Where
To Go Scuba Diving In Bali by Chris Chew
The tropical Indonesian island
of Bali is still attracts millions of tourists every year. Tourists on
vacations to Bali are attracted by the mystique, charms and allure of the
predominantly traditional Hindu culture, spectacular tropical jungles,
mountains and beautiful beaches. Many tourists especially from nearby Australia
and Singapore travel to Bali for scuba Diving. The islands in Bali are
well known for its excellent scuba diving locations.
Scuba divers in Bali can
expect to encounter awesome underwater landscape as well as sighting a
very wide array of marine sea creatures. Let's visit some scuba diving
Bali dive spots.
In Nusa Penida and Lembongan
Islands, there are spectacular drop off reefs making reef and wall diving
the predominant staple on these two scuba diving locations. It takes about
a 45 minute speedboat ride to reach these dive destinations.
Water visibility is excellent
all year round but the current here is stronger. Experienced divers will
love it here as they can enjoy some drift dives. However, the current may
get very strong occasionally and dives may have to be abandoned when this
happens.
The dive sites at Nusa Dua
and Sanur are just 5 minutes away from the coast and therefore easily assessable.
The novice divers will love these dive spots because of the gentle current.
Water visibility ranges from low to moderate since they are located in
the coastal area and are more affected by pollution. Although hard coral
life is limited, the dive spots have a surprisingly diversity of marine
fishes, soft corals and sponges which are thriving on the reefs.
There is a very wide variety
of corals, colorful sea fans and huge pelagic fishes here. Big schools
of sweet lips fish, turtles, sharks and manta rays are often sighted by
excited scuba divers.
Jemeluk and Amed Beaches
are one and half hour away from Denpasar. Denpasar is a popular tourist
coastal town with many wonderful hotels, resorts and night entertainment.
Scuba divers need to be very experienced as the current here can get very
strong. However the dives here can be very exciting because of long coastal
reefs, reef slopes/drop offs and majestic wall diving. Water visibility
can be considered as moderate to good. To add a final touch, these dive
spots have one of the best hard coral communities in Bali.
The Tulamben Wreck Dive is
a must dive spot for scuba divers to enjoy wreck diving. The water visibility
here is fair to good and the current is gentle. Night dive on this wreck
are often described as breathtaking.
The wreck, USS Liberty which
met its fate in 1942 when a Japanese torpedo fired from a submarine in
the second world war found its target.
The above are just some of
the many splendid scuba diving destinations in Bali. For more superb dive
sites,just contact the many scuba diving operators in Bali Island.
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Balinese
People of Indonesia by I Gede Sanat Kumara
The Balinese are just one of
Indonesia’s 250 ethnic groups. Like most Indonesians they are a blend of
races, with the accent on the deutero-malayan race of Central and East
Java, with traces, of Polynesian and Melanesian blood, as well as Indian
and Chinese.
This genetic back ground
explains the variety of radical types seen on the island most Balinese
are small hand some people with round delicate features thick black hair
long sweeping eyelashes heart shaped lips and warm brown complexions others
are darker skinned and straight haired like pacific islanders, or curly
haired with flat noses like Papuans.
The Balinese are an extraordinarily
creative people with a highly sensual theatrical culture. Culturally, the
Javanese lean more toward refinement and modesty, keeping themselves in
check in life and art, while the Balinese prefer the headier, flashier
sensations – laugh, terror, spicier and sweeter foods. Balinese are more
lavish and baroque in their colors and decorations, with more explosive
music and fast, jerky dancing.
The first inhabitants of
Bali were Austronesian ethnic from Tonkin in South China, they are known
as Bali Mula (the true Bali). Around 8th century the great Sage Markandya
and 800 of his followers came from Mount Raung in the Basuki area of East
Java to settle in Bali, but a pestilence broke and killed most of the settlers.
Some years later he returned, this time with only 400 people, from the
village of Aga.
They performed the ceremony
of burying the Five Metals (pancadatu) - gold, silver, iron, copper and
precious stone - at a place on the slopes of Mount Agung. This place is
now called Pura Besakih. They are settled in the areas around Campuan,
Taro, Tegalalang and Payangan and the present temple area of Besakih. These
settlers are known as Bali Aga.
The successful establishment
of settlers from Aga in Bali led to constant influx of settlers from Java.
The most significant influx of Javanese settlers to Bali was arrived at
the time when Bali was conquered by Majapahit Empire of East Java. Many
Majapahit’s settlers came to Bali, they are known as Wong Majapahit. Early
in 16th century Majaphit collapsed, thousands of Majapahit’s scholars,
jurist, dancers, painters, craftsman, intellectual, literati and priests
came to settle in Bali. This new settlers brought new breath to the Balinese
culture.
With total population of
around 3,300.000, the population density of Bali is nearly 560 per square
kilometer; Bali is Indonesia’s second most densely populated island after
Java. The vast majority of rural population practices sycretic Bali-Hindu
religion. There are also sprinkling of Muslim in the coastal town and Denpasar,
a Bugis settlement on Serangan Island, Buddhist in the mountain and Christians
everywhere. Several thousand Arabs and Indian live in Denpasar. Ten thousands
Chinese are found in the main trading centers of Denpasar, Singaraja, and
Amlapura.
There are also around 27,000
Western expatriates – clothes designers, exporters, artists, aid workers,
consultants, English teachers. Many western jewelry and garment makers
have intermarried with Balinese.
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