Uluwatu Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance 13 Nov 2016

The Kecak dance is performed at the Uluwatu Temple Amphitheatre everyday at the adjacent cliff-top stage at 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Visitors are charged a nominal fee – Adult Rp.100,000 and Child Rp.70,000. What makes it the most favourite venue to watch a Kecak dance is the sunset background of the performance.

Around 5.00pm, the Amphitheatre was opened for the visitors.

It is a half round shape with the seating in timber on a concrete structure. We choose a place at the left hand side of the theatre.The seats were rather hard but we are ok with that.

We can see more and more people coming in as we can see that there is no limitation of the audiences in the amphitheatre, so once all of the tiered seating is filled, then the staffs direct the audience start to fill the walk ways. We can see there were still people coming in even the show started.

And, because it is set in a circular amphitheatre, there is limited air flow so it gets hot really quickly,especially with the number of people squashed into in.

Luckily we brought our water with us, and we just use the script papers which given by the ticket counter as our paper fan.

The show started with the Emcee greeted to all the audiences and a brief explanation on the dance itself with the since of the sunset and the view of the sun setting over the water behind him was magnificent.

The priest blessing the fire and then the men come out to surround it and commence their singing/chanting which forms the music for the dance.

There were around 70 men wearing only a loin-cloth, the upper part of their bodies left bare.

They formed rows of circles, where in the middle is a coconut oil lamp which the priest blessed.

The men’s chorus chants the words “Cak ke-cak ke-cak ke-cak ke-cak”, in rhythm, over and over again. For this reason they are called the Kecak or Cak dance.The show is a combination of song, dance and theatre.

We read the story lines which given, and then it is better for us to understand the show was all about. It break down to 5 acts.

The Kecak Fire Dance synopsis goes that Sri Rama, the prince of the Ayodya kingdom was sent into exile by his father King Dasaratha following an evil trick by his stepmother Kaikeyi.

Deep in a monkey forest (which fits in perfectly with Uluwatu’s setting), Rama is accompanied by his wife Sita and loyal younger brother Laksamana.

The evil Rahwana, who had a crush on Sita, knew of this, and set out to kidnap her.

The rescuing effort by the two brothers ensues with help from the monkey king Hanoman and his monkey troops.

Rahwana eventually subdued, the two lovers are finally reunited right after the setting sun.

The fire torches in the stage’s centre flicker against the darkened sky and the echoing chants subside.

After the performance, the fire dance come in.

They place a ring of fire around the centre and a monkey dancer moves in, over and around this, as part of the performance he kicks the lit tinder around causing sparks to fly into the nearer audiences.

The show ended with the big claps from all the audience and photo taking with the dancers.

The day that we watched this show, the night before was heavy rain and thunderstorm had make the electricity short circuit which resulted there was no night lighting.

Thus, there were a lot of audience with good cameras went for the photo session. The rest of the people like us just left at the same time, causing traffic jams in the car park and along the access road out.

We have enjoyed the shows very much! and, it is really a must see in Bali!

We headed to Jimbaran for our seafood dinner. It took us about almost 45 minutes from Uluwatu to Jimbaran.

We had our dinner at a place called Sri Gangga Café. The staffs hospitality were really good, just the food served here really poor and we were never come back again.

The food here were tasteless, and extremely expensive and not fresh!

We had 2 types of fish Rp.308,000 and Rp332,000 and some squid Rp.245,000 and all of it cooked with same method - grilled!

We ordered 1 Coca-Cola Rp.15,000, 2 Soda Gembira Rp.40,000 and 1 lemon juice Rp20,000.

Even though the dishes came with white rice and vegetables, plus the service and tax it come to the total of Rp.1,104,000!

This was the most expensive meals we had ever, even in our homeland!

We decided to pay it using MasterCard, also have additional charges and the bill become Rp.1,138,000!

Through our experience, we still find that Malaysia have the best seafood dinner ever! And, it can come with various method of cooking – steam, salt baked, oven baked, etc. And it is delicious and fresh!

Well, the staffs serving there were very helpful and friendly, just the food itself really spoilt our day! If not it could be a beautiful day we had!

Overall the night was great despite the dinner! We were thinking of if next time we would have a chance to come Bali again, we wouldn’t want to come for the seafood dinner again!

Pura Luhur Uluwatu Bali 13 Nov 2016

We arrived Uluwatu Temple around 4.30pm. It is just nice I guess the timing after we visit the temple, and we can wait for the Kecak & Fire Dance Performance which is in the evening.

Uluwatu Temple, or Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of six key temples believed to be Bali's spiritual pillars, is renowned for its magnificent location, perched on top of a steep cliff approximately 70 metres above sea level.

This temple also shares the splendid sunset backdrops as that of Tanah Lot Temple, another important sea temple located in the island's western shores.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is definitely one of the top places on the island to go to for sunset delights, with direct views overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean and daily Kecak dance performances.

Balinese architecture, traditionally-designed gateways, and ancient sculptures add to Uluwatu Temple's appeal. That is the reason why it is a must-visit place to go whoever go to Bali – The Island of Gods!

We got our entrance ticket – Adult Rp.30,000 and Child Rp.20,000. At the back of the tickets, written a brief history of the Uluwatu Temple.

Resen helped us to wear the sarong. Visitors must wear a sarong (whom the skirts or pants not reach knee length) and a sash (whom wearing long pants), as well as appropriate clothes common for all the temple visits.

We were given precautionary warn of the monkeys grabbing attractive items such as sunglasses and cameras before this.

And, true enough there was an incidents which we saw the monkeys came down from the trees and snatched hand phone from one of the visitors.

Resen showed us around the surrounding of the Temple, as the visitors are not allowed to go into the temple as it is only for the prayers only. Thus we were looking around especially near the cliff side.

Along the way we did see some Balinese ladies carrying the offerings on their head and men were wearing their traditional custom and white colour udeng (men’s headwear) to perform their prayers and rituals in the temple.

What makes Uluwatu Temple spectacular is its cliff-top setting at the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the waves of the Indian Ocean. 'Ulu' means the ‘top’ or the ‘tip’ and 'watu' means a ‘stone’ or a ‘rock’ in Balinese. Several archaeological remains found here prove the temple to be of megalithic origin, dating back to around the 10th century.

There are two entrances to Uluwatu Temple, from the south and the north. A small forest lies at the front and hundreds of monkeys dwell here. They are believed to guard the temple from bad influences.

The serpentine pathway to the temple is fortified by concrete walls on the cliff side. It takes about an hour to get from one end to another as there are several fenced points along the way to stop. The views from the bottom of the water surging up against rocks and the ocean horizon are remarkable.

The Balinese Hindus believe that the three divine powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva become one here. That belief results in making Uluwatu Temple a place of worship of Siva Rudra, the Balinese Hindu deity of all elements and aspects of life in the universe. Pura Uluwatu is also dedicated to protect Bali from evil sea spirits.

We just love the scenic view of the sea and the sounds of the waves splashing towards the rocks and the cliff! One can just stand here for hours just listen to the sounds of the waves and the breeze of the oceans. I really appreciate this and love God more! I had given so much!

                   

After we were touring around the temple, we went back to the square as we can see there were a lot of tourists waiting for the evening Kecak & Fire Dance Show which will be starting at 6.00pm.

Resen helped us to snap a family photo with the Main Shrine is on top of the cliff behind. Can you see the Temple? I cannot imagine how far we have walked from the start to the Amphitheatre here!

Padang-Padang Beach & Blue Point Beach Bali 13 Nov 2016

After our visit or the presentation of Karma Royal membership, we waited for Resen to pick us up and start our half day tour at Uluwatu area. All of us were so starving since it was nearly 1.00pm.

Daddy asked Resen to look for a place to eat while we were on the way to Uluwatu. Resen brought us to a place and it is called Warung Cikgo.

From the street it doesn't look at all as attractive as it really is. From the first impression, I like the place, as it is kind of environment that we love, authentic!

Once we sat down, and I did notice that almost all of the guests were tourists! And I knew that the food price too, would not be cheap either.

We ordered 1 Cah Kangkung Rp.30,000, 1 Crispy Duck Rp.105,000, 1 Cikgo Special Pork Rib Rp.125,000, 4 Steamed Rice Rp.48,000, 1 Coca Cola Rp.15,000, 2 Ice Lemongrass Rp.30,000 and 1 Mineral Water Rp.10,000.

I feel that it is pricey as the food portion are not big, the sauce is little. We need to wait quite some time for our meals. The food is ok.

May be this is the first time I drink Lemongrass, it is really yummy, soothing and cooling too! I like the drink so much.

The Kangkung was average, the  Pork Rib is ok but the portion really is small, and the Crispy Duck as well. All in together with the 5% service charge and 10% tax, the total bill came to Rp.419,265.

Through our 2 days experience here at Bali, we feel that the local Balinese main food is rice, and the vegetables or meats would only a very little portion of their meals.

After the meal, we continue our journey to our next destination – Padang-Padang Beach.

Padang Padang Beach, locally referred to as Pantai Labuan Sait, is one of Bali’s most famous surf spots, located on the north-western coast of the island’s Bukit Peninsula.

Heading up along Jalan Raya Uluwatu from Jimbaran and around 30 minutes’ drive past the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, a junction with signs that clearly bear ‘Jalan Labuan Sait’ leads you along a hilly but smooth 3.5km asphalt route.

We reached there around 2.45pm. There are entrance fees for the foreign tourists 2 adults x Rp.10,000 and 2 children x Rp.5,000.

During the time we purchased the tickets at the counter, we saw some tourists walking up with their surf boards under their arms. definitely a good surf spot.

According to Resen, Uluwatu is the place for surfers as the wave is huge enough. Beach access is down the slope across the road from a large parking area.

We came to a place where two sides of the limestone cliff, offering a glimpse down to the beach from up high. The steps were steep going through small narrow cave.

Once we reached to the beach, the sand was white and can see moderate number of people doing swimming , enjoying surfing ,fishing and sunbathing.

There are stalls which sells food, drinks, and some souvenirs there. We spent roughly 45 minutes there.

It was during the low tide, we were surprise as we able to see some sea snails, star fish, sea urchins, etc.

The weather was really hot and ‘killing’ us. We went to the next beach which according to Resen is much more beautiful.

Blue Point Beach is a beach with steep cliffs and big waves, and the Blue Point beach is more suitable for surfing!

Therefore, when we arrived there, we saw plenty of surfers. All were in their swimming suits, bikinis, and the surfing boards!

We noticed that when going down the stairs, we can see many cafes offering culinary combined with the scenic beauty of the beach.

Frankly, we were too tired too walk. We just rested at one of the local warung and have our cool coconut drinks! We did try their local grilled corns, with the spicy and sweet flavour. It tasted nice and better compared Malaysia!

We concluded our beaches visits and heading towards our next destination – which is the Uluwatu Temple visit.

A Peek into Karma Royal Kandara Bali 13 Nov 2016

We woke up early this morning, as the designated cab driver would fetched us from our hotel to the Hotel Karma at Jimbaran.

We choose to have our breakfast outside as we saw there were a lot of guests waiting for their breakfast.

We having our breakfast around Jalan Kediri, an eatery shop named Citra Minang Masakan Padang.

After the meal, we walked back to our hotel and we can saw the driver was waiting for us in front of the hotel. He was the same guy passed us the voucher yesterday, and if I am not mistaken, his name is Gus.

He fetched us to the same place, and we were told it was for about one hour presentation. It was almost 9.00am during we reached there, and the customer service directed us to a young Mandarin speaking guy called Freddy. He is an Indonesian Chinese.

Freddy brought us to upstairs where we can see almost at least 30 people were there sitting down at the individual discussion tables and chairs, with a small bar counter at the side and a small computer seating area too.

Freddie starting with the history of the company etc., and asking us a number of questions this time, most of that regarding to our family travelling styles.

He explained to us the concepts of the traveling plans. And, both of us felt that this is quite a good plan to have, of coarse we knew that the membership fees sure enough is not a cheap one. Thus, we asked straight to the point of how much are the fees are like.

Freddie later introduce his manager to us, and his manager insisted that we should take a look or a tour on their hotels nearby to have a view and experience their hotel quality.

Well, we just followed the flows as it is ok for us too, to have a look on their current hotel. At first, we were brought to their first Karma Hotel in Bali – Royal Karma Jimbaran.

It is a private resort adjacent to Jimbaran Bay, one of Bali’s most beautiful beaches. Karma Royal Jimbaran has just 16 luxury apartments, as well as an intimate restaurant and stunning pool. We do agree on the 5 stars of their hotel chains.

Later on, we were brought to their latest in Bali – Royal Karma Kandara at Ungasan. It is so beautiful! Freddie showed us the amenities of the hotel. We were quite excited when seeing that!

We came to their di Mare Restaurant which served the award-winning Mediterranean cuisine and it is located at a stunning cliff-top setting overlooking the Indian Ocean. The view was so breath-taking!

Connect to it a little bit down is the curving around the cliff top, lantern-lit infinity pool appears to flow into the Indian Ocean and horizon beyond.

Later part, there is a private lift took us down from the cliff to the Karma Private Beach, where their another Karma Kandara Beach Restaurant.

The restaurant served freshly cooked pizzas, succulent grilled meats and gastro salads, and barefoot dining at their informal beachside cabana restaurant also a new experience.

The Karma Beach Club is here too. This is a toes-in-the-sand, head-in-the-stars, beat-in-the-heart destination offering music, relaxation, spa treatments, water sports and the unique, hedonistic Karma vibe. Enjoy by day; indulge by night; remember forever.

Set on the rooftop of di Mare, is their Temple Lounge evokes a North African ambience, colourful banquettes & lanterns, create a Kasbah like, setting where guests enjoy custom cocktails and middle east inspired tapas.

Lastly, we came to their famous Karma Spa and Sea Spa where Karma Spa Kandara offers soulful health, beauty and wellbeing.

The open-air platform where soft breezes caress your skin as you indulge in a cleansing ritual in our Infrared Detox Sauna and Himalayan Crystal Salt Pool.

With Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage and wellness therapies, this is a true sanctuary for mind and body. It is truly a beautiful place to be!

We took quite a number of photos during our visit at Karma Royal Kandara. Actually, the whole presentation end up about 3 hours.

During our way back to their office, it was almost 12.30pm and it was jammed too, as there was road closure due to the connection of the pipeline works were going on.

Daddy called Resen, as initially we asked him to meet us at our hotel, but it seems it is better to ask him to fetch us at the Karma Royal Group office instead.

Freddy’s manager sat down again with us, and explained to us the whole membership plan.

It is really quite a shock to us that we have to pay for the whole membership of RM67,000++ and have to compete the instalments within 5 years and not to mention that, there is still yearly maintenance fee of USD1,076. And, the maintenance fee itself still would increase every year.

Then, he counter offer back that, if that is too expensive for us, they could offer a second alternative membership which the 7 days free hotel staying happened in 2 alternate years, by decrease the membership fee to RM37,000++.

First he requested RM25,000 deposit, we said we didn't have it, then he reduced it to 10% of it.

However, both Daddy and I were in the same opinion that we need to consider first before we can able to make such a big financial decision, as we know that next year there would be so much we need to plan about the children education fees.

Then, Freddie’s manager start to sound a bit sarcastic when we mentioned let us consider first. After the presentation, we did explain to Freddie that the initial 10% is not an issue for us, just this is another commitment which we have to consider and we do not have any intention to purchase something like this.

Freddie quite a nice guy and he sent us to the downstairs where we waited for Resen come and fetched us for our afternoon half day tour at Uluwatu.

At the same time, he did help us to redeem the 2 free T-Shirts and the said, free 7 nights stays at one of their hotel. The voucher can be use after 2 months and the validity is 2 years through booking online with additional USD50 for the booking.

Well, it was quite an experience we gained here, but I was a bit feeling like it is really wasting our holiday time here spending the whole morning just to listen to them and it is really not in our plans at all at the very first plan. Just Daddy was so excited about it…

Anyway, it really gave us the opportunity to see, feel the hotel and how the luxury hotels all about.