- Greetings from Bali
- Note Important
Visa and currency information
Bali Culture, Cooking Classes, Alam Wangi Spa, Alam Gili on
Lombok now open!
More News and Links further below....
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Important to note:
Passports MUST have AT LEAST 6 months remaining validity upon entry
to Indonesia.
Visa on
Arrival:
Not all nationalities are
eligible for Visa on Arrival.
Visa on Arrival
( length of stay max. 30
days) will be issued to citizens of:
Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Laos, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Peoples Republic of China,
Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,
United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States.
Please note the above list is subject to change.
Citizens of countries not stated above should check to see if application
for visa in advance is required at an Indonesian Embassy/Consulate. Best
also to double check with your airline flying into Indonesia.
For visitors
able to obtain Visa on Arrival, no photos are required at the airport.
30 day visa cost is
US$ 25.
7 day visa cost is : US$ 10.
The Visa on arrival is non
extendable. Your day of arrival is counted as your first day!
A Visa free
facility
with max stay of 30 day entry stamp will be issued upon
arrival to citizens of:
Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam, Morocco, Chile, Peru.
Currency:
Indonesian Rupiah rate of
exchange is approx Rp 9000 to 1 US Dollar.
Money Changers and ATM’s
can be easily found in tourist centres.
ATM machines will give you cash in Rupiah only. You will need Rp 150,000
for your airport tax when departing Indonesia.
US Dollar Notes:
Currently Indonesia Money
Changers are no longer accepting US Dollar notes issued prior to 2000, nor
any US Dollar bills beginning with Number Series: CB
Any foreign currency notes that are soiled or torn are not accepted, so best
be prepared.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Now open!
Alam Gili - combine a visit to Bali with some
restful days on Gili Trawangan Island off Lombok.
A blessing ceremony was held on 19 December
and Alam Gili began welcoming many guests!
We are pleased to expand the tradition of family hospitality with 7 accomodations on
tranquil Gili Trawangan. Gili means little island in the local
Sasak language.
A 30 minute boat ride from the northwest coast of Lombok brings you to the
Gili islands where there is no motorized traffic... transport on the island
is by horsecart, bicycle, or simply slow down on foot....
Kadek and Putu ( Ibu Wayan's daughter 2 and son-in-law) and their staff who
have been running Cafe Wayan on Lombok will be happy to welcome you.
Gorgeous water, snorkeling and diving directly off shore Alam Gili.
Click on Alam Gili page to see some updated photos.
Alam Shanti received a Best Hidden Gem of Asia
award from TripAdvisor.com ! We had no idea so many guests had written in so
many nice comments. A nice package arrived in the mail from Trip Advisor to
the delight of Ibu Wayan and the staff... thank you!
Alam Wangi Spa
-
at the entrance to Alam Shanti.
Relax
with traditional
massage and a variety spa treatments by expert therapists. Check with the
staff for further information and bookings. On the Alam Shanti
page, you may click on the Alam Wangi Spa photo gallery.
And above the Spa, Ketut is putting together his own Ketut Krinting
Studio displaying traditional paintings by himself and other local
artists.
Ketut has been involved in so much artistic building in recent
years, it's nice to see him painting again too.. please come visit!
Cooking
Classes!
Learn about traditional Balinese food with
Wayan Metri
Many of the special
Balinese dishes are not found on restaurant menus as they require more
preparation time and are mostly served for ceremonial occasions.
Now Ibu Wayan’s daughter Metri enjoys to share her love for cooking as well.
Cooking Classes are held in the gardens of Laka Leke restaurant located in Nyuhkuning just
beyond the drive into Alam Indah.
Advance reservations on request or email Alam Indah for more information on
the menus.
Dance performances at Laka Leke:
Monday:
Ketut's own Kecak dance group
(Ramayana story choreographed to the men’s chanting)
Thursday: Special Children's Dance performance
Other special cultural activities may be arranged in advance.
www.lakaleke.com
On Sunday evenings
Ibu Wayan offers her
traditional Balinese buffet
at
Café Wayan.
A
little introduction to Bali…
just one of 18,000 islands in
the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia. ( give or take 1000 depending on
the tides!) Less than 4,000 islands are actually inhabited.
Climate
located approx 5 degrees south
of the equator, Bali enjoys a tropical climate without the pressures of
strong typhoons or cyclones further north or south.
Travel to Bali at any time is nice. Weather patterns are becoming more
unpredictable these years, but the rainier season is usually between
December and February. Often rains are refreshing showers not lasting all
day and can occur any time of year.
The drier time is between June-September.
Culture
Indonesia comprises of
over 300 different ethnic groups and the foundation of its various cultures
lie in animist beliefs that everything has a soul and spirit. Beginning in
the first centuries AD, Indian traders brought with them influences of
Buddhism and Hinduism.
Gradually Hindu gods became manifested into the Balinese spirit belief and
in the elements of nature and fertility, such as Surya as the sun god, Dewi
Sri as the rice goddess.
The religion of Bali was known as Agama Tirta, or the religion of
water. Agama SiwaBuda is the blending of Shivaism and Buddhism along
with its conceptions of the cosmos or universe.
Borobudur, the world’s largest monument to Buddhism and Prambanan,
the famous Hindu temple near Yogyakarta on Java, were built during the 8th
and 9th centuries. In the 14th century, the Javanese
Majapahit Empire took control of Bali reinforcing the concept of Bali
Hinduism as it is practiced today.
Embracing the Hindu triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Balinese honor
the cycle of life daily in ceremonial offerings to the gods, ancestors and
spirits. The Balinese recognize and believe in the co-existence of forces
both good and evil and strive to maintain a balance in their world. You will
often see statues of protective deities draped in the black and white
(yin-yang) checkered cloth called poleng.
The traditional village communities known as banjar celebrate
their ongoing ceremonies, festivals and rite of passage rituals according to
the Bali 210-day Pawukon calendar. With thousands of temples on the
island, a visitor is bound to come across some anniversary celebration of a
temple called an Odalan.
Full and dark moon days are often auspicious times for rituals. The most
important festival to the Balinese is Galungan, a 10 day
celebration when the gods and ancestors descend to visit family temples.
Bamboo poles called penjor are put up in front of each Balinese home
beautifully lining the roads.
The Balinese New Year Day of Nyepi usually falls on the dark or new moon of March and is a day
of silence and renewal. The evening prior it’s great fun to watch the
procession of Ogoh Ogohs-
colorful evil effigies in all shapes and sizes. The village streets are all
festive with offerings and prayers at the temples. A few days prior to Nyepi,
sacred temple images are brought to the sea for purification. The actual
day of Nyepi becomes silent when no traffic is allowed at all, no one is
allowed on the roads. Airport and ports are closed. No one works and no
fires are lit and today most all lights are turned off. It’s a wonderful
day to simply be quiet, reflect and renew.
We wish the whole
world could join in such an event once a year.
Dress when visiting Balinese
temples
Please remember
to respect local customs. When entering any temple, traditional dress of
sarong and sash (selendang) is required for both men and women.
The Arts
Balinese traditional
painting, dance and wayang shadow plays depict stories, morals and myths of battles between good
and evil such as in the Hindu epic Ramayana which tells the story of
the good King Rama rescuing his wife Sita from the evil King Rawana with the
help of the white monkey Hanuman and his army.
Beautiful batiks come from Java and traditional weaving arts
are very rich throughout Indonesia.
Ikat is an Indonesian word meaning to
tie.
The ikat tie and dye technique is used in the textiles of Bali and
throughout the eastern islands of Indonesia. Textiles are very much a part
of rituals and offerings. In the Bali Aga (aboriginal Bali) village of
Tenganan, double ikat cloth called geringsing are still being woven.
Bali is also known for its exquisite craftwork with silver and in wood and
stone carving.
These traditional arts have also given way to a thriving contemporary art
scene.
Ubud is bustling with new galleries and shops. Music and dance groups
perform each evening.
Daily Bali life is an art form in itself which visitors cannot help but
notice in the beauty of daily offerings prepared.
With its
strong culture and traditions, we have always felt Bali to be a model for
life devoted to peace and tolerance. Over the years, millions of visitors
have come to Bali,
many returning again and again, including our own repeat guests who
enjoy our oasis of tranquility.
Travel
remains an important means of uniting people together, contributing to
cultural exchange, understanding and friendships. More than ever we hope for
all peace loving friends in the world to remain united together.
We look forward to seeing you here in Bali!
Other
links to life:
Rice Walks with Darta
Enjoy a rice paddy walk
and learn about Balinese culture with Darta, a great Bali story teller.
Following the early morning walk, have breakfast at the Rumah Roda family
compound.
Book in advance with the Alam staff.
Threads of
Life
supporting traditional weaving arts of Indonesia.
Threads of Life Gallery is
located in front of Rumah Roda on Jalan Kajeng in Ubud.
Learn more at:
www.threadsoflife.com
Textile appreciation classes and workshops are offered each week.
Confirm the schedules once in Ubud.
Alam Asia .net connecting
people, culture and the arts
introducing other special places, people and
projects in Southeast Asia
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Bhutan
Click on Alam
Asia Journeys
weblink:
www.alamasia.net
or email for more information:
han@alamasia.net
Orangutans
For years Alam Indah Tours
(now Alam Asia Journeys)
had organized magical visits to observe the orangutans and proboscis monkeys
on a classic river adventure in Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo.
Unfortunately with the past park problems, the sad illegal logging
and mining, visitors were not coming. However some travelers are again
making their way to this part of the world. The work of
Friends of National Parks
Foundation (FNPF) still
continues and you may follow their updates and news on: Updated FNPF website
can now be viewed on: www.fnpf.org
or:
http://www.northernmagic.com/fnpf
Learn also about the highly successful breeding project of the Bali Starling
birds and for those wishing to visit Tanjung Puting to support the work of
FNPF including their reforestation program, please contact Dr. Bayu,
director of FNPF based in Bali at:
pkaler@dps.centrin.net.id
To learn more
about orangutan and primate work on the internet:
Balikpapan Orangutan
Survival Foundation
website: http://www.savetheorangutan.info
Great Orangutan T-SHIRTS
are for sale at the
Alam Indah
office supporting Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundation.
IPPL –
International Primate Protection League :
www.ippl.org
A very informative
website working for primate protection worldwide for 30 years.
May All
beings find their path to peace, happiness and well being.
Mailing address and contact
info:
Alam Indah, Alam Jiwa, Alam Shanti and Kebun Indah
P.O. Box 165, Nyuhkuning, Ubud, Bali - Indonesia
Tel/Fax: +62-361-974629
Email:
reservation@alamindahbali.com
Website:
http://www.alamindahbali.com |
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