Photo of the Day ~ Why Indonesian's are so healthy ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

This image, taken in Singaraja in the north of Bali, depicts a kind older gentleman preparing for The Galungan Holiday Celebration.  Demanding physical work and a healthy diet free from preservatives and pesticides make for strong long lives.  Scenes like this are not uncommon in Bali and the rest of Indonesia and are a testament to clean good living.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Galungan is Bali's most important festival. It includes a feast and festival, which is held throughout the entire island and occurs every 210 days according to the Balinese calendar. The holiday lasts for ten days culminating with Kuningan.  It is said that during this ten day period The Balinese gods and the ancestors will descend unto earth for the festivities. Thus the Gods and ancestors must be entertained.    The entire island is decorated with panjor along the roads, houses and temples. Panjor are made from Huge bamboo poles and woven batan of coconut fronds and other leaves.  Huge amounts of traditional lawar is made from sacrificed pigs and Barongs Dance from temple to temple and village to village in celebration of Galungan with the gods. Galungan translates to "When the Dharma is winning". Galungan to the Balinese is the most important holiday period as it symbolizes the victory of Dharma, or virtue, upon Adharma, or all that is evil.

Photo of the Day ~ Crescent Moon Sunset ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

Our photo of the day for today is a beautiful Balinese scene from Singaraja in the north of the island.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael DoliveckSingaraja is known for its glorious sunsets.  The north of Bali can be a great break from the hustle and bustle of the southern Bali.  It is a chance to see more of the real Bali and if you can get up into the mountains there are great opportunities to visit small villages, see increadible temples, meet friendly locals, etc.  The Balinese gamelon was perfected here so Singaraja is the place to purchase instruments or just take in some of the increadibly talanted gamelon groups from the area.

Our Adventure Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in our gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us atphoto@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Voted The best website for news and information on Bali and Indonesia.

Photo of the Day ~ Gunung Batur, Bali's Massive Volcano ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

A great vantage point from Kintamani of Bali's still active Mount Batur. The massive volcano rises 1,500 meters above sea level.  You can occasionally see her smoking and hear her rumbling.  The last major eruptions occurred in 1926 and 1917 but also more recently in 1994. You can see the burned land in the photo below from previous lava flows.  A crater lake was formed about 30,000 years ago after a major eruption. We run tours in the middle of the night and hike to the summit for an unbelievable sunrise.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael DoliveckContact us today to help craft your ultimate Bali vacation!

Happy Travels!

The Balifornian Crew

Photo of the Day ~ Top Dog. Sanur Beach, Bali ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

A friendly dog keeps us company while we enjoy our Bintang and Nasi gorang.  Fisherman dot the horizon with thier colorful hats and clothes.  The gazebos in the distance on the tiny island provide a great spot for picnics and relaxing. Sanur Beach is a wonderful peaceful place to spend some time while in Bali.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

For more on Saur, where to stay, what to eat and what to do, visit our past blog on Sanur here...

http://balifornian.com/blog/2011/7/29/sanur-beach-a-great-place-to-stay-in-bali-photos.html

And keep an eye out for the upcoming Balifornian Films documentary.

Interested in touring Bali and Photography? Our Adventure Photo Safaris are a great option.  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography, as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours voted the Top Blog for Bali and Indonesia.  The best site for information and the best tour option.

Ubud wins travelers' top choices for ideal place to visit

 The cultural and artistic heart of Bali, Ubud, has earned its place atop several recent award lists. Ubud was listed as one of Asia’s top spa destinations. Ubud was also chosen as one of the Top 25 Destinations in Asia in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards 2011. Ubud placed 17th in the list and outranked Seoul in South Korea, Varanasi in India, Hoi Nam in Vietnam, Taipei in Taiwan, Baguio in the Philippines, Lijiang in China, and Pattaya in Thailand.

 Ubud is the ideal place for famed Balinese massage, acupressure, reflexology, yoga, and aromatherapy to name a few.  The yoga community had grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and rivals spots in the US and Europe.  The Yoga Barn is a great example of a quality yoga center and boasts a great community, cafe and learning center.

Kecak Dance, Ubud, Bali

Ubud is about 45 minutes to an hour northeast of Bali’s airport and close to the center of the island.  While it is not the postcard beach location that comes to mind for most people when they think of the paradise island of Bali but this speaks to the draw of the art, dance, culture and amazing food that is found in this growing group of small towns.  One can still find rice fields and the Bali of old around Ubud, it is reaching a critical mass as its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.  It is still one of our favorite spots and we considered it our second home.  

In this year's TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, almost 700 places were recognized in the 9th year of the competition, and award categories included Best Romance, Best Luxury, and Best Bargain, and many more.

Other Indonesian winners of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice 2011 included the Samaya Bali Villas at Seminyak for Travelers’ Top 25 Choice Hotels in the World for its Fantastic Service and Fantastic Villa. Additionally, the wonderful small island of Gili Trawangan in-between Bali and Lombok, came in 7th among Asia’s Top 10 Beaches.

Bali and Indonesia continue to win awards for their amazing beaches, spas, culture and much much more.  Contact Balifornian Yours today to see how we can help you get the very most out of your upcoming vacation to the island paradise.