Tourism,Tour and Travel

Once the rice cooked (generally steamed), the wife prepared a little offerings (ngejot) to the spirits resides in the house. It’s made out of banana leaves and portioned with a little bit of grain of rice, a flower, some salt and a dash of chili. 

Nobody could eat before the portions were distributed in front of each of residential units (placed on the ground).  The woman who distributed the offerings was constantly followed by hungry dogs that ate the grains of rice as soon as the offerings placed.  

No one cared; however, this was intended for evil spirits which may be embodied in the dogs. There was no time fixed to eat and they ate whenever they felt like it.  Shortly before noon, the men returned from work after taking a bath in the river and sat casually by the kitchen, often turning his back on each other and not to engage in a conversation while eating. 

Each will take some portion of rice and sauce in square of banana leaves held by the left hand and the right hand acted as spoon and fork.  The use of utensils and dishes to the Balinese are considered unhygienic and repulsive foreign habit.  Balinese use square banana leaf as dishes.  When finished, the leaf dishes were thrown out to the pigs and no dishes left to be washed..

Denpasar Market is a market selling the costume and clothing items with the prices are relative cheaper than clothing items sold at the shops in Gajah Mada Street which are most owned by citizen of Chinese clan. Kumbasari Market is previously called by Peken Payuk (pot market), it sell the items from gerabah /jar like pot, pengedangan, cubek (plate from land), paso (pail from land), caratan (water jug from land), jeding (barrel from land), penyantokan (mixer from land), coblong (cup from land), kekeb (rice cover) and others. All of these items are the kitchenware and also the items for ceremony. Since this market most popular as a place to sell payuk/pot, hence Kumbasari Market in the past referred as Peken Payuk or pot market. But now it sell the material or art items for tourist therefore it is one of tourist destinations in Denpasar Town.

Denpasar Market is opened on 24 April 1984 by Bali 's Governor, Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra. Then after experiencing of the fire accident, it has been repaired in year 2000 at that moment Bali 's Governor is Mr. Dewa Made Berata. This market owns the broadness about 14.544 M² and broadly park 9064 M² which is built in four floors. The local people who go for shopping at this market are not only from environment of Denpasar community but also come from outside of town. The moment before the big holiday like Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi and others, this market is always crowded by the buyer which are most of them the local society.

Denpasar Market is opened at 5 o'clock in the morning and close at 5 o'clock in the evening. Then, it is changed by the evening market opened from 05:00 pm until at 05:00 am the day after. Meanwhile at Senggol Market in Kumbasari is opened at 02:00 pm and closed at 11:30 pm. The unique of Senggol Market's name is possibility taken away from the situation and condition of people movement on shopping where they each others jog because of visitor denseness. This Senggol Market is selling the variety of food, from the cheap Balinese, Javanese and Chinese cookery. It is also sell the various types of clothes from adult until children one. 

Denpasar Market is encircled by shop along the street of Gajah Mada, in the right side there is Sulawesi Street which is famous of cloth items. Denpasar Traditional Market is progressively strengthening the identity of a center of Denpasar's economics which is opened within 24 hours and never silent by visitor.

Celuk Village is the famous village in Bali as a tourist destination cause of the local residents is very proactive and full of innovation to the gold and silver crafting. This countryside is located in sub district of Sukawati, Gianyar Regency and owns the individuality and excellence in production of gold and silver crafting. Most of them are Balinese professional, artistic and skillful of design development related to the silver and gold crafting.

The productions of gold and silver at this village have penetrated to the local, national and international market. It can be measured from the type of artwork result and variation of ornament, good as present and also export commodity. The type of gold and silver craft has been produced in this countryside are covering various of rings, bangles, chokers, earrings, mother of pearls, Tusuk Konde, broach and other types. Beside of that, Celuk's workers are able to response the market demands and produce the modern product like medal, maket and culture symbol. In spanning of artistic growth history, the silver and gold crafting had been started by a group of family pertained by Clan Pande. From this family circle, the activity of gold and silver crafting has disseminated to entire society as a top profession which are previously as the farmer. In year 1970's decades, it has been happened the change of countryside society culture significantly from agrarian society structure to industrial society structure of crafting. Even nowadays, some of them have jumped again to the economic structure of service by focusing in tourism industry. The change and jumping movement of these structures have brought the new positive impact for prosperity. Celuk Village, Kuta and Ubud are the prosperous countryside in Bali by the higher resident's income cause of tourism.  

Celuk Village is strategically located in main road from Denpasar to Gianyar regency which is about 5 km from Denpasar town. The next door villages are Batubulan Village which is famous of Barong dance and stone carving, Singapadu Village with the art village equipped by places of recreation such as Bird Park and Bali Zoo Park, Batuan Village with the traditional painting, Guang village with the wood carving and Sukawati as a center of art market. Along way of Celuk Village about 2 km, we will find in the left and right side the various type of gold and silver shop which are opened to the domestic and international tourist. It is also inside of this village, we will find the activities and workshop of crafting which are ready to be ordered in small or huge number.

 Mas Village is one of villages in Bali fundamentally identified as an artistic countryside by focusing in artistic of wood carving. Mas Village is located in Ubud sub district and Gianyar Regency, east part of Bali. It owns the typical style of wood carving art by placing forward the distinguish synergy the humanism and naturalism. The village's popularity as an art village is famous in the national and world level which is not forgetting from the highness name of some maestros which has borne and found the spirit (taksu) and soul. The famous maestro who was borne in this village is Ida Bagus Tilem.

This Artistic countryside owns the long history root. The result of wood carving art in this village owns the immeasurable and wide dimension like idol for the devoting (arca idol), representative dimension of everyday Balinese social society life (farmer, fisherman, worker, intellectual, merchant etc), the abstract dimension as existing of actor imagination which is listening carefully of reality, dynamics and life philosophy. The villagers are same as villagers at other tourism countryside in Bali that have also experienced the transformation from agrarian society to the crafting society. Even nowadays, it is continued to service society from commerce service until levying service of the souvenir for overseas and domestic tourist. 

Welcome to Gua Gajah (Elephant Cave) which is located in west side of Bedulu countryside, Blah Batuh Sub district and Gianyar Regency. It is about 27 km from Denpasar town. This cave is built at crevasse edge from the federation of 2 rills that is called Pangkung River , where the irrigation is mixed with Petanu River flow. The federation area of two rivers is called Campuhan/Mixture. It owns the magical energy on the basis of Rwabineda Concept/two different matters on this basic concept hence Gua Gajah (Elephant Cave) is intentionally built among two rivers.

The word of Gua Gajah is anticipated coming from the word of Lwa Gajah, the name of Buddhist Temple or hermitage for Buddhist monk. The Gua Gajah's name is written on Negarakeertagama papyrus which is compiled by Mpu Prapanca on 1365 M. Lwa or Lwah/loh mean the river and it reflect to the meaning that the hermitage is located at Gajah River or in Air Gajah. In the year inscription 944 Saka, it is mentioned with the name of ‘ser ring Air Gajah' that is meaning the Subak leader in Air Gajah. The word has mentioned that the hermitage of Lwa Gajah is located in Subak Air Gajah.  

There is a relief which is almost looking like the form of mountain on the entrance of this cave. It was carved many designed on the relief like grove with the stick, close leaf, animal for example forest pig, tortoise and specters. The cave mouth is decorated by the bas-relief with the eye turn around to the right or west side. There is an article letter of Kediri type from the early of 11 century was written on the wall  left side or east side. There is a pool (Patirthaan) as a place to take the holy Tirtha water for Hindu ceremony which is located in the middle of the cave courtyard. This Holy Pool is previously piled up by land and it has been found on 1954 by Krijgsman from the Ancient Department. The Holy pool is equipped by the statue douche which is parallel arranged in two groups.

Since it is appointed as tourist destination, Gua Gajah is many visited by tourist everyday due to it is strategically located on the main road Ubud – Kintamani. Kintamani Volcano Tour is one of the famous land tour in Bali usually put this tourist destination on the tour itinerary. It was well completed by public facilities like toilet, parking area and souvenir shops available.

 Ubud Village is a traditional village supervising 13 Banjar (group of community) and 6 custom countryside. It is located in Ubud sub district, Gianyar Regency  and about 20 km from Denpasar Town. Ubud Vilage can be reached within 30 minutes or 15 minutes from Gianyar Town and this place is situated in the high land about 300 meter above sea level. Ubud is surrounded by the good temperature compare with other regions in Bali where the temperatures are relative cool that is ideally for everyone to stay in this beautiful place. This village is occupied 9.800 peoples which most of them are Hindu. They able to keep the environment naturally so that way this place usually used by many tourist/people/actors to get the art inspiration.

Ubud Village is also well known as a culture village where we easily find the local community presenting traditional cultures from the ritual up to the traditional dance performances. This village own the rich culture with the history heritage of all big actors, especially all famous artists, for example I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (1862 - 1978), Anak Agng Gede Sobrat (1919 - 1992), I Gusti Made Deblog (1910 - 1968), afterward caught up by others like, I Gusti Ketut Kobot, Ida Bagus Made, Dewa Putu Bedil, Ida Bagus Rai and others. The popularity of all above artists follows to give the inspiration to all west artists to live in Ubud Bali. In year 1920's, two European artist people that are Rodolf Bonnet from Dutch and Walter Spies from Germany inscribe the new history of artistic growth paint the countryside of Ubud. Second, the European artist introduce the European esthetics technique especially illumination area, shadow, perspective and anatomy. All local artists permeate the new technique matching with value and base on local mind fixed take the traditional so that able to give the separate identity by the name Ubud. Ubud Village progressively famous as a born area of all painters because the existence of the cooperation between Tjokorda Gede Agung Sukawati and Rudolf Bonnet to form the Pita Maha. Pita Maha represent a place to discuss the artistic growth and problem paint, and also to compare mind to each other and introducing result of art which they own.  

Ubud Village Tour is an exciting tour package to visit places interest in this village and surrounding area. There are other Ubud Tour Package available which all of them visit this village like Elephant  Ubud Tour, Rafting Ubud Tour , Elephant Safari Ubud Tour and Ayung Rafting Ubud Tour .

Ubud is one of tourist places in Bali provides many hotels from luxury until the low budget. We can recommend the following hotels in Ubud which you can select one of them based on your budget:

 Ubud Traditional Art Market where the existence is not far different from other markets available in the tourism area. This market as a society economics center of Ubud and it is apposite to the existence of Ubud Empire that is called Puri Saren. The market is unfolding from west to easterly divided become two group with different purpose. There are two markets available at the same area those are one block at the Westside is for a traditional artistic market  and another block located in the east as an everyday traditional fundamental market requirement. This market is opened every day about at 08:00 until 18:00, even some from them still open until nighttime. While the traditional market for the fundamental requirement is opened everyday at 06:00 - even before that there is morning market started at 04:00 morning.

The art crafting are sold in this art market consisted of various crafting, from traditional until contemporary crafting which its price is relatively cheap. You can do the transaction directly to the merchant which generally can be bargained. All the crafting sold in this place you can bring home as souvenir like slipper, wood idol, bag, clothes, matting, painting and a lot of more. 

It is very simple way and easily to find Ubud Market since it is very famous among the Balinese and it is strategically located in the center of Ubud Village. This market is located just in the front of Ubud Palace with crowded of visitor who purchases the items every day. This market is close to other places of interest in Ubud like Ubud Palace, Ubud Monkey Forest , Tegalalang Rice Terrace, Painting Museum and Gua Gajah. You can also join the Ubud Tour Package or other tour arrangements like Elephant Ubud Tour, Rafting  Ubud Tour , Elephant Safari Ubud Tour and Ayung Rafting Ubud Tour