, don’t bother snorkeling as the current is extremely strong and visibility will be 1 to 3 meters at best. On a calm day expect lots of fish and great visibility. Buoys mark the furthest point snorkelers should go. For even better snorkeling you can charter a boat.

Several places in Padang Bai rent snorkeling equipment.

Diving

Padangbai is noted for its diving and the friendly dive centres are right on the beach with their own bars for after-diving refreshments.

Geko Dive, Jl Pantai Silayulkti, Padang Bai (northern end of the bay), â˜Ž +62 363 41516. PADI dive centre which has been awarded GoEco operator status by Project Aware. Offer full range of courses and fun dives. English and Dutch speaking instructors.

Q-Dive Bali, Jl Silayukti 7, Padang Bai (in the front of the Puri Rai Hotel), Ph +62 363 41387 , fax: +62 363 41386). A new PADI diving school

source:blog.baliwww.com

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