Durian Time in Bali

It’s that time of the year again when you can’t take them into a taxi or a bus, or even into a shopping centre and, some hotels even ban them being devoured in their rooms. In fact, Durian is one of those fruits that give off an odour even before it is sliced open. And yes, they are delicious to eat; or so I am told never having the tastebuds to continue eating them. Once was enough for me!

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks.

The 19th-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as “a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds”. The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.

My wife Candika loves them and so do our good friends in Bali and we often have Durian get-togethers; yours truly preferring to take photos. I did have Durian ice-cream in Java once and loved it but have been unable to obtain it in Bali.

Karangasem Tour

A visit to the virgin area of the island

• Full Day tour - 8 hours - pick up time 09.00am

Visiting : Fisherman Village Kusamba ; holy bat cave Goa Lawah ; native village Tenganan 'Bali Aga' ; passing through Candidasa Beach to Royal Pool Tirta Gangga, Taman Ujung Sukasada ; and at Karangasem Region.

click image to enlarge

SMART rate

• USD40 /minibus
• Rate for max. 4 participants /minibus
• Including : AC minibus, guide escort, mineral water, sarong for entering temples

VIP rate

• USD35 /person
• Rate for min. 2 participants
• Including : AC minibus, guide escort, mineral water, sarong for entering temples, entrances and donations, buffet lunch at local restaurant

Hard Rock Hotel Bali Participate in Earth Day 2011

Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year

This year, Hard Rock Hotel Bali participated in this community-led environmental campaign in support of the Hard Rock ‘Save the Planet’ mantra, by conducting Beach & Street Cleaning around the Kuta Beach area to maintain the cleanliness of the street at Kuta.

The program started at 4.00 PM until sunset with 200 management and staff hand on hand to make Kuta Beach a cleaner place.  “Our aim is to encourage individuals to take responsibility for the environment through a range of affordable actions.  Climate change and other environmental challenges impact every corner and community on the planet. And it is truly impressive to see so many communities responding to the challenge with grassroots enthusiasm and commitment. In this context, Earth Day Campaign is playing a leadership role by providing practical action to make a difference.” commented Aulianty Fellina Rizal, Director of Marketing Communication of Hard Rock Hotel Bali.

About Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement, driving action year-round. Earth Day Network does this through advocacy, education, public policy, and consumer campaigns. Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries with the help of our 25,000 partners. Please share your “Act of Green” to help EDN achieve its goal of “A Billion Acts of Green” by the 2012 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (aka “Rio+20)) www.earthday.org.

Pura Meduwe Karang – Kubutambahan

Reach this important crossroads town by bemo 12 km from Singaraja’s Penarukan station. Find Kubutambahan where the north coast road intersects the road to the main high way south; from here it is 41 km to Kintamani, five km to Air Sanih, 84 km Amlapura, 12 km to Singaraja, and 108 km to Denpasar. If coming from Amlapura, about 5.5 km before the town is Air Sanih with a number of hotels, several restaurants, and a dive site.

The unusual Pura Meduwe Karang, the “temple of the Owner of the Land,” is about one km beyond the Kintamani turnoff. This important district temple is dedicated to Ibu Pertiwi “Mother Earth,” worshipped to ensure successful fertilization of crops grown on dry, unirrigated land such as coconuts, coffee, and corn. One of northern Bali’s largest temples, its terraced entrance recalls some of Europe’s stately baroque gardens. Steps lead past 34 stone figures from the Ramayana to a big, peaceful, nearly empty courtyard. More steps lead to an inner section containing a huge stone pyramid like base flanked by two bale reserved for offerings.

The temple’s carvings show ghouls, noblemen, home scenes, soft porn, and a riot of leaves and tendrils. One pedestal shows a horrifying rendition of Durga, another a large figure resembling Christ at the Last Supper. The center piece depicts a battle scene from the Ramayana. On the northern wall of the innermost shrine is a famous one-meter-high relief of a Dutch official riding a floral bicycle, a reproduction of a 1904 carving destroyed by an earthquake. The cyclist is W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, a famous Dutch landscape and portrait artist who rode his bike around Bali in the early 1900s, painting as he went. During restoration the bicycle was born anew with lotus-flower spokes; even Nieuwenkamp’s sarong and the bush in the background feature floral patterns. Between his feet and the wheels is a rat and small dog; Nieuwenkamp’s initials and moustache, however, are gone. To view this wonderment, ask for the key, then leave your donation in the shop opposite.

Next to Pura Meduwe Karang is a small warung that sells possibly the beat black rice pudding on Bali. Fantastic coffee, too.

On the corner of the road to Kintamani is Pura Bale Agung; 200 meters away is the Pura Dalem. In the early days it was common practice to paint temples; Kubutambahan’s beautiful Pura Maksan has been painted in just the last few years.

Source : Bali handbook – Bill Dalton

Barong and Kriss Dance

The Barong dance is truly a triumphant display of bright colors and graceful movements.
Inspired by an episode taken from Mahabharata, an epic poem written in Sanskrit. The dance evolves around the character of the Barong, the king of the jungle. A mythical animal, he is the symbol of virtue and good, subject to the continuous struggle against the evil forces - Rangda, that threaten life and the integrity of the forest, this being an element very dear to the Balinese population.

Sanur Beach Activities

On any given day on Sanur Beach you can see people fishing, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, parasailing or simply wading towards the reef searching for colorful shells and playful tropical fish. Colorful jukung outriggers dot the horizon and the scene is perfectly idyllic all year round.