Tandjung Sari Part 1: The Old, Flamboyant Sanur
On an island that can now feel overrun with hotels and resorts, few can rival the history of Tandjung Sari hotel in Sanur. One of the first resorts in Sanur, Tandjung Sari was at the forefront of the influx of tourists to the island and has remained one of the ‘seminal boutique hotels of tropical
Why Are All Balinese Artists?
It is a truism to say that all Balinese are artists. Even though many are just villagers, it is a fact that almost all can carve, paint and play music. There are explanations to it. Most go back to the psychology days of anthropology, before World War Two. Such anthropology is criticised nowadays, but for
Baris Tamiang
It is amazing to find that this little island is the home of so many dances, we can lose count if we tried to include new choreography that seems to arise to the surface every day. The dances in Bali falls into several classification, just like taxonomy of trees or animals. Let’s look at Baris
Banten Jotan: An Offering for Good and Evil
The Balinese religion is dominated by “deeds” rather than thought, by orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy. In rituals thus performed, peculiar attention is paid to the offering of food to what are called the witnesses (saksi) of the world: the gods (dewasaksi); the humans (manusasaksi) and the demons (butasaksi). Most tourists have seen, conjured up by
Celuk Village, The Home of the Silversmiths
Bali is home to many artisanal vocations, from sculpting to engraving, painting and mask making. Amongst these many skills is the making of jewellery. This fine art of crafting elegant jewellery is best found in Celuk Village, the home to the masters of gold and silver in Bali. The artisanal skills of the Balinese stems from
Discovering Bali’s Traditional Musical Instruments
Music in Bali is extremely complex in nature, and there is no doubt that it is vital in Balinese culture. In addition to serving the art and culture, traditional instruments are used for religious activities. Some performances depend on these musical tools to create the magical effect of Balinese music. Balinese culture has a significant
Kastala Kapers: Journey to Another World
Anyone who thinks that Bali’s culture is dying just needs out head out of town. I am guessing that many of the southerners busy with business and the pursuits of pleasure care less but that doesn’t stop Bali’s vibrant culture being nurtured by their profits. It is surely a win win situation for everyone! Kastala,
The Wiranjaya Dance
Pesta Kesenian Bali, organized by the government of the province, started in 1979 and has taken place each year. The last event, that just finished in early July, charmed thousands of visitors on each day and caused a successful amount of traffic. Apart from performances by the groups of artist from the island, participation from
The Story of Gatot, The Javanese Barber in Bali
Gatot was really fed up with his job as’ a Kernet (conductor) of a run down Oplet (collective taxi) between the terminals (stations) of Banyuwangi and Pesanggaran, in East Java. Although he could sometimes, on good days, make as much as 40,000 rupiah (about 25.50 US$), he had also noticed that there were ever more
Garuda: The Myth & The Symbol
Garuda, Indonesia’s symbol. Steeped in both legend, mythology and modern symbolism the Garuda bird (be it the God bird of myth or Javan Eagle of modern interpretation) holds an esteemed position in the eyes and hearts of Indonesian citizens. Here, our culture writer Jean Couteau brings us closer to the story of Garuda of ancient
The Darling Daahas of Dauh Tukad
Every year the Bali Aga (original Balinese) villages around Karangasem celebrate the coming of age of their young folk with a procession of rites and rituals. Part of the celebration is the famed Parang Pandan – fights with spiny pandanus leaves designed to draw blood from their opponents to spill on the ground and thus
Rejang Dewa: The Charm of Nymphs
The charm of Balinese traditional dance has captured the eyes and hearts of so many visitors to the island. There are an assortment of dances and music from Bali that are performed on stage regularly in several areas in the island, such as in Ubud, Batu Bulan, Uluwatu, Tanah Lot and other tourism destinations. However,
Tumpek Wayang: The Lord of Puppets Celebrated
The Lord of Puppeteers, Sanghyang Iswara, is honoured when the Balinese Hindus celebrate Tumpek Wayang Day. On this day, puppeteers (Dalang) throughout the island will present offerings to their shadow puppets (wayang kulit) with the intention of honouring the Lord Iswara. The puppets are taken out from their cases to be blessed by their owners and
