Welcome to Karangasem Regency

Beachside or sea view property in the southern part of Bali has become so expensive in the last few years, that astute investors are starting to look further a field.

A growing number are taking a good long look at karangasem on Bali's east coast The Aman group's amankila has been here for some years, and have been joined by Alila hotels more recently. Large new projects are underway. Just north of Padang Bay, at he seaside village of Amuk five kilometers to the south of Candi Dasa, plans are well advanced for the construction of a an international cruise ship terminal comprising two 150 metre piers and terminal complex contruction is expected to be completed in 2009 and to cost almost US$10 million. Ultimately it is hoped that the facility will attract as many as 200 cruise ship a year. Large yet, Korean investors are developing 124 hectares at Bugbug and perasi, north of Candi Dasa. The project is said to be worth US$153 million and includes an 18- hole golf course from one of the world's elite designers, as well as an integrated resort with villas, and condole. Perhaps the most important incentive for the potential purchaser is that by the end of this year, the provincial government is expected to change the zoning of much of the coast so that it can be developed from a tourism development point of view. What's the attraction and why has it taken so long for people to acknowledge it? The reason is simple- beachfront property, or property with panoramic coastal and mountain views, is still abundant and still at very affordable prices. The topography is somewhat similar to the Bukit. From Padang Bay right the way through to the northern borders of the regency, the foothills rise quickly from the coast. And this type of landscape allows homes to be designed constructed to take advantage of stunning views. So why has it taken so long for the east coast to be" discovered" Up until a couple of years ago, few but the most independent of visitors made it to Karangasem. For one thing it was agony getting there. Sure, you could climb on the perama shuttle with enthusiastic German backpackers, or for the truly hardy, the Batu Bulan-Amlapura public bus, along with the chickens, pigs and sacks of rice and sugar. This was a bit of an adventure, but the novelty palled somewhat after the first six or seven hours, as the bus stops at every wide spot on the road. One of Bali's best kept secrets Karangasem, the regency which makes up most of the east of the island, is one of Bali's best kept secrets. Because it has had relatively little tourist development, large parts of the regency are still "the way Bali used to be" It contains some real treasures. For example there's a village inhabited by Bali Aga, the original people of Bali, whose culture and traditions are unique. There's world class diving on the wreck of a 10,000 tonne ship.

There are two fabulous water palaces, there's an astoundingly attractive temple on the side of the island's biggest volcano. There are stunning rice fields and snake-fruit plantations, white-water rafting, a temple in a cave with a troop of monkeys, there is wonderful snorkeling at bay after bay along the Amed Cemeluk coast. Unspoiled friendly people, great accommodation to suit all budgets, fresh sea food. The local government seems to be highly efficient and visitor-friendly. the roads and other infrastructure in Karangasem are some of the best on the island. The list goes on. What the regency does not have, is the noise and crowds of the tourist centres of the south. Karangasem is peaceful, laidback and relaxed. Back in the 1980s,there were high hopes that the seaside village of Candi Dasa would become the Kuta of the East coast. This expectation was doomed from the start because it was based on a fundamental misunderstanding. It happened like this… intrepid travelers passing trough Candi Dasa liked what they saw-a white sand beach with a beautiful unspoiled lagoon full of coral and tropical fish, simple bamboo huts on the water's edge, cheap local food- so they stopped and stayed. And when they returned to the south they told their friends who come too, and stayed and stayed. The Candi Dasa locals, a bit bemused by this influx, popped down to Kuta to check it out and decided (without asking what people wanted) that they would build Candi Dasa something to rival the success of Kuta. And this was the misunderstanding, for the flood of visitors to Candi Dasa were motivated as much by a desire to escape Kuta's commercialism as to enjoy Candi Dasa's unspoiled ambience. The result? The more Candi dasa developed, the fewer the travelers who stayed. Word-of mount did the rest. It wasn't until almost a decade later that the area started to realize its true potential. Fast forward to the mid 90s, and the very canny Aman Group, creative hoteliers par excellence. High above the Lombok Strait, they built the truly outstanding Amankila. Stand-alone villas cascading down the cliff-face to the sea below. More recently, Alila Hotels, as creative and unique in their own way as the Aman people, put the village of Manggis well and truly on the map. So what's the Karangasem coast all about and what opportunities does it offer? Coming from the south on the new highway you cross into Karangasem Regency a little to the north east of Kusamba, at Goa lawah , the famous "Bat cave" temple. It's at this point that the foothills of the mountains in the interior come tumbling down to the coast, and this is where the fabulous views across the Lombok Strait begin. A little further on, you come to the Padang bay turn off. Padang Bay This is the ferry terminal for road traffic to and from Lombok and the islands of nusa tenggara timur A succession of rusty roll. The crossing round the ---- usually takes about four hours but the Lombok --- otorious for its currents and sometimes the crossing can take up to 20 hours in adverse conditions. ( At 250m, it's one of the deepest straits in area and carries vast volumes of water as it's one of the main passages for the Indonesian through flow that exchanges water between the Indian ocean and the pacific Ocean. Despite its role as a ferry port, Padang Bay has more than a little charm. The land overlook the bay has great views north, east and back down the coast. Labuan Amuk Bay From Padang Bay north east to Manggis, the road runs a little inland from the coast, but minor roads lead trough coconut groves down o he shore. It's along this stretch that the national oil company pertamina has its oil-tanker terminal. There are also plans o build a cruise ship terminal nearby. Manggis Home to boat the Amankila and the Alila, Manggis is one of the most attractive parts of the coast. An elevated promontory, the patih hill at 227 m and the 136 m Indrakila Hill, juts in to the strait. From its cliff tops there are wonderful views across the strait to the east, and back to the volcanic peaks to the north and northwest. On clear days the 3726m peak of Lombok's mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second highest mountain can be plainly seen. At see level, along the black sand beach are acres of coconut plantations. It's along this stretch of coast that the international cruise ship terminal is being built. Balina Now the road hugs the coast. Inland there are rolling foothills giving good views up and down the shore. Balina is moderately developed with guest accommodation, and there's marine reserve. The beach is black sand and rocky in parts, but it's pretty and largely unspoiled. Tenganan This community, living in a valley between the 340m Pudak and 315m Kangin hill, inland from the main road is home to the Bali Aga people whose forebears were the original Balinese who came to the island before the Hindu Majapahit era. Their villages are built in a style totally different to a typical Balinese community.Although particularly conservative, the Bali Aga have parlayed their uniqueness into becoming a major tourist attraction.The land to both the east and the west of the valley is particularly attractive and offers fantastic views. Candi Dasa The village of Candi dasa proper is of little interest to the prospective landowner, beyond the facilities it offers. It has money changers and several reasonably well-stocked mini markets. But it's mostly under-occupied mid-range hotels, guest and restaurants. The beach no longer has the appeal it did 20 years ago. Much of the reef was dynamited to provide building-foundation materials. The currents swept away the white powder sand and upset the ecology to the point where nothing much lives in the lagoon any more. Ugly groynes were constructed from concrete drainage pipes to halt the erosion, but their effectiveness is questionable. However he land to the east of the village, after the road to amlapura has disappeared inland, is particularly interesting. The 229m Gumang Hill Lies a little inland and slopes o the coast providing a bit of elevation over a largely unspoiled stretch of coast. This is where the Koreans are building their US$ 153 million 18-hole golf course and integrated resort. A quick look at the map show ha that even with this development, there is still plenty more beach and hillside land available along this stretch of coast. Amlapura The regency's capital and the largest city in East Bali, Amlapura has little to recommend itself beyond being the seat of local government. As has been already mentioned, I seems that the civil service is particularly competent here, since the infrastructure throughout the regency is the envy of the occupants of the rest of the island. The roads are particularly good, for example, and it's said that to the bureaucracy is very investor-friendly in terms of permits and smoothing the way for development. Mount Seraya Coast The north of Amlapura is dominated by Mount Seraya, 1238m. the main road on its way to Amed, Tulamben, and points further a field, runs inland to the west to skirt it. But the coast, because of its historic inaccessibility, is largely untouched and offers spectacular views. However there is a coast road that runs all the way to Amed. To go the whole way is a bit of an adventure, especially in the wet season when the hundreds of mountains streams are in flood. But a both the Amlapura and Amed ends, the road is quite good, and already westerners, who prize views and peace and quiet over shopping and nightlife, have bought substantial plots and are building homes to take advantage of the stunning views. Amed The road from amlapura to amed winds up the western slopes of the mount seraya massif, passing the Tirtagangga water palace, before crossing the pass at Abang.

Here are spectacular rice terrace views that many contend are second only to the views at tegallalang north of Ubud. Here the views stretch all the way to the coast, and on a clear day, right to Lombok.

Amed more properly refers to the first of a series of fishing villages that run southeast back down the coast towards Candi Dasa, but to westerners the whole stretch of coast is known as Amed.

Previously Amed has its hardy fans-those prepared to drive for hours and to put up with indifferent restaurants and funky accommodation-but now it is well and truly on the map. For reasons that are unclear, it has become incredibly popular with the French, and this is the foreign language of choice during the season.

As a result Boutique hotels and beachside bungalow abound and there are quite a number of more than adequate restaurants, many of them specializing in fresh seafood,(this is, after all, a major fishing community and the barbecued mackerel is to die for.) there's a small but surprisingly well-stocked mini-market, moneychangers, and event internet. Live bands perform at venues such as Wawawewe twice a week.

Villas, both beachfront and those perched on the steep hillsides, are appearing like mushrooms after a shower of rain.

So what's appeal of Amed? Apart from its really interesting topography (the road hugs the sea, swooping from headland to white sand beaches back to headland like the Adriatic coast), the swimming is good and safe, the snorkeling and diving is excellent, the people are simple, friedly and honest the air is clean, and there's no traffic. Tulamben Half an hour further to the north is Tulamben, fast becoming one of the major underwater photography sites in Asia. The road meanders through rice fields and crops and then breasts a ridge in the foothills before dropping in to the Tulamben area.

It's markedly different terrain from Amed. It perches on the edge of the lava flow from Gunung Agung's last major eruption in 1963 and is a rocky and wild environment. What brings westerners to Tulamben is the diving. It's long been know for the wreck of the 10,000 tonne USAT liberty, a cargo ship run ashore after I was attacked by Japanese planes towards the end of world war two. The cargo and all items of value were stripped from the ship and it sat on the shore quietly rusting away until Gunung Agung blew its top on 17 march 1963. the seismic activity was so strong that he ship was this lodged from the shore and quietly slipped into the sea.

Over the years it has been colonized by hundreds of different species of fish, corals and marine life and has deservedly become known as Bali's premier diving site. More recently, adventurous divers started to explore other areas nearby and to their surprise found some of the world's rarest sea creatures living in the volcanic sand. Now Tulamben has become a Mecca for underwater photography enthusiasts and is regularly featured in international dive magazines.

There's feeling that Tulamben , in the not too distant future, will experience a blossoming in eco-tourism related development. Already some substantial parcels of beachfront land have come on the market. An eye to the medium term It's grand spectacular view that Karangasem is an area that is certainly well worth considering by the purchaser who is either looking to build for him or herself, or for the investor who prefers to take the longer view.

While the tries and true areas of south Bali such as Oberoi, the Bukit , Batu Belig, and Cangu offer more immediate benefits.- the opportunity for early and consistent rental revenue streams for example-karangasem has its pluses, not the least of which is the relative affordability of the land iself. Karangasem is well worth taking a closer look at. by Adi Krisnayana

Around the World Trips - See More, Do More, Spend Less

Around the world trips are a fantasy for most, and a very economic reality for few. Several of my clients refuse to believe they can see ten countries for the price of three just by a little extra planning.

I once purchased the following:

Sydney>Singapore>Saigon>Kathmandu>London>Toronto>San Francisco>Sydney

Total cost? $1250. That isn't a typo.
The reason I was able to purchase these flights at such as discount was that I purchased them in bulk, known as a "Round The World" ticket. They work like a wholesale store: large travel agencies buy thousands of tickets at a time and sell them individually to travelers. If you purchase then tickets at once (rather than a standard round trip) you get a great discount. I love the look at people's faces when I show them how to see more of the world for the same amount of money. Here's how you do it:

Avoid flying to "off the beaten path" destinations. The major hubs of the world are usually cheaper to fly to than secondary airports, and this is especially true if you're buying in bulk. Think of your round the world ticket as a general overview of where you'd like to go; for example, don't include every city in Asia you want to see, choose a flight into Bangkok (the largest southeast Asian hub, and therefore the cheapest) then figure the rest out when you get there. I recommend choosing one or two major hubs for each continent you want to visit, as this keeps your flight costs down while also providing flexibility along the way.

Include surface segments. Once you have a general outline of dream destinations, fill them in using surface segments. For example, you could purchase a flight from Sydney to Bangkok, then travel overland from Bangkok to Beijing (another cheap hub) before flying to London. The surface segment allows you to see more of the countryside between these two cities, and add several new countries to your itineraries. Furthermore, you'll save more money traveling by train than by plane (one ways are often the most expensive way to fly).

Add stopovers into your trip. I used this to my advantage on my last round the world adventure. The itinerary had a layover in Singapore (which I hadn't planned on visiting), which essentially gave me a free trip to SIngapore! Before purchasing a round the world ticket, ask your travel agent if they permit stopovers like this; most do.

Go big or go home. Round the world trips grow less expensive the longer you're gone. My advice is to take at least six months (preferably a year) for a trip such as the You'll find that by flying to ten destinations, several will be super cheap (e.g. Thailand, India, Nepal, Argentina). If you plan accordingly, you'll be able to extend your trip by spending more time in these areas. A friend of mine spent two weeks in Bali with just enough money for food and board. He hadn't planned on visiting Bali, but it was a stopover, so he took advantage of it. Those two weeks in paradise cost him less than three days in London. Use this economic differences to your advantage.

Around the world trips deserve more attention than they get. Not only can you save a ton of money by batching several dream destinations together, you often find yourself in countries (and situations) you never expected. If you are interested in pricing out a few different options, I highly recommend using airtreks.com.by adam costa

Generation Gap Surfing, Bali

Six hours earlier, the noise of waves crashing ashore had woken me from a deep sleep. Mounting excitement propelled me from the bed when I realised from the volume of sound that the waves were substantial. It was still dark, but I knew that I could catch the dawn from my suf-board if I left immediately. A while later I was several hundred metres out to sea, battling my way further out and, between soakings, watching the dawn paint the sky from a celestial palette of pinks, yellows and crimsons. I was totally alone and knew that this was not safe or sensible, but I did not care. I felt that my daring to be there gave me a kind of spiritual ownership of the place and that this feeling more than compensated me for my almost complete lack of other worldly possessions - the most valuable of which I had with me, my board. I usually love my board, but sometimes I blame it when I fall off and swear at it big-time. One of the reasons I love my surf-board is that, after I've blamed it for my shortcomings and sworn at it, it never holds it against me or sulks in any way. I can just jump on and ride away, as though nothing had happened.


I am now having lunch with my Dad, who has flown in from Perth, en route to a business meeting in Tokyo, to see me and presumably to try and coax me into his company - or any company at all, provided it's not the company of surfers. He's not had much luck at this task. Six months ago, when I was having a blast, neglecting my university studies in favour of chasing Perth surf, he tried pleading that I should pack in surfing as my Mum was worried sick that I might be eaten by a shark. This happens to a fair few surfers down-under. I felt a bit sorry for both my parents when their plan rather back-fired on them: I agreed that it wasn't safe, quit uni and came surfing here instead. I just hope he hasn't heard about the surfer who washed up here drowned the other month. I think a blow on the head from his board after a major wipe-out was probably the cause. I'll probably not make an old corpse myself, but I don't care. My Dad's hotel, the Maya Ubud, is quite a contrast to mine. It looks like a palace compared to my lodgings, but then so does everywhere. I look again and realise that I'm not doing the Maya Ubud justice by including it with 'everywhere'; it really is tastefully and typically Balinese, whereas mine is about as basic as you can imagine - thin mattress, fly-sheet, fan, shared cold shower.


My Dad asks me what I think of the Maya Ubud.


"It's lovely, Dad, exquisite".


"Wouldn't you like to be able to afford to stay here?"


"Not really, Dad. I think that right now, at this very moment, I'm enjoying being here more than you are, because you're used to staying in these places, whereas for me to come here and eat this fab food is a really special experience".


I suddenly remembered that Dad gets offended when I put his values down that bluntly. I had been talking to him just as though he were one of my surf buddies. To try to make amends I quickly added "I really appreciate your coming all this way to spoil me, but honestly there's nothing I need that I don't already have. I really enjoy my life here. Better than that, I love my life here, because I always live in the present. Everybody knows that living in the present is the key to contentment."


"Son, if you live in the present you'll never achieve anything in life. In order to achieve things it's necessary sometimes to dwell on the past and worry about the future". I had to disagree. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I totally disagree .There's no intrinsic meaning in achieving anything anyway, so why should I bother? I might as well live in the present and be as content as possible."


This isn't the first time we've had this conversation. My parents are so cool about my complete rejection of their value system, I really respect them, not just for their attitude about this issue, but also for all they've done for me in the past. Actually, there is one source of intrinsic meaning in my life - she's called Jenny and she's from California. In order to go and be with her in the States, I've realised that I'm going to need to go back to Oz and get some money together. So I discuss this with my Dad, who's delighted.


"I wasn't so different from you when I was your age" he said.


"Not quite so idle, but not far off it" he continued. "In those days there wasn't a sub-culture of idleness, so people who wanted to laze about had to laze about with low-lifes. The problem these days is that civilized young blokes like you can laze about with other decent young people, so it's much more enjoyable. "


"Your mother's more worried about you than I am. I reckon that you'll get bored rigid with this sooner or later. Besides, you said you were doing this to reject meaninglessness, but your life of pleasing yourself has got to be the most meaningless life imaginable. I stopped idling around when I set up home with your mother. I spent over a decade in jobs that were often rather dull, but it never really bothered me, because I knew exactly why I was doing it, I had all the meaning I could possibly have in my life, in providing for you and your sisters. So I'm not too worried, I reckon what you need is to really fall for some woman, then start imagining what you could do to make her as happy as you possibly can."


This article was first published in Adrenaline ezine


For island-hopping and adventure sports at the best beach destinations in Thailand, go to Andaman Adventures.com, the web's definitive guide to all the best beach destinations in Thailand : the perennially popular Railay/Tonsai (click here for the destination and here for the climbing), the rebolted Koh Phi Phi (click here for the destination and here for the climbing), plus the new destinations Koh Yao Noi(click here for the destination and here for the climbing) and Koh Lao Liang (click here for the destination and here for the climbing)


Ao Nang is currently the best all-round Thai beach destination, offering the optimum balance of an unspoiled environment with a wealth of accommodation and activity options. by simon ramsden

Best of Southeast Asia Highlights: Beaches

When one thinks of Southeast Asia, the attraction of its beaches inevitably pop up. Certainly, Asia has many sights to offer, and its beaches are a constant draw for many reasons.

A great draw of Asia's beaches is the selection of award-winning, internationally recognized resorts and hotels at reasonable rates. The selection of hotels to choose from is staggering: practically every international hotel brand from Hilton to Shangri-La is available. One unique luxurious Asian-based hotelier is the Banyan Tree Resorts that offer exclusive and decadent holidays in Asia. The hotel sector of the Southeast Asian tourism industry is extremely competitive. Hotels and resorts regularly undergo upgrading once every few years to keep up with the Joneses. This means one good thing for the traveler: great deals on hotels are always possible, even in the high season.

Most visitors to Southeast Asia will experience excellent and friendly service - 'pleasure' and 'pamper' are just some mottos these hotels operate by. Think luxurious suites with extravagant comforts such as private Jacuzzis and pools. Personalized spas, massages and beauty treatments in the privacy of your own room or villa. Dining options amidst lush greenery and panoramic sea views. If the 5-star hotels are above your budget, there is a wide range of mid-priced hotels and accommodations to suit different budgets. Some mid-priced hotels are operated by locals, and are a great way to get to know the colorful cultures in Southeast Asia.

The best part about beaches in Southeast Asia is the great variety of beaches and activities to cater for different interest groups. Beaches and island living is synonymous in many parts of Southeast Asia, so there will a beach to meet everyone's needs. The islands of Indonesia, the well-known beaches in Malaysia and Thailand, the new beach spots in Vietnam and Burma all offer great, if not different, beach experiences. While some will cater to families with their range child-friendly activities, facilities and services, others target the partygoers with a continuous stream of daytime and nightlife options. Others in search for privacy or pampering, such as honeymooners or corporate leaders, are literally spoilt for choice with the lavish range of spa and beauty resorts. What this also means for the traveler is that each beach experience will differ from another, given the rich diversity of the countries.

Bali is a popular choice among foreigners due to its good air connections. This mellow island is surrounded by stretches of great beaches and range of activity, and the locals are hospitable and friendly. Other popular, something-for-everyone-beach vacations include Krabi or Phuket in Thailand and Danang or Hue beaches in Vietnam.

The warm waters of Southeast Asia also attract many diving, surfers and water-sports enthusiasts for its rich and diverse marine life or waves, depending on what you are looking for. Thailand's Koh Chang or Koh Phi Phi, the islands off the west coast of Malaysia, and the Mergui archipelago in Burma are just a sampling of the range of great diving spots and sea adventure in Southeast Asia. Many diving spots are not as easily accessible as popular beach resorts, but the more remote the waters, the richer the marine life. Many specialized diving tour groups will make the land-transfer arrangements so that getting to such remote destinations is not impossible. Some diving spots operate seasonally due to the monsoon season, so check before booking your flight.

Finally, no beach retreat is complete without the mention of food. Many Asian cultures communicate their emotions and culture through their food, so food is seen as a very important aspect of the Asian identity. Travelers will never go hungry while on vacation at one of Southeast Asian beaches. Many cuisines are a mix of indigenous ingredients with influences from predominantly Chinese or Indian cuisines. Influences from other cuisines are also common, given the influx of top international chefs working in the luxurious beach resorts. Most hotels in southeast Asia will offer a sumptuous buffet breakfast as part of the accommodation package, and travelers will drag themselves out of bed for the breakfast buffet, as the buffet spreads are usually simply too good to pass. Travelers will also want to sample local fare that will be available. by www.WorldCheaper.com

Sacred Waterways of Bali, Indonesia

Take a break from the cold steel of modern times to be nurtured by a more symbiotic relationship with nature, in one of the most spiritually artistic places on the planet. World-famous Bali is celebrated for the artistry of its people as well as for its cultural intensity, spectacularly sculpted scenery and well-developed infrastructure. It is arguably southeast Asia's most stylish destination, with some of the most understatedly opulent resorts in the world vying to outdo each other in the fine lines of their architecture and the often exquisite taste of their fittings and furnishings. These designer resorts usually perfectly complement their often stunningly beautiful settings, either baking on white sandy beaches, nestling on terraced hills or perching atop sea-cliffs.


5-star resorts the world over are often beautifully designed, but on Bali the 5-star vacation experience is different. Here it is not necessary to insulate yourself in luxury establishments in order to avoid the outside world, as is unfortunately necessary in the capital Jakarta. The beauty of Bali's rice terraces can not be adequately described in words or art and must, like those in the Philippines Banaue, be seen with the eyes. These landscapes, sculpted by human hands, sometimes feel too man-made to be real and almost like journeys inside a painting, in which a careful artist has skilfully enhanced the bounties bequeathed by nature to maximum effect and optimal proportion. The serried rice terraces compete for the eye's attention with burbling irrigation canals and with the jungle-shrouded rivers which sometimes form a convenient path-way for Balinese women to sway gracefully beneath improbably precarious loads perched on the top of their heads. In a society where art is regarded as so fundamental a part of a person's life that the local language does not have a word for it, the entertainment is also stylish. Balinese dance is justifiably world-famous for its subtle sign language and beautiful costumes, but not so well-known are the coming-of-age dances in which one teenage girl at a time dances surrounded by a circle of up to a hundred boys. After she taps a boy with her fan, he dances with her, but in a very different style to hers. Whilst she is attempting to maintain grace and elegance, his sole objective is to squeeze her bum. It sounds uncouth, but is just hilarious, as she vigorously defends herself, often by jabbing her fan, to painful effect, into the most sensitive parts of the boys' anatomies.


In a deeply religious Hindu society, everybody pays great attention to the ceremonies that mark life's major events, with funerals in particular being very grandiose events full of colour and excitement: a Balinese's last journey takes so long to organise that bodies must be temporarily buried while the myriad arrangements are made.


All Balinese bear one of only four given names, Made, Nyoman and Ketut. A family's first child is always christened Putu/Wayan, with the second known as Made, the third as Nyoman and the fourth as Ketut. From the fifth child on the naming cycle starts afresh, with any fifth child that makes an appearance known as Putu/Wayan.


The latest threat to the lovely rice-terraces, after the solution of the pest problems caused by the Asian Development Bank's 'Green Revolution' project, comes from an unlikely quarter: prosperity. Balinese farmers, especially young ones, are leaving the land in droves for better-paid and physically less demanding jobs as caddies and waiters. It is hoped that some of the huge numbers of tourist dollars flowing into Bali can be spent subsidising rice farming, in order to preserve this unique landscape and its aquatic traditions. The best time to see the rice paddies is during the hour before dawn, the hour the Balinese call "the silk time". But, even for the chance to experience heaven, that is a little too early for most visitors, who prefer the twilight hours.


The night was balmy and, after supper, the moon rose, yellow and huge. After a short walk along a tree-lined lane we came to a gap in the trees. Water chattered and laughed in the gullies all around us and, spread out before us, was a blue, moonlit valley. The terraced paddy fields hugging the contours of the hills were filled with still water, drained of colour by the night. Each patch of black water reflected it's own little moon. A breeze crinkled the satin-like surface and scattered the golden moon-beams. Then the breeze died, the gold reassembled and the moons settled back into their pools. Frogs croaked. Water gushed. Briefly we mourned the loss of all those moons until our eyes adjusted to the dark and the banks of the terraces came alive with more light. Sparkling sequins of white light flashed around as our minds reeled in the attempt to take in such beauty. Whether the moons or the fireflies were the most beautiful is impossible to say, as both art and words are inadequate to the task of framing such serenity. If heaven exists then maybe it looks a little like Bali.


Water is sacred in Bali. Everywhere you go, you hear it bubble and gurgle and giggle and splash. The ancient irrigation system consists of a network of gullies and channels, dykes and runnels that carry the precious fluid from the river and through the sinuous, rice-paddied, terraces. Water is so vital to rice, and so to life, that in Bali the temples control its flow. The priests are the experts in how the waterways work. They know where each channel runs and when each sluice needs opening, and it's their duty to ensure that every terrace gets filled and that every farmer gets an adequate flow.


Every day, in the late afternoon, all over Bali, you'll see villagers, in their sarongs, sauntering down to the rivers to bathe. The women gather in one place, dipping and laughing, shampooing their long black tresses. The men gather in another, splashing each other and playing with their children. "They want to give us taps," I heard one man exclaim, "they say it will make life easier. But we don't want water from taps. It contains chemicals. We have this beautiful river, how can anybody improve on this?"


Tirtaganga is a special place where, in bygone days, Balinese Kings built a great Water Palace. The kings are long gone, but there is enough grandeur left to enable you to imagine attendants in vivid sarongs laying gold cloth on gleaming stone steps to aggrandize the journey of the king and his courtiers to the three jade-coloured swimming pools. These days the steps are mossy and the spirit statuary is mottled with lichen. Instead of gilded princesses, rice farmers wallow and chat while their wives offer flower-filled palm-leaf baskets to the Gods.


It is unsurprising that Balinese love their island, but it might surprise some readers to know of the lengths to which these gentle people have in the past gone to defend it. In the 1840s the Dutch established a presence by playing various distrustful Balinese realms against each other, before mounting large-scale naval and ground assaults, first against the Sanur region and then against Denpasar. The Balinese were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, but rather than face the loss of their island, 4,000 of them marched to their deaths in a suicide attack on the invaders. Afterwards the Dutch governors were able to exercise little control over the island, and the religion and culture remained intact.


When Japan occupied Bali during World War II, a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese army of freedom fighters. When the Dutch returned to Bali to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration, they were opposed by the Balinese rebels. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, 29 years old, rallied his depleted and nearly beaten forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance.


The well-developed infrastructure for leisure activities, including golf, sailing, diving, dancing and partying, complements the island's idyllic landscape and turns Bali into, for many holiday-makers, the best destination in southeast Asia if not the world.


If dancing is your way of reviving your energy and spirits after an aeon behind a desk, then you will be pleased to hear that Bali has the clubs you need. Try the 15,000 watt Double Six, where DJs from across the world play eclectic and variable mixes that have only one thing in common: the ability to make you want to shake your bits till dawn. If you get bored of getting on down to the music then get on down in a more extreme way, courtesy of the club's bungee jump. KUDOS, the hippest place on the island, prides itself on a computerized colour mixer that synchronises the music with pre-arranged lighting sequences of the bar and interiors.


This article was first published in Adrenaline ezine


For island-hopping and adventure sports at the best beach destinations in Thailand, go to Andaman Adventures.com, the web's definitive guide to all the best beach destinations in Thailand : the perennially popular Railay/Tonsai (click here for the destination and here for the climbing), the rebolted Koh Phi Phi (click here for the destination and here for the climbing), plus the new destinations Koh Yao Noi(click here for the destination and here for the climbing) and Koh Lao Liang (click here for the destination and here for the climbing)


Ao Nang is currently the best all-round Thai beach destination, offering the optimum balance of an unspoiled environment with a wealth of accommodation and activity options. by simon ramsden

Your CSS Adventure Begins Here

When you are in need of qualitative website templates for your project there is a possibility to choose between their different types. One of the most popular web templates types appreciated by web designers nowadays represents CSS templates.

In general CSS - Cascading Style Sheets - means the technology on the basis of which CSS Website Templates are created. Cascading style sheets makes it easier for web developers to arrange and stylize web pages. Using CSS technology becomes more popular nowadays also because of its compatibility with all popular browsers which makes CSS a very useful and convenient option.

CSS Templates are valued by web masters as they possess modern technologies together with convenience of use. They are presented in different categories and will fit any of your purposes. Whether you decided to create a vivid personal homepage or want to launch competitive e-commerce website you won't regret if you choose CSS Templates. Using them as a basis for your online web presence you will make your source look impressive and striking.

CSS layouts imply the possibility of adding multimedia and animation effects and thus will make your website live and dynamic. And what is not less pleasant - making use of CSS Templates you can always expect to maintain high ranking by search engines which makes your website a popular source. Another advantage of CSS Templates is that they are easy to work with. There are little software requirements for using and editing these templates. You only have to install any of popular HTML editors you'd like to work with (e.g. Dreamweaver, Frontpage etc.), Macromedia Flash in order you need to add and edit animation attachments and Adobe Photoshop to work with the images.You don't need to have special knowledge to manage your CSS Tempalte and moreover you can always get the necessary help from the templates' provider support system.

One of the sources where deserving CSS Templates can be found is Layoutspack.com. This web company provides its customers with professional website templates of premium quality on the terms of templates membership. CSS Templates at LayoutsPack are created by professional team of web developers and possess high-grade graphics so you can be sure of your website's success.

So stay abreast of modern web technologies and choose CSS Templates to establish your vivid online presence. by Wendy Poo
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Camping With Your Kids

Camping can be a very exciting activity for the children. It is often regarded by parents as an opportunity to bond with their kids during the weekends. Moreover, it will also be an opportunity to teach your kids new things about the environment and some life skills. You can develop team work and cooperation between your children while camping.

However, you should note that bringing your kids out to camp is not just a matter of pure fun and excitement. Rather, it brings certain responsibilities. To make sure that you can make the most out of your aspired camping experience, below are some tips that you should apply.

Involve your children in your plans

Make sure that your children are involved in planning for the camping activity. Let them play a part in choosing the camping site. However, as they make the choice, make sure that you explain to them the activities that they can do and the kind of environment that awaits them in their chosen camping ground.

Let them decide the camping activities

Aside from letting the kids choose the camp site, let them decide the camping activities that all of you will engage in. Choose camp games and activities that are quite exciting, entertaining, informative, and educational. Also, make sure that each of your children has camp responsibilities that fit their age and actual capabilities. You can ask them to help with the cooking, cleaning, or collecting firewood based on their capability.

Let them pack their own bags

Let your children pack their own things for the camping trip. However, you should provide them with a basic checklist in order to make sure that they will not forget to bring all the necessary tools and equipment needed. Also, you should double check their bags before you set out for your camping adventure.

Do a dry run in your own back yard

If your children are going out to camp for the first time, it will be best if you do a test camp out in your own backyard. Aside from the fact that such can be a good bonding activity as well, this will help you assess whether your children are really ready for an outdoor camping activity.

Teach them about basic camping rules

Before you bring your children to the campsite, make sure that they are well aware of the basic camping rules. This will not only keep them safe. Instead, such will also keep you and your kids out of harm's way. Tell them where exactly are they allowed to play and run around, what time is the curfew, what their tasks are, and other rules and regulations.

Pack emergency first aid kits

Never forget to bring emergency first aid kids for yourself and the children. Be aware of the fact that since children are quite playful and sometimes careless, they are highly at risk for a wide variety of potential dangers out in the camping site.

Assign partners or buddies

If you are planning to bring four or more children, assign partners or buddies. Explain to them that they are tasked to look after each other and they are supposed to watch out for each other at all times. This can help you manage your young companions a lot easier.by Benedict Smythe