Bali Information: Tabanan

Showing posts with label Tabanan. Show all posts

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot, one of the most popular places of interest in Bali, is located on the coast of West Bali, at the village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency. It is also called Tanah Let which means ancient land and also Tanah Lod, which means the land to the south.

The temple Pura Tanah Lot, simple in its construction, is dramatic in its ocean-front location and is one of the main temples in the worship of Balinese gods.

Tanah Lot has a long history in the world of tourism. The temple itself is built on a small promontory which is only accessible at low tide. During high water the rock takes on the appearance of a large boat at sea, such is its shape. Poisonous snakes live in the nearby caves to 'guard' the temple and contribute to the temple's dangerous reputation.
Sunset is the best time to visit Tanah lot, when the golden red skies frame the temple and waves crash into the rocks. It is advisable to avoid the tourist crush here as it can be severe.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 15th century priest Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island's beautiful setting and rested there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of Seven Sea Temple around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples were established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast.

At the base of the rocky island, poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. As well as one giant snake which also protects the temple, which was created from Nirartha’s scarf when he established the island.

.indo.com , en.wikipedia.org

Alas Kedaton

The Alas Kedaton area is located with the regency of Tabanan located just north of the Kuta district and is only a half hour drive from Kuta where you will find the first true feeling of real Bali without any tourist development of any kind and large expanses of rice padi fields and tropical woodlands with quaint little tropical Balinese villages that are very traditional style with friendly Balinese locals and a variety of things to see that make Alas Kedaton a fantastic area to visit and for those who do not fancy staying among the hustle and bustle of the southern tourist areas then it is also the perfect place to stay in either the budget accommodation that is easy to find and the luxury accommodation which is usually of the traditional bungalow style and very comfortable and usually at a lower price then in the Ubud area.

One of the most popular and worthwhile points of interest in the Alas Kedaton area is the monkey forest which is a small forest that occupies a reasonably sized area and due to the Balinese Hindu respect and beliefs about monkeys, Alas Kedaton is also considered a holy area and also has some interesting temples and ancient stories and myths. The monkeys roam free in the yards and in the trees that have been preserved, some of which area extremely old and huge with thick trunks and covered with long vines. This is one of the few areas in Bali that is protected and where monkeys can breed and live in comfort and safety.

When entering the money forest you will find the monkeys have made it their own and inhabit the entire area including the temples and surrounding walls. The monkeys, thru to the fable have a habit of being cheeky and may snatch things that are hanging out of bags or pockets or even sometimes things that are being loosely gripped in you hands. This is usually down to the fact that many people bring food for the monkeys and you can buy bananas and other foods at the gates. The likelihood is that you will be robbed of these shortly upon entering the park and then probably not bothered again as you walk around. It is however worth keeping an eye on what they are doing although the experience of walking among these incredible primates is invigorating and highly memorable as well as being extremely cheap and located in the south west of Bali.

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n the same area around Alas Kedaton there are also the bat caves and tree zones around the bats where the bats can be seen hanging out. These huge bats are quite a spectacle and the sight of these magnificent creatures in flight is incredible and very Indiana Jonesish. There are usually locals around that are used to handling the bats who will open out the bat’s wings so you can see their full size up close and their entire wingspans.

Jati luwih

Jatiluwih was recently listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its preservation of traditional Balinese farming techniques.

Jatiluwih is one of places to visit in Bali with the beautiful view as according to its name from Jati and luwih, where Jati mean really and Luwih meaning especial, good, and beautiful or the equivalent.

Jatiluwih is surrounded by cool atmosphere because it is located in the height of 700 meters above sea level. Besides its nature potency, Jatiluwih is also saving the cultural potency, especially history of the Petali Temple existence that is related to the power of Ida Dalem Waturenggong King in Keraton Gelgel (1460 - 1552). The distance from Denpasar to Jatiluwih is about 48 km and it is situated in upstate of Tabanan town (28 Km).

Jatiluwih is a favorite tourist destination in Bali famous with the beautiful rice terrace unfolding from the foot of mountain until the coastal side.

The local paddies are planted in this place look typically of the high relative size plant if it is compared with other pre-eminent paddy planted by most farmers in Bali . Despitefully, Jatiluwih also famous with its organic agriculture system due to the location is located in the in the plateau of Watukaru Mount which is suitable for the agriculture development.

The road to this place has been progressively improved so that motor vehicle can enter from east side through Pacung Village and go to Jatiluwih and also from the west side from Watukaru Temple pass to Jatiluwih. Jatiluwih is many visited by tourist from local and foreign countries who want to enjoy the cold atmosphere and beautiful panorama of rice terrace. Jatiluwih as a nature tourist destination in Bali which has been recognized since Dutch colonial build the Security Headquarter and until now the local residents conceives with the Dutch Tangs. Indonesian government has assigned the Jatiluwih to be a Tourist Destination Village because of this potency.
Other Unique

Jatiluwih also keep the unique religious ceremony attraction which is famous know as Patirtaan in Petali Temple on Wednesday Kliwon Ugu (Based on Balinese Calendar). The local residents believe that Petali Temple is a worship center of The Hyang Widhi Wasa (the God) as agriculture power. Beside of Petali Temple , there is also Pucak Rsi Temple is located in this area. As a tourist object, Jatiluwih provides the public facilities like parking area, toilet, resting bale and Wantilan for tourist who is enjoying the beautiful panorama. Some restaurants have been built to serve the food and beverage. Watukaru Tour is an exciting tour to visit Watukaru Temple and other tourist destinations like Jatiluwih.

From an elevated vantage point the natural beauty of this area appears to have been created by a higher force. It is as if the shade of emerald green from a painter’s palate has been generously spread over the land. Towards the south there are slight tinges of Blue Ocean, while the opposite direction reveals clear outlines of the Agung and Batukaru Mountains in a majestic stance of silent wisdom. The prevailing ambience is one of peace with cool pockets of air bringing a refreshing change from the oppressive tropical heat of Bali’s south.

The glorious ridges of Jatiluwih have always been an artists’ dream; a place to reflect the gift of nature bestowed by the Gods and where one can create in solitude Bali’s most famous expatriate artist was Walter Spies who lived in Ubud during the 1930’s and he would often visit the picturesque fields of Jatiluwih. Later in his studio he would record his impressions of these exotic views with magical brush strokes upon canvas. Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias in his book entitled ‘Island of Bali’ also narrated the precious beauty of the Balinese landscape as the first classical introduction to the island and its culture. These splendid writings perhaps precipitated the gradual flow of visiting artists in the ensuing years that came seeking inspiration.

The agricultural community in Jatiluwih has more or less remained untouched by the impact of tourism. Instead many villagers seem to maintain a simplistic lifestyle that concentrates on the continual cycle of harvesting their crops and their strong faith in the Hindu religion. There are frequent ceremonial rituals prepared by each family of farmers to express their gratitude to the Gods for the provision of earth, water and all of nature’s components that allow mankind to exist.

The process of growing and harvesting rice is just one fragment of the unique Balinese culture that is guarded by the Goddess Dewi Sri. It is a culture that signifies a customary way of life where rice and all of its stages of process is a powerful driving force behind all form of activity within the community. Food, medicine, art, hope and the ideologies that exist within the village are all directly related to the rice field. The Goddess Dewi Sri symbolizes fertility and prosperity as well as the cycle of human life. The practice of planting rice, maintaining the crop and harvesting is a definite parallel to the full circle of life from birth until death. In Bali there is a real relationship between man and the environment, which follows the Hindu philosophy of maintaining a harmonious balance between all living things to appease the Gods as well as unseen entities.

A day trip is highly recommended as it enables visitors to observe the realities of rural Bali. The opportunity to wander through the fields and watch the birds as they attempt to pilfer rice grains from immature stalks is an enriching experience. Another interesting aspect is the organized irrigation system where farmers share water in a tradition that dates back centuries and has united generations of farmers in their common need for this highly valued resource.