Golf Experience in Bali

Enjoy Beautiful Golf Experience When you visit Bali and love to do golf, you surely can try several golf courses in Bali that give you beautiful golf experience. With the international Bali Golf Course and beautiful of landscape will be your value interest to play the golf that is served in three several gold club in Bali Island.
Here are several golf courses that you should try during your holiday in Bali. Get ready to join the game and served by the professional staff and caddy will complete your lovely holiday in the Paradise Island of Bali. Golf in Bali is a fantastic and exciting golf playing experience in paradise Bali Island.
Nusa Dua Bali Golf and Country Club
Nusa Dua Bali Golf and Country Club, voted ‘One of Asia’s 5 Best Golf Courses’(Fortune Magazine - USA) will offer visitors to Bali a truly unique golfing experience due to the fantastic setting of the course. Golfers will experience three distinct playing environments throughout the 18-hole course. The setting of holes 1 through 9 features creeks, canyons, and native vegetation filled with tropical birds. The golf course architect team of Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright incorporated small hand-built stone walls to terrace the sides of fairways and tees in order to emulate the rice fields terraces of the Bali countryside. The setting for holes 10 through 16 present the golfer with lush gently sculptured fairways through a mature coconut grove. The coconut palms, some as tall as 100 feet, provide vertical definition to the golf course. The 17th hole plays out to the beautiful blue Indian Ocean and usually into a cool ocean breeze. The 18th hole plays from the beach back to the clubhouse along side a 16-acre lake.
Nirwana Bali Golf Country Club
Nirwana Bali Golf Country Club is a visual masterpiece of dramatic ocean views and lush Balinese landscapes. Greg Norman has designed it golf course, Nirwana Bali Golf Course offers a spectacular challenge and a unique world-class experience for golfers of all skill levels. The golf course that is designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman with hole 18 th is one of the most photographed and challenging golf courses in the world. With three holes running along the cliffs of the Indian Ocean and terraced rice paddies providing unique hazards and this course has been tested the accuracy and consistency of a PGA Professional and still be enjoyable for the average golfer. It is set on the southwest coast of Bali with 45 minutes drive from Bali’s International Airport. Nirwana Bali Golf Club is the centerpiece of the fully integrated Nirwana Bali Resort. You can come and experience the ultimate golf course in Bali or you can join the Nirwana Bali Golf Package.
New Kuta Golf
New Kuta Golf is a new golf course set on the 85 hectares land right on the limestone cliff with stunning view of the Indian Ocean. It is a great golf course with 18 holes located 20 minutes drive from Bali’s International Airport to the southern part of Bali and blessed the magnificent of sunset. New Kuta Golf is designed with four of tees for each of the 18 holes there’s enough variety to ensure a satisfying for all skill levels. The golf course will invite you to experience this championship layout firsthand to discover much more than just a golf course.
Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club
Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club is one of the golf courses located in the mountain and sightseeing area with beautiful panorama of Tamblingan Lake. It is situated in the plateau area of Bedugul Bali, the cool temperature surrounds the golf course, and the green rain forest covers your view from the course hence making your golf experiences are more enjoyable and full fun. The world-class of golf tournament have been executed in this place and serve with the professional staff and caddy who guide you on your lovely golf game. Bali Handara Kosaido is located about 1000 meter above sea level and 3 hours drive from Bali’s International Airport. Some of the places of interest around the golf course like Beratan Lake, Ulun Danu Temple can be visited on your way to the golf course and in our package we have provided one hour, Bedugul Tour to visit this tourist places.

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UN-WTO establish Belimbing as tourism village

United Nations World Tourism Organization established Belimbing village in Pupuan, Tabanan become the tourism village. The establishment was attended by the head of Tabanan Regency, Ni Putu Eka Wiryastuti and the representative of UN-WTO, I Gede Ardika.
Ardika said “the village has beautiful scenery and it has the chance to be developed into tourism village.” He also said that the people in the village are spirited in developing the village as one of the tourism destination in Tabanan regency.
Ardika emphasized that the most important thing is to preserve the local value and culture to attract tourists. If the village already develops then the welfare of the people will also increase gradually.
For that reason, Ardika hoped that the power of people as one of the basic aspect in developing the tourism village must be accommodated properly and must cooperate with the other elements.
The establishment of Belimbing village as tourism village was done by the signing of the pact by Eka Wiryastuti. The head of the regency hope that the local values in the village can be preserved.
“There is great hope that as the tourism village in Tabanan, Belimbing village should have the clear identity. The government will give its full support in developing the village,” Eka said.
She also explained that in developing tourism sites, the seven basic principles must be used. They are secure, order, clean, beautiful, weather, and hospitality, it will give good memory to the tourists visited the tourism sites.
“I hope that Belimbing village can create their own special souvenirs so the tourists will always remember with the village,” she added.

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Bali Spa

Spa is one experience that you should not miss during your stay in Bali. The spa business in Bali emerging really fast during this ten years and become one of the sophisticated industry that can give your holiday a colorful experience.

Bali Spa with selected spa treatment, luxury rooms and friendly therapist will rejuvenate your soul and body become more motivated life union, flexing your muscle and also disappear the fatigue which you feel.

Spa in Bali offer multivarious of freshness manner live, develop health and keep in good health your husk during vacation. It offer the enjoyable smooth touch at your body and husk from professional therapist in massage treatment and encircled by the fresh fragrant aroma or enjoy the nature of Spa Villa with special spa treatment.

Bali really has become the Spa capital of Asia, if not the world! Every spa has a small basic listing. Selected spas have a detailed list of all their different treatments, direct links to e-mail and/or web site so you can contact them, and a number of pictures.

In Bali almost every hotel, no matter how many stars it may have, has its own spa. Before your book your hotel for your next Bali holiday, check here to see what spa facilities they have to offer, and what other alternatives there are in the immediate area.

The Spas of Bali offer many different massages [Balinese, Indonesian, Thai, Swedish, Shiatsu from Japan and Lomi-Lomi from Hawaii], body wraps, polishes and scrubs [including the Royal Javanese Lulur and the Balinese Boreh], Chinese Reflexology and many Ayurvedic styles of treatment. Advanced spas offer Colon Hydrotherapy and personal treatments such as Vaginal Smoking. In the Ubud area some spas offer Craniosacral Therapy and other Healing treatments.

Double rooms are often provided for couples who wish to share the experience and the Four Hand Massage is very popular in Bali (two therapists, male or female, perform a full body massage in perfect synchronisation). Extra Services are sometimes available in the smaller spas and Kerobokan boasts Bali’s first Gay Friendly spa (M Spa]) although others also now exist, mainly in the Kerobokan, JImbaran and Ubud areas.

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Spinach and Bean Sprouts in Coconut Sauce

Many Indonesian cultures, including that of Balinese, rejoice in a variety of servings made from bean sprouts salads. It is a very versatile ingredient as it can be served with different sauces like clear soup, assorted salads (serombotan), the one with peanut sauce and so forth. Here is another simpler Balinese salad using this in combination with spinach served in grated coconut sauce. This kind of salad is often used to accompany mixed rice.

Ingredients:

200g of bean sprouts, 1 string of spinach, 1 tbsp fried shallot, 1 tsp fried red chili Ground spices: 1 slice turmeric, 1 slice kencur, 3 cloves shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small chili, 1 pc candlenut, 1 tbsp cooking oil and ½ tsp salt.

Method:

• Cleanse the bean sprouts and spinach carefully.

• Prepare some water in the pan for boiling. When the water has boiled, put bean sprouts and spinach into the water and stir them for some 5 minutes. Take out and drain.

• Stir-fry the ground spices and then add a cup of water. Pour the grated coconut into these spices and stir well until its water runs dry.

• Mix well the bean sprouts and spinach with spices and a little salt. Do not forget to sprinkle the fried shallot and chili. Now, it is ready to serve! (BTN/punia)

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Jukut Nangka Mekuah (Young Jackfruit with Coconut Milk)

OVERVIEW:

If jackfruit is not available substitute with summer squash, winter melon or turnip.

INGREDIENTS:

750 gr young jackfruit, peeled, cleaned and cut in pieces 2.5 x 1 cm 1 lt (4 cups) chicken stock ½ cup spice paste for vegetables 4 cups coconut milk 2 tsp salt ½ tsp black peppercorn, crushed Fried shallots to garnish

PREPARATION:

Bring 3 liters (12 cups) of lightly salted water to the boil. Add jackfruit, bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain water and rinse jackfruit in ice water. Heat chicken stock, add vegetables spice paste and jackfruit and bring to the boil. Add coconut, milk and simmer, stirring continuously, until jackfruit is tender and stock thickens a little. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fried shallots. (www.baliguide.com/balifood)

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Getting in Touch with Local Culture

Robinson Crusoe might not originally have planed to explore the pristine tropical Island of Màs a Tierra. However, since the ship he went with was wrecked by vicious storm, he had no choice but attempted to save himself to nearest island. Like blessing in disguise, he has fallen in love with the island for some 28 years. He could do many things and obtain valuable experiences while waiting for the time to return home.

At that time, he probably did know about the terms agrotourism. Yet, without being realized he has enjoyed a variety of tourism activities. He got acquainted with local tribes and did farming as the local did.

Agrotourism is similar to what might have been carried out by the figure Robinson Crusoe in the novel authored by Daniel Defoe. It is the form of tourism taking advantage of rural culture as tourist attraction. Its focus lies on cultural landscape. It’s worth noting here that the culture does not only include the arts and tradition, but culture in the general sense as in the seven universal elements of culture that also embrace the system of livelihood, equipment, technology, language, religion and so forth. Actually it’s a comprehensive and sustainable tourism development. By this, local people are enabled to be widely involved in various activities, not merely as passive spectators.

On the other hand, through this activity visitors have a good opportunity to get acquainted with many aspects of rural life, starting from agricultural occupation, local products, traditional culinary, custom and tradition as well as lifestyle of local people. In agricultural field, for instance, there are areas producing characteristic local variety of rice like at Penebel; snakefruit at Pupuan and Sibetan; strawberry at Bedugul; and tangerine at Bondalem and Tejakula to name a few. Then what is making different from that of other regions across the archipelago? This disparity concerns with the tradition and lifestyle. In Bali, visitors will be able to see that local farmers have traditional organization managing the irrigated and non-irrigated farming named subak. Uniquely, they perform ritual to express their gratitude to God on the prosperity obtained from farming on particular days and specifically on Tumpek Bubuh (the nearest one falls on 21 February).

Moreover, this kind of tourism will bring visitors closer to nature and other rural activities beyond farming. Even, they can participate in those activities. For instance, if Bali has rich traditional dances, visitors can join to learn some of them. As a result, visitors do not only visiting Bali to feel the pleasure of touring, watching cultural performance and seeing the enchanting panoramas, but also experiencing in person the local lifestyle. Other than agriculturalrelated activities, Bali retains a wide variety of unique ones that are worth visiting. There are handicraft making, traditional painting, (seasonal) coffee harvesting, fishing and many more. And if possible, they can stay with the local community.

Visitors participated in agrotourism are ideally expected to be more active than the average tourists while on trips. In essence, there are some categories of activity in agrotourism namely the family-oriented activities like sporting and cycling; participatory activities like learning to dance and cook traditional food; nature-oriented activities like horse riding, elephant safari, trekking; farming-related activities like seasonal harvesting, exploring local fruits at traditional market and so forth. These activities can complete the existing tourism product. In Bali, this tourism has become an alternative to avoid the market saturation of those very same products.

Agrotourism does not only enrich the existing tourism products and provide alternative to visitors. To local community, it poses an empowerment that enables to them get involved in the tourist activities. In general, it will make an even distribution of tourist visits to villages and working opportunity. To sum up, this community-based tourism will make available more opportunity to wider community. Hopefully there will be no cases like the closing access to see the beautiful view of terraced rice field as the field’s owner gets nothing from ‘his property of attraction.’ By this development, at least the land owner gets additional benefits from valued asset he has apart from his harvest. By doing so, he would feel the benefit of tourism while remaining cultivating his land. Do you think he will sell his land providing him with such double impacts? (BTN/punia)

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Be Cotek: Tasty Hot-Sweet Pony Fish

Cotek or pony fish denotes a bijou and inexpensive marine fish in Bali. Two main characteristics of this fish are the oblong body and large eyes. Nevertheless, it remains to offer delicious taste, moreover, if it is deepfried and served with hot-sweet sauce. But, please be careful of its small bones. In the past, this fish was often used to pay the services of pengujur or people helping fishermen in dragging their traditional boat to and from the sea. Today, this fish can be purchased at traditional and super market.

Ingredient: 400g pony fish or Cotek (finely cleanse and take out its intestines) Spices: 4 cloves shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 1 candlenut, 2 large chilies, 2 small chilies, 1 tbsp palm sugar and 1 pc medium-sized red tomato

Others: 1 cup palm oil, ½ tsp salt and 1 pc lime

Method:

· Smear the cleansed fish by the lime juice and salt. Take a side for 15 minutes.

· Fry the fish until crispy and take out.

· Grind all spices and stir-fry until smelling fragrant. Add slices of palm sugar, salt and keep on stirring until running dry.

· Put the fish on a plate and sprinkle with the hotsweet sauces. Now, it’s ready to serve. (BTN/punia)

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Sticky Rice Cake with Green Mung

Around before the 1980s, there were many traditional organizations known as sekaa. Most of them abode in agricultural sector. Area of their activities ranged from cultivating the land up to conveying the rice bundles at post-harvest time to granary. They were carried out through mutual assistance among the members of the sekaa. For consumption, they were largely provided with one time meal at midday and once or two times snack with coffee. As accompaniment to the coffee, it was served traditional cakes such as sticky rice cake with green mung.
Ingredients:
100g green mung, 200g white sticky rice, 1 cup of grated coconut and 1 cup of brown sugar sauce.
Method:
• Soak the white sticky rice for some 2 hours, while the green mung should be soaked for one night.
• Drain and then mix the green mung thoroughly with the white sticky rice. Steam this batter. Add some water onto the half-cooked rice. If the water has run dry, steam it again until cooked.
• Take out and serve it with the sprinkles of grated coconut and brown sugar. Now it is ready to serve. (BTN/punia)

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Marine Adventures

Diving is an exciting experience to explore the beautiful underwater life where we can see a real fantastic panorama of coral and colorful fishes. Bali has many choices of the dive venue which are very famous in all over the world like: Tulamben, Amed, Padang Bay, Menjangan Island, Nusa Penida, Lembongan Island and Nusa Dua.
All of them have been supported by complete diving facilities. Diving in Bali will get unforgettable experience and this under water adventure is the most attractive and always looked for by the people. Enjoy the experience under the blue sea water with a minimum of wave, colorful coral and fishes and see the real of under water life in Bali. It’s very fantastic and don’t miss it.
Nusa Dua Diving
Nusa Dua have a beautiful underwater panorama with a lot of fishes, coral grow from 3 ( tree ) meters slope down to max depth of 18 meters. beautiful barrier reef is extremely accessible to visitors due to its nearby location and shallow depths. Nusa dua dive site is perfect for all divers and also ideal for diver training. Nusa Dua is a great choise for divers who want to dive without traveling far.
Tulamben Diving – Ship Wreck
Tulamben is one of popular dive site in Bali and located in East Bali. its about 2 and half hours driver from Nusa Dua and Kuta area. Tulamben is beach entry dive and the ship as the dive site is about 40 meters from the beach. The American ship USAT Liberty built in 1915 and was destroyed by Japanese submarine on Jan 11, 1942 (World War II). It sank on sand floor at depth of 5 meters and slope down to max depth of 35 meters. Night diving on this ship wreck is very popular. Bali’s best wreck dive with bump-head parrot fish, napoleon wrasse and barracuda are regularly spotted around the wreck. Beside Ship Wreck, Tulamben also have many good sites for dive like: Tulamben Drop Off, Coral Garden, etc.
Amed Diving
Amed is located in East Bali, Karangasem Regency and it’s about 2 hours and 45 minutes from Denpasar or Kuta Area and then need more about 5 minutes to Amed dive site. Coral grow 2 meters and slope down to 30 meters. Napoleon wrasses and Reef Sharks often seen in Amed water. Along the wall you will find beautiful and colorful corals (hard and soft) and a breeding area with thousands of small fish. The maximum depth is +/- 26 m. Sometimes there can be a current. Amed is also good site for night dive. Dive Amed area: Jemeluk, Bunutan, Japanese shipwreck and Gili Selang.
Menjangan Island Diving
Menjangan Island is a small island which is located in North West Bali Island; this island is reached by a 30 minutes boat ride from Labuan Lalang. Menjangan Island is well known for its magnificent underwater world, have a beautiful corals and fishes. Menjangan Island has many good dive sites. If you want to explore all of that is need about 2 until 3 day. Even large pelagics are sometimes seen at Menjangan. Occasionally sightings of Whales, Whale sharks and Manta rays have been reported. Drift diving is usual, but currents are quite mild and all levels of divers can enjoy this area.
Nusa Penida Diving – Drift Dive
Nusa Penida Island is a part of Klungkung Regency. Located in south east Bali Island, it’s about 1 hours by bout from Tanjung Benoa harbour. Nusa Penida has 2 meters coral grow and slope down to max depth 50 meters, Wonderful barrel sponges and gorgonians can be seen in the deeper waters, and sea snakes can be seen on almost every dive. Occasional manta rays and schools of chevron barracuda add to the rich variety of smaller fish which seem to prefer the calmer waters. the big attraction here is that this area is a favourite spot for mola mola, Manta and Sharks. Nusa Penida Dive site: Crystal Bay, Blue Point, Manta Point and Ped.

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Balinese Temple Ceremony

Every temple and shrine has a special date for it annual ceremony, or “ odalan “, every 210 days according to balinese calendar, including the smaller ancestral shrine which each family possesses. because of this practically every few days a ceremony of festival of some kind takes place in some village in bali. there are also times when the entire island celebrated the same holiday, such as at galungan, kuningan, nyepi day, saraswati day, tumpek landep day, pagerwesi day, tumpek wayang day etc.
The dedication or inauguration day of a Temple is considered its birth day and celebration always takes place on the same day if the wuku or 210 day calendar is used. When new moon is used then the celebration always happens on new moon or full moon. The day of course can differ the religious celebration of a temple lasts at least one full day with some templemcelebrating for three days while the celebration of Besakih temple, the Mother Temple, is never less than 7 days and most of the time it lasts for 11 days, depending on the importance of the occasion.
The celebration is very colorful. The shrine are dressed with pieces of cloths and sometimes with brocade, sailings, decorations of carved wood and sometimes painted with gold and Chinese coins, very beautifully arranged, are hung in the four corners of the shrine. In front of shrine are placed red, white or black umbrellas depending which Gods are worshipped in the shrines.
In front of important shrine one sees, besides these umbrellas soars, tridents and other weapons, the “umbul-umbul”, long flags, all these are prerogatives or attributes of Holiness. In front of the Temple gate put up “Penjor”, long bamboo poles, decorated beautifully ornaments of young coconut leaves, rice and other products of the land. Most beautiful to see are the girls in their colorful attire, carrying offerings, arrangements of all kinds fruits and colored cakes, to the Temple. Every visitor admires the grace with which the carry their load on their heads.

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Ceramic Arts Stay to Exist in Bali

Nowadays, ceramics or pottery has become a Balinese tradition remaining to exist and survive. Even, this art continues to be preserved and developed pursuant to necessity of the community. Recently, the development of ceramic handicrafts indicates a progress, either on the use of materials and its workmanship. Both design and styles change in accordance with the demand and passage of times. Moreover, the art of ceramics or pottery from outside Bali has now set to spread to this region.
They market their ceramic products in Bali because Bali is a busy tourist destination visited by myriads of world tourists. Nevertheless, traditional ceramic or earthenware vessel craftsmen at Kapal Village, Mengwi, Badung Regency, are still producing clay pottery. Through generations since hundreds of years ago, residents of Basangtamiang and Tegal Saat, Kapal Village, have deeply involved a pottery maker. This handcraft works mostly involve housewives, while husbands make this work as a side business after working in their paddy fields and dry fields. By and large, their product is earthenware for kitchen equipment, such as cooking equipment, water container and others.
There is a variety of potteries used for the needs of Hindu religious ceremonies with the so-called coblong, dulang, jempere and so forth. As fuel for the production process, they remain to take advantage of firewood especially coconut shell and fiber and straw that are easy to obtain from the surrounding areas. Since the rapid development of Bali tourism, Balinese pottery craftsmen also received orders from local hotels and restaurants. They usually demand various kinds of pot, vase, garden spot lights, contemporary sculptures and ashtrays. Even some restaurants ordered plates and appliance for cooking rice that look so unique. “Cooking by this pottery will make the rice to taste more delicious,” said a vendor of ceramic vessel from Kapal Village.

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