BALI BUS thru the ISLAND of the GODS!
Legian
,Bali
3 days from
Au
$195
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BALI VILLA RENTAL & HOLIDAY EXPERTS
ASIA TRAVEL EXPERTS
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TOUR OVERVIEW
"Bali is truly magic!..
Give us three days of your Bali holiday...& we can promise you an experience of a lifetime!... and it will only cost you $Au195... including two nights accomodation... your personal driver in a 6 seater airconditioned comfortable jeep-type vehicle... Only bring toothbrush/pyjamas & swim togs... leave the rest at your hotel.
Our Bali operators (with over 40 years experience since our John Forsyth took the first intrepid travellers to Indonesia in 1966) are Bali legends in offering indepth & cultural travel.
Day 1)..Your "Island of the Gods" tour includes...
Air conditioned car with an excellent driver...Visits... walks... experiences at...Batubalan... stone carving village...Celuk.Village... Gold & Silver masters...Mas... Home of the worlds most interesting carvers...Peliatan... Painters galleries...Ubud... The very heart of Bali's culture...The artifact wonderland at Heron Village... Just out of Ubud... Klung Klung... the Royal village and Temple of Justice!... Kintamani down into the huge caldara lake where the original Trunyan people live under Mt Batur...Accomodation over night at either Ubud... Munduk or Candi Dasa...based on your choice of tour...Yes! there's so much to enjoy that we'd prefer to discuus with you some alternatives Optional Dance performance tonight... your choice of Kecuk... Barong... Legong... or even the ladies traditional Gamlen performanceOptional special evening meal... ranging from simple Balinese cuisine to the exquisite taste of Janet De Neefe at her cooking school & restaurant ... Casa Luna... or go for a De Gustation menu at Chris Salyans exotic Mozaic!Thats enough for today!... Let's describe these events a little more fully...YES!... IT'S YOUR HOLIDAY!... but you'll find a taste of Bali's culture will "add the icing" to your vacation... and give countless stories to recount at home! Batubalan Stone Carvers VillageThe intimidating stone figures of fanged creatures, brave warriors and mighty animals that line the shaded street leading to Batubalan might be enough to deter even the most adventurous of travelers from exploring this quaint village. However, those who venture inside its bounds will discover a plethora of artistic delights. Watch the talented stone carvers as they sculpt the moon stone, or paras, also used to adorn the temples and palaces of the village. Also, known for its adept Barong dance troupes, Batubalan Village is a cultural gem not to be missed.Celuk Gold & Silver workers village...Balinese jewelry is unique, and Celuk is the home of much of it. Nearly every family in Celuk is involved in some aspects of the delicate gold and silver work, which has become very famous over the years. Mas wood carvers village...According to the Balinese chronicles, Danghyang Nirartha (Padanda Sakti Bahu Rauh) came to Bali from Java at the end of the 15th century and made his home in this village. This priest, from whom almost all of Bali's Brahmanas claim descent, gave Balinese Hinduism the form it now presents, including its highly complex offerings and spectacular cremation rituals.He also was an extremely gifted wood carver. Initially the fine arts of woodcarving and painting were reserved almost exclusively for royal and religious purposes. Nowadays they are also produced for enjoyment and commerce.' Men of every caste are artisans, and in Mas live some of the most talented. The best known is lda Bagus Nyana, who in 1 974 received a high national reward in recognition of his art. For many years he has not sold his beautiful and original carvings, which may be seen at his home. His son, lda Bagus Tilem, is one of several accomplished sculptors working at Mas.Tilems gallery is an absolute must for you...Whether you are "an art buff" or not!Peliatan Village...An interesting village as it lies between the infuence of Mas & Ubud... Wood carvers & Painters..Both here and in Heron Village you'll find great gift artifact ideas... reasonable cost and quite unique design. Sukawati Market...Sukawati is the center for the manufactures of those noisy wind chimes you hear all over the island, as well as temple umbrellas. The busy Pasar Seni (Art market) sells batik, toe slippers and handicrafts by the dozen.In general, the traditional markets are colourful bustling affairs, which are far more interesting than the rows and rows of tourist shops who sell exactly the same thing over and over again. Although tourists also shop here, most of the customers are locals, so if you'd like to blend in, do as the Balinese: Haggle ‘til you drop!
Overnight in a Balinese home stay or boutique Bali Hotel...
 Frankly!... It's vital to get you away from the tourist "feel" of Kuta/Seminyak or Nusa Dua... if you're going to absorb this wonderful island. No television... No noisy crowds...During tonight we're offering you some options... Dance or music performance... a dinner with "difference"... a chance to "wind back"In the Ubud area we also have some wonderful massage & meditation centresYou'll be enchanted by a performance of the the traditional ladies Gamelan of Ubud "Mekar Sari" ladies orchestra and children's dancing group... It is quite unusual to have a womans gamelan group... and they are good! The ladies are in their middle years and obviously love playing. Balinese girls scatter flower petals to welcome the audience. Then comes the Baris (a warrior dance) this time enacted by a boy of about eleven. It's a magnificent performance.The old ladies of Bali Dance!...Young as nymphs are the temple dancers in Bali. At 12 they are too old for the temple, retire and usually marry. But when Temple-dancer Devi Dja (pronounced Davy Jah) was dancing the Legong in Klunklung,* the late, great Anna Pavlowa visited neighboring Java for a couple of concerts, and round-faced Dancer Devi Dja went to see her dance. Result: Devi Dja decided that 12 was over-young to quit. So she collected a group of other aging temple-dancers, started giving commercial performances for visiting tourists. Two years ago Devi Dja's dancers toured Java and French Indo-China, with Devi Dja billed as the "Balinese Pavlowa." Last spring she took her troupe all the way to Europe, planned to go home by way of the U.S. Recently Devi Dja and her group of 20-odd mum, placid-faced little Balinese landed in Manhattan. With them was Prince Raden Waloejo, cousin of Java's reigning sultan, himself a pretty good dancer of the Wajang-Wong (ancient Balinese national epic). Also in the troupe were nine gamelan musicians with queer gongs and xylophones, a special Balinese cook to home-cook rice and fish, Devi Dja's younger (18) sister Devi Emah with her ten-months-old baby. Their first performance in the Guild Theatre was a sellout, for few Manhattanites had ever seen a temple dance outside of tantalizing glimpses in the movies. For them Devi Dja and her accordion-bellied maidens imitated ancient frescoes, did solemn ritualistic wriggles, proved with deft, complicated gestures that Bali's classic dance is not as simple as a sarong. Between these pantomimes and rituals, the wiry, Balinese youths ritualistically jabbed at each other with crooked knives.
"Understanding Bali"!..."six Senses of Bali"..takes you on a quite unusual journey..You'll find your driver is something more than expected..As a Balinese he really wants you to understand his culture.He won't take you to souvenir stalls or try to have you buy!
Here's some of the occasions you might experience.Obviously...there's not a cremation every day...but in Bali...that's an even not to be missed...You're not intruding!...simply "go with the flow!"
A Cremation...a vital part of Balinese life!!
The most famous and import ritual is that of cremation. When one dies the body is buried, only long enough so the family has enough money to pay for a cremation ceremony. Cremation ceremonies are big business in Bali. Considered happy occasions by the deceased family, since it’s when the soul is liberated from the body and makes its way to heaven so it can be reborn. Families construct elaborate funerary sarcophagus –many look like animals or possibly demons. It costs the family a lot of money to have this grand sendoff-so many will advertise this event for tourists. If you have the chance to see this, you should. It’s a great way to see and experience the real Bali.
A tooth filing ceremony!
At puberty- the tooth filing ceremony takes place. Their two canine teeth are filed down, which is supposed to get rid of your of any demonic characteristics. In Balinese dance, demons always have pointy teeth, while the heroes always have filed down teeth. At this time boys can be circumcised. Girls meet puberty by having a ceremonial purification and then going through a period of quarantine.
A Balinese Wedding...!
Balinese weddings are interesting affairs. Colorful and beautiful offerings are made at various temples and at the home of the groom. Designs are made with a colored candy into people and flowers. Supposedly, the wedding ceremony takes place 42 days after the bride has been playfully abducted from her family by the groom. Various rituals are gone through on the wedding day in presence of a Hindu priest. One of them involves killing a bird.
Re-incarnation!!
The Balinese believe in the Hindu belief of reincarnation. Their lives are marked by various rites of passage, which are celebrated by the community. At birth-baby’s placenta is buried in a coconut shell near the front of the house. Many babies are considered to be reincarnations of past relatives. They are considered holy. Babies shouldn’t touch the ground until 210 days have gone by. This is when their hair is cut for the first time and they are given a name.
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