Bali wave at Dreamland Beach, Jimbaran Bali

The wave in Bali in its purest form. This wave as captured in this photograph is unbelieveable. One of the most favorite beach for surfing is Dreamland Beach at Jimbaran Bali. The area is still quiet and still very virgin.

Dreamland is on the south side of Bali, about 30 to 40 minutes from Kuta. There are 2 alternative ways to go to Dreamland. You can either go through the Jimbaran Bay area or pass through the Dwipayana University (a well-known public university in Bali); both ways are easy to follow. If you do get lost, ask for directions to Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK). It’s a famous cultural park located in Bukit Unggasan, Jimbaran. Here you can find a 75 meter-high and 60-meter wide figure of god Visnu, one of the Trimurti symbols in Hinduism. The statue is made by I Nyoman Nuarta, and is now still unfinished. When it is done, it will be taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York!
About 15 minutes from GWK, you will find a big statue of Garuda (the symbol of Indonesia), on the right side of the road. That means you’re just a stone throw’s away from Dreamland Beach. Dreamland Beach is located on a big-deserted property, a failed Pecatu Graha development. You will probably have to pay about Rp 5000 (US$ 0.60) for the entry. When you get to the end of the road, you will be on top of a cliff, with the big blue ocean’s sky in front of you. Look down! That’s Dreamland Beach…

You have to walk a little then down a path of stairs to reach the beach.. Once on the sand, you will find rented umbrellas and beach benches facing the beach. You can also order food and drinks from the local traditional cafés available all around the beach. The cafes might seem common and usual, but many of them actually serve European dishes which is out of the ordinary for this setting. Planning to spend the night? Some of the local cafes offer humble accommodations at a reasonable price (ranged between Rp 50,000 to Rp 200,000 per night). In the evening, enjoy the sunset whilst several tourists build a campfire on the beach, or just play a light game of beach ball. As for me, I prefer swimming offshore and enjoy the sunset from there.
There are not many activities to be done here at night. The electricity is turned off after 10 pm and thus candles are lit to chase away the deep darkness of the night. After having dinner, the best thing you can do is to read a book or have a draft of cold beer. Otherwise, you can go upstairs to where most of the rooms are and enjoy the scenery. The moon’s reflection dancing in a flurry of lights on the ocean’s surface is simply breathtaking. During the peak season (July and December), some of the rooms on this floor will be more packed so at least you are not alone and will have company to chat with along with your own group of friends. It is always interesting meeting other travelers and sharing experiences. When you finally feel like sleeping, go back to your room and snuggle under the blanket. The lullaby of tides breaking on the shore is such a peaceful sound to sleep to. Being in Dreamland is like being in a dream you wish you will never wake up from.

Bali : Swimming Pool at Alila Ubud Bali

If you were to rank the 50 most beautiful hotel swimming pools in the world, then the Alila Ubud would be right up there at the top. Moving from the pool bar into the cool depths, the water's surface seems to flow endlessly through the terraced jungle and reach up to the sky. The resort's rooms and suite villas stand above a ravine on stilts like treehouses. The architecture makes use of traditional Balinese design, but it is transformed into a strict modern geometry. Smooth plaster walls and concrete meet with straw roofs; terracotta tiles meet gravel or crushed rock; wood meets glass. Alila Ubud location is a hillside retreat on top of the Ayung river valley, 5 kilometers from Bali's cultural heart and artistic center of Ubud

Bali beach View from Uluwatu Cliff, Bali

Uluwatu lies at the southern tip of Bali in the Badung Regency. Famous not only for its unique position, Uluwatu also boasts one of the oldest temples in Bali, Pura Uluwatu. And being a popularly recognized as a surfing spot for the very experienced, Uluwatu offers a wonderful vantage point to view a spectacular sunset. Warungs or small restaurants perched on the cliff offer a comfortable spot to survey the vast Indian Ocean beyond and below the 100-meter-high cliffs with panorama on three sides.

Ubud Bali : Magnificent Ricefield view in Ubud

Photographs cannot prepare you for the awe-inspiring rice field views from many of Bali private villas, perched high in the rice terraces and mountains just north of Ubud, which is an area of internationally famoust artist colony. North of Ubud is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes drive from Denpasar Airport, and just 20 minutes north of central Ubud.

Ubud is the true definition of Paradise. There are many one-of-a-kind villas which sit on the edge of a cliff, commanding a breathtaking unobstructed 270-degree view of rivers, waterfalls, and working rice paddies.

These beautiful Bali private villas have been called "Living Postcards" by many visitors of Ubud. And you can view daily rituals of Balinese life including river bathing, fishing, field work etc. all from the comfort of your Bali private villas. Ubud offers visitors a truly unique "Balinese experience," yet without sacrificing modern day luxuries.

Bali Kecak Dance, the most orchestrated Bali Dance

Most Balinese dance performances are held in the evenings, however, you can also see some Barong Dance performances in the morning.

There are several Balinese dances:
Barong Dance: This Balinese dance is about a contest between the opposing forces of chaos and destruction ("Rangda") and order (the "Barong"). Performances in Suwung and Kesiman (suburbs of Denpasar), and in Batubulan daily from 9:00 or 9:30 a.m.; in Banjar Abasan, Singapadu, daily from 9:30 a.m., and at Puri Saren in Ubud, Friday from 6:30 p.m.

Legong Dance: A highly stylized, extremely difficult dance performed by young girls. Choreographed to the finest details, and no improvisation allowed. Performances at the Peliatan Stage, Friday from 6:30 p.m., at Pura Dalem, Puri Peliatan, Saturday from 6:30 p.m., at Pura Peliatan in Ubud, Sunday from 7:30 p.m., and at Puri Saren, Ubud, Monday from 7:30 p.m.
Kecak Dance: A ritual dance created in the early 1930's for the movie "Island of the Demons" by the German painter and intellectual Walter Spies who combined the chorus of the "Sanghyang" trance dance with a story from the "Ramayana" legend. Very impressive with its circular chorus of sometimes over 100 bare chested male singers. Performances are held at the Arts Center, Denpasar, daily from 6:30 p.m., and in Banjar Tegal, Ubud, Sunday from 6:00 p.m.
Fire Dance: The Fire Dance is an exorcist dance against spirit possession. Girls in trance dance barefoot among glowing coals. Performances in Bona Kangin, Gianyar, Friday. Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. In Bonasari, Gianyar, Friday, Monday and Wednesday from 7:00 p.m., and in Batubulan, daily from 6:30 p.m.
Ramayana Dance: There are occasional performances of this Balinese dance Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa. This cultural dinner show is available on Tuesdays from 8:00 p.m.

Bali Private villa: A Balinese Bedroom

Bali Villa: Balinese Architecture with water feature

Beautiful Sunset at Kuta Beach Bali

Kuta Beach is the most famous beach in Bali and the first one most people see. The sunset offers a spectacular view almost every day. Across Kuta Beach is row of hotels, restaurants and cafes. Many people do sunset-watching in the beautiful cafes available. Being a sandy beach most of the surfers you will find on Kuta Beach are beginners or intermediates. The slope of Kuta Beach is very gradual and you can walk out 100 meters and still be only chest high in the water, a perfect place for beginners. Kuta Beach has the densest beach activities of any place in Bali with drink, sarong, carving sellers all over the place. Surfing boards of all sizes are available for rent. There seems to be someone with a rack of boards for rent every 10 meters, taking advantage of shaded places under the trees. When Kuta Beach is too crowded for you, try moving on to Legian, Canggu and Dreamland on the Bukit.

Bali : Cultural Rich Resort Island

Bali Gazebos : Bali Style Landscape

Bali is famous for Carving

Bali wood carvings as well as stone carvings have been traditionally featured largely in temples, pura and balinese homes . Immaculately carved demons and mythical beings decorate pillars, door panels, lintels and window shutters with the aim of protecting the buildings from evil intruders. Scenes of legendary figures placed within floral decor set a more pleasant and educational tone. When producing tools and objects for everyday use, sculptors had a much freer hand in choosing subject matter. With the arrival of European influences, wood carvings started to develop along more innovative and commercial lines. Although there have been noteworthy carvers such as I Nyoman Cokot, Ida Bagus Nyana and Ketut Nongos, artistic integrity has suffered as a result of the whole villages specialize in producing certain styles of work. The village of Mas near Ubud is probably the best known for its carvings of female figures, Buddhas, characters from Hindu epics and the traditional Topeng and Wayang Wong masks.

A Balinese Pura with spectacular view

Like most Balinese temples and puras, the architecture is made up of courtyards with altars and shrines devoted to a number of gods. And those gods have better things to do than just hang around a temple; the Balinese believe that the gods visit a temple on particular dates -- and on those dates the Balinese hold festivals to honor (or placate) the gods. Of all the temples on Bali six are "supremely holy": Pura Besakih, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Gua Lawah, Pura Batukaru, Pura Pusering Jagat, and Pura Uluwatu. Of these, Besakih stands higher than the others -- not because it sits some 3000 or so feet above the ocean on the mountain's side, but because it is more sacred to the Balinese. It is said to be the only classless, casteless temple on the island where any Balinese Hindu can come to worship.
Bali's Hinduism is unique. Many scholars believe it gives us a view of Hindu beliefs much as they existed 1500 to 2000 years ago. Hinduism was once the dominant religion in much of Southeast Asia and empires in the region where ruled by god-kings -- empires like Funan, Sri Vijaya, Angkor, and Bali.
The Hinduism of Bali is less fragmented than that of modern India. Balinese are generally said to worship one god, Brahman, who manifests himself in various forms or personalities.