Bali - Budakeling, Eco-Tourism Village

Bali - Budakeling, Eco-Tourism Village

Budakeling, one of the villages designed with a community-based tourism concept, is ready to welcome more guests after completing the renovation of some houses. A total of 21 rooms in tourist-standard home-stays were now available.

Open for tourists since 2010, the village, located in Karangasem regency, has seen a growing number of European visitors, mostly from France and Switzerland. There are also some tourists from Japan and Korea. In the first year, it welcomed 16 people. This rose to 36 people in 2011 and 37 people last year. As of mid this year, 19 tourists had made reservations to stay in the village.

Tourists are usually interested in finding out about the daily life of the local people and interacting with them. Almost every day, groups of tourists are brought by hotels or travel agents to visit the village for a short trip. The tourists usually buy silver and gold handicrafts made by local residents.

Budakeling village is situated on a hill between Tirtagangga water palace and Bebandem in Karangasem regency. Overlooking the east coast of Bali, with Mount Agung in the background, it is well known among the Balinese for its high priests. For tourists, it is a village of farmers, artists and craftsmen – from dancers and painters, to stone sculptors and engravers of Sanskrit lontar manuscripts.

The village offers an interesting holiday package. As guests arrive in the village, they are welcomed with traditional snacks and beverages. The next morning, at around 6 a.m., guests are offered a visit to the traditional market to buy meat and vegetables for their lunch and dinner that they will then cook together with the locals. After going to the market, guests return to the homestay to have breakfast with the owner. They spend the entire day around the village enjoying the panoramic views and cool weather, while watching villagers going about their activities in the rice fields, schools, village administration office and in craft workshops.

Budakeling is one of seven villages developed under the concept of community-based tourism, in which tourism is managed by the villagers. The other six villages are Penglipuran, Bedulu, Jasri, Blimbingsari, Pancasari and Pinge.

By visiting the villages, travelers get the rare opportunity of first-hand experience with local communities. They spend quality time in areas rich in culture and biodiversity, and immerse themselves in the day-to-day lives of local, indigenous villagers. Under this scheme, villagers earn income as accommodation managers, entrepreneurs, tour guides or in other related occupations. In addition, a portion of the generated revenue is set aside for projects benefiting the community as a whole.

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Bali - Mount Batukaru

Bali - Mount Batukaru

Gunung Batukaru is also called ‘The Coconut’.

With 2276m Mount Batukaru is the second highest mountain in Bali with spectacular scenery, rich cultural heritage and deeply spiritual people. It is a tropical paradise of spirits culture with gorgeous land and seascapes. It has a perfect nature’s beauty. In this area, all local temples have a shrine dedicated to the spirit of the mountain.

Mount Batukaru is perfect for a gentle walk into the largest rainforest in Bali or day trek to the top of the mountain, it also a lush tropical “food forest” of cacao, coffee, vanilla, and jungle fruits with spectacular panoramas to southern Bali. You can swim in the lodges natural waterholes with cascading waterfalls or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful views.
Some come to unwind, some come to retreat, some come to be inspired, and some come to soak in the green. But all leave with more than they came with.

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Bali - Padangbai

Bali - Padangbai

Padangbai is known as a stopover point for visitors who want to journey to Lombok. But if you choose to stay for a while, you will find that this small bay is a great little getaway spot.

When you hear about Padangbai, the first thing that probably pops into your head is “ferry port”. Padangbai is the sea gateway to Lombok with its ferries connecting it to the island of Bali. The hourly ferries carry passengers, vehicles, and other contents to the port of Lembar and back to Padangbai from the early morning to late at night.

As a port, Padangbai is very busy as it is one of the most important ports in Bali, but as a holiday destination it is a perfect secluded place to stay. Padangbai is a small fishing village in the Karangasem region, a 90 minute driving from Ngurah Rai airport via the Ida Bagus Mantra bypass on the east side of Bali. The landscape is quite similar to its neighboring island of Lombok, surrounded by green hills with less construction within the area, not like in the southern area of Bali where construction fills almost every part of it.

FOOD AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Padangbai is that it seems like life is very simple in this little village. There are no glamorous shops, hedonistic advertising, or too loud music. The ambience is peaceful and not too crowded, although there are a few vehicles passing on Jalan Silayukti, the main area in Padangbai. The people of Padangbai are very friendly, It is not hard to find a place to stay in Padangbai, as the accommodations along Jalan Silayukti suit every budget, from backpacker beds till splurge villas at Blue Lagoon. Food is not hard to get also. If you are a fan of pasta, pizza, or sandwiches, these foods are all available at the restaurants along the road.

GETTING AROUND
The most convenient thing in Padangbai is that you can explore the area by just walking around. The main beach is used to park the boats of the fishermen and the diving operators. In the afternoon the main beach is quite busy, full with people that gather or just walk along the beach. When the tide is low the shore on the north part of the bay is wide enough for relaxing or sunbathing. The best beach to relax at is Bias Tugal, a beach located on the south part of the harbor separated by a huge rocky reef. This small beach has a few warungs were you can buy snacks and beverages and it’s less crowded compared to Padangbai’s main beach, although the waves are usually bigger there.

Go exploring in the hills on the north side of the bay where you can take a walk up from the main road and turn right towards the Tanjungsari Temple. There is small forest around the temple that has a challenging footpath with slopes up and down the hill. When it is dry, the footpath is dusty and using the path can be dangerous especially with the many bushes and cactus along the way. If you follow it, the path ends at the rocky reef overlooking a bay called Tanjung Jepun, a famous snorkeling point within the area, where local people usually come for fishing when the tide is low.

UNDERWATER LIFE
Padangbai is also known as one of the most visited underwater destinations in Bali, because this village connects the diving locations on the east coast of Bali with Nusa Penida. Usually the divers stay in Padangbai in order to continue diving in different spots, therefore there are also plenty of dive shops that are used as a place to refill oxygen tanks and park the boats. And just like on the land, Padangbai offers a lot to explore under the ocean. There are five diving points from beginning to advanced divers, named Biaha, the Canyon, Tepekong, Mimpang, and the most popular site Bleu Lagoon, with various reef types and coral. The current is mild as it is protected by the reef more than the islands off the east coast, with clear visibility up to 20 meters in perfect weather. At some points, diving can sometimes be very dangerous as currents coming from the Lombok Strait create unpredictable water movements that can result in a washing machine effect.
If you just want to go snorkeling, the best way is to go on a boat with a local fisherman, which will only cost you around 250.000 Rp. They also rent snorkels, masks and fins so there is no excuse for not getting yourself wet.

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Bali - Taman Ujung Soekasada

Bali - Taman Ujung Soekasada

Once part of the grand palace of the king of Karangasem, Taman Ujung Soekasada Park is now a cultural and tourism trademark for Karangasem regency in east Bali.

It is located five kilometers from Karangasem’s capital of Amlapura, overlooking the sea, the island’s highest volcano Mount Agung and Besakih, Bali’s mother temple. Many design and building experts remain eager to explore its distinctive architectural styles.
Built under the commission of I Gusti Bagus Jelantik, the king of Karangasem, in the year 1919, Taman Ujung was designed to be a retreat for Karangasem royalty. Designed in three different architectural styles, Balinese, Chinese and Western, Taman Ujung, also known as the water palace, is a fascinating site for architectural study. The palace, designed by Dutch architect Van den Henz, Chinese architect Lotto Ang and several undagi (Balinese traditional architects), exemplifies architectural elements and unparalleled details in each of its structures. Three large ponds are connected with each other by two long bridges. There is a rest area for the king and a circular gazebo for family members to enjoy their leisure.

The park’s construction was completed in 1921 and officially inaugurated in 1937. The king also built Tirtagangga water palace nearby and Puri Agung Karangasem in Amlapura. However, the disastrous eruption of Mt. Agung destroyed most of the structures in the grand water palace. Meanwhile, a few years ago, major renovations started to return the park to its glory. The patriarch of the present Puri Gede Agung Karangasem family, Anak Agung Bagus Ngurah Agung, is proud of his ancestors art and cultural legacy. His father, Anak Agung Gede Agung, was the eldest grandson of the last king of Karangasem, Anglurah Ketut Karangasem.

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Bali - Religious Protest Against New Tourist Spot

Bali - Religious Protest Against New Tourist Spot

Numerous Hindu high priests and community leaders have strongly rejected the central government’s plan to include Besakih Temple and Gunung Agung, both in Karangasem regency in east Bali, in the development of national strategic tourism plan (KSPN).

Last Sunday was a high-level meeting of highly respected high priests, Pasamuhan Sabdha Pandita Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), from which the priests issued a statement rejecting any idea of transforming the two sacred sites into the KSPN proposed by the government.

The PHDI urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry to revoke ministerial decree No. 50 issued in 2011 on the inclusion of Besakih and Gunung. Agung as KSPN for the 2010-2025 period. The PHDI also asked the provincial administration to retain the sacred site status of Besakih Temple and Gunung Agung as per bylaw No. 16/2009. Five of the most influential high priests signed the statement.

Believed to have been built in prehistoric times, Besakih is the mother temple and largest and most holy worship place for Balinese Hindus. It was built 1,000 meters up the slope of Gunung Agung, a mountain deemed holy by the Balinese. Gunung Agung and Besakih are Huluning Jagat Bali — the center of the universe for Balinese Hindus. It is the center of the godly power that protects Bali and its people. It will deeply affect the very soul of the Balinese Hindus.

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry had previously designated several places in Bali as part of the KSPN, including Besakih and Gunung Agung in Karangasem; Kintamani and Lake Batur in Bangli; Pemuteran and Menjangan island in Buleleng as well as Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua resort areas.

A veteran tourism practitioner in Bali, warned the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry to be more sensitive in dealing with religious sites. Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika had previously said that KSPN were central government programs. In the KSPN, he said, there were no specific words referring to Besakih Temple or Gunung Agung, just the development of Karangasem regency for spiritual tourism. “We, the provincial administration, have never proposed Besakih Temple and Gunung Agung be included in the KSPN,” Pastika insisted.

Jakarta is only interested in money, it seems they don't care about the unique Balinese Hindu religious sites!! Tanah Lot is a good example as a sort of religious Disneyland.

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