Balifornian Tours Photo of the Day 1/2/11~ Black Leopard

Black leopard (Panthera pardus) are quite common on Java.  This guy was spotted on our tour in Java.
Bogor, Java, Indonesia 2010. Balifornian Tours http://www.balifornian.com

Copyright © 2010 Mikaku ~ Michael Doliveck Balifornian Indonesia Tour and Travel Blog

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The following is from articlebase...

Bali is popularly accepted with young families and couples alike, and delivers excellent value vacation trips, whatever sort of getaway you want.  Whether you're looking for an action packed vacation, surfing, scuba diving or white water rafting or simply  love to relax by the swimming pool or chill out on the coral beach locations then Bali has got it.

This tropical isle provides all the things you can want for the ultimate holiday getaway and there is a lot to do and see that it'll have you returning for more and more.

The primary area is Kuta well liked with the more youthful crowd and it has a variety of bars, restaurants and nightclubs where one can party on through the night. Close by is Seminyak, that tends to have all the sophisticated crowd. It's the in-place to get seen in Bali and it has a lot of beautiful Seminyak villas and a wide range of fantastic dining restaurants that provide top of the range food at very low prices.

Nusa Dua comprises of the vast majority of top 5 star hotel rooms and it is on the East Side of Bali. There's a sizable beachfront in Kuta although great care should be taken as rip tides are typical and it can be incredibly treacherous if you're caught unawares.  The hotels are laid out around a shopping centre. The area is spread out and possesses picturesque landscaped gardens. You will find there's good sized water sports beach where one can learn to scuba dive, in the crystal clear blue water feeding the a lot of bright colored fish.

People arrive from around the entire world to scuba dive in Bali and also the other Indonesian islands. You could go kayaking, ride a banana boat or even the flying fish which lifts you about 3 meters on top of  the water. If flying  is your thing then you can go parascending on your own or with a partner. Another highlight is kite surfing, windsurfing or ride a horse or ride a few of the most desirable waves around the world, on a surfboard.

Sanur is surely an place that is certainly popular with families. There is a fabulous white sandy beach and its safer for children swimming and not as busy as the Kuta region.

Ubud is North of Denpassar the Capital of Bali and is known for the monkey forest and additionally Art. There are many of artist and handicraft specialists there which is really worth a visit. Other places like the Bukit are developing in reputation and they are famous for the impressive cliff top views.

In relation to eating in Bali, there's something for everyone. Through McDonalds fried chicken and Pizza Hut to local Indonesian dishes like babi guling, ayam betutu or rendang to the other end of the spectrum with Michelin star restaurants serving truffles and other fantastic delicacies and, of course, everything in between.

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
 

Balifornian Tours Photo of the Day 1/1/11

Ankole-Watusi, a breed of cattle, have very large, distinctive horns, which can grow up to 1.8 m (6 ft.) long.
Bogor-Jakarta, Java. Bali, Indonesia 2010. Balifornian Tours http://www.balifornian.com

 

Want to submit your photo for the Bali Tour Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.
 

Copyright © 2010 Mikaku ~ Michael Doliveck

Bali Textiles- The Buying Guide

Balifornian Tours can take you to some of the best shopping spots on the island.  We avoid turist traps to get you the best prices on authentic goods and services.  The tour will often pay for itself with the savings.  Being native Balinese Maryam has relationships with artists of all kinds.  Contact us for more details and inquire about one of our famous shopping tours.

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by baliblog

Everyone who visits Bali inevitably leaves with one kind of souvenir; it could be a T-shirt or some strange looking phallic symbol. However, for that special souvenir, and one that is everlasting, look at the options of purchasing a piece of textile. I don’t mean your wrap-around sarong but a hand-woven or loom created piece.

Don’t restrict your choice of textile to just Bali. Seek out those pieces made in Java, Lombok or Sumbawa. In fact, on the island you will be able to find quite a few of these pieces. Indonesians are renowned the world over for their textiles. Balinese traditional textiles are much more than simply decorative pieces of cloth. In Bali, the Balinese produce textiles for a variety of markets and, one of them the tourist trade.

Various forms of cloth are produced on the island of Bali and each one beautiful in its own right. Batik is a textile is manufactured mainly in factories these days but there are some smaller places in the outer lying villages where the batik process is still as it has been for centuries.

The two main styles of Batik are batik tulis and batik cap. The art of Balinese textile decoration is best expressed in skirt, chest and head cloths. There are three main categories of Balinese textile and these are Prada, Songket and Ikat.

The main batik manufacturing town on Bali is at Gianyar where many factories can be found and visited. Be warned though, the price you pay at the factory is inflated and you would be better of checking the street prices in markets such as Sukawati first. Be warned though that purchasing traditional cloth in the markets along the tourist strip will not give you the quality you will find in the places of origin. There are other traditional weavers in other places across Bali that weave stunning pieces of cloth and it is to these places you should visit.

Grinsing is one of the rarest weaving techniques practiced and you will find this textile in the traditional village of Tenganan, East Bali. Gringsing is also known as the ‘flame cloth’ and in this elaborate dyeing process both the warp and weft threads are carefully bound before dyeing. This creates numerous patterns that once finished seemingly fit together perfectly and harmoniously.

Tenganan is the only place in the world where the double-ikat process is practised. There are not many women left in Tenganan who know this practice of weaving but it is being handed down to the next generation. To weave a piece of gringsing could take up to three days but the finished product is superb. When you visit the village you are welcome to have a look at this weaving process and of course for a fee!.

Endek is a tie-dyed woven textile popular with most Balinese. Wooden hand-operated looms are used in the process of the weft-ikat method. This is where sections of the cloth are tied and then wrapped before immersing them into tubs of dye. The basic designs are irregular and soft wavy patterns. Also created are diamond designs and a zigzagging pattern. Endek is a versatile cloth for the Balinese because it can be worn for both daily use and ceremonial purposes.

Songket is a brocaded silk that has interweaving patterns of silver and gold thread and is classified as the ceremonial dress of all Balinese. Worn mainly on religious occasions, it is also worn to weddings, tooth filings and other important ritual events. The cloth is tapestry in appearance and has various motifs including wayang figures, birds, butterflies, flowers and leaves. The process of weaving is done on back-strap looms. Because of its thread and quality it is generally accepted that it is a wealthy man’s cloth.

Interestingly, the kain songket is bought in two pieces and then sewn together. The men wear the songket saput. This is a narrow piece of cloth worn over a sarung. Together with a songket udeng or head band this is for more formal and ceremonial occasions.

Decorated with silver or gold thread, kain prada is a lustrous fabric woven of cotton or silk. A ceremonial cloth, it is generally two meters in length and can take up as long as three months to weave from start to finish. Various patterns include lotus blossoms with swastikas as border decorations. These are however the most common motifs.



Help for Disaster Victims in Central Java

Reaching out to Disaster Victims in Central Java

'Hands for Merpati' Bali Charity Bazaar on Sunday, December 19, 2010 to Raise Funds for Victims of Central Java Volcanic Eruption.

 The Bali Association of Bali Public Relations Managers have joined forces to generate funds to provide much-needed disaster relief for the victims of recent eruptions of the Merpati volcano near Yogyakarta, Central Java.

Click Image to Enlarge

The fund-raising event set to be held on Sunday, December 19, 2010, at the Central Park, Istana Kuta Galeria from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm will take the form of a charity bazaar. There will be merchant stands, live music, fashion shows, food and beverage, and door prizes all on offer.

For more information and tickets contact:

• Tasya Aulia at telephone ++62-(0)8123875801

• Daniela Hartati at telephone ++62-(0)811385939

© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright protected.

Balifornian Tours works with charities and organizations like this one to help educate, clothe and nurish the great people in many small villages in Bali and Indonesia at large.  Our customized private guided tours encorporate visits to impovershed villages where participants can donate time, gifts, money or whatever they find appropriate.  Our feedback tells us this is one of the most rewarding parts of our tours.

Gamelan Cudamani Live @ USSB

Gamelan Cudamani 

UCSB World Music Series - UCSB Gamelan Ensemble
This ensemble will perform traditional Gamelan music of Central and Western Java.


The Gamelan, the principal orchestral ensemble of Indonesia, is comprised chiefly of metallic percussion instruments. This ensemble, directed by Donn Howell, will perform traditional music of Central and Western Java.

We will be there- please let us know if you will as well.  Questions?  Just email us- m@balifornian.com