BATIK
SOLO
Some
of the TOP Hotels in Bali
Bali's
most famous and crowded resort is Kuta beach, a six-kilometre
sweep of golden sand, with plenty of accommodation,
shops and nightlife. Nearby Sanur is much quieter, but
most backpackers prefer the beaches of peaceful east-coast
Candi Dasa and traveller-oriented Lovina on the north
coast. The island's other major destination is the cultural
centre of Ubud , a still charming but undeniably commercialized
overgrown village, where traditional dances are staged
every night of the week and the streets are full of
arts-and-crafts galleries.
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa : The Nusa Dua
Beach Hotel & Spa is a luxury property strategically
located only 15 kilometers away from the... Nusa Dua
Aston Bali Resort & Spa : The Aston
Bali Resort and Spa is a luxury hotel located on the
waterfront facing golden sandy beaches... Tanjung Benoa
Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel : Sanur
Paradise Plaza Hotel is situated in the coastal village
of Sanur, an ideal location from which to explore...
Sanur
Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites : The Sanur
Paradise Plaza Suites is located in Sanur Village just
two kilometers from the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel....Grand
Bali Beach Hotel also is a nice hotel in Sanur.
Swiss Belhotel Bali Aga : The Swiss
Belhotel Bali Aga is a deluxe property strategically
located only 20 kilometers northeast from the Ngurah
Rai... Nusa Dua
Grand Hyatt Bali Hotels located in
Nusa Dua and The Oberoi Bali located
in Seminyak, Maya Ubud located in Ubud,
The Alilia Ubud, Chedi, Hard
Rock Hotel Bali located in Kuta beach, Melia
Bali located in Nusa Dua and Padma
Bali located in Kuta
Batik:
Solo batik is noticeably different and more traditional
than Yogya's with its Central Javanese designs and its
sombre classical colors of indigo, brown and cream.
(Also some of the finest tritik work is produced here.)
Look for solo malam, a particular local style of batik
with bright colors against a black background. At Pasar
Kliwon buy batik sarung for Rpl000-10,000. Visit the
batik factory Danar Hadi, centrally located right next
to Singosaren Market to see the batik process; some
of their pieces are cheaper than Pasar Kliwon. Pasar
Klewar (The Hanging Market) on JI. Secoyudan near the
Susuhanan's palace, for bright Pekalongan batik, some
with gold and velvet borders and embroideries, modern
designs and colors as well. Court dress of sash, kain,
and butterfly-shaped headdresses, Rp500-1000. In terms
of value, the 2nd floor of Pasar Klewarhas the best
batik. Buy 2nd hand batik sarung right at the side of
Klewar. Don't worry, they'll find you. Don't pay more
than Rp250-300 for used cap batik (look it over carefully
for holes), or Rp800-1000 for second hand batik tulis.
Most textile factories are on JI. Adisucipto. Batari
(the Batik Cooperative owns it), Garuda Tex, Arjuna
Textiles, etc. Batik Semar, JI. Pasarnongko 132, is
worth a visit. Trisni Batik and Art Shop, JI. Bayankara
2, has some very elegant, high quality and expensive
batik pieces. Batik Keris, JI. Yos Sudarso 37, has fixed
prices: cotton and nylon batik T-shirts only Rp720-1200;
long-sleeved batik shirts, Rp3000-5700; kains that range
from Rp1200 up to Rp42,000. If you ask, they'll explain
all the differences between them. Pasar Gede (or Pasar
Besar), JI. Urip Sumoharjo, is another wellstocked market
for materials; a very wide range of batik with 360 degrees
of stalls. Suraji, JI. Kemlayan Tengah 39, also sells
fine batik at reasonable prices. You can take batik
courses in Solo; they are usually offered in someone's
house privately. Yogya is cheaper for courses.
Nusa
Lembongan is situated 12 miles south east of Bali. It
is one hour traveling time by boat from Benoa Harbour.
This pear shaped island is around 4km long and 2km wide.
It is surrounded by a beautiful fringing reef, which
hosts a myriad of marine life, The waters are renowned
for their abundance of life and great surf breaks. The
reef has been declared a marine park by the Indonesian
authorities. Not only does the reef support its own
Eco-system, but it supports most of the villagers on
the island as well. The local people farm seaweed. This
seaweed is cultivated, harvested then exported all over
the world for use in cosmetics, food stabilizers and
medicines. Other sources of income include traditional
wooden boat building, farming peanuts, sweet potato,
and fishing.Village life is very slow and enchanting.
Very few cars and motorbikes are seen on the roads.
The people are steeped in tradition, and one could imagine
Bali being like this island, thirty years ago.Although
the island is small there are many things to do. Fishing,
diving, surfing, mangrove exploring, discovering natural
fresh water springs, underground cave house exploring,
cycling around the island. A visit to the bat caves
on a nearby island, or a picnic at dream beach. Try
catching mud cabs in the mangrove area at the back of
the island. There is something for every one at Nusa
Lembongan.
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