Traditional healing bali

When people are thinking about Bali, they usually think about the famous and amazing landscapes: endless rice fields, beautiful beaches of white sand, amazing surf spots, huge temples, mountains and a lot of arts frequently performed by Balinese people: and so on.

Bali is a destination that has so much to offer if you try to discover its culture deeper. It is a place where you can combine every pleasure while discovering an extraordinary culture and the value of human kindness that no one can imagine.

The main characteristic of Balinese people is the art to combine discretion and curiosity over people they meet. Foreigners are really well-welcomed by the local population who are exceptionally warm and respectful. This kindness is due to the influence of their religious culture which is an important part of their daily habits. The religion is very important for most of the Balinese people, they are really diligent with all the daily offerings and ceremonies reported on their religious schedule. That can explain why the island is called “The Island of Gods”: religion is everywhere, visible in the streets and anchored in daily life.

The Balinese Hindu religion is not quite the same as the one in India. In Bali, this religion is adapted and inspired by the influence of the ancient indigenous beliefs. In the traditional villages called “Bali Aga”, this indigenous tradition is more existing. The religion keeps close links with nature and the forebears. Each element (tree, forest, rice field…) is the property of a spirit, honored by an altar where many offerings are given.

Each village has 3 temples, one dedicated to the forebears, one dedicated to the death that keeps the cemetery, and the last one called “Pura Desa” which is the spiritual heart of the village. In total, Bali counts no less than 5617 temples.

In each temple, you could notice a fabric with black and white tiles that decorate the statues. For Balinese Hinduism, the world is a place where good and evil live together, a balance between these two is important. This fabric is the symbol of this balance, it progressively becomes grey with the junction of the two colors.

In Bali, you have various choices concerning culinary tastes and places to eat. You can find a lot of local varieties from the simplest “nasi goreng” (fried rice with vegetables) or “satay” (chicken or pork with peanut sauce) to refined cuisines with natural spices like the “bebek betutu” (duck cooked on the grill) or “Ikan pepes” (grilled fish in a banana leaf). Balinese food is principally made with rice, fresh vegetables, peanuts, chicken and of course chili. Spices are frequently used in Indonesian cuisine in general, and this country is well known for its rice. Indeed, Indonesia owns the best rice growers in the world.

Concerning the meat, local people prefer poultry, seafood, and eggs. Red meat is not the specialty in Bali, and in the other parts of the country also. You can eat red meat in Bali anyway, but it will be difficult to find the same quality as in European countries.

You can even find some other dishes made with dogs, monkeys, mice, lizards, and bats. It is not common, but if you are looking for new culinary experiences you can find that in Indonesia.

Concerning the places to eat, there are restaurants in almost every street, mostly the typical Balinese restaurants called “warung”, a cheap place where you can eat local specialties. There are many kinds of warung, with more or less choices. It is the perfect place to eat in a typical atmosphere and to familiarize yourself with the Balinese lifestyle.

Of course, touristic areas are also part of the island, especially in the South. You won’t have any difficulties finding places such as sophisticated restaurants with tastes from all over the world.

What makes Luwak Coffee so famous and valuable are its processes of selection and digestion by the Asian palm civet. Yes, you read me correctly, digestion!

The selection occurs if the civets choose to eat coffee cherries, the digestion improves the flavor of the coffee beans that have been eaten. The animal eats the cherries for the pulp’s taste, then the digestion begins and followed by fermentation of the bean. Later, the cherries go across the civet’s intestine, then the fruits are defecated with other fecal substances and finally collected by the farmer.

The civet produces enzymes during the digestion process which are altering the taste of the product. This coffee is lusted for by a lot of persons across the world, to the point where consumers are willing to pay $200 per pound of Luwak Coffee.

This kind of coffee is produced mostly in Sumatra but also in Java and even in Bali. If you want to try Luwak coffee's peculiar taste you have to leave the coast and penetrate into the center of the island, such as Ubud area for example.