Bali Clubbing and Nightlife

The Bali-nightlife is mainly focused on Kuta and Semyniak. The first one with its main road the Jalan Legian, these days world famous because of the bombings, is meeting point for tourists and backpackers from all over the world and thus offers a music mix, which you can consider to be mainstream.

Lets begin with the “Bounty”, the outside similar to an old wooden ship, the atmosphere similar to the “Ballermann” and a Karaoke-stage in the front which is to be frequented not only by the Japanese. The music played is a mix of the top 100 charts of the last five years that makes the topless Australian surfer dance.....

A thing the “Bounty” has in common with the “Mbargo”, another Club to be found in Jalan Legian, is the entrance fee only locals have to pay. The music is more focused on “blackbeat”, but the later it gets, the worse gets the music. It happens quite often that you are thrown out with electro sounds in order to be in the right mood of going to another club owned by the same guy, the “double six club”, which I will tackle later.

Between “Mbargo” and “Bounty” you can find the “Apache”, that is the one Reggae Bar to be found on Bali. All the times I have been in there it was not crowded at all, but the drinks are very cheap and the music different and sometimes even good.

On the opposite site of the “Mbargo”, but still the Jalan Legian, you will find the “Fuel”, a thing that cannot decide itself what it wants to be. The subtitle is “Eat, drink and groove”, but the food was cancelled, due to too little customers and often the music is anything else but groovy as it is mainly frequented by locals that like to listen to harder sounds, before they go to other clubs.

On the way to Jalan 66 you may pass by at the “Wave Club”, that combines a space interior with rock music. Maybe due to that divergence I have never seen this club crowded, but you may listen to some good live music there.

Arrived in Jalan 66 you may have a look at “Dejavu”, “66” and the “Paparazzi”, all world class clubs. As I was there in the off season, the “Dejavu” was dressed in black light and prostitutes, looking to the beach with its open front. Famous may be the silver female robot statue, that devides the dance floor. The music is house in all sub genres. You will listen to minimal but also funky vocal house. The sound is quite good and the people dance, which may be a result of the drugs they take.

The “Paparazzi” is a new club aiming at the upper class Ex-Pats and Locals. Thus long trousers and a full wallet are necessary. The prevailing music is house, sometimes funky, sometimes deeper and again dependent on the audience. In my opinion the “Paparazzi” is one of the most beautiful clubs in Bali with a nice and friendly atmosphere, a pity that the drinks are quite expensive.

The “66” is maybe the most popular clubs in South East Asia, which is for sure not due to the interior, as it looks similar to a huuuuge bamboo hut with swimmingpool and Bungy-Tower, but to the excellent marketing, the very good reputation and the marvelous sound system. But do not come too early, because the “Double Six” is getting crowded at 3 o´clock, if you are lucky. But than 1000 people are to be found dancing to very progressive and trance sounds. Many of them might be on drugs or prostitutes. Be aware of the Ladyboys, that make up to 40% of them.

The three last mentioned clubs are frequented by international top acts in the main season and guarantee a lot of fun!

The next street, the Jalan Dyana Pura, is usually crowded with the gay community, that knows how to party. Drag queen contests, motto parties and a huge amount of nice bars and clubs (“Kudos” and “Q-bar”…) assure that the evening will not be boring at all. Women are let alone, while the men may be chat up, thus an unusual experience for both sexes. It is to say that “Kudos” hosts the most advanced sound system and DJ-equipment on the whole island and you can really hear the difference.

Going back by foot you will pass the “Bar Bahiana” that tempts with latino sounds, a nice warm atmosphere, a lot of Italian and Spanish people and maybe the best cocktails in town. Some days in a week, there are offered Salsa and Meringue lessons and live percussion, which will make you sweat and enjoy the evening!

Last but not least is to mention the “Hu´u Bar”, a very nice pre-clubbing facility dedicated to the upper class Ex-Pat community, as well. The interior is stylish and as clean as in Singapore, as the management is Singaporean. The music is normally dance classics and oldies accompanied with live percussion. The later the evening, the more house is to be played but you can be sure that Dj Johnny is choosing the tunes that make you dance. A disadvantage may be the first cover charge at weekends. All customers have to pay about 10€ to enter the “Hu´u Bar”. Overall a nice place to go and to meet a lot of exciting people, but think of a full wallet.

Postscript:
The Hardrock-Hotel offers next to the biggest Swimming-Area a respectable mix of live bands and top acts that are not only known in Indonesia. The music is Rock. The atmosphere is nice and friendly.

The “Kamasutra” may be the most expensive clubbing facility on Bali offering international known top acts and really good and loud live music. The interior is very nice, the atmosphere very good and it is always packed. “Kamasutra” is a place to start the clubbing and spend a lot of money for good drinks.

Dives like the “Skandals” and other strange Karaoke-Bars where drugs are consumed in the same amount as drinks better leave out and do not support this kind of business.

The “DJ-Café”, the post clubbing place if you want to go to some other place when even the double six is closed is a dark place with a brilliant sound and nice people and the latest music concerning electronica and deep house. If you are not tired, this is the place to go..

I recommend everyone who is coming to Bali to get the Beat magazine, the event and clubbing guide for Bali, which is for free. Club names and places change quite fast and I cannot guarantee the topicality of my report. You may find a lot of different smaller and nice places as well. I could not go everywhere! Check out “Kudeta” and “Gaydeta”, really nice places for sunset lovers. In the main season it may be very different as well, other clubs may be more crowded and thus more attractive to visit

Breathtaking Vista in Bali

Uluwatu Resort is the place you must go to revitalize your spirit, open your eyes wide, and invigorate your mind. The view from my bungalow tantalizes me I can’t leave it. It’s the perfect place to take a nap, a swim, a walk, eat lunch, or get married. Romance swirls through the air after all the weddings here and who wouldn’t want to exchange vows on the southwestern most tip of Bali looking out over the Indian Ocean - a breeze gently blowing through the air. And they have internet access, body treatments, a secluded pool, and a superb garden all nestled in to this cliffside dwelling for lovers, artists, explorers, and surfers.

There is an international flavor here with guests from South Africa, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Hawaii, Australia, and the USA. They keep coming year after year.

If you can tear yourself away from the resort and the luscious food served in the restaurant — take the steps down to the beach that is carved out of coral at the bottom of the mountain. Caves and waves await you. As well as several warungs and surfers who know the score - these curls are gorgeous to look at even without surfing them.

Back up the hill stop at the new meditation room looking out over the delicious view of the ocean and feel the sacred energy from the huge hunk of coral it hugs.

I wanted to move in.

As if that isn’t enough, you can go to the water temple and see dances at night and visit Padang Beach and Dreamland too.

You will come away relaxed, happy, and replenished. Take a week or two - have a honeymoon or a second one - or start writing that book here - the bungalows are scrumptious - airy and full of light with high sloped Balinese ceilings soaring over your head as you are lulled to sleep every night by the ocean’s pounding surf. It’s like Big Sur California combined with Cinque Terre in Italy with a dash of Balinese jungle and a riot of orchids thrown in. I’m going back for more as soon as I can.

Mary Bartnikowski is the author of a book of essays, “Everyday Naked” available from Amazon. She is a professional photographer in Palo Alto, California.

http://blog.baliwww.com

Bali A Great Place to Do Business

When you think of Bali, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, the very name of the island evokes images of a peaceful tropical paradise where world-weary travellers come to relax and play far from the pressures of the modern world. But if you think of Bali as just a vacation spot, you might want to think again. Bali is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best places around to host business meetings and conventions.

The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali Bali offers executive class accommodations, meticulous service and professional organizational and support expertise your business demands. Whether it’s a convention for a thousand or an intimate get together for a few key personnel, you will find your expectations not merely met but exceeded. And when the day’s work is done, there’s no better place to unwind than in the luxury of Bali’s legendary attractions. In the mood for a round of golf? Bali boasts a course named one of the world’s top ten. Searching for something more adventurous? Bali has it all, from bungee jumping to white water rafting, from mountain treks and climbs to surfing, sailing and some of the best diving anywhere. Just looking to get away from all your worldly worries? Bali offers the ultimate in grace and tranquility at its five star resorts and boutique hotels, where nothing less than perfection is the standard of service. And for those seeking a truly special experience, Bali’s world-renowned spas blend the best of modern technology with ancient secrets to create treatments that bring mind and body, senses and spirit back into alignment, revitalizing you for another round of business.

Worried that the office number crunchers will raise eyebrows when they hear your plans to hold your next meeting on the paradise island? Reassure them with some facts. Bali is a surprisingly affordable place to do business, with rooms, meeting space and business services available at a fraction of the cost of comparable facilities elsewhere. And with exchange rates still quite favorable to Western travellers, your company could save quite a bit. Not only cost but quality is drawing more and more business people to Bali. The island boasts more international standard hotels than anywhere else in the region, and an infrastructure that offers the best in modern technology. Bali provides world class phone, fax, cellular and Internet communications, and professional support services guaranteed to meet your demanding expectations. The next time you think business, think Bali! You’ll be making the smart choice

http://blog.baliwww.com/

Can the “Real Bali” be Saved?

For those of you visiting Bali for the first time, welcome and enjoy yourselves to the absolute maximum! Bali is a marvelous place to have a holiday and I certainly don’t want to scare you off. We need more visitors to come and enjoy the beauty of this magical island. And you will!

But, and there always is a ‘but’ isn’t there, Bali ain’t what it used to be, and is in danger of changing from the “Bali we want it to be” if we are not very, very careful.

Bali, in the minds of millions of tourists and armchair tourists around the world, is the epitome of tropical, exotic travel, where beautiful native girls dance to the hypnotic pounding of gongs in temples and palaces surrounded by lush terraces of paddy fields, and palm trees wave in the gentle breezes as the sunset cocktails are sipped. Idyllic indeed!

The reality is that while that aspect is still (just) available, an absolute army of developers, traders, retailers, restauranters and industrialists are doing everything they can to dig up pristine Bali while still using the exotic Bali image they are destroying to sell their wares! And it’s happening quickly.

Just 25 years ago Bali was still the green, lush island that we (or at least I) want it to be. Now it’s disappearing behind a mass of billboards, shop houses, high rise malls, villa developments (with 20m high walls), and it seems we are powerless to stop it. Why?

It appears that even at the highest levels there is no connection between the preservation (never mind protection, enhancement, and improvement) of the tourism product and the every day unplanned development that continues unabated.

Bali, after two sad and meaningless bombings, has lost much of its appeal in the tourist markets of the world and arrivals are at a very low ebb. Does that mean the authorities take a long hard look at what the island has become and start to put things right? It seems not. The building of ‘rukos’ (shop houses) continues unabated, the proliferation of incredibly unsightly billboards accelerates, the destruction of beautiful farmland for ‘un-necessary’ housing rockets forward, and roads are pushed into fields and immediately lined with low quality buildings (which should be zoned off into industrial estates).

Until now, from Canggu to Jimbaran, from Sanur to Nusa Dua, there is hardly a visible trace of ‘Bali’: only buildings, workshops, showrooms, factories, billboards, and offices. All of them ‘businesses’ that depend on having a dynamic, desired tourism product called Bali

Yet there are regulations, which I believe still exist, that say every building must reflect Balinese culture and tradition, that no building should be higher than a coconut tree, and that all buildings and developments should respect Balinese traditions and community needs first. This simply is not being enforced at all and in my opinion presents more danger to the future of Bali tourism than the threat of terrorism ever will.

There are millions of sea, sand and sun, fun, food, and frolic destinations around the world, cheaper and closer to main markets and with little to distinguish them except the price and the temperature. This is not what Bali should be, but as we watch and do nothing that’s what it is turning into—quickly.

Bali is, and must always be, a place where tradition should take precedence over development, where culture must take the nod over shopping, where nature must win over malls, where gamelan gets the license not discos, where not one more square meter of productive, beautiful paddy field is turned into villas.

If not, we’ll be sitting here in 10 years time with a million villas, all of them bought by people “looking for Bali” and finding nothing but fast food, malls, traffic jams, discos, restaurants, more shops, more offices and more motorbikes than they left behind in the ‘industrialized’ west.

Does anyone care? I hope so, and that as millions of dollars are being spent to lure people back to Bali, equal amounts of money –or at least energy– can be spent preserving the beauty, tradition, culture and heritage of this marvelous and irreplaceable island. Because once it’s gone, we won’t get it back.

Drinking in Bali

Every culture has their way of drinking, there even rules for drinking, Balinese also has a way in drinking, especially for traditional liquors- Tuak and Arak. Tuak is a sweet wine made from the coconut palm flower, while Arak is strong liquors distilled from tuak. For Balinese drink liquors is men prerogative. In old days there is no woman drinks arak or tuak but with the passing of the time women start to drink tuak but never arak (too strong for woman) it is not discrimination, Balinese believe that arak is dangerous for womb. Women usually drink tuak secretly or in house compound not in public (warung stalls, on the road side, or balai banjar/sub village public hall) as men do.

Drinking for Balinese is usually for recreational purposes. We drink to strengthen the friendship among friends and to make a friend among strangers. There is an old saying among teenagers, it runs “cigarette and liquors are tools for making friends. It is common for Balinese to invite a stranger to join a “drink circle”. (We usually sit in a circle while drinking).We seldom drink for stress relieving purpose or Drink for Drunk (drink for the sake of getting drunk) drinking for recreational purpose can be a very creative way of drinking. Balinese usually sing while drinking, this habit originated genjek tradition.

Genjek is a traditional form of singing in which a group of men (usually 6 to12) sitting in a circle, some of them singing, while the rest of them imitating the sound of musical instruments. The songs are mainly about love and everyday life. Genjek is usually performed in wedding ceremony. The genjek performers have to be half drunk before the show begin. It is believed that the quality of the song depends on the level of intoxication of the performers. High level of intoxication means a high quality song.

In drinking Balinese have a certain code of conduct such as an offering of small quantity of liquor have to be made before Balinese start to drink. We usually pour a small amount of drink on the ground or floor in order to pacify bhuta kala (negative nature force) so it will not disturb the drinking activity. The way of drinking tuak is slightly different with arak. In drinking tuak every participant has his own kélé (a mug made of bamboo) and uses it privately. While in drinking arak we use only one small glass for all the participants, we drink in turn. An exception is made when someone from higher caste (Brahmana, Ksatrya, or Weysya) join the circle, an offer to use a private glass have to be made. An offer for private glass is a sign of respect for him. We welcome him into the circle whether he use private glass or not. An offer to taste a glass of arak for passing stranger is often made. If you want it, do not hesitate take it as soon as it is offered. Say thank you if you do not want to join the circle. If you want to join the circle, ask for it after you finish the offered drink. If you do not want to taste the offered liquor, refuse it with a good reason. Medical or religious prohibition is the best excuse.

In eastern part of Bali, tuak is a substitution for water. An offer of drinking tuak is a part of politeness there. It is considered to be impolite to turn down the offer without a proper apology and a good reason. Again, Medical or religious prohibition is a preferred excuse to hear by the host. But accepting the offer will be a perfect way to interact with the community.

Arak - distilled, colorless, fiery palm or rice brandy distilled from tuak; the fermented milk of the coconut or lontar palm.

http://blog.baliwww.com/

Restaurants of Bali

Your visit to Bali is not complete unless you also partake in a delightful gastronomical tour of the food and fruit of Bali. In fact, the multitude of sensations titillating your taste buds and olfactory senses upon seeing, smelling, and eating Balinese food and fruit should be enough of a reason to visit Bali. Wouldn't you say so? Or, if you want to try Indonesian food before your trip or to relive your experience, in your own kitchen, here are some recipes to assist you.

And these restaurants or restaurants at the various hotels will gladly assist you in your gastronomical adventure.

* Kin Khao Restaurant: Offers the choice of fine dining downstairs in air condition comfort or upstairs which is open air or garden side at the front and offer a unique thai styyle BBQ also steamboat (hot pot), fine dining.
* Taman Sari Cottages Bar and Restaurant: All kind of beverages are served in one multi functions bar. We serve many kinds of beverages such as juice, soft drink, beer, spirits, cocktails and long drink. It is only 300 metres from the famous white sandy Kuta Beach area
* Paradise UN'S Restaurant: We serve a selection of European dishes. You will be treated to refined European cuisine and Indonesian specialties, and will spend an unforgettable evening in romantic candlelight.
* Arak Bali Restaurant & Pub: Fun dining with live entertainment in Nusa Dua. Print the homepage for DISCOUNTS!
* Bali Bamboo Restaurant and Guest House: Offering Balinese special gourmet dishes (like Balinese Smoked Duck) in a comfortable Ubud setting.
* Crusoes Restaurant :CRUSOES Grill, Restaurant & Bar is Beach Front Restaurant at jalan double six-Seminyak, which open for Dinner and Supper daily.
* Fabio's: The restaurant that serve original Italian food and dishes which is well know as "FABIO'S Ristorante Italiano Enoteca". The restaurant is located at Jl. Raya Seminyak No. 66 Kuta Bali.
* New Café Luna: Since 1986 New Café Luna has considered among Kuta & Legian Top Place to go, and have a great experience there is always something happening at New Café Luna.
* Santa Fe Bar and Grill: is the first café in Jl. Abimanyu No. 11A (former known as Jl. Dhyanapura) Seminyak, Kuta, Bali. It was established on October 2, 1993 and opens for 24 hours a day.
* Teba Cafe: There's nothing better than Teba Café, if you want to taste real Balinese seafood cuisine. Located on Jimbaran Beach, just before Four Season Resort, and just five minutes from International Airport. You can even see them take off.
* Uluwatu Cafe: Uluwatu cafe it is located at the beautiful sunset and white sand between four season resort and Denpasar airport. The cafe are not so far from kuta, sanur and nusa dua area. SO it's very easy to have lunch or dinner from your stay.
* Warung Mina: romantic evening atmosphere you will find at Warung Mina where you can enjoy the freshest seafood served by friendly staff and cooked traditionally, all grilled seafood is served with rice, Vegetables, Boiled Potatoes, Special Sauce and Slice Fresh Fruits Dessert.
* R.aja's Bar & Restaurants: Step forward to the hustle of Kuta, into a world of pleasure & exotic.Relax in the bar with an exclusive range of selected international and Indonesian cuisines, wines and cocktails.

Bali "good place to go"

Bali, the tropical paradise, is a main tourist destination. Bali's rich cultural heritage has been explored and exposed by many Western visitors since 1930s. Among these Westerners were Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, Carlie Chaplin and Noël Coward. These Westerners contributed largely to the development of paintings and arts in general. Furthermore, they popularized Bali.

Volcanic lakes, white sandy beaches, spectacular rice terraces and the splendour of ancient temples and palaces have enriched Bali. Here you can find many water sports activities (snorkelling, diving, kayaking, etc.), adventurous sports (hiking, climbing, trekking, etc.) and other exciting activities.

Regular temple ceremonies, dance performances and wedding ceremonies can be found easily in Bali. Yet Bali has more than just cultural heritage, travellers will find many enchanting places to explore.

Bali Wedding for Romantic honeymoon

BALI WEDDING PARADISE

Getting married is one of the most important events in the life of most people. Both the bride and groom hope to keep an unforgettable memory of this day. Therefore, many marriages are celebrated in unusual ways – be it on a beautiful beach, at a luxurious private villa, even with ceremonies under water deep in the ocean with lovely fish and corals around.

According to all popular travel publications, Bali is the most romantic destination on earth to get married. The island's beautiful beaches, tropical scenery, lovely waterfalls, breathtaking sunsets, and the choice of beautiful private villas provide a truly romantic location for your big day.
Wedding in Bali with sunset background


THE PLACE TO SAY "YES, I DO"

Did you ever think about having a private wedding party just for the two of you? Hear your partner say "I DO" in romantic and beautiful surroundings, either on a white-sandy beach under blue sky, on a private yacht, diving deep in the ocean, or on the back of an elephant?
You can have a modern ceremony, a Jungle Elephant arrangement, or a Royal Bali Wedding Ceremony – all great occasions to make your vow. You decide what you want – and we deliver it.

Bali — The Best Background for Photos

Many magazines and movie companies spend a lot of time to visit the island of Bali for shooting because its natural beauty and fascinating culture provide outstanding backgrounds. Even if you cannot avoid having a normal wedding at home, making special wedding photos with beautiful bridal gowns in exotic surroundings will give you unforgettable memories — FOREVER.

http://www.romantic-weddings.com/

Bali Diving

Bali Diving Location in Tulamben

The Tulamben Bay, a three-quarters of a kilometer, is a rich area. The smooth blue surface of water in this bay arises a romantic sense of us. In other time you may see other views when the sunrise is coming and light the land around, the sea and any boats in the bay. Tulamben is probably best loved, diving area in Bali, and its cobbled beach and black -sand bottom have become familiar to the international diving community. It is the kind of place divers visit for a week or more, exploring the wreck, inshore reef, drop-off and slope.

With the recent addition of the reef of the drop-off, several of which are excellent, Tulamben is now becoming something like a diving region, with a very diverse group of sites just a short walk or boat ride from the many resorts.


Tulamben Bay

The Tulamben Bay is a magical for its quiet, beauty, exotic, rich and as if it is determined by the God to show all the creature of the sea underwater. Tulamben, as if, has everything you have ever imagine of finding out in the sea underwater.
The Liberty Wreck is the favorite dive for most divers in this area, especially for beginners.

The wreck and the area around it are very interesting. Off the bow of the wreck is a steep sand slope carved out by the current sweeping around the wreck. The cover is a patchy reef of sponges, small clumps of whip corals and black corals, and small coral colonies. It is a surprisingly rich area, and worth exploring up close for small commensals. The deep area behind the wreck is similar, and also worth exploring. Seaward of the wreck, in forty meters or more, is where mola-mola and other pelagic fish are sometimes seen.


Batu Kelebit

The basic structure of Batu Kelebit consists of three coral-covered ridges that fan out from the eponymous rocks. Between the ridges are sand channels, and the sand is bright white. The bathymetry is one of the best things about this site. The ridges are steep enough to protect the two channels from both sides, making the inside diveable regardless of the current. And their approximately radiating structure makes it almost impossible to get lost here. The ridges are covered with an extremely diverse growth of hard corals, sponges, gorgonians, black corals and every other encrusting animals it is possible to encounter. Since Batu Kelebit receives deep, offshore water, clarity is generally good, and temperatures are a bit cold. Actually, visibility would be excellent, except that there is almost always planktons in the water, which of course is why the site is so rich. The level od species variety at this site is high. Just be careful at the depth of fifteen to twenty meters at this site, because most big animal such as pelagics like staying at the depth.

http://www.baliwww.com/

Bali wood & carving

Balinese wood carvers are extremely talented and produce thousands of items for the tourist industry. From life size teak figurines, animals and mythical creatures to functional carved wooden furniture. Bali wood carvings are finished in natural wood tones or hand painted with intricate detail and dazzling colors, wood carvings from Bali will amaze and delight you.
Manufacturers and Exporters of High Quality,BALI WOOD CARVING & BALINESE WOOD CARVINGS including Bali Abstract Wood Carvings, Animal Wood-Carving,Wooden Dragons, Carved Wooden Furniture and Buddha Carvings.
Your RELIABLE ONE STOP SHOPPING and SHIPPING SOLUTION.

http://www.exbali.com/

Bali Bras, Panties, Shapewear

Bali intimate apparel began in 1927. Sara Stein, who worked for a bra manufacturing company,Saw the opportunity to deliver a better garment, a product that would appeal to women, yet be functional in construction and fit. Using a small Singer sewing machine, tucked in the corner of her small Brooklyn apartment, Sara started to sew a different type of brassiere. Our founder, Sara Stein's, primary concern was quality, fit, performance and comfort. Her husband, Sam, a sales clerk with a well-known Roaring Twenties men's furnishing store, sold these to stores in the area. In 1969, with Sam and Sara nearing retirement, the Hanes Corporation of Winston-Salem, NC acquired the controlling interest in the Bali Brassiere Company. One decade later Hanes was acquired by Chicago-based Consolidated Foods Company, which in 1985 changed its name to Sara Lee Corporation. Bali, 70 years after its founding, Sara Lee Intimate Apparel, Bali Company, Bali Bra, and Bali Lingerie product lines still adhere to their original concept of designing and manufacturing stylish womens foundation garments, Bali bras, and Bali lingerie. Consumers worldwide recognize the value and stylish designs offered by Bali bras, Bali tops, Bali panties, Bali shapewear and Bali lingerie, all designed to project a flat silhouette.
The best method to put on Bali Shapewear is similar to the way you put on pantyhose. Gather up the garment from the legs to the waist so the shapewear is only a few inches tall. Step into the legs and pull up. When the bottom is seated correctly at the top of the legs, gradually unroll the shapers over the torso. This method ensures the proper placement of the garment.