Goes to Sanur Bali

Goes to Sanur Bali

Goes to Sanur, on the southeastern side of Bali, Sanur beach is easily reachable from Denpasar, about a 5 to 10 minute drive. Goes to Sanur is an excellent choice to watch the sun rises, as you jog along the white sandy beach. Being one of the first resort developed in Bali, Sanur maintains its traditions. Only a stone thrown away from the beach, ancient temples stand as solemn as they have been in centuries past.

Sanur is one of the main beach resort areas on the south coast of Bali, located NE of the airport in Tuban. Sanur?s history goes back a long way, with some of the oldest recorded writing on the island still preserved at the small temple at Prasasti Blanjong on Jl. Danau Poso. The ancient text, dating back to the 10th Century, is inscribed on stone pillar locked in a glass cabinet only about 10 meters from the street. Wrapped in cloth, you can just manage to see a bit of the writing sticking out. The inscriptions detail the arrival of a Javanese king in Bali of the Mahayana Buddhist kingdom, another cultural / religious influence.

Located 18km from the airport, Sanur is a a handy place for a new arrival. Airport taxis might charge around 70,000rp to Sanur and the journey is around 20-25 minutes. For people choosing Sanur over Kuta or Nusa Dua, the advantages are a less intense atmosphere than Kuta and a more genuine one than Nusa Dua. Sanur was the location Bali?s first large scale hotel, the Grand Bali Beach, but so far that is the only one of it size. The hotel suffered a fire in 1992 destroying much of the hotel. One room was totally untouched and the Balinese dedicate that room as a shrine, never to be occupied. Being a fishing village traditionally, Sanur retains its local flavour even though the busy Bypass Ngurah Rai passes through and the main street, Jl. Danau Tamblingan is wall to wall shops and restaurants.

Sanur has a reef making it ideal for surfers and also people with young kids inside the reef. Sanur does not get a strong beach break like Kuta / Seminyak. Swimming is only possible at high tide as low tide exposes the reef. Swimming outside the reef is not recommended.

Sanur nightlife is basically the local bar and restaurant scene, with the odd place such as the Cat & Fiddle pub providing live music. There are no real nightclubs in Sanur and the younger party crowd do not frequent the area as much.

One of the most pleasant aspects of Sanur is its large expanse of beach front. A footpath covers the entire 5kms allowing visitors to stroll along and explore, stopping when they feel like it for a drink or snack at a beach side restaurant. The sand quality is good in Sanur, yellowish in color and fairly clean. The best spots of beach are in the outside the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel in the north and outside the Gazebo hotel in the south.

Looking back to the 20th century, Bali attracted a number of famous expats including Australian artist Donald Friend, Belgian artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpes and author Vicki Baum who wrote ?A Tale of Bali?. So goes to Sanur now!

Sanur geography:
Sanur is made up of 7 small districts, joined together seamlessly by the Bypass and tourist trade infrastructure. Driving from Kuta the main points you?ll see on the Bypass are the Macro supermarket on the left side on the very southern end of Sanur before Jl. Danau Poso. As the Bypass swings through and heads left the main features you?ll notice are the McDonalds at the junction with Jl. Segara Ayu and the KFC at the junction with Jl. Hang Tuah in the north.

?North Sanur:
Jl. Hang Tuah (KFC) is the small road that leads directly to the beach. It has a row of small hotels and Jl. Danau Toba has a good selection of restaurants and shops. Just south along the beach-side pathway is Museum Le Mayeur (open Mon-Thurs & Sun 8am-3pm, Fri 8am-12.30pm, admission 2,000rp, children 1,000rp). The Sanur Paradise Plaza is a fine hotel located at Jl. Hang Tuah and the Bypass.

?Sindhu:
The area between Jl. Segara Ayu (McDonalds) and Jl. Pantai Karang is known as Sindhu. This is a relatively high density set up of hotels and restaurants, including the Gazebo Hotel and The Village restaurant.

?Batujimber:
This area is popular with expats living in Sanur. The Hardy?s supermarket and restaurants close by give a slight ?Seminyak? kind of feel. Many expats prefer living in Sanur due to its proximity to the International School and quieter character than Kuta. Cafe Batujimber is a great place for a lunch stop.

?Semawang:
The coastal strip to the south of Sanur from the Bali Hyatt to Hotel Sanur Beach. This part of the beach is quiet and you will see the brightly colored jukung (local fishing boats).

?Blanjong:
The southern section of Sanur close to the Bypass. The location of the Prasasti Blanjong ancient inscriptions. The Bali Cricket Club is based on Jl. Danau Poso.

Sanur history:
Sanur?s history goes back a long way, with some of the oldest recorded writing on the island still preserved at the small temple at Prasasti Blanjong on Jl. Danau Poso. The ancient text, dating back to the 10th Century, is inscribed on stone pillar locked in a glass cabinet only about 10 meters from the street. Wrapped in cloth, you can just manage to see a bit of the writing sticking out. The inscriptions detail the arrival of a Javanese king in Bali of the Mahayana Buddhist kingdom, another cultural / religious influence.

Looking back to the 20th century, Bali attracted a number of famous expats including Australian artist Donald Friend, Belgian artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpes and author Vicki Baum who wrote ?A Tale of Bali?.

?Getting around Sanur:
Getting around in Sanur is easy, due to the large number of taxis patrolling the main street, Jl. Danau Tamblingan. The best company is Bluebird (0361)701111, who operate a fleet of light blue taxis with a 24 hour dispatch service. As anywhere in Bali, public bemo buses serve Sanur and are used mostly by locals. You are better off renting your own transport from one of the many car rental places along Jl. Danau Tamblingan, or a car with driver. One of the better car rental companies is JBA (0361)286501 located inside the Diwangkara Hotel (Jl. Hang Tuah 54). They can provide a driver at short notice also.

Sanur accommodation:
Sanur is a quiet version of Kuta that offers a decent selection of accommodation options. You won?t find the mega resorts of Nusa Dua, but will discover a price selection, with many small personal places situated close to the beach. Sanur features a selection of Budget, mid-Range and Luxury options.

?Eating out in Sanur:
Stars Bar & Bistro: Sanur Bali
Stars Bar & Bistro on Jl. Danau Tamblingan in Sanur is a handy place to get online and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I passed by today and checked out the menu. Generally I find the internet options in Sanur to be not as good as Kuta, when comparing speed vs. price. This new broadband connection could be the ticket.

Pregina: Balinese restaurant in Sanur Bali:
Pregina is a Balinese and seafood restaurant, located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, in Sanur. Open from 9am-11pm, Pregina serves a delicious selection of Balinese foods. There are Balinese restaurants in the main tourist areas, such as Glory Restaurant, in Legian. The predominant Indonesian style of food served in the tourists areas, tends to be the generic, nasi goreng, cap cay, mie goreng and Javanese favourites. Any time I see a good Balinese restaurant, its worth checking out.

Warung Bento: Japanese lunch boxes in Sanur Bali:
Warung Bento is a Sanur eatery, that combines the best of Japanese and Javanese food. From the outside, you?ll notice a Japanese style place, with bamboo decoration and Japanese sign. Inside is seating room for around 20 people, with a simple decor.

Cafe Batujimbar in Sanur Bali:
Sanur is home to a sizeable expat community. Reasons for this are the International Schools that are located there, and the fact that Sanur offers a lower key type of scene, as regarding the beach, street, nightlife etc., than Kuta / Seminyak. Today Mike and I hit one of the expats favourite spots, Cafe Batujimber, on Jl. Danau Tamblingan. Pulling up outside, one will notice the shady outdoor dining area and the bread shop next door. Mike said the bread shop is a mini-Bali Deli. We sat inside as all the outside seating was taken, and I checked out the menu.

?Sanur shopping:
Wage Silver: Jewelry in Sanur Bali
Wage Silver is a silver jewelry shop located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, in Sanur. Items on offer include silver and shell bracelets for 272,500rp, earrings for 78,000rp, small necklaces with a stone for 93,500rp, silver rings for 85,000rp-110,000rp, ankle bracelets for 90,000rp. Wholesale prices of 25% discount, can be had for 10 pieces, or a repeat customer.

Gopi Style: Cushions in Sanur Bali:
Gopi Style is a cute little shop in Sanur, that specializes in cushions. Located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan Perahu, the shop is quite visible, due to the bright colored cushions in the window. Cushion covers are stacked inside the shop and available for 40,000rp-70,000rp. The inside stuffing is an extra 22,500rp. Cushions come in a variety of styles, including Japanese, Chinese and Indian. The staff told me that all the items are made in the shop and the predominant material is cotton.

Paris Van Java: Shoes in Sanur Bali:
Paris Van Java is a shoe shop in Sanur. Located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, the small shop stocks ethnic wooden shoes, made in Bandung Java. Checking out a couple of pairs, I saw that they are made of wood, with a black, rubber, thread, the tops sections coming in a selection of colors and styles. The shoes are all handmade and can be made to order. When I visited, there was a sale on, 20% - 50% off of selected items.

Bali Primitive Design: Ethnic t-shirts in Sanur Bali:
Bali Primitive Design is located on Jl. Danau Toba in Sanur, and sells t-shirts, with primitive designs. There is something like this on Jl. Legian in Kuta too. While I was in the shop, I asked the female staff where the t-shirts were made. A deep voice said, ?We make them here.? Sitting behind the counter, was a Balinese man working on a computer. He designs all the shirts and creates them.

Agus Art Shop in Sanur Bali:
Sanur Bali has a decent beach and was really the first resort area in Bali. Sanur appeals to European tourists and is family friendly with good hotels, plenty of shops and places to eat and a lower stress environment than Kuta.

Sanur scuba diving:
Sanur is home to many dive operators, who will gladly arrange your diving trip to areas in Bali. Getting a local boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida can make for a pleasant day trip also.

?Places of interest in Sanur:
The Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur Bali
The Le Mayeur Museum is a house structure containing some examples of the work of Belgian artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpes.

Turtle Facility Serangan:
Serangan island or Turtle Island is reached is connected to the mainland by a causeway and really only accessible at low tide. The island is also home to one of Bali?s six most sacred temples - Pura Sakenan.

Mangrove Information Centre Sanur:
Located on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai at Suwung Kauh, the information centre is an education in itself on the ecology and management of Mangroves. There are two trails to choose from - a short route of about one hour, and the other, a longer route of nearly two hours.
Sanur Village Community Farmers Market:
Sanur Beach began offering shoppers a new way to do their weekly purchases of home-made breads and organic farm produce through the trial-launch of a new concept Farmers Market according to an article in the Bali Discovery.

Sanur Village Festival:
The Sanur Village Festival is a 5 day event runs from August 15th-19th and showcases some of the area?s favourite businesses and other activities such as Balinese kite flying and cookery.

Sanur Beaches:
Sanur has a reef making it ideal for surfers and also people with young kids inside the reef. Sanur does not get a strong beach break like Kuta / Seminyak. Swimming is only possible at high tide as low tide exposes the reef. Swimming outside the reef is not recommended.

One of the most pleasant aspects of Sanur is its large expanse of beach front. A footpath covers the entire 5kms allowing visitors to stroll along and explore, stopping when they feel like it for a drink or snack at a beach side restaurant. The sand quality is good in Sanur, yellowish in color and fairly clean. The best spots of beach are in the outside the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel in the north and outside the Gazebo hotel in the south.

Sanur Map



Sanur nightlife:
Sanur nightlife is basically the local bar and restaurant scene, with the odd place such as the Cat & Fiddle Pub providing live music. There are no real nightclubs in Sanur and the younger party crowd do not frequent the area as much. The Cat & Fiddle Pub on Jl. Camara #36, has Irish folk music night every Tuesday, anyone is welcome to get up and join in. Starts at 8pm. Admission free.

Foreign Consulates in Sanur:

? British Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Mark A. Wilson OBE
Jalan Tirta Nadi No. 20 Sanur, Bali
Office hours: Monday to Friday
08.30-12.30 hours
Tel: 62-361-270 601
Fax: 62-361-287 804
E-mail: bcbali@delimark.net

? Finnish Consulate
Segara Village Hotel
Jl. Segara
Sanur
(0361) 288407

? French Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Raphael Devianne
Jalan Mertasari Gang II No. 8 Sanur, Bali
Office hours Monday to Friday
14.00-17.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-285 485
Fax:62-361- 286 406
E-mail: consul@dps.centrin.net.id

? German Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Reinhold Jantzen
Jalan Pantai Karang No. 17, Sanur
Office hours: Monday to Friday
08.00-12.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-288 535
Fax: 62-361-288 826
E-mail: germanconsul@bali-ntb.com

? Irish Consulate
Contact British Consulate

? Swedish & Finnish Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya
Segara Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur
Office hours: Monday to Friday 09.00-13.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-288 407
Fax: 62-361-287 242
E-mail: segara1@denpasar.wasantara.net.id


More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Kuta Square Shopping Center

Kuta Square Shopping Center

Kuta Square shopping center is located in traditional village settlement of Kuta. This place is very near to Kuta Beach Bali. This type of products are usually branded fashion from overseas. There are many cafes in Kuta Square shopping center with a variety of menu. In addition to shops and shopping malls, have a game on the ground in Bali Kuta Square Slingshot, Water Boom Bali and other games.



Price products for sale in shops and Kuta Square shopping center is usually determined (fixed), where the negotiations are not applied. If you are on a visit to Bali and need some brand clothing found, Kuta Square shopping center, the main choice. There are many attractions to Kuta Square Cafe in Kuta, and sat down while the menu.

Have Fun with Bali Shopping :)

Related Article:

• Kuta Beach Bali
• Shopping Bali Souvenirs
  

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• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
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• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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The Water Palace in Karang Asem, Bali

The Water Palace in Karang Asem, Bali

If you love history, art and culture, one interesting information that you need to know is the cultural heritage in Karangasem regency, the eastern part of Bali.

Water Palace in Karang Asem located in 5 kilometers away to the south from Amlapura (the capital of Karangasem), these is the famous Water Palace. It is the 12- hectare water palace complex with astounding architectures and cultural jewel. That is surrounded by a rich decorated fence.

The palace was designed and constructed under the patronage and protection of Karang Asem?s last king, Anak Agung Gurah Ketut Karang Asem, in 1926. The last King is a learned and well-travelled man. In constructing the Water Palace in Karang Asem, he adopted the Versailles Palace model in France. He blended traditional motifs with modern materials, and balanced Western style geometry with a Balinese sense of place and symbolism.


The Water Palace in Karang Asem was originally intended as a meeting place and guesthouse for delegates of the Dutch government and other countries? dignitaries visiting Bali. There are three large pavilions floating above a serene lotus pond. These three pavilions are connected by bridges, creating a very romantic atmosphere. The wide windows of the pavilions are facing the palace, testimony to the late ruler?s passion for harmonizing nature and art.

From the highest point in the park, we can see a marvelous view over the distant Lombok strait and the lush green hills of MT. Rinjani in Lombok. While from the north, a breathtaking panorama of rice terraces set against the backdrop of the mighty Mt.Agung is an amazing view that you don?t want to miss.

Unfortunately, the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 and the earthquake in 1975 had caused severe damage to the palace. Because of the future of Bali?s rich art and cultural heritage lies in its past, an intensive restoration work was carried out from 2000 to 2004 by members of the Karang Asem court.

Thanks to this great effort, one of Bali?s finest examples of its cultural heritage has been saved.

More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
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• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Bali Develop Lake Buyan in Buleleng

Bali Develop Lake Buyan in Buleleng

?Ecotourism Heaven? is the next Buleleng regency?s project to develop Lake Buyan in Buleleng. Putu Bagiada, the Buleleng regent, and PT. Anantara Investors said that both of the parties in Bali were ready for invest money to developing The Lake Buyan into a ?Buyan Ecotourism Heaven?.

Lake Buyan in Buleleng, located in the Sukasada district, is one of the triplet lake situated within a massive caldera. These triplet lake are separated by a vast wild forest. Lake Tamblingan is on its west, while lake Baratan is on its east.

Lake Baratan has been developed into a tourist destination. Near to the largest botanical garden in Bali called Eka Karya, it becomes a favorite weekend getaway for the residents of Bali?s southern urban cities. Lake Baratan is also famous with its Ulun Danu, one of the most important water temples on the island.

Unfortunately, these triplet lakes have been getting shallower over the years due to sedimentation caused by the villas? construction in the areas that take away water absorption space. The result is causing mud to be carried away into the lakes and the lakes become shallower. The local agricultural practices, which use chemical fertilizers, have also been blamed for ruining the quality of the lake?s water.

Liliah Sukoco, as the Anantara commissioner, said that if Anantara were to be given the mandate to develop Lake Buyan, its main concern was to maintain the area?s natural beauty. It was also confirmed by Putu Bagiada. He said that ?We want to restore this area to its original grandeur, with its original culture and look.

Liliah mentioned that Antara plans to develop the 60-hectare area in and around Lake Buyan in Buleleng. It could absorb up to 1000 workers and also to dredge the land under the lake bed to allow it to absorb more water and soil.

However, these are still in the proposal. If the proposal is agreed by government, then the whole plans can be preceded.

More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Five Reasons Why Tourist Love To Goes To Bali

Five Reasons Why The Tourist Love
To Goes To Bali

Picture of Tanah Lot, Bali

Goes to Bali then you will get unforgettable experiences. Bali Island is the second tourist spot after Hawaii. Bali became more popular after the bombing in Bali. The bombing tragedies happened on the year of 2002. It was terrible and I can't forget it. Bali was suffer during the tragedy. Now after some years, Bali recovered and many international tourist now coming back to Bali. Even they are building the securities to make the tourist feel safe and secure during their facation. Goes to bali, you will get very great international facilities, the Hotels, Airport, popular café and nightclubs now is keeping with detector. They are keep trying to improve the Information, and technology communication such as internet connection, and they promote to goes to bali and make Bali more popular than ever. The international tourists goes to bali depend of the season. European and American tourist prefer to come on June to July, but Asian tourist are more interested to come on August. Most of domestic tourist are interested to come on September until December.

Hari Raya Nyepi is a big religion day for Balinese so that Bali will be closed to visitor out side. There will be no light, car passing , or store opened. In this Nyepi Day, Balinese stay at home, they are not eating, and turn off the light. The International Airport in Bali is Ngurah Ray Airport is also closed, there will no departure and no arriving passengers.

There are some reasons to goes to Bali, they are..

1. The culture is still Pure
Balinese still follow Hinduism strong. They really devote their life for their religion (Hindust) . When going around there, you'll see so many buildings called pura, it looks like temple. The tradition of Balinese life from their birth until death. They fstill do the ceremony. You will see Ngaben, Kuningan, Galungan, Nyepi, and some else ceremony at Bali.

The Balinese artist creates some dances which is of soul of art. They also make statue which is created reflect of the Hinduism. You will see the Kecak dance and Barongsai dance performances from small village or studio until 5 stars Hotel.
Balinese are never interfered by the others culture, although so many tourist goes to bali, they never stopped.

Picture of Barong Dance

2. Balinese people are very friendly
Balinese are very popular with their smiling face. Balinese are always friendly and welcome to the tourist. Even if you are white you will not feel like strangers.

3. The Craft are Excellent
Many Balinese are tend to be artist. Most of them like to paint, some like to carving and make very beautiful craft. I suggest you ton visit Antonio Blanco Museum, the is a painter who is married to a Balinese woman. You can go to his market center which is called Sukowati Art . There you will always guide by craft seller. But becareful with the craft seller, sometime they like to beg or push you to buy the crafts.

4. So many be beautiful places that you would like to visit
In Bali, you will never have time to rest. There are so many interesting places, that you would regret if you not visit. The scenery are very natural, goes to Nusa dua beach you can see International cruise ship to go to diving and snorkling or do water sports. You can also go to bedugul, and Tanpak siring. Kuta beach is most popular one and legian street have many international facilities. I love Tanah lot temple, you can see the amazing sunset there.

Picture of the sunset in Tanah Lot, Bali


Picture of Kuta Beach, Bali

5. It is very safe now
Bali and Indonesian police has been trying hard to improve their security. After the Bali bombing tragedies the Stars hotel and café provide detector facilities.

So goes to bali now, and have fun!

More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Exploring Kuta Beach Bali

Exploring Kuta Beach Bali

Although Denpasar is the Capital of Bali, but I think Kuta is the tourist center. Kuta Beach Bali is very amazing, it is the longest public beach and the most popular party zone in Bali. It has wide crystal white sandy beach. The sunset is very beautiful, there are lots of local and international tourist go to the beach to watch the sunset in Kuta Beach with their friends, family or having romantic dinner near to the beach with their beloved one. So that, don?t forget to bring your camera and take your best shot.


Kuta Beach Bali is the best beach front in Bali Island. A very short drive away from Ngurah Rai airport (Bali International Airport), meter taxis and motorcycle taxis are easily found around the area to take you anywhere in Kuta area or other places around Bali. The Kuta beach is quite safe, partially clean and well maintained, although the vendors fill up the beach side haphazardly.


However, this beach is really famous for its spectacular sunsets and waves, and attracts tourists who spend hours here swimming, surfing and sunbathing. This place is a well-known destination among surfing enthusiasts: the long sandy beach with its lack of dangerous rocks or coral makes the waves ideal for beginners.


There are lots of bars, internet cafes, shops, and hotels around, so that no need to worry to think where to stay in Kuta. The hotels in Kuta Bali is various from 2 to 5 stars hotels, guest houses and resorts. If you stay in Kuta, you will get easy access for shopping nearby, so you can cut some expenses for transportation.

There are also lots of restaurants in Kuta. They serve local and international cuisines. Most of them serve seafood because Bali is surrounding by the ocean which is very rich of fishes, crabs, and so on. The seafood in Bali is quite cheap, especially in Jimbaran which is only few minutes from Kuta.


What to do in Kuta Beach

About 15 minutes from Kuta Center, or around the end of Jalan Double Six, there is Dreamland Beach. Lots of afternoon action and ball games, with plenty of drinks stands to meet new (girl) friends. No shortage of bars and places to eat with some excellent places to chill and drink like Zanzibar and Blue Ocean.

Soccer Beach
Getting tanned but have extra calories that need burning off? No worries, Kuta is full of beach activities. Try a soccer game with some locals. They usually set up goal posts at around 16:00 between Hard Rock Café and Discovery Shopping Mall. Just come along to play, or even better, bring a friend so the teams will be even. It?s time the world knew about your dribbling skills!

Bali Surfing
If you like to surf, don?t forget to bring your own board or rent one from the guys on the beach. Prices vary but average around 30,000 Rupiah per hour. If you haven't surfed before its the perfect place to learn for beginners. You can get a boat ride out to the outer reef breaks of Tuban or surf mellow beach breaks in front of the Hard Rock Hotel.



Kuta Beach Nightlife
Kuta's nightlife now extends about 7 kilometres (4 miles) north from the original village of Kuta and includes Legian, Seminyak stretching to Basangkasa. Kuta is entertainment central which means music clubs, open-air pubs, karaoke bars, very noisy discos and drag shows. It's a lively party scene to say the least and the kind of place where being single and alone - male or female is no problem whatsoever.

Kuta has a huge selection of restaurants serving both local and a wide variety of foreign cuisines.

Shopping in Kuta
When you are shopping in Kuta, forget your Gucci's and Prada. Bali shopping has its own designers producing one-off pieces for fashion clothing and lifestyle goods.

Lots of individuality here at often reasonable prices. You'll end up with a treasure trove of interesting, fascinating and irresistible buys. Excellent for unusual clothes, jewellry, household and lifestyle items. Kuta's main street has renowned shopping, in mostly small locally owned shops. Individual styles, excellent craftsmanship and low prices. Shopping in Bali is so much fun!

Discovery Shopping Mall Esplanade
Discovery Esplanade is a new concept of entertainment located in the Discovery Shopping Mall?s backyard. Occasionally used for celebrations or some annual events, the Esplanade also offers weekly free entertainment from DJs, and is used for band parades, concerts, product launches, and much more. With a line up of open-air cafés, a deck spinning beats, and a beautiful sunset, what more could you possibly want?


Bali Bomber Memorial Statue

The Bali Bomber's unforgettable for local and also international. It was so horrible. I watched in TV and I still can?t forget it. It was very sad moment for all of us. The government has built a permanent memorial on the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub on Legian Street. (A new bar, named ?Paddy's: Reloaded?, was reopened further along Legian Street).

The memorial is made of intricately carved stone, set with a large marble plaque, which bears the names and nationalities, flanked by the national flags of the victims. The monument is well maintained by the local government and is illuminated at night. Every year on 12th October there is a memorial ceremony.

Bali Temples
Kuta does not have a popular main bali temples to visit, but sprinkled along the main road you can find regular temples worth a peek at during your holiday here. Positioned on Jalan Pantai Kuta you?ll find Pura Batu Bolong; on Kuta Sidewalk is Pura Penataran; and on Kuta Beach a few metres east from the main gate is Pura Kalangan Majelangu. Every morning and late afternoon right after sunset, the Balinese who live in the neighbourhood come here to pray and present offerings.

Getting Around Kuta Beach Bali

Kuta and neighbouring Legian and Seminyak are easy to walk around. Often you'll find yourself browsing the shops at one of town and before you realise it, you're already at the other end! Failing that it's easy and relatively cheap to take taxis. Negotiate first.

More about Kuta:

• Kuta Square Shopping Center
• Shopping Bali Souvenirs
• Restaurants in Kuta Bali

More about Beaches:

• Kuta Beach Lombok
• Mangsit Beach Lombok
• Senggigi Beach Lombok
• Batu Bolong Beach
• Kuta Beach Bali
• Parangtritis Beach
• Parangkusumo Beach

More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Best Bali Shopping

Best Bali Shopping

Bali shopping will certainly give you great excellent bargains. You may have a lot of best buys when shopping in Bali, including leather goods, shoes, CDs, furniture, modern artwork, T-shirts, casual summer clothing, knick-knacks, and jeans. Shopping Bali Souvenirs is very exciting!.

If you don?t feel like going too far from the beaches for Bali shopping, you will find that Kuta, Sanur and Legian are the places where you are able to get whatever purchases you wish for, for example, a variety ranger of sandals to sarongs, silver to surf boards, or wooden statues to Javanses puppets.

If you want to go to a one stop shopping for Bali shopping, you may head to Denpasar. There are a couple of department stores located at Jl. Gajah Mada. The stores here are offering a variety of handicrafts and souvenirs. The goods in these department stores are similar with the ones in any other places in Bali.

Or, if you feel like shopping in Bali with a quite atmosphere, you will then need to go to Nusa Dua. There is Galeria Nusa Dua where you may find a great variety of Balinese purchases within a complex free from the hassle of any street vendor.

If you want to buy a unique canvas for a souvenir, then Ubud is the right place to buy such thing for shopping in Bali. Below is the list of where you can get more items of :

• Art ? ubud
• Antiques ? Batubulan
• Clothes ? Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Ubud
• Bamboo ? Bona
• Masks ? Singapadu Ceramic ? Kapal, Campuhan, Tabanan
• Music ? legian, Kuta
• Jewelry ? Denpasar, Jalan Hasanuddin, Celuk
• Stone carving ? Jimbaran Gallery, Batubulan
• Puppets ? Gianyar, Klungkung, Sukawati
• Toys ? Peliatan, Mas, Tampaksiring
• Textiles- Singaraja, Sideman, Jalan Sulawesi, Klungkung market, Negara, Kampunggelgel, Tampaksiring, Denpasar, Batuan, Denpasar, Peliatan
• Wood carving ? Buruan, Pujung, Mas, Nyuh-kuning, Kemenuh, Tegallalang.

Traditional Markets

Bali shopping is identical as a shopping paradise where you can get a whole range of interesting goods from traditional antiques to modern branded fashions. When you are shopping in Bali, the technique of bargaining is something requires, since almost in every shops, art shops or markets do not offer the buyers fix prices. So, if you want to purchase a good stuff with a good price, then it really depends on how smart you are in bargaining for the Bali shopping. A variety of product ranging from magnificent Balinese hand woven cloth, gold and silver jewelry, garment, wood carving to many others unique Balinese products can be found almost in any art market or market.. When you are shopping in Bali, you will find that stores are grouped under the similarity of items. It is intended to help the tourist locate the stores for certain item easily when shopping in Bali, and also to help them comparing prices easily from certain store to the next one for a certain Bali shopping. You must always remember to have cash in your wallet because not all of the shops in Bali accept the use of credit cards.

Denpasar
When you are in Denpasar, you can have an interesting overview of the common Indonesian market in The Kumbasari market located near to the river. In this market, you will find a three stories building. The basement is a traditional market that is looked a bit darker. The second level is selling a variety of spices and dried goods, while in the third level is selling clothing and household wares. And if you are heading to Jalan Hasanuddin, not too far from the Kumbasari market, you will find that this street is full with golden shops selling 18-22 carat gold jewelry at the both sides of the street. Or if you want to have some fabrics when shopping in Bali, you can head to Jalan Sulawesi. There are many fabric shops on both sides on Jalan Sulawesi. A variety of fabrics can be purchased here.

Kuta
Besides its beautiful beach, Kuta Beach Bali is also known as a place for a great Bali shopping. If you visit the Kuta Art Market, you will find many shops selling a variety of excellent Balinese goods, such as jewelry, sarong, furniture, handicraft, leather goods and clothing. If you are a careful and smart buyer, you are able to get some great purchases in Kuta for your Bali shopping. There also Kuta Square Shopping Center nearby the Kuta Beach.

Sanur
When you are in Sanur, there is a main street named as Jalan Danau Tamblingan where you can have a shopping in Bali with a less crowded atmosphere compared to the one in Kuta. There are still some street hawkers in Sanur, but they are less aggressive ones, except the ones in the beach market. In Jalan Danau Tamblingan, you will find many interesting shops and also many nice restaurants. Sanur art market is a special place for sarong, wood carving and other handicrafts.

Sukawati
Sukawati is well-known for its traditional market located on the main and side roads. Recently, there is also a new art market opened in Sukawati for a great bali shopping of art goods. This new art market has a two-stories building where you can find a variety of Balinese products from traditional statues to Balinese dances costumes. The goods here are offered with reasonable prices.A large assortment of woven baskets can be found here along with Balinese ceremonial items made from colorful "Prada" - gold painted cloth. These include dance costumes, fans, umbrellas and clothes worn at tooth filings and weddings. Bargaining is a must.

Ubud
Many Balinese say that Ubud is the place to see the real face of Bali. Besides that Ubud is also famous as the cultural center of Bali. The image of Bali as the artist land was created in Ubud. The Bali shopping in Ubud is closely related to its traditional charm. You will find many squatting sellers who will be loudly haggling among spices and vegetables. Besides that, the market also sells handicrafts, many made in the neighboring villages of Mas, Tegalalang, and more.

Malls
When you are in Bali, you are not only subjecting to traditional Balinese vendors, but you can also find good malls located in and around Kuta and Denpasar, where you can easily get your need. The malls in Bali offer you a variety of goods from tool kits to branded perfume. You will occasionally be spoiled with great discounts on designer branded goods.

Matahari Department Stores
One of great department stores for shopping in Bali is Matahari department Stores. There are so many offers here, such as various branded perfumes and cosmetics outlets, such as Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Body Shop- the free-animal testing products, and Revlon. You can find women's fashion ranging from T-shirts to party gowns, collections for babies and children, including toys and a myriad of colorful fashions, are sorted according to ages. Lea, Tira and Wrangler jeans and T-shirt are found in the men's fashion section, besides formal shirts from Arrow and Charles Jourdan. Besides that some other goods such as household needs, original CDs and VCDs and electronics are available in Matahari Department Store. One special offer from Matahari is the lowest prices for a variety of fruits.

You can find Matahari Department Stores at: Matahari Duta Plaza, Denpasar, 237-364; Galeria Nusa Dua; Bali Mal Galeria, Kuta, 758-875, Matahari Kuta Square and Matahari Legian.

Bali Mal Galeria Kuta
Another great mall for bali shopping is Bali Mal Galerial Kuta. It is a shopping centre in two stories building where you can find so many magnificent products, such as branded sporting items like Adidas and Nike, Branded fashion for women and men in Mark & Spencer and Polo, or kids collections in Osh Kosh B?Gosh. . There are also some beauty salons to spoil your beauty needs.

Bali Mal Galeria is also the island's best place to browse books. In the largest Gramedia bookshop on Bali, stationery, office equipment, imported books, international magazines, novels and best sellers are offered. Periplus Publishers' bookstore offers a wide variety of books on hobbies, recipes, travel, history, politics, Indonesia and culture. There also are book corners for women and kids.

Right in the centre of the mall, there is a shaded garden intended for the non-shopping spouses, tired shoppers and for nourishment. In the second level floor, there is a food court. Another great thing is that there are Planet Hollywood and 21 Cinema and also The Duty Free Shop near to Bali Mal Galeria Kuta that can be reached by walking.

Galeria Nusa Dua
Galeria Nusa Dua is built on over 17-hectare area, offering up to 150 souvenir and handicrafts shops and boutique. The Galeria Nusa Dua building is designed in an open air shopping mall for a friendly and relaxing shopping in Bali. The stores here are mostly having fixed priced high quality items. You can find some designer?s outlets, such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Prada, and Versace.

In Batik Keris Gallery, many outlets for fine jewelry and onyx souvenirs to scores of first class batik, ikat and handicraft items are priced in rupiah. The Tragia Department Store caters to daily needs and at the Duty Free Shops, for those leaving the country, there are classy tax-free items.

Besides the shops, there are also a great selection of 30 restaurants offering a variety of cuisine from Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and International meals, perfectly served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To help you reaching the distance, there is a shuttle bus service in the complex of Galeria Nusa Dua mall..

Ramayana Bali Mall
Ramayana is the first mall opened in bali around 5 years ago. It is located on one of the busiest street in Denpasar. Ramayana is a 3 stories mall where you can find a great selection of fashion at reasonable prices. Besides that, there are some franchised restaurants available such as Pizza Hut, Dunkin?s Donut, Excelso café, Wendy?s Hamburger, All You Can Eat Hartz Chicken and also a food court.

The fashion section, which presents both local and branded labels. Select men's or women's wear along with accessories, shoes, bags and so on. Pick music cassettes, original CDs, VCDs and DVDs. The Gunung Agung bookstore features stationery, some imported books and office equipment.

Shopping Galleries
Besides the beautiful nature and culture, Bali is famous for its silver and gold goods, splendid Balinese hand woven, handicrafts and wood carvings. These items are always displayed in a very attractive way to attract the tourist

Agung Rai Gallery
Agung Rai Gallery is a gallery of Indonesian?s best young artist in paintings. It is located at Jl. Raya Peliatan, Ubud, Gianyar Ubud Phone: 975449


Andy's Gallery
Andy?s gallery is located at Jl. Raya Br. Taman Kerobokan No.15, Kuta. The gallery has a two stories building offering an eclectic mix of furniture and carvings, antique and reproduction furniture, and also an attractive wedding chest.


Galeri Keris
Galleria Keris is a one-stop shop which is also known as the centre of Indonesian handicrafts and a department store. Galeria keris offers you inexpensive goods ranging from a variety of crafts, clothes, arts and fun gifts. It is open daily from 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Galleria Nusa Dua Phone: 771303

Asmat Kamoro
Asmat Kamoro is located at Jl. Patih Jelantik 175 Kuta, phone ; 755-624., just around the corner of Jl. Majapahit.. It is a unique shop where you can find tribal artifacts from Irian Jaya. While you can find lots of junk here, if you dig enough, you may find an occasional treasure. Look for long carved Asmat poles, shields, drums, penis sheaths, axes, and bows and arrows.

Bamboo Gallery Main Road Ubud
Bamboo Gallery is located at the main road of Ubud with a phone number: 975037. Different from the other galleries, the Bamboo gallery is more modern and innovative one. This is the place where you can find many works of bali?s most promising young artist.


Window Shopping
Shopping in Bali will certainly be something to do. Bali Bali with its charms offer you a lot of interesting goods, silver and gold jewelry, wood carving, magnificent local hand woven and also so many other handicrafts displayed attractively

Usually, you need to bargain when you are shopping in Bali, such as in art shops, shops and markets. So, the good price that you might get will pretty much depend on your smartness in bargaining. It will certainly be a new challenging experience for certain buyers. However, on most department stores in Bali, prices are tagged and fixed. Major credit cards are accepted. However, in smaller shops, bargaining is required and pay in cash is common.

Kuta / Legian / Seminyak
If you are in Kuta, you will directly see that there are lots of shops and restaurants along the main road, on each side of the road. The Bali shopping in Kuta will offer you a broad variety of products, such as sarong, handicrafts, swimwear, jewelry, leather goods, CD?s and cassette?s. , There are many street hawkers selling watches, transport and bracelets. If you don't want to buy, don't make any contact to them.

You will also find some shopping centres and department stores in Kuta. The products sold here are fixed price. If you want to give a visit to these places, you can head to Kuta centre and Kuta square located in Jalan Kartika Plaza. Each of these shopping centers are also close tone another.

The upper end of Legian Street from Seminyak to Kerobokan has turned into an enclave of boutiques specializing in men's and ladies clothing, interior and homewares stores, antiques, furniture and some interesting deli's and warungs.

Nusa Dua
Before entering Nusa Dua, you will find a small market located right at the Nusa Dua entrance gate. If you want to do some bali shopping here, you also need to bargain. Nusa Dua has a shopping complex called as Galleria. In this shopping complex, you will find lots of stores and restaurants. Besides that, there are also Tragia supermarket and department stores and also Keris Gallery. The stores have mostly fixed price selling high quality items.

Denpasar
Denpasar, as the capital of Bali, is not really recognized as a tourist destination. However, there are some places worth visiting. You will find many department stores in Denpasar, such as Rimo, Matahari, Libi, Tiara Dewa, Ramayana, Dewata Ayu or Tragja. Supermarkets are located within the areas of most of these department stores. If you are looking for handicrafts there are quite a few shops in Jalan Gajah Mada selling similar items to those seen in Kuta.

The Bypass
Along the road connecting Sanur and Nusa Dua, you will find many stores on either side of the road selling wrought iron, pottery and furniture. If you are careful and selected buyer, you may find some masterpieces.

Batubulan
Batubulan is known as the centre of stone carving art. The stone sculptures in Bali were traditionally carved out from paras, soft volcanic rock. These sculptures were used to adorn palaces and temples, but recently they have been exported too. The craftsmen can make practically anything you request.

Celuk
If you are heading off from Ubud, you will come to a location called as Celuk. Celuk is famous as a centre of silver and gold jewelry in Bali. You will find many huge jewelry stores selling a variety of beautiful and sophisticated design of silver and gold jewelries. The silver filigree work is quite amazing. If you can go off the main road into the village where the craftsmen work and live you will get better prices.

Bona
Bona is rich of bamboo plantations. That?s why, Bona has been developed as a centre of bamboo furniture and mats. Besides making use of bamboo, the local villagers also make use of lontar leaves to produce some variety of goods.

Tegalalang
One of Bali shopping for wood carving will be in Tegalalang. This village and the surrounding areas have a specialty in soft good carving. The features which are commonly use for the ornaments are the figures of fruits, flowers, frogs, and some animal fugures.

Duty Free Shopping
If you want to shop in the duty free outlets for Bali shopping, you can head to Sanur, Nusa Dua or Kuta. You will then need to go to DFS and Plaza Bali. Besides that, there is also a duty free shopping in the Ngurah Rai, the international airport of Bali.

They have a wide range of designer label boutiques. Bare in mind some products in Indonesia don't have a high duty, such as cigarettes.

More about Bali:

• Bali Adventure
• Balinese Village
• Bali Culture
• Goes to Bali
• Bali Shopping
• Bali Beach
• Bali Attractions
• Bali Bars
• Bali Tourist Guide
• Bali Travel Guide
• Bali International Airport

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Fishing in Bali And Have Fun!

Fishing in Bali And Have Fun!

Fishing in Bali is a very amazing tour to explore the wide Indian Ocean with high speed boat to have fun and fish many of tropical fish. As you probably known, Indonesia is a country which is very rich with maritime island. Bali fishing is one or the best spot to fish and catch the big fishes. There you'll fish like the professional fisherman and you will be able to catch many fishes in the Bali Ocean. You'll explore the Bali fishing Trips Point by speed boat with your friends, business partner, family or colleague. You'll get great experiences and enjoy fishing of ocean.

Well, fishing in bali has been quite great. There you'll be buffeted by howling the ocean?s courtesy of the local fisherman which is very common in August. The average fishes catched are usually between 25-50 fishes, weight average between 4-8kg. With some jigging methods it will be more productive.


While cruising around your Bali fishing tours, you can also enjoy your lunch and dinner with the nice speed boat. If you want another callenge, you can go dive or snorkel. You can also go to visit some islands near to Bali Island, such as Nusa Penida and Nusa Lambongan. Fishing in Bali is something worth to go for!

Bali Fishing Map

Read more about Adventure Travels:

• Explore Bali Snorkeling Tour
• Discover The Magic Of Bali Diving
• Bali Horse Riding
• Bali Cruises Tour
• Golf In Bali
• Fishing in Bali and have fun!
• Bali Fishing Tours
• Elephant Safari Park Bali
• Ayung River Rafting Bali
• Biking in Lombok
• Lombok Surf
• Lombok Diving

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Beautiful Sunset in Gili Meno Island

Beautiful Sunset in Gili Meno Island

Relaxing on the beach in a small island would be the holiday dream for most travelers. like watching the Sunset in Gili Meno Island. Far from crowded, noisy and polluted of the city. You can warm your tired feet in the hot sun, baked sand, swimming on coral reefs and relaxing on a bale bengong (stilted open air wooden hut) reading a good book, while feeling the sensation of the sea breeze against the skin. Instead of a beautiful skies during the day or the stars shining in the night.

Sunset in Gili Meno is definitely my kind of holiday. So, when I had the chance to escape the capital, I grabbed it and without hesitation I headed Lombok's Gili Meno.

Some 30 kilometers east of the tourist island of Bali, Gili Meno Lombok is the smallest of the three small sand islands northwest of Lombok, in West Nusa Tenggara.

The bigger Gili Trawangan Lombok is more famous and has been dubbed the party island by visitors for its lively night life. Gili Air Lombok is the biggest and most populated.

All three islands have no motor vehicles roaming the streets. Horse drawn carts called Cidomo and bicycles are the only means of transportation around.

My companion and I took the night flight from Jakarta to Bali on a Friday night and continued to Trawangan on a fast boat, Saturday morning. From there, we hopped on a chartered boat and arrived at Meno around 11 a.m.

When we arrived, we know so little that apart from the expected relaxation time in that spot, we were inspired by the environment.

Based on the recommendation of a friend, we searched for a place called Sunset Gecko. Our boatman pointed out the resort, which had no signboard but a big, wooden gecko on the wall of the dining area.

The hotel is located on the beach, the place has a number of small cottages and a main building with a dining room and kitchen. It has a beautiful garden with flower, trees and banana plants. Four comfy bale bengong search over the sea and Gili Trawangan with high telecommunications tower.

A Japanese man in his early 40s Hiro Tanaka, who we later found out was the owner of the place, greeted us. After we checked in, we made ourselves comfortable in the shady huts looking out to the sea.

Always intrigued by cool Japanese people, we speculated about Tanaka's story. Looking at the beautiful and tidy resort, I guessed he had a degree in hotel management. My travel partner disagreed, guessing that Tanaka was a well-traveled and highly educated person, who for one reason or another decided to open a resort in a small island in Indonesia.

The latter guess was closer to the truth. In one conversation, I found out that he was one of the few idealists who wanted to save the earth, but was obstructed by the politics of the world.

Tanaka is a businessman who set up an alternative energy conversion company with his business partner in Canada. Their product was a patented pyrolysis machine that can transform plastic waste into its former form: oil.

After two years of lobbying city administrations to use the technology without giving money under table, he decided to quit and start making change on a smaller scale.

He grew up in the arid desert of Quwait, while his father worked for a Japanese oil company, Tanaka says that he always dreamed of having a place to share with people.

Three years ago, with friends from different parts of the world, he opened Sunset Gecko, which adheres to eco-friendly practices.

More than often, tourists looking for unspoiled nature to escape the city's pollution end up damaging the environment of their holiday destination. Beautiful spots in Bali have become testament of this, with overdevelopment resulting in beach erosion.

A guess witnessed environmental degradation in Northern Thailand, when six years ago he visited a pristine beach with only two hotels. Three years later, 30 new ones have mushroomed, with mounting piles of garbage.

He says that as he got older he realized that he was part of the problem as he too created garbage. "We always say 'this shouldn't be like this. Oh, you shouldn't burn the plastics' dadadada.

"But when you become an adult, you start to think 'Hey, whose responsibility is this?'. It's easy to say (for an example), *This is the Balinese government's problem'. But then the government doesn't do (anything) and we just keep doing the same troublesome things," he says.

"We just keep messing, creating more garbage, buying chocolate (and throwing away the wrappers), smoking cigarettes and throwing the ash on the street. No, it shouldn't be like this," he says.

So, he opened Sunset Gecko with the hope that he can make a difference.

The resort recycles the water from the dish washing, laundry, and showers to water the plants. Hiro says that they used a three-step filtration system he learned from reading books and internet sites. He mixed the organic solid residue and organic waste from the kitchen to make compost.

Sunset gecko also makes natural soap in the kitchen. This too he learned from books and the internet. He uses palm and coconut oils for the soap and leaves it to harden as soap bars for six weeks. The soap was one of the highlights of the resort for me. It didn't leave the skin dry and was even great when I used it to wash my hair.

Apparently, the news of the natural soap from Sunset Gecko has traveled around. Two Japanese women that stayed at Gili Trawangan traveled to Gili Meno Island to purchase the soap.

Tanaka says that it was not for sale as it was for guests to use. Eventually, the women left with two soap bars each.

Another impressive part of Gecko was the beautiful garden, with various plants. Hiro says that once local island residents came to the resort and marveled at the banana trees.

"They were really surprised. *A banana tree on the beach? How come?' they asked. I told them that we make compost for the soil and villagers have started to copy that," Tanaka says.

In Gili Meno Island, where fresh water is shipped from Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an option. It is a necessity.

While Sunset Gecko is alive and kicking, walking around Gili Meno Island I found a number of accommodations seemed to be out of business. I passed an abandoned desolate place with an overturned table which seemed to had been a restaurant. Another resort looked closed an empty. Sunset in Gili Meno is definitely beautiful!

Sunset Gecko has a pleasant atmosphere with the other guests to be welcomed and sharing their experiences in the water. Only the quality of bathing water in the area in front the beach of the hotel will lead you to the beautiful coral reefs and the observation of nice sea creatures.

Swimming with the turtles on his side, One guests says that he went snorkeling and saw a Manta ray.

When the sunset, the sky is turn into a purple color. Guests would hang around the open air dining room with drinks chatting, while sounds of geckos joining the chat.

As the night grew slowly, the sight of Gili Trawangan its colorful lights looked like a big ship. A staff commented that it looked like the Titanic ship.

The best part was in a wooden beach chair, watching the sky and the sea, the stars shine, and I started to fall asleep :)


More about Lombok:

• Gili Islands Lombok
• Gili Trawangan Lombok
• Gili Meno Lombok
• Gili Meno Island
• Gili Air Lombok
• Gili Nanggu Lombok
• Komodo Nasional Park Indonesia
• Biking in Lombok
• Lombok Surf
• Lombok Diving
• Bamboe Rafting Tour
• Kuta Beach Lombok
• Mangsit Beach Lombok
• Senggigi Beach Lombok
• Batu Bolong Beach
• Moyo Island Lombok
• Mount Rinjani Lombok

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Celebrating The Chinese New Year in Lombok

Celebrating The Chinese New Year in Lombok

Lombok is an island with a variety of cultures and religions. These are mingling together to create a fascinating blend of people that is resulting a series of celebrations and festivals throughout the year.

The indigenous Sasak people are the majority population in Lombok island, They practice a moderate form of Islam. In the practice, they often blend Islam with old animist traditions and beliefs that already existed before the advent of organized religion. Besides Sasak people, there are large communities of Balinese who live on the west coast and in the cities. Balinese predecessors settled in Lombok in the 17th century. They still practice their colorful form of Hinduism until these days. Communities of Arab settlers, Bugis seafarers, Christians from Flores and many Chinese whose families have settled throughout Indonesia over the centuries, all live together in harmony on this idyllic island.

Lombok?s Chinese communities celebrated the Chinese New Year in Lombok on January 26. The Chinese immigrants brought beliefs and practices that are incorporated into Chinese New Year celebration in Indonesia. This tradition is still followed and handed down from their parents.



Chinese New Year in Lombok that is also called the spring Festival or the Lunar New Year is very important in the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first New Moon in the Chinese calendar (Jan. 26) and ends on the 15th day (called the Lantern Festival), on Feb. 9

As the Chinese year 2008 was signified as the "Year of the Rat", 2009 (or the year 4707 in the Chinese calendar), begins the "Year of the Earth Ox".

The celebration of Chinese New Year in Lombok was under restrictive Indonesian laws that made it a unique event. There was no Chinese celebration or Chinese national holidays were allowed to be celebrated in public. It is only 2002 that Chinese New Year was officially admitted and declared as a public holiday in Indonesia. That?s why, last year in Lombok, the Chinese New Year in Lombok celebration was a fantastic cultural performance.

Sahara Restaurant & Club and The Lombok Guide were responsible to organize the event. It was originally planned to be a small inaugural celebration that performing a dragon dance through the centre of Senggigi beach. However, it got bigger and merrier. We must give thanks to the amazing skills and performance of a not famous Barongsai or Dragon/Lion dance group based in Lombok.

From the hotel, the Barongsai troupe progressed to Sahara Restaurant & Club in Senggigi Plaza. A large crowd of local Indonesians, tourist and resident Chinese were already waiting there. Accompanied by drumming and traditional music, a wonderful Lion dance was performed in front of 100 people. It has been a part of tradition for the Chinese to feed traditional red envelopes containing money into the mouth of the hungry dragon. It is believed that the Barongsai bring good luck on New Year and red envelopes are traditionally offered to the Barongsai when they visit.

The hotel in Senggigi Beach Lombok was the starting point of the Chinese New Year Celebration. The hotel itself held a special Chinese buffet and New Year party, where the guest were shown an amazing demonstration of traditional and modern Chinese martial arts performed by some top athletes who were all trained in Lombok. The highlight of the evening was the Lion Dance, performed by two agile and highly entertaining "lions", in a skilful display of athleticism and theater.

From Senggigi Plaza, the parade went on to Senggigi Jaya supermarket for blessing and envelopes.. And then it continued along the main street of Senggigi. A crowd of excited spectators followed them to Restaurant Taman Sari. The surprised restaurant guests were spoiled with another amazing performance of barongsai dance. The procession then danced and drummed their way to Square Restaurant in Senggigi Square, where another New Year celebration was taking place. After that, they marched way back down main street and home. It was the first highly successful Chinese New Year celebration in Senggigi that brought a diverse range of people and cultures blending together in harmony.

This year, many of Lombok?s hotels already made preparation for the celebration. They offered special packages to welcome Chinese New Year in Lombok. Don?t forget to check the buffet theme dinners that will serve you delicious Chinese foods. Hopefully, you'll be lucky to be able to feed a friendly dragon or lion when it dances its way into the New Year

More about Lombok:

• Gili Islands Lombok
• Gili Trawangan Lombok
• Gili Meno Lombok
• Gili Meno Island
• Gili Air Lombok
• Gili Nanggu Lombok
• Komodo Nasional Park Indonesia
• Biking in Lombok
• Lombok Surf
• Lombok Diving
• Bamboe Rafting Tour
• Kuta Beach Lombok
• Mangsit Beach Lombok
• Senggigi Beach Lombok
• Batu Bolong Beach
• Moyo Island Lombok
• Mount Rinjani Lombok

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