BALI: BEST ….AGAIN

4.7 million readers of TIME magazine have chosen Bali as the world’s best island tourist destination. Similarly, Travel+Leisure has also again chosen Bali as the best island tourist destination recommended for international visitors.
Both international rewards were received by minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik from Jason Tedjakusuma of TIME and Peter Bakker of Travel+Leisure, at the Patra Bali in Tuban recently. These consecutive prestigious awards on an international stage will help Bali and Indonesia’s image, and in turn expect the world will choose to visit Bali as their holiday destination.

(taken from Bali & Beyond, December 2006)

The magic of Tana Lot

Bali, 2004

When I was in Tana Lot at first in 1998, I’ve got a different touching. The atmosphere so strange, different with other places. Is it a really Balinese’s God and Goddess home ? I saw many essentials that very mysterious, and absorb the magic of the world.

Balinese said that people who go to the Tana Lot with their boyfriends or girlfriends, they will break. Tana Lot is a very holy place, don’t do bad things there. It’s the most wanted place to marry especially for Balinese and foreigner. They want their marriage will be blessed by God and always get happiness forever.
Balinese always take care this place. Kecak Dance is always held in the evening to thank God. Tana Lot is a very magic place. We can touch the green snake that can’t move in a one of cave under the Pura. While touched, we were saying our wishing. After that we move to the next cave to wash our hands and face, and the pedande (priest) will give some rice on our forehead for our welfare.
Tana Lot is one of the many pura in Bali. It’s the most famous one. Many foreign choose it for marriage place.
I still can feel the magic touching of Tana Lot sometimes. When I was watching Kecak dance there, standing on the hill and seeing the wave, the rocks, and the sunset, that magic is come over me, run into my soul and make me so close with God, make me sooo……. Deep.
Just feel by yourself, perhaps you can get the magic touching too.