Bali is affectionately known as the island of the Gods because temples are everywhere and it’s people make offerings and go to the temple to worship their creator almost everyday. The soul of the island is in its people, in its land, in its trees, in its water, in its animals, in its forest and of course the most sacred soul lies in every temple that stands testimony to their faith all over the island.

So visiting Bali is also about visiting temples with their traditional ancient architecture, temples so picturesque they demand a photograph or temples with amazing historical backgrounds. Almost every temple on the island is worth visiting, especially when big ceremonies are being held. However, some temples are more popular than others and attract tourist’s attention because of some unique criteria. Whenever people talk about visiting Bali the image of those temples arises giving a sense of longing, a desire just to be there.

Here are the most iconic temples in Bali…

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The Balinese Godly Charisma

The dancer’s body is tense, his eyes gaze out in a piercing stare, and his shoulders are tight, while his feet make an agile pattern on the floor to the rhythmic sound of the gamelan music. The audience is transfixed. He has taksu, the Balinese say.

One of the key words of the Balinese culture, taksu carries a broad range of meanings and implications, all related to the power, inspiration and charisma of a person.

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Plenty of media for a have done their own surveys and came to a conclusion that Bali is the best island in the world, but is it really?

Let’s find it out. Not because we don’t believe that it is, but because we love Bali so much that we want nothing less than reality.

How we do it?
The number 100 symbolizes perfection. And so does 10. Therefore, we have divided our scoring system into ten categories, where the highest score is (obviously) 10, which then will be added up to measure how close Bali is to reach 100 (read: perfection)

Category 01 : Nature and outdoor activities

We think one of the best proofs of the quality of nature here is the amount of animals you see in your house everyday; lizards, geckos, dogs, snake… you name it. On top of that, you can also do almost anything outdoors, from mountain hiking, bird watching, parasailing, surfing to riding a camel. It’s best place to be for those who want to stop wearing shoes and go barefoot all the time. Score : 10

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In Bali, dance is not only considered as an art form but also as a way to appreciate the God’s blessing and kind. Five dances are performed before religious ceremonies or rituals that take place in temples to welcome the deities and ancestors that come down to the earth whenever the religious ceremony starts with dances but before the dances start, the dancers and the musicians follow a ritual in which they wish a blessing from God to charm their performance. They are praying for Taksu, a compilation of perfect technique they get by seriously learning and a given charisma.

It is said that dancers with Taksu can hypnotize and stun the audience when they start swaying their body despite their age.

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The Balinese Way to Welcome

Balinese people are well known for their hospitality, so Bali has developed a great series of welcomes for everyone.

Thirty seven years ago, I Wayan Berata, after spending many years learning Balinese dance and traditional instruments, made a composition for a new dance called Panyembrama. The name of the dance comes from Balinese word for welcome.

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Powerful chant and hypnotic rhythms

“Cak! Cak! Cak!… cakcakcakcak…!”

When you hear that sound, it means the dance performance has begun. Get ready for something extraordinary.

Next to the Uluwatu temple at the southern tip of Bali there is an open air amphitheater where a local group of dancers perform the Kecak dance daily. The performance usually starts at 6pm and ends when the bright blue sky turns black.

Kecak is one of Bali’s icons as an art performance and your visit to the island will really be incomplete if you don’t witness this dance, which was composed around the 1930’s, with a group of men (around 40) wrapped in black and white square pattern fabric (like a chess board) being the source of the sound which becomes the title of the dance. They enter the stage shouting out the sound ‘cak’ in a highly organized rhythm and harmony, their hands a circle while making sounds like gamelan (traditional instrument) with their voices.

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The Sitting Dance

This dance, which was created in the early 20^th century, still has its charm in this 21^th century

Kebyar Duduk is a solo dance usually performed by a man who dresses beautifully in Balinese traditional exotic prada (golden paint applied on fabric) cloth. A golden udeng – Balinese traditional hat – is sitting nicely sparkling on his head, not to mention the accessories he wears! Golden and shiny, ancient designs, they definitely crate an extra exotic traditional effect.

His right hand holds a fan that opens widely, his eyes watching the audience like an eagle’s eyes. The make up he wears dramatically changes the man into an androgynous dancer. When the dancer first appears on the stage it is difficult to recognize if the dancer is a male or female. It’s make!

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