December/January, 1998
No. 032/VI/97
cover story
Christians in
Paradise
How Christianity came
to Bali
Once Upon a
New Years Eve
MC-ing a New Year's
Eve party during a
blackout
bali focus:
nusa dua and
jimbaran
The Origin of
Nusa Dua
A fable
People of a
Fertile Sea
The fishers of
Jimbaran beach
Center Stage
Steve Charles revamps
the Candraloka
Amphitheatre
Nusa Dua Nights
How to survive them
The Sacred
Wilderness
Colonial encounters with
Bali's southern peninsula
arts and
culture
Latter Day
Laksamana
A.A.M. Djelantik's
recently launched
autobiography
Kulkul
new Fiction by Gde
Aryantha Soethama
The Rat Pack
Who are Bali's literati?
beyond
bali
An Eddy in The
Counter of Time
Kayaking off the west
coast of Lombok
Slick and Cool in
Sengigi
Round midnight at the
famed Lombok resort
regular
Fashion
Adventure
Into the blue
Food
Jewel of the southren rim
Jungle Drums
Bali Update
Home Grown
Made Adi Putra
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Around Ubud
Ubud
Some 25 kilometres from Denpasar, Ubud has become known world -wide as a centre for the
arts. Spectaculary set among lush rice paddies and the stunning hillsides of central Bali,
Ubud harbours a number of palaces and temples, museums and art galleries, and a host of
cafes and restaurants.
Sayan
Just west of Ubud, Sayan is little more than a ridge. Views of a luscious ravine and
manicured terraces have prompted many foriegners to choose Sayan as a place to live. Steps
lead down to a river, which is clean enough to bathe in.
Tampaksiring
There's a number of treats in store in Tampaksiring. One is that is home to numerous
woodcarvers, and their waters are available in great quantities from roadsite stalls.
Another is the presidential palace, an icon of modernist architecture designed by the man
(Sukarno) himself. From an opprtunely located verandah, it is said, the president was able
to spy the maidens bathing at dusk in the Tirta Empul temple below.
Bona
Located between the city of Gianyar and Blahbatu, Bona is where to purchase bamboo
funiture at reasonable prices. It is also famous for its dances, especially the fire
dance, which is staged for tourists.
Celuk
Celuk, just north of Denpasar, is the silver centre of Bali. There's a whole lot of shops
to choose from, and almost all have a large team of jewelers at work out the back, filling
orders for other shops or for export.
Mas
Some 20 kilometres north of Denpasar lies the woodcarving centre of Mas, a village of high
caste Brahmin families. The village, which has a special place in Balinese history, is
home to many excellent woodcarving shops. Remember to bargain.
Around Candidasa
Candi Dasa
Candi Dasa offers and escape from hassles of the more populated tourist areas, although
sometimes it seems there are more hotels, restaurants and losmen here than tourist. Boats
can be hired for a day's snorkeling.
Klungkung
This town was once home to an illustrious dynasty, the remains of which are evident at the
Kerta Hall of Justice. Most of Bali's royal families are descended from the Klungkung
dynasty, for it was here that the rules of the Majapahit empire fled in the 16th
century as their kingdom in Java crumbled. Klungkung was the centre of Bali's 'golden age'
when the Gelgel dynasty held power for over 300 years, and the arts flourished. If you go
to Klungkung, check out the painted ceiling and the bale kambang (floating pavilions) at
the Kerta Gosa courthouse. Also, nearby, the village of Kamasan specialises in traditional
pantings, the origin of which can be traced back 500 years.
Selat and Iseh
This area was chosen at the home of artists Walter Spies, who settled here in the 1930s.
These are also some of the most beautiful areas of Bali, with fertile soils and the
ever-present Gunung Agung in the background. It is also an area that suffered badly from
the 1963 eruption of Gunung Agung.
Tirta Gangga
This is the site of a beautiful water palace, built by the last king of Karangasem, Anak
Agung Anglurah Ketut, in 1947. Much of it was destroyed by the 1963 eruption, but the
famous bathing pools remained intact. This is a place of stopover when you're touring east
Bali. There's a losmen in the palace grounds, and a restaurant, too.
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