the most popular bali tours

7/29/2019 The Most Popular Bali Tours

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THE MOST POPULAR BALI TOURS

* Kintamani Volcano Tour: The first stop is often in the village of Batubulan

to watch a performance of the Barong and Kris Dance. Afterwards you visit the

villages of Celuk (silver jewelry) and Mas (wood carving) to see Balinese artisans

at work. Ubud, Bali's cultural center, has grown to a busy town with numerous

Balinese art galleries and shops. A scenic drive over small roads overlooking

beautiful rice terraces brings you to the mountain village of Kintamani (about

5,000 feet above the sea) which offers spectacular views of Lake Batur and the

volcano. You can cross the crater lake below the still active Mount Batur and

visit the "Bali Aga" village of Trunyan. Return through traditional villages with

stops in Tampaksiring to visit the temple of Tirta Empul, and to visit the

Elephant Cave "Goa Gajah", a hermitage from the 11th. century used by both

Buddhists and Hindus.

* The "Mother Temple" and East Bali Tour: Drive to Besakih through various

villages visiting on the way a weaving factory, see the famous painted ceiling at

the old "Palace of Justice" in Klungkung, and visit the school of painting in

Kamasan. The "Mother Temple" in Besakih is Bali's most holy and Indonesia's

biggest Hindu temple. It was build in the 11th. Century in an altitude of 1,000

meters (3,000 feet) on the slopes of Mount Agung. You pass picturesque rice

terraces on the way to the walled "Bali Aga" village of Tenganan, and continue to

Candi Dasa on the East coast. On the way back it's recommended to stop at the

famous Bat Cave "Goa Lawah" with thousands of bats hanging from the walls.

* Bedugul Tour: After a stop in Sangeh to visit its holy forest inhabited by

wild monkeys, drive up into the mountains to Lake Bratan (1,200 meters above

sea level) and the picturesque water temple Ulun Danu. Visit the busy flower,


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fruit and spice market in Candikuning where most of Bali's vegetables come

from. Drive back through small country roads, villages and rice fields, with a

stop in an artisan village specializing in gold threaded textiles (Ikat) worn during

important ceremonies.

* North Bali Tour: Drive the scenic road via Pupuan through the mountains

to Bali's North coast. You'll enjoy beautiful views of picturesque rice terraces,

and large plantations growing vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cloves, and even wine

grapes. Near the village of Banjar is a popular hot spring where you can take a

bath in the natural pond. After a lunch on the black beach in Lovina you pass the

old capital of Singaraja on the way to Git Git, famous for its multi-tier water

fall. Return over back roads to see the unspoiled Bali. (This tour can be combined

with the visit to Bedugul.)

* Monkey Forest & Tanah Lot Tour: Visit the royal Taman Ayun temple in

Mengwi (built in 1624), the holy monkey forest near Sangeh, and famous Tanah

Lot. This picturesque Balinese temple was built in the 16th. Century on a huge

rock 100 yards off Bali's West coast and is surrounded by the sea during high

tides. Spectacular sight, however, spoiled by thousands of tourists visiting every

day during sunset. To avoid these, enjoy the view from the lobby of the nearby

Le Meridien Nirvana Resort.

* Handicraft Villages & Ubud Tour: Visit the artisan villages of Batubulan

(stone carving), Celuk (silver & gold jewelry), Mas (wood carving), and Pengosekan

(painting). Stop at the "Bali Art Market" in Sukawati to bargain for all kinds of

handicrafts and textiles.

Already in the 1930s Ubud had been made famous around the world as Bali's

cultural center by the German intellectual Walter Spies, the Dutch painter


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Rudolf Bonnet and other foreign artists who'd made it their home.

Today Ubud is a fast growing town with numerous art galleries and shops

offering paintings, wood carvings, textiles, and all kinds of souvenirs. Don't miss

the MUSEUM PURI LUKISAN in the center of Ubud, the NEKA MUSEUM in

Campuhan, the NEKA GALLERY in Ubud, the AGUNG RAI GALLERY in Peliatan,

and the AGUNG RAI MUSEUM in Pengosekan to see the difference between

creative art and more commercial products. Problem is that when you see their

"Permanent Collections" at many "Galleries" you've seen real art, and when you

return to their show rooms you don't like any of the very commercial products

any more.

The SENIWATI GALLERY - ART BY WOMEN, founded in 1991 by Mary

Northmore (the very personable wife of famous painter Abdul Azis) to help

Balinese women to be accepted as artists, is a place you should not miss

whatever you do. The main purpose of this Bali art gallery is to expose the long

understated brilliance of independent women artists resident in Bali, and to

motivate, train, and encourage young Balinese girls with obvious creative gifts.

Visit also the BLUE MOON STUDIO and GALLERY, founded in 1994 with an

emphasis on exhibiting contemporary artists.

The LOTUS CAFE is perhaps the most popular meeting point in town and has

become kind of an institution, and MURNI'S as well as the BRIDGE CAFE offer

tasty snacks and full meals in very pleasant surroundings and at reasonable

prices. For other interesting restaurants please visit Restaurants in Ubud. The

various Balinese dance and Wayang Kulit performances (see below) in Ubud and

in nearby villages are worth spending the early evening there.

the most popular bali tours

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