The Kecak dance is one of the most famous of Balinese dances. It is unusual because it has no musical accompaniment like many other Indonesian dances do, the rhythm of the dance is produced by the chanting 'monkey' chorus. Instead, a troupe of over 150 bare-chested men serve as the chorus, making a wondrous cacophony of synchronized "chak-achak-achak" clicking sounds while swaying their bodies and waving their hands .From that chanting noise of "Cak-cak-cak", then it gave the dance its name Kecak.
What makes the Kecak such a fascinating dance to watch are the fifty or so men in the checkered pants. They are both the choir and the props, providing the music for the story in a series of constant vocal chants that change with the mood of the actors. They don't sit still, either, they wave their arms to simulate fire, and reposition themselves around the stage to represent wind and fire, prison cells, and unseen hand of protection from the gods.
The dance is played in five acts and lasts roughly 45 minutes. It taken from the Hindu epic Ramayana, which tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka, Rahwana and somehow with the help of the white monkey army, Rama rescues his wife and defeats the evil Rahwana.
Attending a Kecak recital is a must for any visitor to Bali. It is a wondrous experience, and a window into the musical and artistic culture that make the Balinese a special people.
Getting There
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By Air:
Numerous international carriers service Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport either directly or via Jakarta. Domestic airlines operate schedule flights from various cities within Indonesia.
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By Land:
Bali is connected to Java by a regular ferry service running between Gilimanuk and Banyuwangi. If you are taking the train or a night bus from Jakarta, Bandung or Yogyakarta, travels first to Surabaya for the connection to Banyuwangi. Buses can be boarded at Banyuwangi or Gilimanuk for the final leg to Denpasar.
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By Sea:
The state-run passengers line PELNI operates weekly sailing's between Bali and Jakarta, Ujung Pandang and Balikpapan. Regular ferries sail between Lombok and Bali.
Where To Stay
No need to worry where youll stay in Bali. There are many hotels range provided here, from the luxurious, middle range and budget hotels are spread around the island.
Dining Guide
There are a variety of restaurants in Bali offering a good choice of food to suit a variety of tastes at reasonable prices. Kuta and Jimbaran is a great place to eat especially Seafood and Western dishes are your best bets while in Ubud lots of sophisticated restaurants and many of the shopping centers in the area have places to eat and there are several fast food places for those fast food addicts.
Moving Around
Its so easy to move around in Bali, especially in the tourist area. You can rent a bike or motorcycle to move around the city. Theres also car rental. Public buses ply routes throughout Bali from Denpasar's Ubung Terminal.
Other Things To Do or See
There are a lot of things to do or see while youre in Bali. Beside its cultural and art, there are also numerous temples, ancient sites and of course, great restaurants around Ubud while in the roads around Kuta, Legian and Sanur are lined with shops and hawkers that sell about everything, offering a huge choice of places to eat and a lively nightlife.
Souvenir Tips
Handwoven fabrics are a great buy; a simple sarong is an inexpensive, portable and practical travel accessory,
Ubud is the best place for you to buy paintings and other artworks,
Browsing at the Sukawati Art Market and Galeria Nusa Dua offers a tempting range of Balinese goods in one place.
Travel Tips
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Various hotels in Bali hold Kecak Dance performances and often deal providing dinner and tickets to the performance are offered at the main hotels in Bali. Ask your hotel for further information.
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Weekly (in some places daily) performances of the Kecak abound around the island, but the most well-known Kecak Theater is in the town of Batubulan just north of the Balinese capital of Denpasar. The dance company provides transportation for a nominal fee to and from the resort.
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Upon arrival, if your hotel has not arranged transportation from the airport, hire a taxi from the transport counter outside the arrival gate. Fares are listed by destination and must be paid in advance. Metered taxis are also available in Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Denpasar.
By: Siti Rohani
Readers Digest, April 2006
Here are some tips for you when you are traveling with your kids.
1. Keep food and water in your hand luggage when flying
It may take some time before the flight crew can get to you after take off, especially if its a bumpy ride and the seatbelt sign is still on. So, its a good idea to keep bottled water and snacks in your bag to keep the little ones happy until you can get some assistance.
2. Split Up
You may be in this together but the old advice of strength in numbers doesnt apply when flying with children. It maybe easier if you and your partner sit several rows apart so one can get some rest while the other tends to the child; breaking the kids up can keep the noise level down and your sanity intact.
3. Give your kids emergency instructions
Its inevitable that your kids will think you a nag but its crucial that you give them instructions on what to do in case you get separated, for example, not to follow strangers. Prepare a card they can carry with them (keep it in a plastic case for greater durability) with the name of the hotel youre staying at and the various phone numbers where they can reach you.
4. Plan for a rainy day
And we do mean this literally. Make contingency plans in case of bad weather so you wont be stuck in a hotel room with brooding children. Rainy day activities include trips to the museum or art galleries.
5. Bring along a stroller
Not only will it provide a comfortable place for your child to sleep in when he gets tired, you can also use it to wheel your bags around when hes up and about.
6. Find out local transport costs
Sometimes children below a certain age get to travel on public transport for free. This information may not be relayed to you by the train conductors or bus drivers so it pays to do some research.
7. Enquire about family packages
Popular tourist attractions like the zoo or theme parks may offer family packages with concessionary prices for children so it never hurts to enquire at the ticket booth.
8. Dress your kids in bright colors.
Now is not the time to make Junior the best dressed kid on the block. Deck your children in distinctive clothing so you can spot them easily in a crowd. But to avoid costly therapy sessions in the future, draw the line at fancy dress costumes.
West Java Specialties
Many people visit Bandung, the capital of West Java province, to pamper their taste buds. You'll be amazed with what Bandung has to offer. From various food sold on street vendors to haute cuisine, every visitor will be able to find something to their liking here, in Bandung. Sundanese Food
Sundanese (the people living in West Java are called Sundanese) has tempting refreshments. Sundanese food tends to be bland yet tasty unless you add sambal dadak (chili and other ingredients grinded together) to your food. If you're looking for more spicy taste, just add this sambal dadak with nasi timbel (steamed rice formed into a roll inside a banana leaf) and other specialties. This mouthwatering treat is too good to be missed! Usually sour vegetables soup (sayur asam) is accompanied by nasi timbel.
Sundanese people eat vegetables a lot. Sometimes they even eat raw vegetables (called lalap or lalapan) like cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander leaves, eggplants, cabbages, lettuces, and so on. Lalapan is usually accompanied by sambal dadak.
Probably one of the most well known dish, timbel, consists of nasi timbel, lalapan, sambal dadak, a piece of chicken (fried or roasted Sundanese style), fried beancurd, fried tempeh, a slice of jambal (salted fish). If you want to, you can add gepuk (slices of beef, mixed in traditional herbs, then fried), pepes (main ingredients such as fish, chicken, mushroom, etc. mixed with crushed and blended herbs, folded into a banana leaf, then steamed until they're ready to eat), sauteed greens, and others. Nasi timbel is a favorite among locals and visitors. Batagor baso tahu goreng (literally means, fried meatballs & beancurd) is one of the most well-sought specialty. Made from blended fish and beancurd, with a special peanut sauce, batagor?s popularity remains constant.
People with sweet tooth might fancy pisang molen (literally
means, molen banana), Indonesian traditional pastry filled with banana and cheese. For a variation, try brownies kukus (steamed brownies). Es cendol, made of blended/grinded rice, palm sugar, and coconut milk, is delightful on a hot day. While for a colder day, you might want to taste bandrek or bajigur. Sundanese Food
Bandung also offers various milk products most notably, yoghurt. Basically there are two kinds of yoghurt in Bandung the thin one, and the thick one (French style).
Hot snacks ala Bandung are widely sold throughout the city. Among them are gehu-toge tahu- (beancurd with beansprouts and vegetables filling), pisang goreng (fried banana), cireng-aci goreng- (fried tapioca), and many more. You might be interested in trying other snacks such as, nangka goreng (fried jackfruit), peuyeum goreng (fermented cassava, fried), nanas goreng (fried pineapple), and so on. Ketan bakar (roasted sticky rice) and jagung bakar/rebus (roasted/boiled corns) are also recommended.
Nasi goreng (fried rice), although not originally from Bandung, is also a favorite. The ingredients vary, according to people's preference. Sometimes the rice is mixed with seafood (usually shrimps, pieces of cuttlefish, pieces of crab's flesh), chicken and vegetables, mutton and vegetables, salted fish, and so on.
Cakue, a dish made of flour dough then fried, also worths a try.
Bandung also has other kinds of restaurants, like Padangese (food from West Sumatra, very spicy in taste), Javanese (sweeter in taste), Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Western, Indian, and so on.
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| Sundanese Food |
Bandung
Fondly called Parahyangan meaning, Land of the Gods, this valley city has both metropolitan and homey atmosphere at the same time. Full of eateries, factory outlets, and malls, many people find going on a trip to Bandung both enjoyable and memorable.
Getting There
There are many ways to go to Bandung. You can go by plane, embark a train, or rent a car from Jakarta.
Where to Stay
Bandung has it all, cozy little inns to five-starred hotels.
Moving Around
Public transportation called angkot, covers most of Bandung. For greater comfort, it is best if you take a taxi. For greater comfort still, rent a car. A day's rent will save you time and trouble moving from one place to another and since Bandung is relatively small, you can cover most of Bandung's interesting places in a day.
Dining Guide
For a taste of nasi timbel and other Sundanese food, you can try the restaurants mentioned below. There are many others, though, so while you're in Bandung, you might be able to spot other restaurants selling tasty food.
There are various ways to travel in Indonesia. Some of them are fun! From regular buses, taxis, trains, busways, planes, ships, boats-to exotic becak (Indonesian pedicab) and andong/delman (vehicle with horsepower--in the literal sense).
For instance, in Jakarta, you can try riding a bajaj--now slowly being replaced by another transportation called "kancil". This three-wheeled vehicle is very famous?in Jakarta, especially since a serie in TV featuring bajaj has gained popularity. Bajaj and kancil can only be found in Jakarta.
Aceh, for instance, has another unique transportation called becak motor (motorcycle pedicab). This becak motor, unlike other usual type of pedicab, uses motorcycle. Even though it's quite noisy, this mode of transportation has become the favorite for locals and tourists.
By: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
Senggigi is Lombok's oldest and most famous resort area.
A perfect place to relax, Senggigi boasts a series of white sandy beaches and safe swimming areas. The point at central Senggigi has good waves for surfers. This place has a colourful reef which provides shelter to a variety of marine life and exquisitely shapped coral and makes it a perfect place to snorkle.
In the dry season, there is an interesting variety of boats moored in the bay.
Getting There
Theres a few alternatives to get Senggigi Beach :
- Coming from Lembar harbour, you can go straight to Senggigi by Perama Shuttle bus, or any other Shuttle service available. Lombok taxi available on call for 24 hours of service.
- If you are coming by plane, there is a taxi service at the airport that will take you to your hotel destination for Rp. 35,000 (US$4.00).
- Public transportation or " Bemos " are available from for about Rp. 1,500 (Ampenan-Senggigi, or Senggigi-Ampenan) one way.
- Ojek service (ridding the mopeds with advanced bargain deals) are available at night until the bars closed.
Where to Stay
There a lot of diverse range of hotel accommodations that you can choose to stay in Senggigi, from deluxe four-star resort properties to simple home-stays, Such as Holiday Inn, the Oberoi, Sheraton Senggigi, Melati Dua Cottage, Pool Villa Club, Panorama Cottage, and many more.
Moving Around
To go around Senggigi Beach, you can ride cidomos or if you wanted, you can go on foot.
Dining Guide
There are various foreign and local restaurants that offering international and local foods, cafes and entertainment venues. These all are available along the main Senggigi road and on certain areas along the beach. For inexpensive eating, try the food stalls along the beach, especially at the end of the road past the Senggigi Beach Hotel
Souvenir Tips
There are many souvenir shops along the main Senggigi road that offering you many kind of Lombok souvenir, starting from clothes, paintings, handicrafts, wooden crafts, etc.
Other Things to See or Do
- Swimming off the beach is safe.
- You can also do canoeing here in Senggigi.
- Visit Pura Batu Bolong on a rocky point south of Senggigi.
- There's good snorkeling off the point and in the sheltered bay around the headland
Travel Tips
- Dont forget to equipped yourself with sun protection.
- Bring a bathing suit and extra clothing's.
- Several places rent mask-snorkel-fin sets. Try at the beach near tha Art Market or the Senggigi Beach Hotel.
- Senggigi nightlife is low key when there are few tourists in town. It's busier on Friday and Saturday, when young locals come up from the Mataram area
