Leaving from Gua Jepang (the “Japanese Cave”) and crossing the rainforest through mountain plantations, water falls, lakes and sanctuaries, on a hike that is relatively easy, you can reach Mount Catur (the Bratan Caldera), a 2000-metre-high dormant volcano situated in Northwest Bali in a lush and uncontaminated area where the view is absolutely spectacular, particularly right as the sun begins to set. It takes about three hours to reach the volcanic peak with its enchanting view of Bratan Lake, Bali’s second largest lake and its principal source of fresh water. On the western side of the lake is one of the island’s true gems, the Temple of Bratan Lake (Pura Ulun Danu Bratan), dedicated to the water goddess Dewi Danu, which attracts droves of visitors daily, all looking for a shot of the famous “temple reflected in the lake”. Built in 1633 in the traditional Balinese style with the typical multi-levelled straw roofs (meru), the complex of Ulun Danu Bratan is, in part, built on the shore and, in part, floating on the water. The principal temple, dedicated to the goddess Shiva, is an eleven-level tower placed on a tiny island named Lingga Petak. On the facing shore is the rest of the temple with a seven-level structure dedicate to Brahma. Consider yourself lucky if you happen to visit during the anniversary celebrations, an occasion for festivities that occurs twice a year, during which the temple is completely adorned for the occasion. Also highly recommended are the tiny local strawberries, available from vending booths lining the street.
The Unconventional Choices of an Art Gallery in Seminyak
Purpa Art Gallery Bali opened its first gallery in Ubud in 1970. The owner, I Nyoman Purpa, was one of Indonesia’s most prominent curators and collectors. In 2014, her daughter Ari Purpa opened her own gallery in Seminyak, specializing in modern and contemporary art by Indonesian and European artists.
Written by Balinese scholar Professor I Made Bandem and American art historian Bruce W. Carpenter, this stunning study of masks as an ancient art form is a richly illustrated book, with over 1000 color images by photographer Doddy Obenk.
The purity of the offering to the gods in the Rejang Dance
Only very young dancers, a symbol of purity and sacredness, can perform the Rejang Dance in the internal area of the temple as an offering to the Gods.
When Michael White, then a young architecture student from Sydney, set sail for Bali in 1973, he was so impressed by the island that he decided never to go back. Made Wijaya, this is the name he gave himself after his conversion to Hinduism, mapped the historic buildings and tropical gardens of Bali, leaving a photographic heritage of great value.
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