What makes the Bali island is a unique destination for
travelers?
By Ekarini
Photo: Bali Travel Info
People say, “You
should put Bali on your bucket lists.” I
believe everyone should at least once in his or her life experience time. There
are so many reasons why traveling to Bali will give you more than you expect,
then you will come back for more than once.
“To me, Bali is one
of those exceptions to my general rule of avoiding ‘popular’ travel
destinations. It’s such a unique place in the world that I still really love it
despite the fact that it is famous and fashionable, attributes that typically
turn me off.” Traveler
Here are some
reasons why you should visit Bali:
- Friendly and Happy
people Everywhere
The heartwarming
people, people will greet you as soon you wake up in the morning. I say this, not because I am a Balinese, but
this is true. Balinese people are happy
people based on the research of the happiest people on the Indonesian islands.
“The index of happiness of the Balinese in 2017 reached 72.48 from the scale of
0-100. Head of Bali Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Adi Nugroho stated, this
figure is higher than the average happiness of the people of Indonesia 70.69.”
Tirto. id
You will see for
yourself, whether they take your order in a restaurant or greet you with a good
morning on your breakfast table with “Selamat Pagi.” Balinese people always
smile and contagious and there is no better way to start your day than with a
smile right?
Photo:Bali Travel Info
- The Beaches
Beautiful beaches
are a must have for your tropical island destination, and Bali delivers with
many of them. You won’t believe that the
crazy Kuta beach, through the years the most visited beaches on the island, is
a sight to behold with its long, curved stretch of white sand and surf that
swimmers and surfers alike can enjoy. And the sunsets there are breathtaking.
You also can go to visit black sand beaches like at Pererenan Beach and Seseh Beach. You can enjoy warm water all year around, day
and night. Even in the rainy season, you
still can go to the beach. If you love
beaches, the best place to be and free, except if you want to join the beach
club which can be found around Bali. In
Seminyak, Kuta, Canggu, Nusa Dua, Batu Bolong, Uluwatu, and north Bali
coastline. Bali has a lot of variety of
amazing beach clubs. A great way to relax,
sit by a great infinity pool, have a drink and enjoy the warm sun.
- Amazing Sunrise and
Sunset
“The sunrise and
sunset in Bali is some of the best I have seen.” Travelers
“Go to Top-ten
coastline adventures. We assure you that Bali is not just about theatrical
images of a basking flare sliding through cardinal skies. What is really
specific is the so-called “blue hour”: once the sun had disappeared below the
surface, the sky welcomes an irresistible mulberry silhouette.” Traveler
To enjoy the best
sunrise, go to Sanur beach and have breakfast in a variety of restaurants of
your choice.
Here are some best spot
for sunset. Tanah Lot temple, The Rock Bar at Ayana Resort,
Uluwatu Temple, Petitenget Beach, Seminyak beach, Kuta Beach, Jimbaran
Bay, Lovina beach, Echo Beach Canggu, Lembongan island, Nusa Penida
island, Nusa and Ceningan island,
- Healthy and Yummy Food
Bali has great soil
and plenty of rain to grow lots of quality food, and also Balinese food has
been significantly influenced by the outside world/seafaring cultures. Because
of this reason, you will find Indian, Malaysian and Chinese flavors mixed in
with the more traditional Indonesian foods you find in the rest of the country.
And because of the growing influence of tourism over the last several decades
you can also easily find high quality Indian, Moroccan, Thai, Italian, Chinese,
Japanese, French, Mexican, Western cuisine, and fusion cuisines.
So, you can sample
healthy and yummy food in Bali.
I recommend you should try the authentic Balinese food:
Sate, Gado-Gado, Babi Guling, Lawar, Nasi Campur, Nasi Goreng, Mie Goreng, Cap
Cay, Ikan Bakar, Betutu Ayam, Tum Ayam,
Soto/ stews, and many vegetarian restaurants also available in Bali.
Don’t miss the Bali Food festival annually on the island.
Photo: Bali Travel Info
- Rice Fields and Outdoors
“Bali is the perfect living postcard.” Traveler
One of Bali’s most distinctive landmarks is the rice
fields. Even though Bali has been having
a big development through the years, you will still see the rice field If you
drive from the coast towards Ubud you find them everywhere and you can see the
hard working Balinese people with their distinctive shaped of hats who are
working in the fields.
You can pull over and greet them and take a few pictures.
If you have a
curiosity about agriculture, you can visit Tabanan Regency and learn about the
Balinese irrigation system, which is unique only in Bali. It’s called Subak, is “a traditional ecologically
sustainable irrigation system that binds Balinese agrarian society
together within the village's Bale Banjar community center and Balinese temples. The water managements are under the authority of the
priests in water temples, who practice Tri Hita Karana Philosophy, a
self-described relationship between humans the earth and the gods.”
- Temples and Unique Culture
Although the majority of Indonesia is Muslim, Bali’s is quite unique. Bali is 2% of the
Indonesian population is predominantly Hindu, mix with animist influences which
makes it quite different from Hinduism in India. Also very much every day you
will see small but artistically designed offerings of items such as rice,
flowers, fruits and incense being made to the gods, ancestors, spirits and
demons that live on the island. The Balinese people are also extremely
ritualistic as they have ceremonies for just about every stage in a person’s
life, including an elaborate cremation ceremony that is usually the biggest and
most spectacular event in the life cycle of a person beside wedding ceremony.
Balinese Temples:
Temple in Bali is called Pura. There are over 20,000 Puras in Bali at
last count, you can find them all
over Bali island. Travel to Bali will
not be complete without visiting temples.
You don’t need to see all of them, but you do have to see at least a few
of the temples below:
-Pura Besakih/ “ Mother Temple” is the holiest of all
temples in Bali. The temple is located
some 3,000 feet up Gunung Agung (Mount Agung is the highest temple and holy by Balinese) in East
Bali.
- Pura Gunung Kawi: is one of Bali’s most unique
archaeological sites, comprising a collection of ancient shrine reliefs carved
into the face of a rock cliff. The main
temple overlooks the sacred Pakerisan River, which also flows from the Tirta
Empul Temple a few kilometers up north in the higher elevation. Across the river from the ancient reliefs is
a temple courtyard featuring old Hindu shrines in a more contemporary
architectural style, which is attended by Hindu pilgrims especially during its temple festival ceremony every 6 months of
Balinese calendar.
- Pura Tirta
Empul
The series of temples and sacred spring that feeds Tirta
Empul provides holy water for the priests and bathing for Balinese people and
people all over the world come here for purification ceremony, who believe that
a dip the head can bring good fortune and health. People who come here, bring
their Balinese offerings.
- Pura Tanah Lot
The Tanah Lot temple was built by priest Nirartha on a rock
some distance from the shore, towering over the sea, in the 15th
century. Access to the temple is limited to low tide; even so, this prestigious
temple is adored by visitors because of phenomenal sunset.
- Pura Taman Ayun
This temple was built in the 1600s by the King of Mengwi,
Pura Taman Ayun is a beautiful example
of a royal public temple. The temple
serves serves as the clan kawitan temple (a temple dedicated
to the worship of the deified ancestors, in this case, the previous rulers of
the Mengwi royal family).
- Great and Cheap Spas
In Bali is warm weather, being clean and wash away the sweat
make massages and body scrubs business are a big part of Balinese culture for
both men and women. The Balinese spas
are flourishing around all over the island.
The women who are trained to assist make your spa experience one of the
best you’ve ever had. Honestly, I’ve never been to any places that has so many
spas of all shapes and sizes. You can
have for an hour full body massage around less than $20.
Happy Travels!
