GALUNGAN and KUNINGAN CEREMONY

The Balinese celebrate the day of Galungan, which commemorates the triumph of Dharma over Adharma, or good over evil. Second in terms of significance after the Nyepi day of silence or Saka New Year, this observance comes twice a Gregorian year, as the Balinese use a 210-day calendar system known as the pawukon which serves … Continue reading GALUNGAN and KUNINGAN CEREMONY

UBUD FOOD FESTIVAL

Ubud Food Festival is a celebration of diverse Indonesian cuisine and local produce held annually in Ubud. It also serves as a gathering of the island’s most prominent chefs together with a variety of presentations, live cooking demonstrations and culinary tours. It also brings together a host of restaurateurs, food producers, professionals, celebrated figures in … Continue reading UBUD FOOD FESTIVAL

BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL

Bali Spirit Festival is an annual festival that’s usually held between March and May, gathering yoga practitioners of all different levels and well-being enthusiasts from Bali and around the world. The festival is also a celebration of ‘east meets’ west through world arts, dance and music with colourful concerts and performances. The festival’s agenda often … Continue reading BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL

CAOW ENG BIO CHINESE TEMPLE

Caow Eng Bio is one of Bali’s oldest Chinese temples and is an impressive historical and cultural landmark that’s worth a visit while in Tanjung Benoa. Due to its location, it’s referred to simply as Klenteng Tanjung Benoa by locals (klenteng means Chinese temple in the local tongue). Together with some local Hindu villages and … Continue reading CAOW ENG BIO CHINESE TEMPLE

VIHARA DHARMAYANA KUTA

Vihara Dharmayana Kuta temple is one of the very few cultural landmarks that are hidden amid Kuta’s traffic frenzy and ‘surfer’s paradise’ buzz. This age-old Chinese Buddhist temple was one of the various Buddhist sites in Bali visited by Tibet’s 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, on his international tour in 1982, so it certainly has … Continue reading VIHARA DHARMAYANA KUTA

LING GWAN KIONG CHINESE TEMPLE

Ling Gwan Kiong is an old Chinese temple that overlooks the now-defunct seaport complex in Singaraja, North Bali. The temple is only a short walk away from the seaside Pura Segara temple, another landmark in the area, and a 15-minute drive east from Lovina Beach. The temple dates back to 1873 with connections to the … Continue reading LING GWAN KIONG CHINESE TEMPLE

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Chinese New Year in Bali takes place around late January or mid-February each year. This special holiday is celebrated mostly by Balinese of Chinese descent as well as by most Chinese Indonesians across the nation. Bali’s Chinese cultural influences go way back in history. Fine examples include Balinese temples bearing Chinese architectural features, the use … Continue reading CHINESE NEW YEAR