Bali - Warning For Henna Tattoos

Bali - Warning For Henna Tattoos

Scores of people returning from Bali, including young children, have reported serious skin conditions requiring medical attention, after getting henna tattoos.

Testing at West Australia’s ChemCentre shows the black henna used for the tattoos has tested positive for high levels of an allergen known to cause severe dermatitis.

The chemical, p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is banned for use in skin coloration products in Australia. A leading Australian dermatologist, Rosemary Dixon, explained that the “black henna” is not henna at all. “PPD is often mixed with a solvent like kerosene which facilitates it getting into the skin and increases sensitization”, she said.

One reaction is enough to set off a lifelong allergy to products containing PPD, including hair dyes and even clothing dyes. “The darker it is, the more PPD it contains,” explained a colleague of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, Ernest Tan who went on to echo warnings on the Australian Government’s website, smarttraveller.gov.au, urging tourists to avoid tattoos in Bali.

Despite the fact that many tattoo artists encourage a skin patch test first, this proves useless as it may take days or even weeks for the reactions to become apparent.

Source: The West Australian

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Bali - Sail Indonesia 2013 In Lovina

Bali - Sail Indonesia 2013 In Lovina

The jetty in Lovina was designed to serve as a mooring location for yachts, however the Rp 1.02 billion project has become neglected.

It was designed to provide participants of Sail Indonesia 2012 proper facilities to moor their yachts, but the water was too shallow, thus preventing large yachts and vessels from docking there.

In the coming days, participants from 17 countries will take part in Sail Indonesia 2013. During the competition, participants will stop at several sites, including Lovina Beach in Buleleng regency.
During their coming visit to Lovina, participants will not be able to moor their yachts at the jetty because of technical problems. Meanwhile, to welcome Sail Indonesia 2013, Buleleng administration will organize the Lovina Festival at Bina Ria Beach. There would be 88 yachts from 17 countries mooring at Lovina Beach.

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Bali - New Lamps For Old Statues

Bali - New Lamps For Old Statues

Badung administration, in collaboration with PT Philips Indonesia, will install colorful decorative lamps on two statues to welcome APEC Summit delegates.

The Gatot Kaca statue found is on the first intersection encountered after leaving Ngurah Rai International Airport toward Sanur or Nusa Dua, APEC’s main venue. Dewa Ruci, the second statue, is the centerpiece of the main intersection in Kuta near the new underpass, where the major roads connecting Nusa Dua, Kuta, Benoa, Sanur and Denpasar converge.

The agency has begun the preparations for the installation. The administration was really grateful for Philips Indonesia’s enthusiastic support. They are hoping that the beautification project would be completed before the end of the Miss World 2013 pageant and before the start of the prestigious APEC Summit.

Philips Indonesia marketing manager said the lighting system would use energy-friendly lamps. The system and lamps use 50 percent less energy than other lamps on the market. The brand-new LED lighting system developed by Philips could reduce power consumption by up to 85 percent compared to non-LED systems, in addition Philips LED lamps could last for up to 15 years. Philips Indonesia was also involved in the lighting systems at the newly-opened Nusa Dua–Benoa toll road and Ngurah Rai’s airport.
The all-white Gatot Kaca, a character from the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, statue portrays the powerful jagoan as he stands on top of the horses that pull the chariot of his enemy, master archer Karna. Gatot Kaca met his tragic end in this battle. The Dewa Ruci statue portrays Bima, Gatot Kaca’s father, fighting a sea serpent during his search for the elixir of immortality.

PS, It's a nice idea, but the APEC delegates never see the second statue, because from the airport they drive directly  to the new tollroad..

Dewa Ruci

Gatot Kaca

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The Regency's Or Kabupaten From Bali

The Regency's Or Kabupaten From Bali

The province (provinsi or propinsi) is the highest tier of local country government subdivisions in Indonesia. Provinces are further divided into regencies (kabupaten) and cities.

Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body. The governor and members of local representative bodies are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. Indonesia has 34 provinces, eight of which have been created since 1999, namely: North Maluku, West Papua, Banten, Bangka-Belitung Islands, Gorontalo, Riau Islands, West Sulawesi and North Kalimantan. The provinces are officially grouped into seven geographical units.

Bali is an island and a province of Indonesia. The province covers a few small neighboring islands as well as the island of Bali itself. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Bali has its capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

With a population recorded as currently 4.22 million, the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. 84.5% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder followed Islam. Bali is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. A tourist haven for decades, the province has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years. Bali is divided into 9 regency's, each regency (kapupaten) headed by a regent, or Bupati. The regions are: Badung, Bangli, Buleleng, Denpasar, Gyanyar, Jembrana, Karangasam, Klungkung, Tabanan.

A couple of months ago I started to put a tag on each tourist destination and region, so just click, on the right sight of the screen, the region label and you get a complete list of all important destinations in that region.

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The 10 Most Important Temples In Bali

The 10 Most Important Temples In Bali

1. Pura Besakih
The holiest of all temples in Bali, the "Mother Temple" of Pura Besakih is located some 3,000 feet up Gunung Agung in East Bali. This sprawling complex consolidates 23 separate temples, some dating back to the 10th century. The temple's main axis aligns with the peak of Gunung Agung, the tallest mountain and holiest site in all of Bali. Pura Besakih narrowly escaped destruction in 1963, as lava flow from Gunung Agung's killer eruption missed the temple by mere yards. Today, Pura Besakih is a major draw for tourists and for devout Balinese.

2. Pura Gunung Kawi
Located about a mile south of Tampaksiring, Bali's "Valley of the Kings" is located in a ravine between ricefields. The Pakerisan river flows through this ravine, and the cliffs flanking the river feature shrines carved into the stone honoring kings and queens from the 11th century. The Balinese - big believers in the holiness of water - believe that the river sanctifies Pura Gunung Kawi.

3. Tirta Empul
The sacred spring that feeds Tirta Empul provides holy water for priests and bathing for ordinary Balinese, who believe that a dip hereabouts can bring good fortune and health. An offering must first be made at the temple before you can climb into the long main pool to bathe and meditate.
Tirta Empul was probably built in 926 AD during the Balinese Warmadewa dynasty. A villa complex nearby houses government VIPs; it was originally constructed for former President Sukarno in the 1950s.

4. Pura Luhur Lempuyang
Obscurity aside, the temple of Pura Luhur Lempuyang is one of Bali's most important religious places: it's one of the six sad kahyangan ("temples of the world") dedicated to Sang Hyang Widi Wasa (the supreme God), and it's also one of the island's nine directional temples that "protects" the native Balinese from evil spirits. The temple presents an interesting challenge to visitors: reaching the top means conquering 1,700 steps cut into mountainside jungle, requiring about an hour and a half of serious climbing. The temple at the top offers awesome views of Gunung Agung, framed by the temple gate.

5. Goa Gajah
Known as the "Elephant Cave", Goa Gajah seems strangely free from elephants until you realize it takes its name from its proximity to the Elephant River. Goa Gajah's key attraction is the menacing entrance to the cave - the surrounding rock has been carved into a face, mouth agape. The interior of the cave features a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha and a worship area devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Goa Gajah probably dates back to the 11th century.

6. Pura Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot stands on a rock some distance from the shore, towering over the sea. Access to the temple is limited to low tide.
The temple's construction was supposedly inspired by the priest Nirartha in the 15th century; after spending the night on the rock outcrop where the temple now stands, he instructed local fishermen to build a temple on that site. Today, Tanah Lot is regarded as one of Bali's most important directional temples. A multimillion-dollar restoration effort in the 1990s saved Tanah Lot from falling into the sea. As one of Bali's most popular temples, Tanah Lot is surrounded by crowds and vendors. Do not visit if it's peace and quiet you're after, but do come if you're after a great sunset view.

7. Pura Taman Ayun
Built in the 1600s by the King of Mengwi, Pura Taman Ayun survives today as a beautiful example of a royal public temple. The descendants of the Mengwi royal family still sponsor the temple, which also serves as the clan kawitan temple (a temple dedicated to the worship of the deified ancestors, in this case the previous rulers of the Mengwi royal family). "Taman Ayun" means "beautiful garden"; a moat surrounds the temple, which gives the complex the appearance of floating on water. A landscaped front courtyard entered through an ornamental candi bentar (split front gate) adds to the temple's beauty. The inner courtyard features a number of multi-tiered meru (pagodas).

8. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
This temple on the shores of Lake Bratan is second only to Pura Besakih in significance, but for rice farmers in Bali, this temple is the foremost on the island. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is the primary temple in the many temples and shrines that punctuate the subak irrigation system popular in Bali. The temple is dedicated to the worship of the goddess of lakes and rivers, Dewi Batari Ulun Danu.
Part of the temple is located on the mainland, while a significant section seems to "float" on the lake, being set on an island just off the mainland temple complex. An 11-roof meru (pagoda) sits on the island section, a towering beauty surrounded by a placid lake.

9. Pura Luhur Uluwatu
Pura Luhur Uluwatu is both a major Balinese temple - one of the six sad kahyangan revered by all Balinese - and the site of a nightly kecak performance that re-enacts the Ramayana through chanting half-naked men, masked actors and a dramatic fire-dance. Pura Luhur Uluwatu was first constructed by a Javanese Hindu guru in the 10th century. The whole temple stands on a cliff soaring 200 feet above sea. The temple's name refers to its position "at the head of the rock", and visitors get an eyeful of the sea as it breaks against the base of the cliffs below. The view is especially beautiful during sunset.

10. Pura Goa Lawah
The temple of Pura Goa Lawah in East Bali is centered around a cave inhabited by thousands of bats. A black-sand beach nearby makes Goa Lawah a popular site for post-cremation purification, for the Balinese families that can afford it. The Javanese priest Nirartha is reputed to have visited the cave back in the 15th century. Legend has it that the cave interior extends over 19 miles underground to emerge at Pura Besakih.

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Some Unknown Balinese Dances

Some Unknown Balinese Dances

The lifestyles of Balinese people is expressed in their dance. Not only do we learn about the Balinese religion from their dance creations but also we can come to understand the flow of cultural events and activities that belong to everyday life. We can discover Balinese attitudes, how they look at nature, and how they regard their fauna and flora.

The very essence of the Balinese culture is dance and drama, which is performed during temple festivals and in ceremonies. The dances performed in hotels is a small fraction of what Balinese dance has to offer. Balinese dance goes as far back as Balinese written history with much of the heritage originating from Java. Ironically, as a result of the Islamisation of Java, the Javanese culture has disappeared but has still survived in Bali and has become part of classical Balinese culture.

Balinese dance cannot be separated from religion. Even the dances for the tourists are preceded by many dancers praying at their family shrine for taksu (inspiration) from the gods. The typical posture of Balinese dance has the legs half-bent, the torso shifted to one side with the elbow raised and lowered in a gesture that displays suppleness of the hands and fingers. The torso is shifted in symmetry with the arms. If the arms are to the right, the shifting is to the left and vice-verse. Most people know the Legong, Barong and Kecak dance, but here some not so well know Balinese dances

The Ramayana
The story of the Ramayana greatly inspires the Balinese. Many of their dances are based on this great story which is often depicted in a ballet. The Balinese version differs from the Indian Version.

Tari Panyembrama
The Panyembrama is probably the most popular Balinese social dance. In keeping with its meaning in the Balinese Language, Panymebrama is frequently staged to welcome guests of honour who are making a visit to this islands of the Gods. During the dance, flowers are scattered over the guest or audience as an expression of welcome.

The Yudapati Dance
Yudapati is a dance which depicts a male character but is performed by female dancers. The word Yudapati is derived from Yuda which means war and Pati which means death. The dance represents the kamikaze warrior in defending the truth. It is based on the Baris dance.

The Ghopala Dance
This dance provides the audience with an interesting insight into the lives of people who live in a simple and pure manner in an environment of blissful tranquility. This dance usually performed by five boy dancers. The characters of the Ghopala dance are especially funny and will draw laughter from the audience.

The Semarayana Dance
As we know, there exists many art forms such as music, painting, poetry, drama, sculpture, etc. and, of course, dancing is yet another and is a popular form of expression. Artists will take a certain aspect of a medium, build on it to form another. This is the case of the Semarayana dance. The main character is Dewi Chandra Kirana, a princess from the kingdom of Daha who disguised herself as a male youth so she could venture out and seek her beloved who had disappeared without a trace.

The Sanghyang Jaran Dance
The unique feature of the Sanghyang Jaran dance is the courage of the dancers who in a state of Kesurupan or trance, calmly step and trample on red hot coals just as if they were walking in cold water. This dance is believed to have the power to invite the gods or sacred spirits to enter the body of the dancers and put them in a state of trance. It dates back to the ancient Pre-Hindu culture, a time when the Balinese people strongly believed that a dance could eliminate sickness and disease. The is dance is usually performed in the fifth or sixth month of the Balinese traditional calendar as it is believe that during these particular months, the Balinese are vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses.

The Gebug Ende Dance
The Gebug Ende is a combination of dance and trial of prowess. It is usually performed by two to sixty male dancers who dance and fight on stage in pairs. Each dancer/fighter carries a one and a half meter long rattan stick as as a weapon and a shield called an ende. During the performance the two men try to beat one another with the stick while using the ende to protect themselves. The dance is called Gebug Ende as it literally means beating the ende or shield. One cannot afford to make mistakes in this dance as otherwise injury results.

Legong Trunajaya - The dance of love and emotion
The Trunajaya dance describes the emotions of a young man through love and passion. The dance movements reflect the theme of courtship and love. Truna meaning 'single' and jaya meaning 'to win' immediately gives an understanding of the dance. Ironically, the dancer are young women who take on the role of young men. The women wear a 'destar' normally worn by men and an unusual loin-cloth called a 'kancut'. The Trunajaya is normally danced by a single female but sometimes two, dancing together in synchronous movements and to the mesmorotic sounds of the 'Gong Kebyar', a fast, rhythmic beat which goes in harmony to the dance. The dance is from Singaraja, Northern Bali.

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This Is Also Bali

This Is Also Bali

An article in the Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post) underlines that among the “lessons learned” by Bali over the past decades is that tourism development has an equal propensity for bringing both benefit or calamity to a destination.

The article “Bali’s tourism, not all dazzling stories” urges other areas of Indonesia to consider carefully in formulating their tourism plans. Quoting an economic affairs official from the Bali provincial administration, Ketut Wija said a number of negative cultural, social and environmental impacts have resulted from Bali’s rapid rate of tourism investment. “Any province must have a strong commitment to preserving its culture and nature, as well as the enactment of relevant legal requirements before planning tourism development in their area,” Wija warned.

Most tourist facilities in Bali are owned by foreigners and non-Balinese from other parts of Indonesia. The rapid rise in accommodation development has also created more employment opportunities, but not necessarily for the Balinese who continue to suffer from a high rate of unemployment.

The real estate boom in Bali is also marginalizing the Balinese who are no longer able to purchase land on their ancestral island. Moreover, those Balinese who still own land are increasingly being compelled to sell their property due to a rapid increase in property tax rates that they can no longer afford.

He also cited how development and traditional religious practice are often finding themselves at loggerheads with each other. Long religious processions cause traffic jams on roads crowded with tourists and newcomers. At the same time, developers intent on creating “illegal” private beach-fronts are thwarting access to shorelines once used for religious rituals. “For Balinese people, beaches are sacred sites for them to spiritually cleanse their body and soul. With so many new buildings, access to beaches is closed and restricted for residents.

He also pointed out development has cost Bali 1,000 hectares of productive farm land annually in years past, a figure now down to an average of 350 hectares per year. And, while tourism has brought wealth and prosperity to Bali. The distribution of wealth and development is far from equal. Only a few people living in tourist destinations benefit most from tourism. Unemployment in Bali stood at 2.4% and nearly 4% of the people in Bali still live below the poverty line. He explained how Indonesia's policy on regional autonomy has largely been a disaster in Bali, with each regency making its own rules and regulations, oftentimes to suit the whims of new investors.

Finally, he warned that the mistakes made in Bali are now being repeated in other parts of Indonesia. The case of Bali is now being replicated in some other places, such as Labuan Bajo and Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara. Investors have already acquired strategic land along coastal areas,

Governor Made Pastika, bring Bali back as it was!!! A new expensive toll-road, a tunnel, new airport, a Apec top that cost millions of dollars, the Balinese don't want it!!.

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Bali - Successful Coral Reef Project In Pemuteran

Bali - Successful Coral Reef Project In Pemuteran

Since its start in 2000, the Pemuteran coral restoration project has received local and international recognition for its successful community-based effort to restore the damaged coral reefs at Pemuteran Bay, which have suffered from overfishing and natural and man-made disasters.

Located 150-kilometers northeast of Denpasar, Pemuteran Bay in Buleleng regency is home to the island’s richest marine biodiversity. The Pemuteran project involved the community-based Karang Lestari Foundation, together with Global Coral Reef Alliance, which claimed the project was the world’s largest, longest running and best coral reef restoration project.

Thanks to German and American scientists Wolf Hilbertz and Thomas Goreau, and local fishermen, the project became a reality. The project has involved planting around 70 bio-rock structures to help restore the coral reefs and fisheries of Pemuteran Bay devastated due to unsustainable fishing practices.

Previously, the project had received numerous accolades, including the Konas Award from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for the Best Community Based Coastal Management in 2002, the Asianta Award and Kalpataru Award from the President of Indonesia in 2005, the Pioneering Award from the Bali administration in 2007, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in 2008, and the Tri Hita Karana Award in 2011. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also bestowed the Equator Prize for a coral reef restoration project.

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Bali - Give Peace A Park

Bali - Give Peace A Park

Plans for the location of the former Sari Club, destroyed by a terrorist bomb on October 12, 2002, to become a memorial park have resurfaced again.

The bombing leveled the Sari Club and badly damaged Paddy’s Bar, located a short distance away, leaving 202 dead and scores badly injured. Past efforts to build a park in the now vacant plot of land have been thwarted by land ownership and funding issues.

The latest plan for the park included a place of worship for Moslems, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus and Buddhist. Australian Made Wijaya has been selected to design the park. He says the park will draw its inspiration from an Australian arts group who plant tens of bamboo in such a manner that they create a wind-chime effect. The wind-chime at the Bali Peace Park would be made of metal for durability. A garden wall will feature the names of the 202 who died in the Bali bombing.

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Unesco Warned Bali About Subak

Unesco Warned Bali About Subak

UNESCO has strongly urged the provincial administration to take concrete action to immediately preserve the subak traditional farming locations recognized as world heritage sites, an official confirms.

In a letter sent to the administration, UNESCO frequently reminded Bali of the importance of preserving subak and questioned its programs since the UN agency had declared its status in June 2012. In June 2012, UNESCO officially acknowledged Bali’s traditional subak agricultural system with its rice terraces and water temples as a cultural landscape, placing it on its world heritage list during the organization’s annual meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practice has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago, despite the challenge of supporting a dense population.

Included in the UNESCO-recognized landscape are the 18th-century royal temple of Pura Taman Ayun in Badung, the Batukaru mountain reserve in Tabanan, the Pakerisan watershed in Gianyar and Lake Batur in Bangli, in total covering 19,500 hectares. Following the recognition of subak and other areas in Bali, UNESCO requires the provincial administration to enforce programs for their preservation. A year has passed, but no real programs have been implemented. Initially, the provincial administration planned to establish a board to oversee and manage the heritage sites.

The board was supposed to consist of numerous institutions, community-based organizations, scholars, farmers and other individuals. Another important concept was to enforce stricter regulations related to spatial planning and zoning of world heritage sites. None of these plans were realized or enforced.

A professor of agriculture and head of the Subak Research Center at Udayana University, said the administration lacked political will to preserve subak and agricultural sites. The government officials act very slowly and ineffectively in responding to UNESCO’s strong requirement for the preservation of subak as world heritage sites. UNESCO can revoke the status of world heritage sites at any time if the holder fails to meet its requirements to work on serious preservation programs.

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Bali - To Many Beaches Claimed By Hotels And Resorts

Bali - To Many Beaches Claimed By Hotels And Resorts

The rapid growth of tourist-related facilities along Bali’s shorelines, all clamoring for the best ocean views, is preventing people from accessing public beaches.

Jimbaran is now growing into an exclusive location for luxury hotels and villas, all of which have claimed beachfront areas as their own. Therefore, people are no longer allowed to enter the once-public beaches under hotel control. Surfers had limited opportunities to practice from public beaches as they were now parts of hotel or villa properties. These hotels and villas have been built along the coastline and have closed almost every access to the public. People have to use a very narrow alley between hotels or villas they we want to access the beach. This phenomenon had been taking place in most of Bali’s favorite holiday spots, such as Nusa Dua, Benoa, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Candi Dasa and other beaches. Former surf sites in Jimbaran (in front of Four Seasons Hotel) and Uluwatu, as well as Dreamland, were among the favorite and most beautiful surf spots and now almost completely unavailable to surfers.

For Balinese Hindu society, beaches are some of the most sacred sites, used to perform various religious ceremonies, including purification rituals. Thus, limited access to beaches affects the religious life of local residents. In addition, the closure of public beaches to make way for various tourist facilities has also had a life-changing impact on local fishermen. Fishermen find almost no space to moor their boats along these beaches.

Despite the government’s regulation prohibiting development along the island’s coastlines, investors continue to search for beach locations with stunning views for their hotels and villas. A lack of law enforcement has led to these massive bad developments on the island of Bali.

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Bali And Hiv - Aids

Bali And Hiv - Aids

Bali as an international tourist destination, which is very well known to the whole world, is increasingly highlighted, because the HIV cases are increasing rapidly throughout the year.

Based on data owned by one of the foundations in the field of prevention HIV / AIDS in Bali, there are about 100 new cases of HIV-positive every month in Bali. May be even more. Because based on the theory of the iceberg, there are at least 300% of the cases were not identified. This will have an impact on the magnitude and spread of HIV in Bali. Prostitution and brothel business is inseparable from the economic factor and job competition, which resulted in all the strategies undertaken to gain a lot of customers. So in the tourism industry, the business of prostitution in a brothel being interconnected terms. Even pimps use as a hotel room where brothels and protitusi activities clandestinely.

Even so many foreign tourists who come to Bali, meant to include journey aside from enjoying the beautiful island of Bali, also want to find a female companion in his journey in Bali. Unconsciously, from an unhealthy relationship, there was a very deadly virus  between tourists and prostitutes. Many cases of HIV infection occurred among prostitutes. Recent data that there were about one-fifth of prostitutes in Bali with HIV. Transmission is not known whether it occurs in a brothel or done independently. But these data are very concern, because there is no doubt in prostitution in Bali, occurred unsafe relationships, such as using condoms.

Problems also occur when businesses villas and hotels add a whore in the rental price. This would be a nightmare for tourists who do not know how exactly this practice runs. So the transmission is not realized would happen to travelers from prostitutes who have been infected with HIV. Government records there are about 10,000 cases of HIV in Bali, and maybe more. Estimates that there are approximately 26000 cases described, according to the calculations of the iceberg.

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Balinese Chocolate

Balinese Chocolate

Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennium in Central America, with documented evidence from around 1100
BC found at Puerto Escondido. The Mesoamerican people made cacao into chocolate drinks and used the byproducts to create, among other things, alcohol.

The Aztecs made a drink known as xocolatl, and it is via the Spanish conquistadors that xocolatl entered Europe to eventually become the chocolate characterized by the elegance of individual chocolatiers and the mass-producing companies, such as Cadbury, Van Houten and Nestlé. Today about two-thirds of the world’s entire cacao is produced in West Africa, but it is widely grown throughout the
tropics, including Bali, which begs the question why has there been no truly unique and outstanding Balinese chocolate?

A few years ago Australian chocolate maker Toby Garritt set out to put this right, and from his visionary seeds a true Balinese gem is now emerging. Located within the Bali Elephant Camp at Carangsari village, a few miles north of the famed Sangeh monkey forest, Toby has created a small factory unit complete with a rather stylish café where he invites visitors to learn about, sample and create real chocolate.

The Pod Chocolate experience brings Garritt’s creation to life. The tour takes the visitor from cacao bean to tamat creation and also explains how they are supporting local farmers to develop sustainable and higher value produce. It is a hands-on experience and not just one for the kids, and of course there is lashings of wonderful, real, high quality Balinese chocolate to be tried. Pod Chocolate has already made a significant impact on the high-end hotel market, with brands such as Le Meridien not only selling their chocolate but using them to create signature and truly Balinese deserts.

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Bali - Temples Excluded For Tourists?

Bali - Temples Excluded For Tourists?

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has proposed that temples be excluded as tourist destinations on the island to limit, or even prevent, tourists visiting the places of worship.

“Further discussion with the island’s tourist industry will be necessary to consider the proposal. It is high time for us to limit access to our temples. Please use the temples to worship the creator,” and “Temples must function as worship places,” the governor said.

Currently, traders sell various goods, from food to fashion items, outside temples. During odalan, temple anniversaries, the traders pack the temples yards. What was more important, Pastika said, was that nobody could guarantee that all visitors were eligible to enter these sacred sites.
According to Hindu belief, menstruating women are banned from entering temples. Behavior while inside the temple must also be decent and visitors should wear appropriate clothing. A Hindu temple is architecturally and philosophically divided into three zones — the jeroan (the inner part and most sacred site of the temple), jaba tengah (the middle section) and jaba luar (temple yard). Visitors may enter the temple yards, but can not enter the jaba tengah and jeroan according the proposal.

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