Bali Vacation: Discover A Breathtaking Panorama Of Jatiluwih

Most people come to Bali to experience the marvelously rich culture heritage; some come for the beaches and the waves; some come for meeting and convention; others for pure relaxation. But if you are a nature lover don’t miss Jatiluwih, is a breathtaking panorama of genuine and fertile rice fields stretch from the foothills of Batukaru volcano to the south coast.

It is located at the western district of Tabanan. This western uplands of Batukaru are famed for magnificent landscapes. The view from the mountain village, Jatiluwih, takes in the whole of South Bali. Perched on a high terraced slope, Jatiluwih deserves its name, which means “Truly Marvelous”. A wonder of the world. It’s worth a venture.

You can initiate your trip in the morning leaving the hotel at 09.00. A.M. There are many ways to see Bali and each serves its own purpose well. Motorcycles are a pleasant (but extremely risky) way to see the countryside and cooler than ride in a car. Jeep and minivans are also available for hire – with or without a driver. It is advisable to settle the price with the driver before starting on a journey.

After passing the town of Tabanan the road takes you to the north through the villages of Wanasari, Jegu, Buruan and Wangaya Gede. On the route you will be amazed by the wonderful rural ambience; farmhouses, characteristically, a little shrine to place offerings dedicated to Dewi Sri the Goddess of rice, plowing, flocks of ducks that are brought to bathe and feed all day in the flooded paddies, and harvesting, that one pictures when remembering Bali. The cascading terraces of rice fields are the most striking features of the landscape.

If you see farmers are working the rice, planting or harvesting, and if you are interested in experience it, you can stop and joint them, you will be welcomed gladly. “Alo turis, alo turis!” followed by giggles is the standard greeting from children everywhere on Bali. Older people will be more sedate but their curious eyes will follow you, as will their more modest greeting of “mau kemana” (where are you going). Traveling in Bali can be exhilarating and getting off the beaten track can take you right to the heart of Balinese life, although you don’t have to stray far to feel it.

On the route at the village of Wanasari there is a butterflies park, you can stop and watch various kinds of colorful tropical butterflies. And then nearby the temple Pura Luhur is the holy spring of Air Panas, where hot water surges from the river bank. All strange, natural phenomena are believed to be frequented by spirits. Thus, Air Panas is graced by a small temple where people make their prayers with offerings.

The journey continues up the road until it dead ends at Pura Luhur Batukaru (2,278 m / 7,474 ft). Being one of Bali’s most venerated temples, every West Balinese temple has a shrine dedicated to it; it is isolated within its solitary clearing far above the populated farmlands. The dense rainforest of this upland would invite every adventurer to explore it. Wild orchids, healing herbs, fragrant spices and exotic trees could be discovered in this mystical heart and soul of this amazing island.

Then, the last destination (the goal of the journey) is the mountain village Jatiluwih, a breathtaking panorama of genuine and the most fertile terraces rice fields on the island. It is said as the granary of the whole Bali. Perched on a high terraced slope, Jatiluwih deserves its name, which means “Truly Marvelous”. The cascading terraces of rice fields are the most striking features of the landscape. Stretch from the foothill of Batukaru volcano to the south coast. The cool western uplands, overlooking half the island, offer magnificent views.

On the route to Jatiluwih you can observe many kinds of tropical vegetation; coffee, coconuts, cacaos, cloves, jack fruits, bananas, papayas, sirsaks, an extremely juicy fruit, rambutans, mangoes, durians the smelly fruit, etc. The western upland is the most interesting area to hike. If you love hiking (don’t forget your picnic basket). A true journey to the secret soul of Bali. But if you want to have your meals at a restaurant, continue your travel to the east till you arrive at Pacung, there is a good restaurant offers delicious buffet lunch – with its wonderful sight of terraces rice field and the sacred volcano Batukaru in the distance.

Waka Land Cruise a reputable company has been organizing a sacred adventure to the secret soul of Bali. Travel by legendary luxury Land Rover, on tiny country roads and tracks, through terraced rice fields and untouched rainforest to the real heart of Bali.

So keep in mind the beautiful Bali for your holiday, because it would be worth to venture there.

Villa Rental Bali Introduces Simona Oasis And Spa

The bedrooms and their adjoining garden bathrooms are all located in self contained thatched pavilions. Each air-conditioned bedroom is entered by double doors showcasing engraved brass handles, and each is characterized by dark reddish brown bengkirai wood floors under soaring roofs. Every bedroom boasts an LCD flat screen individually controlled satellite TV, enabling guests to watch satellite channels independently of each other. Each is complemented by a DVD player, quality sound system and iPod dock.

Picture windows capture the riverside views, and opulent open-air bathrooms boast cream terrazzo floors, twin washbasins, daybeds for lounging, and large terrazzo bathtubs. The tubs are sheltered from the elements yet positioned within private walled gardens enhanced by soft lawns, frangipani trees, and stone carved ornaments. Each bathroom also features a toilet with an intercom, and a shower in a cubicle that is open on one side to the garden. Furthermore, every guest need is considered with the provision of storage space, wardrobes and mini bars in each room.

The Master Bedroom features a deck-style balcony on two sides, with steps that lead down to a riverside bale relaxation pavilion. The bedroom is notable for the Buddha head and soft panels behind the double bed, flanked by two polished solid wood tree trunks, lit with discreet lighting. There is also a desk, and a dressing area with a huge mirror and a padded ottoman. The bathroom and outdoor Jacuzzi is accessed by a covered walkway with wooden pillars and spring water ponds on either side. The Jacuzzi rests within a thatched pavilion, surrounded by flowering shrubs and overlooking the river. The bathroom features arched open doorways, comfortable furnishings, twin washbasins, a toilet, and a shower big enough for two.

The spa sits on the triangular piece of land at the point where the two rivers meet. A sacred underground spring was recently discovered on this enchanted spot, making it the perfect setting for a spa. On the opposite side of the river is Batur Sari Temple, where the local Balinese people make offerings of flowers and fruit to the gods.

The spa area is accessed via a little bridge under a pergola dripping in cascading thunbergia, bounded by torch ginger, giant taro leaves and frangipani trees. Guests will be greeted by a pair of open-air, raised, stone bathtubs exquisitely hand carved, each in the shape of a 2-headed elephant with water spouting from the trunks. The tubs, complete with ornate floral patterns on the sides, are set within a spring water pool and accessed by a wooden deck. This is a magical place for a splash or a soak after a spa treatment.

The spa is comprised of five open-sided roundhouses complete with conical thatched roofs following the architectural style of Irian Jaya. There are two raised massage pavilions, one with a single treatment bed and the other designed for couples, with two treatment beds. Rustic and very romantic, the pavilions are furnished with chunky hand carved furniture and diaphanous drapes that can be drawn for privacy. Set right beside the river, guests will be massaged to the constant gurgle of the water. Two more pavilions house a pair of hot and a cold Jacuzzis fashioned from dark grey lava stone; each circular Jacuzzi is big enough for six people, and looks directly across the river to the temple and the holy spring. The final building is the main spa reception, where guests can enjoy a ginger tea or healthy juice drink and canapés after their treatment. Behind the Palimanan carved fretwork screen is a small timber deck facing a gentle water cascade, designed specifically for yoga and meditation. There are also two rainshowers, toilets, a sauna, and an outdoor shower.

This luxury is offered between $1,450 in low season and $2,350 in peak season. Whilst it may sounds expensive, in fact, it is not for this level of luxury. How much would you have to spend to accommodate 10 pax in The Bvlgari resort or others at the similar class? Will you get the same level of ultimate luxury and dedicated services?

Adi has been spending more than five years focusing on helping his clients in private villa and holiday rental industry in Bali to gain better online exposure. Combination of information technology and marketing backgrounds brought him to become the man behind most commercially successful websites in Bali.

Bali - Coffee on Island of the Gods

Bali is known by many names to those who have visited the island. Many Indonesians refer to this slice of paradise as “Pulau Dewa” or “Island of the gods”. Since October 2002 the island has seen a marked downturn in the number of foreign tourists arriving to enjoy the scenic, cultural and religious diversity found here. Hopefully with a peaceful election campaign behind us, Bali will again see tourists returning in numbers.

Our visit to Bali in March was not a holiday, but rather a visit to look at the cooperative growing system for Arabica found in the highland areas of central Bali. Traditionally Balinese coffee was of the robusta variety. This is the coffee that many tourists visiting the island experience and love. The origins of Robusta here can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century or earlier. Commercial Colonial plantations never made an impact in Bali because the Dutch did not get any degree of control over the island until the 1900’s. By this time the big plantations in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi were already well established. The Robusta in Bali most likely came via traders from Ampenan in Lombok. The growing conditions in Bali are ideal for coffee trees, and small-scale production quickly spread in the cooler, higher altitude areas of the Island.

In recent times, with Robusta prices falling, Arabica has been planted in several areas of the Island. Some of these plantings are in commercial plantations, however the bulk are beans grown by small-holders in a number of villages saddling the volcanic peaks. Our visit was to examine the drying and processing facilities for this mountain grown Bali Arabica.

As in the rest of the coffee world, the small-holders make up the bulk of the growers, but receive little real financial reward for their efforts. Our concern is always to look for a way in which to help these small growers to improve their picking, drying and sorting processes in order for them to be able to market their coffee to the specialty coffee market outside of Indonesia. In most cases the growers are more than happy to listen to ideas on how to improve the finished quality of their product. In Bali the yields from the trees in raw cherries is very good. Most coop growers are uncertified organic- the costs of pesticides against the price for the finished bean do not make sense. The small holders almost universally follow the dry method of processing the beans. This involves laying the fruit out under the sun in large, flat concrete drying pens. The coffee is raked regularly to ensure the drying proceeds at a constant pace. Prior to drying the cooperative removes poor quality cherries- usually berries that are not ripe, have evidence of surface fungal diseases or berries that have been damaged by birds or other pests. After drying and removal of the remaining mucilage, the beans are again sorted. This time beans are sorted based on whether there is evidence of damage by borer, discoloration, black beans or split and broken beans. This is the extent of sorting- there is no screen sizing done by the cooperatives at origin, as normally the beans are on-sold to big producers who then sort further.

We like the early season greens that we saw in the highlands of Bali. The colours and firmness of the bean are good, as was the general quality. Test roasting resulted in us deciding that the dry-processed bean had some characteristics reminiscent of the lower altitude Java Arabica beans. A very mellow, slightly honey-dew taste…..We are looking forward to later in the year when we will be in Bali for the harvest of the bulk of the 2004 crop.

Alun Evans is a New Zealander living and working in sepcialty coffee in Indonesia. He has lived here since 1998 and is working towards a goal of promoting and devloping sustainable coffee in Indonesia.