Ngaben is a cremation ceremony in Bali which is very famous not only in Indonesia, but worldwide. Actually, cremation ceremony is also done by the other religions besides Hindu. However, it is only in Bali that the cremation ceremony is done uniquely, vibrantly, majestically, and artistically. No wonder that a ngaben ceremony in Bali always attracts tourists to observe directly this one and only unique procession in the world.

Ngaben is actually a term used by the public class, just like it is organized in Balinese social structure. Meanwhile for the nobles and royal family this ceremony is called Pelebon. Ngaben comes from word ngabuin or ngabu which means “turning into ash,” meanwhile pelebon is derived from word pelebuan which has the same meaning, “turning into ash.”

For Balinese, ngaben is a sacred and important ceremony because by doing ngaben the family of the deceased could free his/her soul from worldly ties. By this ceremony the family hopes that their relative will go to heaven and could reincarnate as a better person or even moksha (united with God).

This ceremony needs a lot of effort, money, and time, so the process could be long. To ease the burden of the cost, effort, time, nowadays Balinese often do a mass ngaben. This way is more affordable for people with low economical condition. With this method, the body or so called layon is buried first until the cost of ngaben could be fulfilled. If it is calculated, using this method, Balinese could save a lot of money. If commonly each family or person needs around 15 – 25 million rupiah for an individual ceremony, with mass ngaben they will only spend no more than 5 million rupiah in total with a complete ceremony. However, for the family with financial sufficiency, the ngaben ceremony could be done as fast as possible. However, they still need to wait for the best day according to Balinese calendar, family agreement, and permission from Pedanda (Hindu priest). Until the determined day, the body will be kept at home. Record for the most magnificent and expensive ngaben ceremony is hold by the Ubud Royal Family which the cost of the so called Pelebon ceremony estimated reaching billions rupiah.

A good day is usually chosen by the priest after consulting and choosing the best day from the Balinese calendar. Preparation is usually made in advance, even before the best day is chosen. During this time, the family will make bade and lembu which are the main equipments for the procession of ngaben. Bade and lembu are created by a team led by an undagi or Balinese traditional architect. Bade is a kind of great tower with multi tier roofs decorated with colorful carved papers, woods, and bamboos which is used as a carrier of the body until it arrives in the graveyard. Meanwhile, lembu is a container of the body while it is incinerated. Lembu means ox, as its name implies, this container is in the form of an ox. Not only ox, some other forms could also be found such as singa (lion), padma, naga banda (dragon, used specially by the royal family), and so forth according to their social status At the day of ngaben, the preparation is started from early morning. In the middle of the day, usually all of the preparations are done and you could hear the sound of vigorous beleganjur orchestra which could take us away from sorrow. The body is carried out and put into the bade before it is paraded to the graveyard.

The parade consists of angklung (Balinese music instrument) players, offerings carriers, the blacksmiths, and the relatives and family. This parade creates a rousing atmosphere along the road heading to the graveyard. In every crossroad or intersection, the bade and lembu will be spun from east to south or from left to right three times (symbol of utpti, stiti, pralina) while singing kidung as the symbol of “status improvement” with a hope that the soul of the deceased could get a good place and then could reincarnate as a better person or even moksha.

Arriving in the graveyard, the body is placed into the back of lembu which is believed as the transporter to nirvana. The procession is initiated by a pedanda or priest. When the body is burnt with the lembu, all of the family members will gather around the burnt lembu. The atmosphere is so solemn with the sound kidung which is very touching. It is often found that some of the family members will shed a tear releasing the one that they love. After all is completely burnt to ash, this ash is washed away into the sea or river. For the Balinese Hindu, sea is the symbol of the God’s place gate. Besides that, throwing the ash of the deceased to the sea also means returning the five elements of human body (water, heat, wind, earth, and ether) back to the universe.

Ngaben is indeed an important ceremony for the Balinese Hindu. They believe that mortality is not the end of the life, but the beginning of a new better life. Thus, the death of the one they love must be accompanied with prayer, sincerity, and joy to set him/her free from the worldly ties.

Kuta is well known as the center of the New Year’s Eve celebration in Bali, besides Puputan Park or other famous public venues. However, in the area of Kuta, the celebration is usually more crowded and lively. Therefore, for anticipating total congestion or traffic jam, Bali Police Department assisted by related parties like pecalang or beach guards had conducted some road closure and route diversion in the area of Kuta and Legian. That was done to prevent severe congestion which usually happens in Kuta in New Year’s Eve especially in Jalan Pantai Kuta and Legian. The road closure and route diversion were started at 14.00 until the next day.

Some of the access closure and route diversion could be seen in Jalan Dewi Sri and Kartika Plaza which were closed and diverted to Jalan Singasari, Jalan Ciung Wanara, Simpang Bemo Correr, Jalan Setia Budi, Dewa Ruci Intersection to Jalan Imam Bonjol or By Pass Ngurah Rai. For the route from Seminyak to Legian, it was closed and diverted to Jalan Sriwijaya, Jalan Jelantik, Jalan Dewi Sri, until Jalan Sunset Road. Route from Dewa Rucci Intersection to Jalan Setia Budi was also closed and diverted to Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai heading to Nusa Dua Area and Jalan Imam Bonjol heading to Jalan Teuku Umar. Meanwhile, route from Jalan Sunset Road to Jalan Nakula was also closed and diverted to Jalan Sunset Road – Dewa Ruci Intersection – By Pass Ngurah Rai. For the tourists from outside Kuta who want to spend New Year’s Eve in Kuta Beach, some parking areas had been provided such as in Kuta Central Park.

Some time ago, there was an issue of firecrackers and fireworks prohibition in New Year’s Eve, but that issue was not implemented. Therefore, the visitors of Kuta Beach could set off firecrackers or fireworks. However, people were still prohibited to set off firecrackers and fireworks around hotels, house, or settlements. Firecrackers and fireworks were only allowed in the area of Kuta Beach. That prohibition was implemented because firecrackers and fireworks were feared resulting accidents such as fire and explosion. In fact, a few years ago, a vehicle was burnt by fire from fireworks. Although firecrackers and fireworks are allowed in Kuta Beach, fireworks sellers were not allowed to sell their stuffs around Kuta Beach.

In the afternoon before the New Year’s Eve, a flock of people had thronged the area of Kuta Beach. Thousands of people both citizens and tourists could be seen flooding this famous beach. The access for Kuta Beach which is usually full of vehicles looked very different because of the road closure and route diversion. Jalan Pantai which is usually passed by many bikes and cars was passed by people who diffused and thronged the area of Kuta Beach and its surroundings. Although they jostled on the road heading for Kuta Beach, they still looked enthusiastic in welcoming the new year. As the night approached, thousands and even maybe millions of people celebrated the moment of year transition along the coast of Kuta. Together, they waited the countdown to the new year. In this 2012 to 2013 year transition, people looked enthusiastic wearing accessories and glowing lamp decorations. The sounds of trumpet and fireworks also enlivened the atmosphere of the Dragon Year into Snake Year transition. Fortunately, the weather was friendly and clear enough at that night, after rain on some areas in the afternoon. Regardless of the rain, the atmosphere of euphoria and joy shown by these people were great. Right when the clock struck 24.00, the atmosphere was getting lively by the launching of thousands fireworks in various variants decorating the night sky. The forms and the lights of the fireworks which were colorful and spectacular made the people celebrated in enthusiasm. After that, the atmosphere still continued and some people were seen continuing their party until morning.

That was the report of New Year’s Eve in Kuta area which was so crowded and lively. finally, we would like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

Do not misunderstand it; Green Canyon is not the same with Grand Canyon, the famous natural destination in Amerika. This Green Canyon is located in Pangandaran area, West Java, Indonesia. This tourists’ destination which originally named Cukang Taneuh, offers beautiful panorama and fresh natural ambience which are worthy to be visited. Besides that, the nature in the area of this place is very attractive to be explored.

The original name of this place is Cukang Taneuh which means soil bridge. That name was used because on top of the valley and canyon there is a bridge made of soil with 3 meters width and 40 meters length connecting Kertayasa Village and Batukaras Village. This bridge is usually crossed by the local residents and farmers to go to their farm. The name Green Canyon was started to be popular after it was used by a Frenchman for referring this place in 1993.

Green Canyon is exactly located in Kertayasa Village, Cijulang District, Ciamis, West Java, around 31 kilometers from area of Pangandaran. This tourism object consists of natural river flow from Cijulang River which goes through a cave with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite. The location of the cave is in between two green and rocky hills.

For visiting Green Canyon, you must follow the flow of Cijulang River by boat which is called ketinting. This small boat could only accommodate maximum 5 passengers and could be rented fro Rp 75,000 per boat. The time needed until arriving at Green Canyon is approximately 30 minutes.

While crossing through Cijulang RIver, you will be able to see the beauty of rocky canyons grown by trees. The trip will not be boring because of the beautiful panorama along the river. When approaching the location of Green Canyon, the river width will be getting narrower so the boat must go in turn to pass. Near the cave entrance, the kelinting boat will be left because the route is not passable by any boat. In this place the water color is blue means that it is very clean and clear. In the entrance of the cave you will also see a waterfall named palatar which could make the air freshen. Usually, the tourists do various activities here such as rock climbing, swimming, or fishing. From here, you can continue your exploration by swimming or crawling on the rock wall. Buoys are available for them who choose swimming. Exploring the canyon by swimming is totally safe even for children equipped with buoy and guided by adults or the guide.

Amazing panorama will await you after entering the cave. Along the cave you could see water dropping stalactites and stalagmites on the wall of the firm and rocky cave. Because of the non-stop drips inside the cave, this area is also called as the area of eternal rain. You can also swim inside the cave by using buoy because using this way means that you can feel the freshness of the water.

The river flowing in this area is quite far so the tourists could enjoy the exploration as much as they wish. Besides enjoying the view over the water, apparently the tourists could also enjoy the beauty of underwater panorama. Green Canyon is good enough for a diving spot because of its beautiful scenery, such as underwater caves or basins and various friendly fish swimming around the area. For you who love to do some extreme actions, you can try to jump from a big rock with 5 meters height into the depth water below.

Green Canyon or Cukang Taneuh is indeed a good place to be visited in Pangandaran Area. However, if you are planning to visit this place it is suggested that you go here in the dry season because the water here will be very beautiful with the color of turquoise. However if you visit this place in the wet/rainy season, the water will be brown and muddy. Besides that, tidal streams might happen especially at the time when the rainfall is high. When this moment occurs, this place is usually closed for public.

If you want to visit and explore this place, the location is not really hard to be found. From Jakarta or Bandung, you could follow the route heading to Central Java passing Tasik – Ciamis – Banjar – Pangandaran. Meanwhile, the visitors from East Java or Central Java could take the route heading to West Java passing Purworejo – Kebumen – Wangon – Banjar – Pangandaran – Ciamis. For the visitors from the other places of Indonesia, you could choose the starting points mentioned above.

There was the year 2012 will soon be over. The whole world is ready to welcome the New Year 2013 with new hope. If you are planning to spend your new year’s eve in Bali, then you must choose to celebrate it in these two favorite places. The two locations in Bali which always become the center of New Year transition celebration are Puputan Badung City Park Denpasar and Kuta Beach. Both of these places will be full of Balinese and tourists who want to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the crowd. Although both are favorites, these places have their own characteristics.

Puputan Badung City Park

New Year’s Eve celebration in Puputan Margarana Park Denpasar or also known as Puputan Badung City Park is usually dominated by the citizen of Denpasar and surrounding areas. If you are planning to visit Puputan Badung City Park in the New Year’s Eve, you will be presented with friendly and sociable atmosphere. In this place, the countdown to the new year is enlivened by fireworks. Besides that, the citizens of Denpasar are also entertained by music and art performances both from local Balinese artists and national artists. Thousands of Denpasar citizens usually thronged in this park waiting for midnight when they could celebrate the new year.

Before midnight, usually people start coming to this city park from afternoon. The crowd of people coming to this place makes the traffic around the area jammed. Some routes near the location will be closed because of the exceeded parking area capacity. Around the park you will also see a lot of merchants selling New Year’s Eve typical things such as trumpet, fireworks, firecrackers, and do not forget food.

Reviewing the previous 2011 and 2012, in this center of Denpasar city the celebration of New Year’s Eve were very merry, enlivened by various performances such as Baris Dance, drum band, and other Balinese art performances such as wayang (puppet show). The festivity of new year in Denpasar could be seen in the countdown to the new year transition. Thousands of fireworks will lighten and decorate the night sky. The cheers of the people welcoming the new year will accompany the popping sounds of fireworks. Usually, people will stay up until 07.00 a.m. in the next day celebrating the new year’s arrival.

Before sunrise, there will be giant balloon release ceremony as the symbol of releasing the previous year and at the same time welcoming the new year. This ceremony is usually attended by the mayor of Denpasar City as the symbol of solidarity.

Kuta Beach

In addition to entertainment center, Kuta area especially the beach is the center of New Year’s Eve celebration. Usually, in New Year’s Eve this beach is dominated by tourists both domestic and foreign. From the east of the Kuta Beach Guard Office to the west in front of Kamasutra Discotheque will be thronged by people. Moreover, from Jalan Legian until Jalan Raya Pantai Kuta there will be tremendous congestion not by car or bike, but by people. If in Puputan Park you could watch art and culture show, in here New Year’s Eve celebration is more like a massive party for the whole town. Every person looks excited by partying in every corner of the road and club. Upbeat music, people’s cheers, trumpet sound, and fireworks will accompany you to welcome the new year here. “Party till morning” will be the best words describing the atmosphere of New Year’s Eve celebration in this place. For the party animals, this place is surely the perfect place for New Year’s Eve. Kuta has been the magnet and the center of the New Year’s Eve celebration in Bali and even in the Eastern Region of Indonesia.

Usually, right in the New Year’s transition some clubs or hotels in Kuta provide you with a free fireworks show. You can see great fireworks with various kinds and forms. Maybe you could see greater and more beautiful fireworks here than in Puputan Park. According to the Head of Kuta Beach Guard, Gusti Ngurah Tresna, the celebration in Kuta Beach is usually guarded by police, army, SAR team, beach guards, and dan pecalang. Due to the festivity of the party which sometimes is uncontrolled, potential riots could happen. Extra security will be needed to prevent those things, such as hangover, crime, until bomb threat.

Both of these places indeed have their own characteristics. It is up to you to choose the most suitable one. However, wherever the place is, a New Year’s Eve celebration should be always done with a prayer and new hope for a better year.

Bali has a lot of exotic beaches which are worthy to be visited in almost all regions. If Badung Regency has Kuta Beach, Denpasar has Sanur Beach, Buleleng has Lovina Beach, then Jembrana Regency has Medewi Beach. Medewi Beach is exactly located in Medewi Village, Pekutatan District, Jembrana Regency. The access to this tourism object is very good and well maintained so it could be passed by every vehicle. The location is also easy to be discovered, because it is located around 100 meters from the Denpasar – Gilimanuk highway. From the capital city, Denpasar, until the area of Medewi Beach will need one and a half hour driving over approximately 72 km distance. Such a tiring route if we see the distance. However, in the route to Medewi Beach, you will see beautiful panorama of rice fields along the coast. The fresh air and wonderful view will surely make your trip far from boring.

Located in the main route of Denpasar – Gilimanuk, this beach gains a good benefit from the development of the transportation in this island, such as good road infrastructure that allow the visitors easily access this beach. The raise of visitors visiting Medewi Beach has also made a rapid development to the surrounding areas. Now, in the area around Medewi Beach you could find good accommodations for tourists to stay over. Besides that, supporting public facilities like restaurant, parking area, public restroom, and swimming pool has also been built for the comfort of the tourists.

Generally, this beach has similar characteristics with Kuta Beach, like its hot climate and big waves which are suitable for surfing. Besides that, both of these beaches also have a spectacular sunset panorama. Maybe the only thing that Medewi Beach does not have from Kuta Beach is its sparkling white sand. However, the black and clean sand that is owned by Medewi Beach of course could not reduce tourists’ interst for visiting this beach.

On the other sides, Medewi Beach possesses advantage that is not owned by the current Kuta Beach. Because of Medewi’s location which is far from the city center, this beach is still natural, comfortable, and quite. Although not the best place for sunbathing, the peaceful atmosphere here is enough for reducing stress and enjoying peaceful holiday without so much noise and disturbance. Usually, the visitors of this beach are the local residents or foreign tourists who seek for an alternative surfing place.

Medewi is a beach with rocky coast and big waves. Indeed, this thing makes this beach as an ideal place for surfing. If you are a surfer and you want to feel the longest and mildest wave in Bali, then you must try this beach. The waves in Medewi are safe and could be tried by almost every level of surfer. The best moment for surfing is in the starting of the tide or after the tide. Approaching the evening, the visitors could see a spectacular natural view of the sunset in this beach’s horizon. From top of the special area provided, every visitor can see this unmatched panorama while relaxing.

According to its history, the name “Medewi” was taken from the name of the village where this beach is located. It was estimated that around 1912, the village area of Medewi was administratively opened for settlements before it was a forest. The first group of people who used this area as their settlement was a group of people from Mendoyo Dauh Tukad Village, Mendoyo District, Jembrana who at that time needed a new place for living. Before the deforestation was done, the area of the forest was full of “ketket” plant. Ketket is a kind wild plant which has a lot of thorns. In Balinese, thorn is called “duwi” or “dewi.” With the existence of the ketket forest, these people then named this area as the Medewi forest means a forest with a lot of thorns. After so long, this area has populated by more and more people, then these group of people created a fix settlements and declared this area as a village which also covered the area of Medewi Beach, the exotic beach which is now becomes a valuable asset for them all.

Bangkirai Hill is a tourism object located in Samboja District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan. The area of Bangkirai Hill is reaching 1,500 hectare which is the area of conservation forest. This area is important for developing the rainforest and media for nature education. This tourism object offers beautiful and natural tropical rainforest with fresh air, lush greens, and the twitters of birds which are the characteristics of a rainforest.

Bangkirai Hill is located around 150 km from the city of Tenggarong or Samarinda. Meanwhile, from the direction of Balikpapan City, this object is 58 km, and 20 km from the downtown of Samboja District. For visiting this natural site, tourists could use land transportation both personal and public vehicles.

This natural tourism object was named Bangkirai Hill because the dominance of Bangkirai (Shorea) trees grown in the area of this conservation forest. Bangkirai tree is then used for the mascot of this popular tourism object. Some of the Bangkirai trees in this area are even older than 150 years with height reaching 40 – 50 meters and diameter reaching of 2 – 3 meters. This tree has big and firm butreess roots which are so unique and beautiful.

The purpose of developing this tourism forest area is to increase the natural excursion potential, support scientific study, and improve society’s awareness to forest and environment. The inauguration of this excursion forest area was hold at 14th of March 1998. This 510 hectare area was officially introduced as a tourism object by the Minister of Forestry, Djamalludin Suryohadikusumo, as a concrete effort to develop the potential of natural tourism object for improving environmental awareness especially for flora and fauna.

Bangkirai Hill area is in category of stable primary lowland “Dipterocarp forest”, so this place has been becoming invasion area of birds from Soeharto Hill Excursion Forest area located approximately 30 km from there. According to the study done here, there are around 113 kinds of birds living in the area of Bangkirai Hill.

Besides that, kinds of animals living in Bangkirai Hill are Müller’s Bornean Gibbon (Hylobates muelleri), Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Maroon Leaf Monkey (Presbytus rubicunda), Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Boar (Susvittatus), Squirrel, and Banggai Crow (Corvus unicolor) which is all bred.

Besides faunas, Bangkirai Hill area is also rich with species of natural orchids which grow naturally on the living trees or dead trees. At least there are 45 kinds of orchids grow in this tropical rainforest area. One of the kinds is Black Orchid (Coelegyne pandurata) which is very famous and become mascot of East Kalimantan Province. Besides orchid cultivation, orchid intercrossing is also done resulting Kala Orchid, Apple Blossom Orchid, and Vanda Orchid. Not just that, this excursion area is also completed with orchards sizing approximately 4 hectare.

As a tourism object, the facilities and infrastructures of this area are complete enough. For instance, there are some cottages with fine restaurant and hall accommodating up to 100 people. Besides cottages there are also jungle cabins, a cottage without electricity so the tourists could feel the real atmosphere of a real jungle.

For outdoor activity, it is suggested to try walking through the canopy bridge which is set connecting 5 tall Bangkirai trees. From this bridge you could enjoy amazing panorama of this excursion area from top. This hanging bridge has 30 meter height so you can feel the fresh wind. Sometimes, due to the height of this bridge, the wind could be so strong and shake the bridge. However, you do not need to worry because this bridge is guaranteed safe. As long as you obey the rules, you will cross this bridge happily. Besides that, from the aspect of safety this canopy bridge could be guaranteed because the construction was done by a trusted company in United States. The total length of canopy bridge in Bangkirai Hill is 64 meters which connects 5 Bangkirai trees. For trying the canopy bridge, tourists must climb one of two towers which are built around the Bangkirai trees. This canopy bridge is the first in Indonesia, the second in Asia, and the eighth in the world.

In order to preserve the existence of Bangkirai tree which has become the mascot of this area, the maintainer of Bangkirai Hill offers tree adoption program to the sponsors or donators. In this program, these people are expected to be the “foster parents” for the Bangkirai trees. If you are a nature lover, an outdoor activities enthusiast, or an environmentalist, you must visit Bangkirai Hill. In this place you could enjoy recreation and adventure while preserving and studying nature.

Coban Rondo is the name of a waterfall located in Pandesari Village, Pujon District, Malang. This place could be reached in 30 minutes from the city of Malang. This waterfall has 84 meters height and located 1,135 meters above sea level. The water of Coban Rondo is originated from a water spring in Cemoro Dudo, in the slope of Mount Kawi with 150 liters per second debit in the rainy season and 90 liter per second in the dry season. The average rainfall is 1,721 mm/year, with wet months are between November and March, and dry months are between April and October with average temperature around 22°C.

Before becoming Coban Rondo, on top of this waterfall there is a twin waterfall called Coban Manten. The water from the both waterfall flows below into one becoming Coban Dudo. Then, the water from Coban Dudo flows to Coban Rondo and becomes the waterfall. The source from those three waterfalls is located in Kepundan, a treeless land situated on top of the Coban Manten. If you want to see all the waterfalls and its source you need extra energy and carefulness, because the path is very slippery and long between 3-4 kilometers.

Legend

There is a story behind this waterfall name. Once upon a time, there was a new married couple. The bride’s name was Dewi Anjarwati from Mount Kawi, meanwhile the groom’s name was Raden Baron Kusumo from Mount Anjasmoro. One day, in the 36 days after their wedding ceremony, Dewi Anjarwati asked her husband to visit his hometown in Mount Anjasmoro. However, the parents of Anjarwati strictly forbade them to go, because the age of their marriage was still 36 days or in Javanese tradition called “selapan.” However, this couple insisted to go regardless of any risks that they might face.

In the middle of their trip, this couple met an unknown man named Joko Lelono. Apparently, this man was dazzled by the beauty of Dewi Anjarwati, and tried to take her away. The decision of Joko Lelono led to a fight between him and Raden Baron Kusumo. To save his wife, Raden Baron Kusumo asked his assistants or also called “puno kawan” to hid Dewi Anjarwati in a place with a “coban” which means waterfall. The fight between Raden Baron Kusumo and Joko Lelono was so fierce that both of them finally killed each other. The death of these two men made Dewi Anjarwati became a widow which in Javanese called “rondo.” After that tragedy, Dewi Anjarwati still lived behind the waterfall and contemplated her fate on a big rock under the waterfall which is still exist until now. Based on that story this waterfall was then named COBAN RONDO which means “The Widow Waterfall.”

Access to Coban Rondo

Coban Rondo has the distance of 12 km from Batu Town or approximately 24 km from Malang City which could be reached within 1 hour. The access to this waterfall is very easy with well and flat road. If you take the highway heading Batu-Pujon, Malang, after the winding road you will arrive on the top area of the hill. There, a big sign board will show you the way to Coban Rondo.

Two kilometers before entering Coban Rondo, a big board written “Welcome to Wana Wisata Coban Rondo” will welcome you. After that, the road will descend and the forest atmosphere could be felt. The parking area is located in the sloppy area. There are also a lot of merchants and food stalls there. After this area you could continue to walk climbing ascending road for two minutes before finally arriving in the waterfall.

If you use public transportation, you need to take the bus heading to Malang. After that you need to get on a “bemo” or a small minibus from Arjosari Terminal to Landungsari. Then continue by taking a bus heading Kediri via Pujon. You must stop right at the Buffalo Statue which is the entrance to Coban Rondo. You can rent a bike or “ojek” to reach the parking area. From the parking area, you will need to walk around 200 m to see the waterfall. The entrance ticket for this tourism object is Rp 3000. Meanwhile, the parking ticket for car is Rp 3.000 and bike is Rp 1000.

Facilities and Accomodations

Inside the area of Coban Rondo, there are a lot of food stall offering affordable but delicious foods. There are also open stage, camping ground, and toilet. Inns could be found around the area of Songgoriti, around 5-8 km from Coban Rondo. The price is also affordable, but these places are more than enough to stay over.

After posting about Barong Dance, now balitour.net will try to explain the kinds of barongs which exist in Bali. Besides Barong Ket which is often performed for tourism purpose, there are also other kinds of barongs such as Barong Bangkal, Barong Brutuk, and so forth. Below will be explained those kinds of Balinese Barong.

Barong Ket

Barong Ket or Barong Keket is the most popular barong in Bali. Barong Ket has a body of combination between, lion, ox, and dragon. Its body is decorated with complicated sculptured leather and pieces of mirrors which looks shiny. The feathers of Barong Ket are made of combination between pandan leaves fiber and palm leaves fiber and sometimes, crow’s feathers.

Barong Ket is performed by two dancers called Juru Saluk or Juru Bapang. The first Juru Bapang plays the role as head, and the second as tail. In a show, Barong Ket is oftern performed fighting Rangda, an evil witch with scary face. The fighting between Barong Ket and Rangda is the symbol of the eternal war between virtue and evil in the universe. Barong Ket Dance is usually accompanied by gamelan (orchestra) Semar Pagulingan.

Barong Bangkal

Barong Bangkal is a barong with boar form. This dance is usually performed by “Ngelawang” or dancing from house to house around a village in the celebration of Galungan-Kuningan days. This barong is also a good entertainment for children, because while Ngelawang this barong usually chase the kids who watch the performance. Instead of frightened, these kids usually get happy and excited, then try to provoke Barong Bangkal to chases them. This barong is performed by two dancers with Gamelan Batel/Tetamburan background music.

Barong Macan

Macan means tiger, so Barong Macan is a Tiger Barong. This barong’s body form is similar with Barong Ket, but with tiger’s strips and tiger face. The performance of Barong Macan is similar with Barong Bangkal, by Ngelawang around the village. Usually, the performance is completed with a drama. Barong Macan is performed by two dancers accompanied by Gamelan Batel.

Barong Gajah

Gajah means elephant. As its name implies, Barong Gajah is in a form of elephant. This kind of Barong is in the category of rare because of its sacredness. Barong Gajah can only be seen in some villages of Gianyar, Tabanan, Badung and Bangli. This barong is performed by two dancers as head and tail. Only on special occasions, this barong will be used for Ngelawang around the village. This barong performance is accompanied by Gamelan Batel or Tetamburan.

Barong Asu

Barong Asu is Barong in a form of dog. Similar with Barong Gajah, Barong Asu is also categorized as rare barong. This barong only exists in some village in Tabanan and Badung. This barong is performed by two dancers as the head and tail. This Barong Asu is only performed in special occasions accompanied by Gamelan Batel, Tetamburan, or Beleganjur.

Barong Landung

Barong Landung is a human-like barong with very tall body. The height of this barong is equal to two man’s height. The male figure is called Jero Gede, meanwhile the female figure is called Jero Luh. Reputedly, this barong was made for repelling the evil spirits who created disasters. Balinese believed that these spirits were the subordinates of Ratu Gede Mecaling, the ruler of spirits world in the South Bali Ocean. One day, a holy priest came up with an idea for deceiving these evil spirits by creating barong similar to Ratu Gede Mecaling who was very tall, black, and fanged. The barong was then paraded around the village. Apparently, this effort works well. The evil spirits thought that the barong was their master and then escaped scared. Until now, in some villages this barong is still paraded around the village to expel disasters.

Barong Kedingkling or Barong Blasblasan

Barong Kedingkling is also called Barong Blasblasan or Barong Nong-Nong Kling. Barong Kedingkling has a very different appearance and form compared to the previously explained barongs. This barong is more like a Balinese mask dance costume which is often seen in the dance shows. Barong Kedingkling has a lot of characters which are similar with the characters of Wayang Wong Dance. The story performed is also the same; the fragment of Ramayan epic’s battle. Barong Kedingkling could be found in Gianyar, Bangli and Klungkung.

Barong Brutuk

Among all the barongs in Bali, Barong Brutuk is the rarest kind. This barong could only be found in Terunyan Village, an isolated area across Batur Lake, Bangli which is also famous for its unique funeral process. Barong Brutuk has a more primitive form compared to the other barongs. The mask of this barong is made from coconut shell, while the costume is from dried banana leaves. This barong symbolizes the holy spirits who are the subordinates of Ida Ratu Pancering Jagat whose spirit dwells the Pancering Jagat Temple. The dancers are also not haphazardly chosen. The one who is given permission to perform this barong is a sanctified adolescent. Barong Brutuk is performed by dancing with whip while running inside the temple. Barong Brutuk is accompanied by Gamelan Beleganjur or Bebonangan.

Besides Bird Park and Safari Park, in Bali there is also Bali Butterfly Park located in Wanasari, Tabanan which is very interesting to be visited. For the local tourists this place may not as popular as the two parks mentioned before, due to lack of promotion such as by brochures or promotion from the tour guides and travel agents which do not include this place as a part of their tour program. Until now, the visitors of this Bali Butterfly Park are still dominated by foreign tourists, with only a few visits from the local tourists.

Bali Butterfly Park or “Taman Kupu-Kupu Bali” is located in Jalan Batukaru, Banjar Sandan Lebah, Wanasari Village, Tabanan. Exactly, it is located about 6 km to the north from the capital city. This park is one of the butterfly parks which own almost all butterfly species across Indonesia. Besides watching the uniqueness and variety of butterflies from all around Indonesia, the tourists could also see the breeding process starting from the cocoon until the evolution into a beautiful butterfly.

This park was built in 1996 and managed directly by PT. Kupu-kupu Taman Lestari. This Bali Butterfly Park at the moment is the only one in Indonesia and is said as the biggest in Asia. Actually, the construction of this park had been planned since October 1993 after the International Butterfly Confrence at 24 – 27 August1993 in Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi. The plan of building this park was based on the consideration that the richness of Indonesian butterfly species must be preserved and well known by the people. The toal of area covered by this park is 1 hectare, which is completed with netting area sizing 3700 m3.

Every day, there are hundreds beautiful butterflies which are released into the wildlife. One of these released species is the most famous all around the world, the Paradise Birdwings Butterfly (Omithoptera paradisea), Ornithoptera priamus, and other kinds from all over Indonesia. In a month, if it is calculated, there are minimum 3500 butterflies; such a great way to preserve the existence of this exotic insect, especially in Indonesia. Bali Butterfly Park keeps working on saving and breeding the species of butterflies for the purpose of science and study in the future. Besides, complete collection of butterflies, this park also has collection of various kinds of beetles, tarantulas, and scorpions.

Bali Butterfly Park also produces various souvenirs which are made from insects such as, Framing Butterfly, Framing Beetle, key chains made from insects, bookmark, paper weight made from transparent fiber containing butterfly, paintings from butterfly’s wings, and more.

Bali Butterfly Park opens daily from 08.00 – 17.00 WITA (Central Indonesia Time) and the last ticket sale is at 16.00 WITA. To be able to observe the butterflies’ and insects’ activities in this park, the best time for visiting is around 10.00 in the morning when they fly around the park searching for nectar. The entrance ticket in this park is divided into two categories: Rp 15.000/person for local tourists and Rp. 50.000 for foreign tourists. Although the price difference is aimed for attracting the local tourists’ attention, unfortunately the visitors of Butterfly Park are still dominated by the foreign tourists.

Unique Facts of Butterfly

For additional information, these are some of the unique facts that butterfly possessed:

1. If the body temperature of butterfly is below 30 degree Celsius, a butterfly would not be able to fly.

2. Butterflies are able to migrate until thousands kilometers to find a warmer place when winter comes, and then able to come back when the spring starts.

3. Some kinds of butterflies do not eat at all because they do not have mouth. These kinds of butterflies live only by the reserve energy that they get when becoming cocoon.

4. The size of a butterfly ranges from one-eighth inch until 12 inches.

5. Butterfly has a long mouth for sucking food (usually nectar) which is called proboscis.

6. The wings of butterfly are actually transparent. The colors are visible because of the brightness difference in the layers of its wings.

7. Butterfly is an insect with perfect metamorphosis. The growth of its body starting from hatching, becoming cocoon, until transforming into a perfect butterfly is equal to a 27,000 time body growth.

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Jalan Batukaru, Sandan Wanasari, Bali 80351, Indonesia
Phone : +62361 814282 And +62361 814283
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