Oranjestad, Aruba

Aruba is a Caribbean island nation modest in size but rich in natural beauty and cultural activity. Following is a city-by-city look at everything lovely about this unique tropical paradise.

Oranjestad is Aruba's glittering cultural center, replete with all manner of can't-miss attractions. You'll find illuminating museum experiences thanks to organizations such as the Aruba Historical Museum and the Aruba Numismatic Museum . One-of-a-kind oddities like the Aruba Ostrich Farm will keep kids of all ages entertained for hours on end, during which time adults of all ages can revel in theatrical spectacle at the Crystal Theater . Shoppers have a number of options to choose from, including high-end shopping complexes like Royal Plaza and Seaport Village , vibrant local marketplaces like the Tourists Go Flea Market and quaint little shops such as Artistic Boutique and Caperucita Roja . With so much to do, it can be helpful to enlist the services of local guides in seeing the whole of the island in as efficient a way as possible. Guided tours on land (courtesy of Banana Bus ) or at sea (aboard one of Aruba Kayak Adventure 's trusty vessels) are fun and enlightening. After so much activity, hunger will most certainly strike. Luckily, dining in Oranjestad is a treat. Enjoy casual dining with a dash of island flare at Rumba Bar & Grill , or go upscale at French bistro Chez Mathilde . Or get really festive with your feet in the sand at Simply Fish , where you dine right on the beach.


Palm Beach


Palm Beach is home to many of Aruba's resorts, providing tourists with calm waters and white beaches ripe for frolicking. The nearby restaurants are not to be missed and serve an array of cuisines. For Brazilian fare, head to either Amazonia Churrascaria or to Texas de Brazil Churrascaria . For quality seafood, hunker down to some grub at the Aqua Grill or at Fishes & More . Those partial to Italian should opt for a meal at Casa Tua .


Eagle Beach


Just south of Palm Beach lies the coveted Eagle Beach. Though smaller in size and density, Eagle Beach nevertheless takes pride in being touted as one of Aruba's best beaches, carrying a charm all its own. It gets crowded on the weekends, but its restaurants are still a hoot. For those who prefer some French flair in their dining fare, Manchebo French Steakhouse hits the spot.


Noord


Noord is home to the northernmost area of Aruba, with the landmark California Lighthouse at the tip. Just a mite south of the lighthouse lies the green stretches of Tiera Del Sol Golf Course , with championship links. After hard drivin, golfers eat hearty at Ventanas del Mar located on the golf grounds themselves. Noord's Papiamento offers hungry patrons a wealth of international cuisine piled high on its buffet tables, from Aruban to European to Indonesian and more. Hankering for a frolic at the nearby beach? Ocean Drive provides for all of your sunbathing necessities, carrying sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, designer beachwear, the works.


San Nicolas


San Nicolas is Aruba's second largest township. As such, it is home to everything a good "second city" should have. First and foremost among these amenities is a series of world-class sporting events. Marathonners from around the world flock to the island for the annual International Aruba Half Marathon , a run that offers challenging terrain and undeniably amazing vistas. Another kind of racing is popular here in San Nicolas, but you might say it requires a bit more octane. Hotly anticipated drag-racing events such as One Cool Summer International and the Boss Drag War Super Series are held right here in town. Time your visit right, so that you can revel in the competitive atmosphere. Whether you're here for the running or the dragging, so much excitement is bound to leave you hungry. Brisas del Mar and Charlie's are two tip-top choices for casual island fare.


Santa Cruz


Santa Cruz, near the island's center point, is home to a pair of attractions sure to impress upon every visitor the true scope of nature's wonder. The Natural Bridge , one of Aruba's most famous landmarks, today lies in ruins after an epoch of stoic steadfastness. It is a marvelous sight nonetheless. Donkey Sanctuary Aruba offers a look at a somewhat different aspect of nature's wonder, the humble donkey. Bring the kids and get close to a creature that is eminently emblematic of this part of the world.


National Park Arikok


Just a ways past Santa Cruz is Aruba's grand Arikok National Park, land of unspoiled countryside and invaluable historic sites. Bushiribana Ruins are located on the premises, and they provide a peerless view into the island's past. Quadiriki Cave delves back in time even further. Count on Rancho del Campo to provide the tour guides and vehicular conveyances that will ensure that time at the park is time well spent.

San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

Paradiso Kuta Hotel Bali

Iceland travel guide

Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle, which passes through the small island of Grímsey off Iceland's northern coast, but not through mainland Iceland. Unlike neighbouring Greenland, Iceland is a part of Europe, not of North America, though geologically the island is part of both continental plates. The closest bodies of land are Greenland (287 km (178 mi)) and the Faroe Islands (420 km (261 mi)). The closest distance to the mainland of Europe is 970 km (603 mi) (to Norway).

Iceland is the world's 18th largest island, and Europe's second largest island following Great Britain. The main island is 101,826 km2 (39,315 sq mi) but the entire country is 103,000 km2 (39,768.5 sq mi) in size, of which 62.7% is tundra. Lakes and glaciers cover 14.3%; only 23% is vegetated.[27] The largest lakes are Þórisvatn (Reservoir): 83–88 km2 (32.0–34.0 sq mi) and Þingvallavatn: 82 km2 (31.7 sq mi); other important lakes include Lögurinn and Mývatn. Öskjuvatn is the deepest lake, at 217 m (712 ft).[28]

Geologically, Iceland is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the ridge along which the oceanic crust spreads and forms new oceanic crust. In addition to this, this part of the mid-ocean ridge is located atop a mantle plume causing Iceland to be subaerial. Iceland marks the boundary between both the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate since it has been created by rifting, and accretion through volcanism, along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge—where the two plates meet.

Many fjords punctuate its 4,970 km-long coastline, which is also where most settlements are situated. The island's interior, the Highlands of Iceland, are a cold and uninhabitable combination of sand and mountains. The major towns are the capital of Reykjavík, along with its outlying towns of Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður and Garðabær, Reykjanesbær, where the international airport is located, and Akureyri, in northern Iceland. The island of Grímsey just south of the Arctic Circle contains the northernmost habitation of Iceland.[30] Iceland has three national parks: Vatnajökull National Park, Snæfellsjökull National Park, and Þingvellir National Park

Travel Vocation on Bali

Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.

The Hindu New Year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. But the day before that large, colourful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system.
Ogoh-ogoh monster in Ubud
Balinese dancers wearing elaborate headgear, photographed in 1929. Digitally restored.

Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). One of the most important concepts that Balinese ceremonies have in common is that of désa kala patra, which refers to how ritual performances must be appropriate in both the specific and general social context. Many of the ceremonial art forms such as wayang kulit and topeng are highly improvisatory, providing flexibility for the performer to adapt the performance to the current situation. Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Oftentimes two or more gamelan ensembles will be performing well within earshot, and sometimes compete with each other in order to be heard. Likewise, the audience members talk amongst themselves, get up and walk around, or even cheer on the performance, which adds to the many layers of activity and the liveliness typical of ramé.[28]

Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island’s largest mountain Gunung Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). In addition to spatial orientation, kaja and kelod have the connotation of good and evil; gods and ancestors are believed to live on the mountain whereas demons live in the sea. Buildings such as temples and residential homes are spatially oriented by having the most sacred spaces closest to the mountain and the unclean places nearest to the sea.
Balinese dancer, taken before 1952.

Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja. These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama. The performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Lastly, performances meant solely for the entertainment of humans take place outside the walls of the temple and are called bali-balihan. This three-tiered system of classification was standardized in 1971 by a committee of Balinese officials and artists in order to better protect the sanctity of the oldest and most sacred Balinese rituals from being performed for a paying audience.

Tourism, Bali’s chief industry, has provided the island with a foreign audience that is eager to pay for entertainment, thus creating new performance opportunities and more demand for performers. The impact of tourism is controversial since before it became integrated into the economy, the Balinese performing arts did not exist as a capitalist venture, and were not performed for entertainment outside of their respective ritual context. Since the 1930s sacred rituals such as the barong dance have been performed both in their original contexts, as well as exclusively for paying tourists. This has led to new versions of many of these performances which have developed according to the preferences of foreign audiences; some villages have a barong mask specifically for non-ritual performances as well as an older mask which is only used for sacred performances.


The Balinese eat with their right hand, as the left is impure, a common belief throughout Indonesia. The Balinese do not hand or receive things with their left hand and would not wave at anyone with their left hand.

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Tenganan Village Places of Interest in Bali

Tenganan Village

Tenganan Village is one of the oldest Balinese Traditional located in Karangasem Regency, east part of Bali. This village is much referred by cultural literature science of Tenganan Pegringsingan, which is very famous in the island. It own very unique local community life pattern which is one example of Bali Aga Village cultures (Hindu Prehistoric) and different with other countryside in plain of Bali. Nowadays, this village has been appointed as a place for tourist destination which can present the attractive and unique matters which able to add the variation of object and fascination for tourist to come.

Tenganan Village presenting the unique traditional culture

The specification of tourism object at Tenganan Village is consisted of:

• Countrified pattern of rural having the character of Linear
• The structure of bilateral society orientation at seniority collective
• Special Ritual System in high frequency by serving the religion solidarity, artistically and social mechanical solidarity
• The tradition of Mekare-Kare on every June is a faith tradition as the screw pine in ritual context, religion value, spirit of struggle and test of physical delaying accompanied by traditional gamelan of Selonding
• The Art Crafting Weave of cloth fastens which is famous called by Ikat Pangringsingan that is designed and arranged by the typical color.

Tenganan Village Geographically

Tenganan village is geographically situated among the hill in west and east part of this village. This village is located in Manggis sub district and Karangasem Regency or about 1 hour drive from Denpasar Town. It is a small village consisted of three Banjars (group of local community) those are Banjar Kauh, Banjar Tengah and Banjar Pande. The regional of this village is consisted of three complexes those are resident, plantation and rice field complex. The history of Tenganan village is expressed in a few versions. The first version is mentioned that the resident of Tenganan village are come from Paneges Village, a village is located near with Bedahulu Village that is located Gianyar Regency. The second version is expressed that word of Tenganan recognized in one of Bali inscription that was written by the word of Tranganan. The third version is expressed that the Tenganan Village Resident prays to the Bukit Lempuyang Temple. The word of Tenganan is ascribed by a Tengah root word which can mean to aim to middle of Pegringsingan, the fasten cloth type weave that is typically produce by Tenganan village resident. The structure of resident in Tenganan village is built in linear consisted of six rays. Each of ray consisted of some lawn broadly, the building form where the local community use it to present the handicraft for tourists. All the tradition existences of the human being are harmoniously with the God, human and environment as according to Tri Hita Karana concept. The Tourism Destination of Tenganan remains to draw during the time, goodness as tourism cultural object, tourism nature and agriculture tourism.

How to Locate Tenganan Village?

It is a very famous village throughout Bali where most of the local people knows where it is located. It is located in Karangasem Regency and close to Candidasa. You can find many travel agencies serve the tour to visit this village and you may join Karangasem Tour which you will discover places of interest in east part of Bali including this village.

Hotels Close to Tenganan Village

Candidasa is a beautiful place featured by the stunning view of Indian Ocean and peaceful atmosphere. There are a lot of hotels available in this area and most of them close to Tenganan Village like Puri Bagus Candidasa, Candi Beach Cottage, Alila Manggis, Rama Candidasa and Lotus Bungalow .

Gitgit Waterfall Places of Interest in Bali

Gitgit Waterfall

Gitgit Waterfall is a beautiful tourist destination in north part of Bali. Gitgit waterfall is located in the plateau area with the height about 35 meters and it is surrounded by tropical tree and emits the constantly natural water debit during the year. Waterfall voice around the charming nature was amazing and it was the separate attraction which can be enjoyed by each visitor who comes to visit. There are some plantations protecting the rain forest around the waterfall and in this place we often met the wild monkey to get the water from this waterfall.

Tourist Destination in North Part of Bali

Gitgit Waterfall is one of the famous tourist destinations in Bali which is located in Gitgit countryside, Sukasada sub district and about 10 Km from Singaraja Town or about 70 Km from Denpasar. It is set at height land about 300 meters above sea level. Beside of Gitgit, there is another important spot point like the monument for hero struggle of Singaraja resident who dead on the battle against the Dutch colonialist. This monument is called Bhuwana Pangkung Bangka. This Monument is extant monument and idol of people struggle action against the Dutch colonization. This monument is located in Gitgit countryside and Sukasada sub district and about 17 Km from Singaraja Town . It is situated on the hill bank. The facilities are available at Gitgit Waterfall is consisted of the parking area, restaurant and art shop. It is not far from the waterfall place, there is a place for taking a rest while enjoy the beauty panorama of rice terrace and Buleleng Beach. In order to visit the Gitgit waterfall, all visitors will follow the walkway down until the spot point. This road is one of the omissions in Dutch era where the local resident uses it to access other regions. On 1975, this waterfall is opened as tourist destinations in north part of Bali . Since it is appointed as a tourist destination in Bali, many tourists from domestic and foreign countries visits this waterfall and Bali Singaraja Lovina Tour is one of the famous tours in Bali visit this place.

Gitgit Photo Gallery

Gitgit Waterfall Vibration	Gitgit Waterfall View	Hindu Temple
Gitgit River	Gitgit Rain Forest	Gitgit Ricefield

Kintamani Places of Interest in Bali

Kintamani

Kintamani is the most favorite tourist destinations in Bali with the active volcano of mount Batur and beautiful lake. Kintamani is surrounded by the captivating nature and there are six ancient villages around cauldron of Batur Lake which is often conceived by Bali Age Village. The local people from these Bali Age villages own the unique cultures, houses and life style. Kintamani Area is consisted of some Villages those are Kedisan Village , Buahan, Abang, Trunyan, Songan, South Batur, Middle Batur, North Batur, Sukawana and Kintamani Village . The total of resident in these area are about 15 thousand who are mostly working as farmer, merchant, or work at industrial tourism.

Kintamani Volcano and Batur Lake

Mount Batur is located at Kintamani and it has erupted about 24 times since year 1800 and still active up to now. Since the mount erupting, it has impacted to the local society life around this mount, like removing altar (Temple), improve or repairing the village and re-arrange the tradition. Lake Batur is the biggest lake in Bali and functioning as irrigation source to all farmers around it and it is also for all Bali society generally. Kintamani area has been founded some lodging, hotels and restaurants which are located in Kintamani and Penelokan Village. It is a famous tourist place because Kintamani area owns the beautiful panorama and it is encircled by the cold atmosphere.

Kintamani is a Place to Visit in Bali

Kintamani is beautifully seen at the day time around 10:00 am until 15:00 pm especially having fine weather where entire Kintamani area will be able to be seen clearly. Generally, all tourists who pay a visit to this place will arrive in the day time where they can enjoy the panorama or enjoy the lunch in the local restaurant with lake view. Mostly restaurants at Kintamani generally own very beautiful view where tourist merging into their lunch in this restaurant and meanwhile enjoy the panorama.

Location

Kintamani is located in Kintamani sub district, Bangli Regency and about 50 km from Denpasar Town or about 2 hours by car. All roads are generally in good condition to access to this place. The fog will descend and blanket entire area of Kintamani with cold temperature in particular at late afternoon until the whole of night. The most amazing panorama at Kintamani can be seen in the morning time, when the sunrise emerges on the surface of earth precisely on the mount Batur .

Tanah Lot Temple Places of Interest in Bali

Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot Temple is located in coastal side of Beraban countryside, Kediri sub district and Tabanan Regency. It is situated in 30 Km in west side of Denpasar town and about 11 Km in south side of Tabanan town. The temple is built on the rock with 3 acre size and reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is just 20 meters from the coastal lip. This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sunset. At some nooks of coral reef around Tanah Lot Temple there are holy tame snake in black and white color where according to the local society believe that it as a deity property and as the guard of the temple from the bad influence.

Philosophy

The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of two words that are Tanah word interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is meaning the small island floating on the sea. The location is now called as Tanah Lot has been used at a Megalithic period as a place that looked into holy, proven from the existence of menhir. Pursuant to environmental condition, hence the structure of Tanah Lot Temple is built at irregular reef plain of its angle which is only consisted of one plain yard as Jeroan.

Function

The function of this temple can be realized from the function of the main temple building which is located in the temple main area. In this place, there is a main temple to worship the god in form of Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. The media of worship to this god is the temple building with 5 storied meanwhile the 3 storied temple building in north part of this area is purposing to worship to Dang Hyang Nirartha.

In order to know the status of Tanah Lot Temple can be realized from the temple history, function and also incoming devotee existence pray when temple ceremony is held. In this case can be realized as follows:

• Tanah Lot Temple as dang Kahyangan(the big Holy Temples in Bali ), because the history and the Penyiwi (The people taking care of the temple) are from the local people from Tabanan regency and surrounding area
• Tanah Lot temple as Segara Temple, because its function as sanctum to worship the Bhatara Segara, the God with manifestation as the ocean Power Deity

The unique animal can be seen in this temple area is the snake which are generally can be met in the coast. Part of its stomach there are no athwart skin, there is only small skin, but this sea water snake very noxious but snakebite case are very seldom happened, because the sea water snake generally very passive.

What to See in Tanah Lot

As a favorite tourism destination in Bali, Tanah Lot owns a magnificent view in particular at the sunset time where the sun slows down to the earth stomach. Every visitor who is paying a visit to this place will be marveled to see the beauty panorama of Tanah Lot. Beside of this temple, there are other temples which can be seen on your visit to Tanah Lot like Batu Bolong Temple, Batumejan Temple and Enjung Galuh Temple.

Photo Gallery

Tanah Lot View	Batu Bolong Temple	Tanah Lot Sunset
Tanah Lot Temple in side	Tanah Lot Ceremony	Tanah Lot Beach
Tanah Lot Snake	Tanah Lot Low Tide	Tanah Lot Access