The Other Beauty of Bali You Must Visit: Singaraja

The Other Beauty of Bali You Must Visit: Singaraja

In the north of Bali, there is a regency named Buleleng. The capital of the regency is in Singaraja. In the past, Singaraja became a capital city of Bali until 1958. Although nowadays it is less popular than Denpasar, but in the term of natural beauty and historical value, Singaraja is equal with Denpasar, if not even more.

There are many stunning places nearby Singaraja such as Lovina Beach, Menjangan Island and Les Waterfall. The list keeps going on, but I will recommend you to these places:

Lovina Beach

This beach is very popular with its black sand and calm wave. Lovina Beach is also often used as the place for diving or snorkeling. Beside for diving or snorkeling, many visitors of Lovina Beach also look for opportunity to witness a group of dolphins together dives and jumps in the air every morning.

Menjangan Island

Menjangan Island is an uninhabited island located about 76 kilometers in the north of Singaraja. It takes about 30 minutes to reach Menjangan Island by boat from Lalang Harbour. Menjangan island is one of the diving areas in Bali with the most complete diving equipment.

Terraced Rice Busungbiu

In the village of Busungbiu--which is located in the south of Singaraja--there is a wide area of rice field. This field looks so mesmerizing with the backdrop of green hills. In the middle of the rice field you can see the glowing river. If you visit this place, you will certainly feel more relaxed and peaceful.

Pura Agung Pulaki

This temple is one of the biggest temple in Bali. Pura Agung Pulaki is located in the west of Singaraja. The prominent architectural design from this temple is the domination of black and white stones used to build its building. When you visit this temple, you will be enchanted by its stunning view as you can see clearly how blue the sea of Java is, how it is surrounded by beautiful green hills.

Pura Ponjok Batu

Pura Ponjok Batu is located in the village of Pacung, in the east of Singaraja. This temple is built in a cape of stones and kamboja trees. Pura Ponjok Batu is used for general praying by Bali Hindu.

Les Waterfall

Les Waterfall is located in Les Village, Tejakula District, in the east of Singaraja town. This waterfall is 30 meters in height. Its surrounding is very beautiful with natural green forest and hills.

Banjar Hot Spring

This is a place of public bath located in Banjar Village, Banjar District, which is about 19 kilometers in the west of Singaraja.

Sanih Water

Air Sanih (Sanih Water) is another water attraction in Singaraja. It is located in Sanih Village, Kubutambahan District, about 17 kilometers in the east of Singaraja town. Sanih Water is well known as an endlessly flowing of spring in Bali. This spring is an underground river water that originate from Batur Lake in Kintamani.

There are two pools in Air Sanih, for adults and for children so this place is very suitable for family vacation. While bathing, you can see the attractive view of eastern sea.

Vihara Banjar

This vihara is located in the valley and facing the sea in Banjar Tegeha village, 18 kilometers to the west of Singaraja. Vihara Banjar is well known as Vihara Buddha Banjar. This vihara has strong attraction to any visitors. You can see a shaft with big bell from Thailand, Budha stories and the statue of Budha.

Taman Nasional Bali Barat (TNBB)

Located in the west of Bali, this national park is in the village of Sumber Klampok, Gerokgak district, about 70 kilometers on the west of Singaraja. TNBB encompasses an area of 7700 kilometers square.

Pura Dalem Jagaraga

Pura Dalem Jagaraga is in Sawan district, which is about 11 kilometers away from Singaraja town. This village where this temple is located is very famous in the past due to its historical record. There was a war occurred in this village named “Puputan Jagaraga”, which was a war against the imperialist of Holland in 1848. In this temple area, you can see reliefs of oldies car driven by force army, fallen planes, drinking Hollanders and many more.

Pemuteran Village

Located in the seashore of Pemuteran Beach, this village is very attractive and a must-visit when you go to Singaraja. In this village, you can see coral that is professionally maintained as well as turtle breeding. In addition, you can find hot spring and do diving or snorkeling to witness the magnificent beauty of underwater.

If you are looking for more private and exclusive accommodation with affordable price, visit Bali Swiss Villa.

6 Awesome Places You Must Visit in Denpasar Bali

6 Awesome Places You Must Visit in Denpasar Bali

What comes into your mind by hearing the name of Denpasar Bali? Capital city of the isle? Yes. The city where the international airport is in? Yes. The biggest city in Bali? Yes. Yupp, all the hints are correct. Denpasar is all of those. Now, one more to add in case you haven’t known about it, Denpasar is also the center of attraction. Here are the 6 awesome places you must visit in Denpasar Bali.

1. Pantai Sanur (Sanur Beach)

This beach is only 10 kilometers away from Denpasar or about 30 minutes drive. It’s in the east of the city so it’s very beautiful to view sunrise in this beach. Many starred hotels are built nearby the beach so you can easily find places to accommodate you here. The same goes with restaurants and cafes. One more thing, now is available seawalker in Sanur. So, for you who are afraid of diving or snorkelling, but want to experience under water beauty, you can try this seawalker.

2. Museum Bali

Located in Denpasar, Museum Bali is about 45 drives from Ngurah Rai Airport. It stores relics of the past and ethnographic. The collections stored in this museum consist of ethnographic things  such as tools and equipments of daily life, arts, religion, literature and other things reflect the Balinese’s culture.

3. Bajra Sandhi Monument

Bajra Sandhi Monument is a monument built to admire Balinese people struggle. It is located in front of the Bali Governor's Office in Renon, Denpasar, Bali. It is built in a large area and there are several football fields surround it.

4. Pulau Serangan

Serangan is a small island located at the south of Denpasar. It is only about 500 meters from Denpasar. It is principally known for its turtles. Serangan is also recognized for having one of Bali 's six most sacred temples Pura Sakena.

5. Pasar Kumbasari (Kumbasari Market)

Pasar Kumbasari is the biggest traditional market in Denpasar. Pasar is Indonesian’s word for ‘market’. This market is open 24 hours every day. In the morning, the market provides various groceries, while in the afternoon and night it transforms become the market of souvenirs and handicrafts of Bali. If you shop for souvenirs here, you should carefully bargain to get cheap prices. Balinese souvenirs like silver craft, Batik Bali, Bali accessories and Tenun Ikat Bali can be found easily in this market.

6. Taman Budaya Art Centre

Located on Jalan Nusa Indah, it’s only 2 kilometers to the east from the city center. Taman Budaya Art Centre is built to conserve Bali traditional art and culture. There are many parts of this art center, but basically it is divided into 3 sections: Lokasi Suci/Tenang (Quiet area), Lokasi Setengah Ramai (Semi-Vibrant Area) and Lokasi Ramai (Vibrant Area). In the vibrant area, there is Ardhacandra Open Stage, which is a specific place to hold traditional dance performance and other shows.

Those are 6 awesome places you must visit when you are in Denpasar. There are still more awesome places, but those six are most recommended. If you are looking for comfortable private accommodation nearby Denpasar, you can come to Seminyak and stay in a villa hotel.

It’s Easy to Get Halal Foods in Bali

It’s Easy to Get Halal Foods in Bali

Many Muslim travelers may think that finding halal foods in Bali can be a little difficult as this island is home to Hindu. But, actually, is not that difficult to get halal foods during your vacation here. Especially when your stay is in the city area nearby Denpasar. Even when you are staying in the suburbs or secluded villages on the island, you can still get halal food. You just need to be more patient in asking the local food sellers.

Politely ask the sellers about the food they sell whether it contains pork or not is the first option. Be sure to always ask before you buy any foods in local restaurants in any Bali villages.

Things become easier when you are staying in Denpasar and nearby districts. Halal foods are always available in “Padang Restaurants”. This restaurant provides menu ala Padang. You will find the world-famous food ‘rendang’ here. Actually, Padang Restaurant can be found almost in a whole Bali, but only those in the city or nearby Denpasar that 24-hours open.

When you are going to eat in any restaurants in Bali, always be careful to read the menu. When you find the words like “bak, char siu, chu nyuk, zhu rou” in a menu, that means the food provided contains pork. The terms are from Chinese as they are also the part of Bali.

The easiest way to get halal food is, of course, by eating fast food in KFC or McDonald. However, if you stay for quite a long in Bali, eating fast food every day is certainly not good for your health.

Another easy way is by asking for assistance from the staffs from the hotel you stay at. They usually will be glad to assist you in showing you which restaurant can provide halal menu or they may help you order some halal food. To ensure that you can easily get halal foods during your vacation in Bali, you can contact the reservation or customer service of the hotel you have booked. You can ask them in details whether they can help you in getting halal food or if they can provide it for your stay.

All in all, getting halal food in Bali is easy. Just need a bit more effort. So, for you Muslim, just take a vacation in Bali like you go to other places in our country, Indonesia.

Stunning Jungut Batu Beach in Nusa Lembongan Bali

Jungut Batu Beach in Nusa Lembongan Bali

Bali just never stops to amaze people from all over the world. Day after day, some new places are exposed and their natural beauty just so mesmerizing. This time I will bring you to the currently happening beautiful beach, which is outside the main island, Jungut Batu Beach in Nusa Lembongan, Bali.

As you may have known, Nusa Lembongan is currently popular among many surfers for their challenging waves with stunning beach panorama. However, Jungut Batu Beach is a bit different from the other beaches in Lembongan because of it calmer waves. The beach has white sand with bluish water and you will find many fishermen’s traditional boats along the shore. When the weather is clear, the beach is absolutely a sight to behold.

If you want to go to Nusa Lembongan from Benoa, then, Jungut Batu Beach is the first beach you will visit. It takes around 18 kilometers from the airport to Benoa harbor. From the harbor, you can rent a boat to Jungut Batu. The boat trip will be around 45 minutes (about 20 kilometers).

Jungut Batu is a traditional fisherman’s village in Nusa Lembongan. Aside from becoming fishermen,the local residents are also working in gardening and cultivating seaweed. Far to the north of the island, there is a beach with high wave where many surfers come to surf or join in a competition.

Jungut Batu is popular with its natural beauty, far from air pollution due to its slightly secluded location. The short distances from one place to another ease us to walk around the area without spending too much time. The road is quiet with natural view along the way.

Many kinds of restaurants, hotels and resorts are established in the hills nearby the beach. This will make you enjoy Jungut Batu. There are also art shops available nearby the beach. You can also book boat’s ticket to Nusa Lembongan or Benoa from here.

Spending time in Jungut Batu Beach can be done anytime. You can enjoy the cool breeze and feel the cold ocean water in the morning, afternoon or evening. At night, you can see how the hills nearby the beach look so gorgeous with the lamps’ light coming from the hotels and resorts nearby.

There are also some restaurants nearby the shore that open at night. You can try to dine while relishing the night view of the ships’ light and listening to the harmonious sound of waves hitting the shore. In this Jungut Batu Beach is where you can peacefully adore the nature’s beauty.

In addition to luxurious resorts, cheap guest houses and bungalows are also available nearby beach. You just can visit this place easily based on your budget. Supported with friendly local residents around the village, you sure will love spending your vacation in this Jungut Batu Beach. And, one more thing to why this beach is much recommended, prices of souvenirs or other things here are very affordable. Hmm, all seems perfect with spending time in Jungut Batu, right?

Ramadan in Bali: A Beautiful Tolerance in Diversity

Ever curious of how Ramadan in Bali is? Here is a little note about it ...

While more than 84 percents of Balinese are Hindu, this does not mean the other religions get a difficult life in the island. Like for example, Muslim in Bali. Although they are the minority—being only about 13.5 percents of the total population—they can still do their religious activities at ease. The same thing goes when Ramadan is coming.

As you might have known already, Ramadan is a holy month for Muslim. In this month, the Muslim is required to do fasting—an act of willing abstinence from all foods, drinks and carnality for a period of time—as what has been taught by Muhammad SAW, the last prophet in Islam. The Muslim in Bali, apparently, can do their fasting without any difficulty. Although all entertainment and hospitality industry keeps going on, they are not disturbed at all. Tolerance has become the core in their daily life in the island of Hindu.

For any Muslim who wants to travel to Bali during Ramadan time, you should not be worry too. You can still easily find Halal foods for your iftar or sahar/sehri/sehr. The most famous place that has a rich Ramadan atmosphere is Banjar Wanasari or also known as Kampung Jawa or Kampung Muslim. It is located on Jalan A. Yani, West Denpasar, Bali. Here you can find many kinds of takjil (food and drinks for iftar). The prices of the foods and drinks sold here are also very cheap. So, it is very delightful to visit this area if you come to Bali during Ramadan time.

The other option, if you stay at the hotels or villa in Bali during Ramadan, you can specify your food orders to have only halal foods and drinks by telling the staffs. They will be happily assisting you in getting the foods you want. Like our villa, if you stay with us, we can help you to order any halal foods and even vegetarian ones.

Overall, Ramadan in Bali is as beautiful as in the other cities in Indonesia where Muslim is the majority. So, not to worry if you come to Bali in Ramadan.

Why You Need to Try Bali Spa

Enjoy the spa of Bali and feel the harmony ...

Visiting Bali will not be complete without trying its spa. Yes, Bali Spa is just as famous as Bali beaches. Those who have tried it, almost all of them will recommend it to their relatives and friends. So, if you’ve never tried Bali Spa, then, never hesitate to try once you visit the island. And, here’s why it worth your try.

      1.      Loosen the body strain after long flight or full day trip

If you come from far-away country, it certainly will strain your body to be in a plane for hours. And, spa is just the right choice to loosen the strain you get from the long flight. You will feel more energized and fresher after taking one. Or, you can also relax your body after a full day trip visiting many Bali attractions with the spa.

      2.      Refresh the soul and mind

Bali Spa is often completed with meditation and aromatherapy ala Balinese and this will enable you to feel more harmony of Bali. The soul and mind should be refreshed after taking spa, so you will be more ready to go around Bali and enjoy your vacation much better.

      3.      Get all spa benefits

As the spa is aimed for body therapy, if you try Bali Spa, you certainly will get all spa benefits here. From the fresher body and mind to glowing beautiful skin. This service is mostly famous among women, but it is not impossible for men to try it as well. There are many kinds of spa menu you can find so you can choose which one suit you best. For example, there are scrubbing, mask, massage, aromatherapy and meditation. And, the good news is, Bali Spa is available in a fair price! 

For more insight about Bali Spa and its available menu, you can click here to download the free copy of spa menu in our villa. Hope this useful. See you in other post.

How to Get the Best Seminyak Villa in an Affordable Price

Hotel villas are known for their luxurious stay, so it is normal that they usually require more money to be booked than ordinary hotels.

Seminyak is becoming the most popular city in Bali today. This happens with many reasons, of course. One of them is certainly because Seminyak can offer a bunch of vacation pleasures. World-class hotels and restaurants are all available in the city, giving you a lot of choices. To you who love luxurious and private vacation, Seminyak also has plenty high-end hotel villas that will entice you to stay longer.

Relating to hotel villas in Seminyak, I would like to share my experience in getting the best villa with an affordable price. But, before going on this topic, I want to remind that ‘the best criteria’ may be relative. Everything is in the eye of the beholder, correct? Okay, so here you are: ways to get the best Seminyak villa in an affordable price.

      1.      TripAdvisor

This site is probably the first site to visit when someone will book hotels online. It is reasonable as we know that TripAdvisor do give you insight about traveling stuff, such as beautiful beaches to visit, best hotels to stay and fine dining restaurants. You can also find reviews from fellow travelers regarding the stuff. As reliable as the site is, always be smart and wise in judging certain places based on the reviews. However, a really good place should have more nice review than the bad ones. That can be a barometer you use.

      2.      Online Travel Agent

Visit the online travel agents’ sites directly. You may get better offers by visiting the site directly. Do not forget to sign up and become their member as members will get more benefit than those who are not. Getting best Seminyak villa through online travel agent also require your sharp eyes. This is because the rank of hotel villas in the site not only defined by the quality, but also because the policy and agreement made by hotel villa and the travel agent. So, it does not always mean the top rank hotel villas in the site are the best. The best way to get the Seminyak villa in an affordable price is by setting the price range in your search in the site. In the travel agent site, you can also find the reviews from other guests. If you find a certain hotel villa has more bad reviews than the good ones, it is better to avoid choosing that villa.

     

      3.      Google Search

Manually search via Google is another way and probably the first thing to do by new travelers. By typing words such as “best Seminyak villa” or “best value hotel villa in Seminyak”, you may get the right one. Some results in the first page of the Google search may lead you to the websites of some villas in the city. Or, some may lead you to one’s blog writing about the best affordable hotel villa in Seminyak. Do not hesitate to directly visiting the site of the hotel villa since they often gives more advantages too. You may get special offer by contacting the reservation directly. Just try it.

In the travel agent site, you can also find the reviews from other guests. If you find a certain hotel villa has more bad reviews than the good ones, it is better to avoid choosing that villa.

The pictures in this article belong to Bali Swiss Villa. All rights reserved. Please to only use with our permission.

What You Need to Know before Visiting Bali (for beginner)

How to deal with things in Bali for your first visit. 

First time visiting a foreign place often give a feeling of nervous, even if you are used to travel around the world. This time, I’d like to share several tips that might be useful for you if you are coming to Bali for the first time.

How to go to Bali

If you want to go to Bali from your home country, the best way to go there must be by airplane. However, if you depart from the other cities in Indonesia, you can choose other transportation such as bus or ship. Nevertheless, going to Bali by airplane is still more recommended.

It is better to book a flight ticket much earlier because you may get the cheapest price. Be sure you choose the comfortable airways if your country is very far from Bali. Be ready to time and weather difference.

The best time to go to Bali

Bali is always interesting, anytime all year. But, if you have specific purpose visiting this island, for example you want to enjoy the beach, then, it is better you come around April to September where Bali has its dry season.

Pay attention to high season or peak season period too. The period around June to August and November to January is high season and peak season so any price regarding hotel and flight will be very high around this period. Besides, you have to be ready to find a busy and noisy Bali around that time due to many tourists there.

Where to Stay

It depends on which part of Bali you want to visit. If you want to see Kuta Beach, you can book any lodging services available in this city. Many types of hotel available to suit your budget here, ranges from cheap guest house until luxurious five star hotels.

If you want to stay at more luxurious hotel which provides more privacy, you can try to stay at hotel villas in Seminyak area. Many famous hotel villas are available in the city.

If you like more quiet area, you can choose to stay at the other places such as Jimbaran, Ubud, Sanur or Nusa Dua. While Jimbaran, Sanur and Nusa Dua provide hotels nearby the beach, Ubud offers fresh natural environment with mountain and rice fields. Ubud is quieter so it is very suitable for those who want to spend quality time far from the urban life.

You can also try to stay at the hotels in eastern Bali. The areas such as Candidasa in Karangasem regency is well-known for its beautiful tranquil beach. Many cheap and expensive hotels are available in this area. Or, you can also try to stay in Nusa Lembongan, which is now very famous for its beautiful beaches.

Where to Eat in Bali

As the top destination in the world, Bali sure has a lot of culinary spots. It is up to you to have fine dining or street foods. Every kind of foods are available in the island.

However, if you are Muslim or vegetarian, be careful to eat at the restaurants here. Before ordering, it is better to ask the staff whether they provide halal foods. 

Respect the local tradition

Just like the saying, when in Rome do as the Romans do, so when you visit Bali you are supposed to behave like the local residents too. At least you should respect their belief and tradition. Be careful to not step on ‘sesaji’ (thing like offerings used for religious tradition that is usually put nearby the entrance of a building/hotel/temple/shop). If you accidentally step on it, you should directly say sorry to the owner.

Some places may also ask the visitors to dress in certain way like forbidding any visitors wearing shorts or mini skirt. In this kind of situation, you should obey the rule and use cloth to cover your body or it is better to dress finely.

Also, do not randomly take picture on those who are praying with flash cameras as such behavior will disturb them and considered inappropriate.

(C) All pictures belong to their respected owners.