Bali Place of Interest

Places of Interest
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Amlapura
Crossing a wide, solidified lava flow which year by year is slowly being brought back to cultivation, you enter Amlapura, the main town of Karangasem regency. The former kingdom was founded during the weakening of the Gelgel dynasty late in the 17th century, and became in the late 18th and early 19th centuries the most powerful state in Bali. Puri Agung Karangasem long served as the residence of these kings ..
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Bangli
Further inland the weather is cooler. Plots abound with sweet potato, peanut, corn and spices. A high kulkul drum tower marks the entrance to Bangli, capital of a kingdom descended from the early Gelgel dynasty. The largest and most sacred temple of the district is Pura Kehen, the terraced mountain sanctuary and state temple of Bangli. An ancient document tells of the slaughter of a black bull ..
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Batu Bulan
Driving northeast of Denpasar, one is soon among the fields and streams of Badung and Gianyar. Badung's district border is marked by a spinning factory named Patal Tohpati. Tohpati means "where people risk their lives" and alludes to a former battle between two rival kingdoms. Entering Batubulan, stone statues of divinities and demons, humans and animals line the roadside. They are sold to tourists and to the Balinese as ..
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Mas
According to the Balinese chronicles, Danghyang Nirartha (Padanda Sakti Bahu Rauh) came to Bali from Java at the end of the 1 5th century and made his home in this village. This priest, from whom almost all of Bali's Brahmanas claim descent, gave Balinese Hinduism the >>
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Batur
In 1927,the people of Batur began rebuilding Pura Ulun Danu, the temple which once lay at the foot of the volcano. It was an ambitious project. The majority of the 285 planned shrines are yet to be completed. At present, the temple is finely and simply designed. Two august gateways, severe in contrast to the elaborate split gates of South Bali, open onto spacious courtyards laid with black gravel...
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Bedugul
In jungle terrain lies the serene lake of Bratan, veiled with mist. It fills the ancient crater of Mt. Bratan. Because the lake is an essential water source for surrounding farmlands, the people of Bedugul honor Dewl'tanu, goddess of the waters ..
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Bedulu
The village at the crossroads beyond Pejeng was once the center of early Balinese dynasties. In the 14th century, the armies of the Majapahit dynasty in Java threatened many parts of the archipelago. One ruler refused to submit: Dalem Bedaulu or Raja Tapolung ...
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Besakih
A climb north, through the astonishing landscapes of Bukit Jambul, ascends over 900 meters up the slopes of Gunung Agung to Pura Besakih, the holiest of all temples in Bali. It originated most probably as a prehistoric terraced ..
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Kubu Tambahan
Here, Pura Maduwe Karang, "Temple of the Owner of the Land", honors Mother Earth and the sun which give prosperity to the crops of dry agriculture. Assubak temples venerate the creative urge in nature that insures harvests on irrigated rice fields, this temple holds ceremonies to guarantee a "blessing" for plants grown on un-irrigated land: fruits, coconut, maize and coffee >>
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Kuta
Sunsets make memories at Kuta beach, one of the island's loveliest seacoasts. Skylight descends in warm waves of color, leaving shy stars behind. Village fishermen often set off at dusk, the sails of their prahus shrinking to frail silhouettes that drift across a wide, red sun. They vanish into the night, lulled by the rhythm of >>
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Marga
On 20 November 1946, Lt. Col. 1 Gusti Ngurah Rai, a commander of nationalist troops in Bali, and his company of guerrilla fighters were killed in the Battle of Marga. Surrounded by a numerically superior Dutch force, and under bombardment from the air, the small band, only 94 men in all, refused to surrender; they attacked >>
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Blahbatuh
Many landmarks and buildings are attributed to him, including the original gate of this temple. Enshrined in a small pavilion is a massive stone head over a meter high, said to be a portrait of Kebo lwa. The head cannot be dated precisely and does not resemble usual Hindu - Javanese iconography; it is probably solely Balinese in creation >>
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Blayu
From Mengwi you may cross the range to the coast of North Bali. A left turn off the main road leads to Blayu where the women are weavers. The clicking of bamboo looms resound, as locally dyed threads are interwoven in webs of gold embroidery to fashion ceremonial cloths worn during festivals. A sarong two meters long takes three weeks to a month to weave, depending upon the intricacy of the design >>
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Celuk
A silver-spun dragon twice encircles the wrist to form a bracelet sold in the village of Celuk, a center of gold and silver work. Original designs in delicate filigree make Balinese jeweiry one of the most unusual styles in Asia. Although individual pieces are elaborate, they have simple origins in their making. Artisans use a tree stump with a protruding iron spike as a pounding base, a bamboo stem to catch the filings, and a manually operated gas pump for heat. As with most Balinese crafts, gold and silver work is largely an hereditary trade >>
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Denpasar
With a population over 100,000, this Bali's capital city is the largest city in the island. It is also clock. Since the Denpasar's two main shopping streets at el960sand the tourist boom, Denpasar has come together at the Guru statue- Hindu concepts. It replaced an old street Jalan Gajah Mada grown quickly into a bustling little city in is block-full with >>
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Gianyar
Before Gianyar, traveling from Kutri, there is a road junction. For a shorter round trip (skipping the Gianyar - Kintamani circuit) which allows more time for shopping in Ubud and Mas, take the road left to Bedulu and follow the tour from there (pages 151-157). Or, if there is time, take the road right to Gianyar and Kintamani >>
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Goa Gajah
A short distance from Bedulu stands the mysterious Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave. A fantastically carved entrance depicts entangling leaves, rocks, animals, ocean waves and demonic human shapes running from the gaping mouth which forms the entrance to the cave. The monstrous Kala head that looms above the entrance seems to part the rock with her hands >>
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Gunung Kawi
From the lookout above a long stairway, ghostly habitations appear on the far side of the valley. The young River Pakrisan bubbles down over boulders, as it winds through the rice terraces. This is the striking >>
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Klungkung
As the seat of the Dewa Agung, nominally the highest of the old Balinese rajas, Klungkung holds a special place in the island's history and culture. As artistic centers, the palaces of Klungkung's rajas and noblemen patronized and developed the styles of music, drama and the fine arts that flourish today. The capital was shifted to Klungkung from nearby Gelgel in 1710, and a new palace built .>>
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Kintamani
In script from the 10th century indicate that this high mountain district which takes its name from the ancient, windblown town at 1,500 meters-was the earliest known kingdom in Bali. Its small houses are constructed of wood and bamboo tiles to give warmth in the cold evenings of the highlands. Plentiful vegetables and fruits prosper in the damp climate. Like many of the old villages in Bali, the center of community affairs is the bale agung, >>