culture
Bali Beauty – The Real Thing
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say, yet go to any traditional Balinese ceremony or head out of the city and beauty is all around you. Temple ceremony days are the best places to see beautiful girls. This is the time when everyone dresses up in their best. Makeup, jewellery, all the
Bali’s Power Pedanda : The Rise of Bali’s High Priests
Bali’s high priests have stepped it up a few notches of late — in jewelry, showmanship, and stamina. As more and more Balinese opt for the higher utama form of ceremony, which require high priests, pedanda are these days busier criss-crossing the island at all hours. Fourteen of them went off to East Java last
The Myth About Balinese Dreadlocks
Please don’t get fooled by the title, for this is no article on upbeat fashion and style. Rather, this is a story about how one’s path in life – a Balinese man in this case – is determined by his hair. We are talking about dreadlocks, the kind of hairstyle celebrated by the Rastafarians. In
Suteja Neka : Founder of Neka Museum
“A museum means a lot more than just a tourist object. it is a place where culture is preserved, art is admired, history is appreciated, and local wisdom is promoted. It acts as a teacher, a learning space, a world of information, and an inspiration.” Pande Wayan Suteja Neka (founder of NEKA Art Museum) The
Bali’s Jero Gede Mecaling, The Spreader of Death and Disease
These hot and humid days are the most difficult times in Bali. But make no mistake. It is not because of the rainy season. It is because the guardians of hell are cleaning their cauldron. Yes, they do a little housekeeping at this time of year. Suratma, who judges all souls at the gates of
Art Bali – The Premiere Event to Position Bali on the Global Art Map
The first Art Bali contemporary art exhibition was officially opened by the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia Sri Mulyani on the 9th of October in Nusa Dua. Held in conjunction with the 2018 annual meetings of the IMF-World Bank Group at Nusa Dua, Art Bali highlighted the works of 39 Balinese, Indonesian
2000 Ladies Perform Tenun Dance on Petitenget Beach
If this is your first time visiting Bali, you may have gathered some information of several interesting dances to see during your stay. Two of the most famous ones are Legong and Kecak. However, there are many traditional dances in this island. Some are considered sacred and only performed in temples during religious rituals, while
The Great Archipelago Exhibition
In ‘Kayu’, one of the beautiful, wooden joglo buildings of the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets in Mas Village, Ubud, an incredibly eclectic set of art installations are on display. The Great Archipelago Exhibition features 11 tables, all of which have been designed and produced by 12 international artists: Michelangelo Pistoletto, Arahmaiani, Dora
Those Wild Men of Karangasem
There I was, far from home, surrounded by hundreds of wild eyed men, each brandishing a wicked looking Kris – the killer dagger used in many countries of the Asian world. While the scene sounds slightly surreal, strangely enough, it was far from dangerous! These beautiful folk were all in deep trance, as part of
Makepung Buffalo Races : The Jembrana Cup 2018
Makepung is one of the unique traditions stemmed from the agrarian life scene of the island, and is a widely enjoyed event in the regency of Jembrana, West Bali. The widely known race of the water buffalos is a colourful spectacle and the race course is about 2 kilometres. Here, the farmers and their buffalos come
Bali’s Nightly Cultural Performances
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 held on many corners of the island for you to come and watch. So much more than just a form of art, traditional dances
Dagger in Hand: Bali’s Baris Keris Dance
Baris dance is one important dance usually performed as the opening to a sacred ritual or big religious ceremony in temples in the villages of Bali. The dance plays an important role as it symbolises the welcoming of deities, gods and goddesses that are believed have come down from heaven to witness the rituals. The
Turmeric : The Golden Miracle
The word on everyone’s lips right now is turmeric, or in Indonesia, it is known as Kunyit. This magical root, a member of the ginger family, is attributed with miraculous, almost unbelievable powers. Everything comes under its benign influence, from curing cancer to erasing wrinkles and improving both body and brain function. It is said
