Wednesday, April 23, 2014

BANYUWANGI: TABUHAN ISLAND


Tabuhan Island is located exactly in the center of Bali Strait that separates the island of Java and Bali. Tabuhan Island is located 20 km from the Banyuwangi City, precisely located in the Village of Bangsring, WongsorejoTabuhan Island covers an area of about 5 ha. A view of the sea is amazing. There are spectakular marine gardens. The coral reef are homes for myriad of shellfish, sponges, crayfish and marine plants. It is good for scuba diving as the water is very clear.


The only means of transportation to the island is a fishing boat that wasps can be reached within 25-30 minutes from the Kampe beach, Bangsring Village, District Wongsorejo.


Incredible views which can be enjoyed by the tourists on the Tabuhan island is white sand that surrounds the Tabuhan island. Sand grains are very white and quiet rustle of the waves make this island was in heaven. Anyone who comes will be made at home and want to linger on the island are also dividing the island of Java and Bali.







Wednesday, November 30, 2011

BALI: BALINESE DANCES


The Kecak Dance



Kecak Dance is one of the most famous Balinese dances. Its name is derived from the sound "cak", pronounced "chok", which is chanted in complex interlocking patterns that are like the rhythmic patterns played on the gamelan. The modern form of kecak originated from Gianyar village of Bedulu in the 1930s as a result commissioned by the German expatriate artist, Walter Spies. He wished to create a performance that could be enjoyed by a small coterie of expatriate artists like himself, as well as friends and guests to the island.The best of Bali is well-presented in every details of the dance performances.


The modern performance of Kecak is a sensational sight to behold. Hundreds of barechested men sit in a circle with a flickering single oil lamp in the middle. "Cak - Cak - Cak", the chant begins and the men start dancing and swaying to the rhythmic reverberation of their own voices. Hands raised to the sky, bodies shaking in unison, the chorus performs the highly structured piece of vocal music for about an hour. This unique kecak dance holds the title of being the most popular dance in Bali.





The Barong Dance


Barong dance is another famous Balinese dance. "Lord of the forest" and magical protector of Balinese villages, the Barong is a mythical, shaggy half-dog, half-lion creature, with a long mane, fantastic fangs, and bulging eyes. It is propelled by two men who maneuver the costume with whimsical and mischievous movements to express its fun-loving nature. The Barong's opponent is Rangda, the evil witch who rules over the spirits of Darkness. The Barong dance epitomizes the eternal struggle between good and evil. The fight of Barong and Rangda is also a topic of traditional narratives performed in temples and takes various forms. The Barong will snap its jaws at the gamelan, prance around a bit, and enjoy the acclaim of its supporters - a group of kris-wielding men. Then ferocious Rangda will then appear lolling her long tongue, baring her threatening fangs, her neck draped with human entrails...not a pretty sight.

The duel begins. Each opponent tries to overcome the other with magical powers but when things do not look too good for the Barong, supporters will lunge at Rangda with krises to weaken or stall her. In retaliation, Rangda would put them all into a trance with her mystical powers and make them stab themselves with their weapons. Fortunately, the Barong possesses magic that is strong enough to cast a spell on the krises from harming the men. This part would be the highlight of the dance; the gamelan rings madly and intensely as the men rush back and forth waving their krises in a frenzy, sometimes even rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to stab themselves. Often, there seems to be a plot to terrify the audience in the front row! Eventually, Rangda will retire, defeated. And once again, good will reign over evil. This Barong dance is rich with a story telling that makes it as a beautiful meaningful dance to see. It is another best of Bali in the form of dancing art.

Legong Keraton Dance



After you have watched Kecak Dance and Barong Dance, there is another Balinese dance that you shall not miss to see. It is known as the Legong Keraton dance. The most graceful of Balinese dances, this is the epitome of classical Balinese female dancing. A legong, as the dancer is known, is often a young girl of eight or nine years, rarely older than her early teens. It was first created in the 18th Century and is usually the first dance to be taught to beginners. There are many forms of Legong, the most frequently performed dance being the Legong Keraton or Legong of the Palace.


The story of the Legong is very stylized and symbolic and one should know the story before actually watching the performance. The Legong Keraton dance involves three dancers - two legongs and their 'attendant', the condong. The legongs are identically costumed in gold brocade, which is bound so tightly that it is a mystery such agitated and rapid moves could be made. With elaborately made-up faces, plucked eyebrows that are boldly repainted, and hair decorated with frangipanis, the dancers relate the story with captivating movements.

A king takes the maiden Rangkesari captive. When her brother comes to release her, Rangkesari begs the king to free her rather than go to war. The king refuses and chances upon a bird carrying ill omens on his way to battle. However, he ignores the bird, meets Rangkesari's brother, and was thus killed in the fight.

The roles of the dancers may change according to the narration. However, the Legong Keraton dance usually begins with the king's preparations for battle and ends with the bird's appearance. This beautifully story telling is well presented into one of the best of bali traditional dance.


Baris Dance



There is also a dance which is a male equivalent of the legong, called as the Baris Dance. Baris Dance is a warrior's dance. Executed with energetic and warlike martial spirit, the Baris dancer has to convey the thoughts and emotions of a warrior preparing for action as well as confronting an enemy in battle.

Baris dance is performed solo and requires great energy, spirit and skill. The warrior's changing moods have to be displayed through facial expressions and movements; he should be able to depict chivalry, pride, anger, prowess, and a little regret. Baris dance is said to be one of the most complex of all Balinese dances.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

BALI: NUSA CENINGAN

Nusa Ceningan Map


Nusa Ceningan is the smallest island of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, which is easily reached via a suspension bridge on foot or by bicycle / motorcycle. There are a leading surf at Nusa Ceningan an interesting few surfers to stay away from Nusa Lembongan are more crowded. The island offers some beautiful roads and scenery to the west and Nusa Lembongan Bali impressive. Watch the sunset in Bali from the ridge Nusa Ceningan very beautiful. Channel waters between Lembongan and Ceningan is home to many seaweed farms. Some visitors really choose to stay in Nusa Ceningan, they like living in a small bungalow complex, which opened in 2009.


Surfing at Nusa Ceningan


Nusa Ceningan first opened as a tourist destination by surfers, and has long been a part of a series of surfing in Bali. So many water activities, surfing and scuba diving’s most famous.
There are three main breaks, all off the top half of the west coast, with another less well known just to the southwest off Nusa Ceningan. Playgrounds, Lacerations and Shipwrecks are all close offshore and reached via an energetic paddle from the beach, or in a more leisurely fashion, by a local boat (perahu) which can be chartered from the nearest beach. Whilst the breaks usually suit intermediate to experienced surfers given they all break over coral reefs, the aptly named Playgrounds is a little more forgiving and can be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike. All the surf breaks become extremely crowded during the dry season
Although surfable all year round, waves are best when winds are in the southeast quarter, normally from April to September/October.
There is a thriving surf scene in Jungut Batu. When compared to its tiny population, 
Ceningan
 has produced a remarkable number of international quality surfers for competition. Any keen surfer will certainly not be short of company here.



Scuba Diving At Nusa Ceningan
Manta at Nusa Ceningan
Diving in this place is very good with crystal clear waters around the island. A number of leading dive shops and places of the famous course. Hundreds of visitors have learned to dive here.
For more experienced divers the most interesting site is the next area, Nusa Penida. There are some challenging dive sites here, and dive operators will visit a particular site only if it is safe sea conditions. There are many choices for the reef flat easier and wall diving as well. Marine highlights include a large manta rays year round, spectacular, large ocean sunfish (mola-mola) in season (July-October), white-tip reef sharks, nurse sharks and hammer strange. The whale shark is far from ordinary, but it looks odd migrants. Last but certainly not least, four species of sea turtles can be found here. All operators offer scheduled trips to key places around the three islands.
Diving at Nusa Ceningan

Prices vary slightly differ from store to store. Course fee of about U.S. $ 60 for a half day introduction to Discover Scuba, U.S. $ 395 for PADI Open Water certification. A nice dive with a cost of about U.S. $ 35-45 including all equipment, with discounts offered for multiple dives. Dive shop has a variable opening hours according to seasonal demand. Night dives are widely offered and offers a fantastic underwater experience.


Snorkeling at Nusa Ceningan


Good snorkeling is available near the beach in various places around Nusa Ceningan island. Perhaps the two best areas Mushroom Bay on the west coast, and mangroves at the northern end. Equipment can be rented from the hotel or on the beach, and depending on the quality of equipment, the rental price of Rp 20.000 to 50.000 for a mask, snorkel and fin set.
If you like to get more for off-shore, dive shop can sell you space on a snorkeling submarine is scheduled, depending on availability. Also, a local boatman willing to take you by boat to a variety of snorkeling. Depending on the amount of snorkeling spot you want to visit, boat trips can be arranged for a price of about Rp 200000-300000 (including snorkeling gear). A place of fun snorkeling only be reached by boat along the coast of Nusa Penida, Crystal Bay with a particularly helpful. There are currents along this coast. Boatman will drop you at the beginning of this time, and you can drift with the currents while snorkeling along the drop off the wall with loads of beautiful coral and fish. Boat builders will follow you and pick you up at the end of the day.


Nusa Ceningan, Other water sports


Families with children will not lack choice here, filled with the typical Start-type resort, mechanical water sports are available, including jet-skiing, para-sailing, wake-boarding and banana boat. Those who care little about the environment may prefer sea kayaking. Your hotel will be able to help with booking one of these activities. Or, just go to the beach either in the Gulf of mushroom or stone mountain spur, and seeking a way out for yourself. Fees range from about Rp 150,000 for a single banana boat ride, Rp 300,000 for a jet ski.
This is an excellent island for visitors, for walk away and explore the various tracks that criss-cross the Nusa Ceningan island.




Thursday, October 27, 2011

BALI: NUSA PENIDA ISLAND

Map of Nusa Penida

As part of Bali’s district, Nusa Penida Island is under the Klungkung regency. If you want to go to Nusa Penida Island from Bali, you need to go to Padang bay to take a ferryboat crossing from Bali to Nusa Penida Island. The only ferryboat available is called as Roro-Nusa Jaya Abadi. This boat will take you crossing the Badung Strait (located between Bali Island and Nusa Penida Island), and the trip will take around one hour to get to the Toya Pakeh Harbor in Nusa Penida Island. After you have reached the island, you can continue the trip by having a modified pick-up car or known as “omprengan”.

The northern dive sites of Nusa Penida like Crystal Bay, Pura Ped and Toyapakeh are good destinations for Drift Diving. A boat ride with BIDP's speed boat of 45 minutes brings y ou to the best underwater adventures here in Bali Indonesia.



The divesites around Penida can be challenging. Upwellings from the deep can cause thermoclines and let the temperature drop to 20 degrees celsius. Currents running between the Nusa Islands and Lombok Strait are most of the time southward, but can be influenced in direction and strength by the monsoon seasons.



The three islands, Nusa Penida Island, Lembongan Island and Ceningan Island are situated at the Wallace Line which lies at the middle of Bali Island and Lombok Island. This Wallace Line is a separation line between the eco-zones of Asia and Australasia. To the west of the Wallace Line, Asiatic species and organism live, while to the east of the Wallace Line, Australian species and organism exist for living. According to the scientist, these boundaries have been existing for 50 million years. They are predicted to be the south-western edge of Sunda Earth Crust Shelf which are believed to link some main islands in Indonesia, such as Java, Sumatera, Borneo, Bali to the Southeast Asia’s mainland.



Nusa Penida Backgrounds





Nusa Penida Island as the part of Bali district under the Klungkung Regency has its own history. The Nusa Penida Island was a place where the Gelgel dynasty from Bali was held in prison at early 18th century under the Majapahit ruler. The Gelgel Dynasty was one of the Balinese Kingdoms which conquered the Lombok Island once.

Badung Strait, during WWII the Badung Strait was the location of "The Of Badung Strait". This event took place on 19 and 20 februar 1942. Allied forces had a confrontation here with the Imperial Japanese Navy.





How to get to Nusa Penida





BIDP organise daily dive trips to the Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan Islands and regularly visit 12 divesites. You can feel save to dive with an organisation with more then 25 years of experience diving in Bali, Indonesia.

These are just a short summary of so many interesting places that you can visit in Nusa Penida Island. However, many tourist are not yet well-informed about this amazing island, so that not many tourist coming to the island. Furthermore, the very potential tourism objects are not well- managed yet. Hopefully, there will be a significant improvement in the nearest future.






Diving sites


Nusa Penida covers a wide area of diving locations. They are Penida Bay, Manta Point, Batu Meling, Batu Lumbung, Batu Abah, Toyapakeh and Malibu Point. The flow through the Lombok Strait is, overall, south-tending, although the strength and direction of the tidal streams are influenced by the monsoon seasons.


During the southeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends south; during the northeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends north. In the area of the strait north of Nusa Penida, the pattern is relatively simple, with a flow, at peaktide, of about three-and-one-half knots. Tidal streams in Badung Strait are semi-diurnal, but the character of the stream is very complicated because its direction runs obliquely to the general south to north direction of Lombok Strait, and the channel has a curved shape.



Toyapakeh




Toyapakeh has a stretch of reefs, and in the southern part of the bay there is a similar area of rugged bommies, rich with color and fish. Big schools of fish, sea turtles, and occasionally molas are highlight of Toyapakeh diving. Toyapakeh is special for its pillars of coral.



Malibu Point


Malibu Point is a diving site with gray reefs, reef white tips, silver-tips and numerous sharks. While Penida Bay is another anchorage, and the rocky islands have an interesting forms; something like an old resting elephant. The bay is vulnerable to swell, creating-up-and-down-currents. Then, Manta Point is a limestone rock off Pandan cafe. The swell is relatively strong.



Lembongan



Lembongan is a diving site with vast spread of coral reefs and good visibility. Big fishes are frequently observed at the area. Manta rays or sunfishes appear in the certain season.
The site is also known of the very strong currents requiring divers some skills.




Crystal Bay


Crystal Bay is calmer than outer shore. There are many Antheases. A school of batfish comes around periodically. A bat cave is located nearby.