The Old, The Bold and The Beautiful
Even while the Holy mountain rumbles, life in Bali goes on. The Balinese tend to take life as it comes, living in the moment, rather than fretting about what may or may not happen sometime in the future. Here, people from all different walks of life – farmers, tourist people and old folk working in
Tandjung Sari Part 3: The Family Tree
When speaking about Tandjung Sari, its founding father WijaWawo-Runtu always said “my hotel is my living room, my guests are my friends”, but it was also their beloved home at BatuJimbar, that Wija and Tatie opened up to people from all over the world, and the ever-growing clan of Wawo-Runtu children. This is Part 3
Bima Ruci: The Dance of the Mahabharata
The epic of Mahabharata is popular in Java and Bali as the layers of the stories in the narrative includes historical reference and moral sample based on Hindu teachings. The epic spread to Indonesia in the 11th Century under the rule of King Dharmawangsa. The narrative is about the kingdom of Hastinapura under the rule
Stalwarts of the Sawah: The Life of the Balinese Rice Farmer
Bali’s beautiful glistening green rice fields are no accident. They are the result of a rice culture that has been handed down for centuries. A carefully integrated system of planting and irrigation through the UNESCO World Heritage recognised Subak system means that for centuries, rice farmers all over the island have received water to irrigate
Tandjung Sari Part 2: The Batujimbar Playground
In 1962 Tandjung Sari opened its doors to family, friends, and friends of friends—then almost without knowing it the once family-home became one of the ‘seminal boutique hotels of tropical Asia’. Described as the family’s ‘living room on the beach’, Tandjung Sari has welcomed world leaders, royalty, thinkers, famous musicians, and artists of every kind—they
Warni: Another Sad Story
People sometimes say that quarrelling is the salt and pepper of a couple’s life. Hardly a day goes by in Warni’s life when she does not quarrel with her Sasak man from Lombok (Sasak people are the main ethnic group from the island). They never set any special time for their daily fight: it might
Jarandut: Balinese Dance From the Island of Lombok
The traditional dances in Bali have been flourishing, and new generations of traditional dancers and gamelan musicians are continuously being born. The dignity of taking part in such cultural performances is very much alive in this digital age and intense technological era. The dances of Bali are not only learned and developed by the Balinese
Bali’s Nightly Kecak Dance
An evening of cultural appreciation should leave a memorable experience on your Bali travel diary. And doing so is like a picnic, for there are countless nightly traditional Balinese dance performances such as the Kecak Dance held on many corners of the island for you to come and watch. In Bali, a traditional dance is
Under the Rumbling Holy Mountain
While Bali’s holy mountain Gunung Agung rumbles threateningly, keeping everyone on their toes, life in the villages continues unabated. Here in a tiny hamlet, within shouting distance of Gunung Agung, the villagers celebrate their temple celebration or Odalan without turning a hair. Even though this little village of Yeh Poh – water of the heavenly
The Karsian Dance: Celebrating Water
One of dance competitions that is really interesting is Gong Kebyar Competition. I’ve been following the competition since seven years ago, it is amazing to witness how the young generation on the island grow their passion in continuing the culture, and also add some advanced touches of the modern culture to it. Some captivating new
Dance, Trance and the Bali Spirit
Balinese ceremonies will always provide a little something. Something visual, something surprising, something out of the ordinary. People come together at their village temple, primarily to pray to their gods, yet at the same time it keeps each community strong and connected. It is this regular procession of temple festivals or Odalan, which happen in
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
