Bali Travel Information

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

Komodo National Park is currently among three destination in Indonesia that has been qualified in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign held by the New 7 Wonders Foundation (two other candidates is Lake Toaba and Krakatau Island). You may support Komodo National Park to become the New 7 Wonders of Nature by voting through the following the URL:

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people. As of 1999, Rinca’s population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people. The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area immediately surrounding the Park.

The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages, but new students are not recruited each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, Papagaran, Mesa) do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those which do graduate from elementary school will continue to high school since the major economic opportunity (fishing) does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen’s families.

Most of the villages located in and around the Park have few fresh water facilities available, if any, particularly during the dry season. Water quality declines during this time period and many people become ill. Malaria and diarrhea are rampant in the area. On Mesa island, with a population of around 1,500 people, there is no fresh water available. Fresh water is brought by boat in jerrycans from Labuan Bajo. Each family needs an average of Rp 100,000.- per month to buy fresh water (2000). Almost every village has a local medical facility with staff, and at least a paramedic. The quality of medical care facilities is low.

SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ANTHROPOLOGIC CONDITIONS
Traditional Customs: Traditional communities in Komodo, Flores and Sumbawa have been subjected to outside influences and the influence of traditional customs is dwindling. Television, radio, and increased mobility have all played a part in accelerating the rate of change. There has been a steady influx of migrants into the area. At the moment nearly all villages consist of more than one ethnic group.

Religion: The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the Park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Moslems. The community from Manggarai are mostly Christians.

Anthropology and Language: There are several cultural sites within the Park, particularly on Komodo Island. These sites are not well documented, however, and there are many questions concerning the history of human inhabitance on the island. Outside the Park, in Warloka village on Flores, there is a Chinese trading post remnant of some interest. Archeological finds from this site have been looted in the recent past. Most communities in and around the Park can speak Bahasa Indonesia. Bajo language is the language used for daily communication in most communities.

TERRESTRIAL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Topography: The topography is varied, with slopes from 0 – 80%. There is little flat ground, and that is generally located near the beach. The altitude varies from sea level to 735 m above sea level. The highest peak is Gunung Satalibo on Komodo Island.

Geology: The islands in Komodo National Park are volcanic in origin. The area is at the juncture of two continental plates: Sahul and Sunda. The friction of these two plates has led to large volcanic eruptions and caused the up-thrusting of coral reefs. Although there are no active volcanoes in the park, tremors from Gili Banta (last eruption 1957) and Gunung Sangeang Api (last eruption 1996) are common. West Komodo probably formed during the Jurasic era approximately 130 million years ago. East Komodo, Rinca, and Padar probably formed approximately 49 million years ago during the Eocene era.

Climate: Komodo National Park has little or no rainfall for approximately 8 months of the year, and is strongly impacted by monsoonal rains. High humidity levels year round are only found in the quasi-cloud forests on mountain tops and ridges. Temperatures generally range from 170C to 340C, with an average humidity level of 36%. From November through March the wind is from the west and causes large waves that hit the entire length of Komodo island’s west beach. From April through October the wind is dry and large waves hit the south beaches of Rinca and Komodo islands.

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
The terrestrial ecosystems are strongly affected by the climate: a lengthy dry season with high temperatures and low rainfall, and seasonal monsoon rains. The Park is situated in a transition zone between Australian and Asian flora and fauna. Terrestrial ecosystems include open grass-woodland savanna, tropical deciduous (monsoon) forest, and quasi cloud forest.

Due to the dry climate, terrestrial plant species richness is relatively low. The majority of terrestrial species are xerophytic and have specific adaptations to help them obtain and retain water. Past fires have selected for species that are fire-adapted, such as some grass species and shrubs. Terrestrial plants found in Komodo National Park include grasses, shrubs, orchids, and trees. Important food tree species for the local fauna include Jatropha curkas, Zizyphus sp., Opuntia sp., Tamarindus indicus, Borassus flabellifer, Sterculia foetida, Ficus sp., Cicus sp., ‘Kedongdong hutan’ (Saruga floribunda), and ‘Kesambi’ (Schleichera oleosa).

TERRESTRIAL FAUNA
The terrestrial fauna is of rather poor diversity in comparison to the marine fauna. The number of terrestrial animal species found in the Park is not high, but the area is important from a conservation perspective as some species are endemic.. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin (e.g., deer, pig, macaques, civet). Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin. These include the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulpher-crested cockatoo and the nosy friarbird.

Reptiles: The most famous of Komodo National Park's reptiles is the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). It is among the world's largest reptiles and can reach 3 meters or more in length and weigh over 70kg. To find out more about this fascinating creature click here.

Other than the Komodo Dragon twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island. including the cobra (Naja naja sputatrix), Russel’s pit viper (Vipera russeli), and the green tree vipers (Trimeresurus albolabris). Lizards include 9 skink species (Scinidae), geckos (Gekkonidae), limbless lizards (Dibamidae), and, of course, the monitor lizards (Varanidae). Frogs include the Asian Bullfrog (Kaloula baleata), Oreophyne jeffersoniana and Oreophyne darewskyi. They are typically found at higher, moister altitudes.

Mammals: Mammals include the Timor deer (Cervus timorensis), the main prey of the Komodo dragon, horses (Equus sp.), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), wild boar (Sus scrofa vittatus), long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus lehmanni), the endemic Rinca rat (Rattus rintjanus), and fruit bats. One can also find goats, dogs and domestic cats.

Birds: One of the main bird species is the orange-footed scrub fowl (Megapodius reinwardti), a ground dwelling bird. In areas of savanna, 27 species were observed. Geopelia striata and Streptopelia chinensis were the most common species. In mixed deciduous habitat, 28 bird species were observed, and Philemon buceroides, Ducula aenea, and Zosterops chloris were the most common.

MARINE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The marine area constitutes 67% of the Park. The open waters in the Park are between 100 and 200 m deep. The straits between Rinca and Flores and between Padar and Rinca, are relatively shallow (30 to 70 m deep), with strong tidal currents. The combination of strong currents, coral reefs and islets make navigation around the islands in Komodo National Park difficult and dangerous. Sheltered deep anchorage is available at the bay of Loh Liang on Komodo’s east coast, the South East coast of Padar, and the bays of Loh Kima and Loh Dasami on Rinca.

In the North of the Park water temperature ranges between 25 – 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest in the South, ranging from 22 – 28°C. Water salinity is about 34 ppt and the water is quite clear, although the waters closer to the islands are relatively more turbid.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Indonesia is the only equatorial region in the world where there is an exchange of marine flora and fauna between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Passages in Nusa Tenggara (formerly the Lesser Sunda Islands) between the Sunda and Sahul shelves allow movement between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The three main ecosystems in Komodo National Park are seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangrove forests. The Park is probably a regular cetacean migration route.

MARINE FLORA
The three major coastal marine plants are algae, seagrasses and mangrove trees. Algae are primitive plants, which do not have true roots, leaves or stems. An important reef-building algae is the red coralline algae, which actually secretes a hard limestone skeleton that can encrust and cement dead coral together. Seagrasses are modern plants that produce flowers, fruits and seeds for reproduction. As their name suggests, they generally look like large blades of grass growing underwater in sand near the shore. Thallasia sp. and Zastera spp. are the common species found in the Park. Mangroves trees can live in salty soil or water, and are found throughout the Park. An assessment of mangrove resources identified at least 19 species of true mangroves and several more species of mangrove associates within the Park's borders.

MARINE FAUNA
Komodo National Park includes one of the world's richest marine environments. It consists of forams, cnidaria (includes over 260 species of reef building coral), sponges (70 species), ascidians, marine worms, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, cartilaginous and bony fishes (over 1,000 species), marine reptiles, and marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs). Some notable species with high commercial value include sea cucumbers (Holothuria), Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and groupers.

Nirwana Bali Golf Club is a visual masterpiece of dramatic ocean views and lush Balinese landscapes. Designed by Greg Norman, the golf course offers a spectacular challenge and a unique world-class experience for golfers of all skill levels.

Designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman, Nirwana Bali's 18-hole golf course is one of the most photographed and challenging golf courses in the world.

With three holes running along the cliffs of the Indian ocean and terraced rice paddies providing unique hazards the course will test the accuracy and consistency of a PGA Professional and still be enjoyable for the average golfer. Set on the southwest coast of Bali 45 minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Nirwana Bali Golf Club is the centerpiece of the fully integrated Nirwana Bali Resort.


Map of Nirwana Bali Golf



HOLE by HOLE

Hole 1
383 yards, Par 4

Start with a reliable fairway wood aimed across the rice paddies and right of the cavernous bunkers will get you away. From here the hole bends steeply downhill to a well guarded green with hazards at the back and left. Shots short and right will kick to the green.


Hole 2
188 yards, Par 3

The green is three clubs deep so check pin position and wind to select the correct club. A creek threatens the left side of the green, so favor the right and the ball will tend to run to the centre


Hole 3
400 yards, Par 4
An Uphill drive towards the right bunker will avoid sand on the left and reach awide open plateau. A creek running in front guards the approach shot, rice paddies left and wetlands short. This contoured green will need an accurate read to ensure a par!


Hole 4
439 yards, Par 4
Aim at the distant bunkers and hit a long draw to the wide fairway. The long second shot across a gentle valley takes on the wildly dramatic bunkers guarding the right side of the green. An opportunity to lay up on the left side and chip on for the high handicapper, is always an option.


Hole 5
441 yards, Par 4
Now's the time for your best drive across the valley to a saddled fairway avoiding the temple on the right. Right side hole location will require a shaped shot to escape landing in the green side bunker.


Hole 6
501 yards, Par 5
A brave shot across the bunkers on the left of the fairway brings the green into range for the second. The hole doglegs to the left and continues dramatically downhill, directly to the ocean. Judge the wind carefully and club to be on the same level as the hole on this small green.


Hole 7
214 yards, Par 3
Amongst the most dramatic holes in world golf. Check the wind direction carefully when playing from the tee to the fairway across the Indian Ocean. The secret is not to be short.


Hole 8
544 yards, Par 5
Normally downwind, the longest hole on the course demands a well struck tee shot left of the fairway bunkers. Take advantage of the slopes in the fairway and lay right. Deep greenside bunkers left and OB at the back make this small green a difficult target to hit.


Hole 9
388 yards, Par 4
Position your tee shot at the top of the hill to the right of the fairway bunker. A short approach across a deep valley and river must be well struck with confidence to find the green set below. Check the distance and accept the challenge.


Hole 10
445 yards, Par 5
Best shot is a long fade across the creek to the undulating fairway. A spectacular second shot down hill to a green set across the river is your reward. It's all carry to this green. Safe play is to lay up short left, chip on and walk with par.


Hole 11
211 yards, Par 3
A big target to hit. Favour the left side of the green for safety and avoid trouble right in the huge bunkers. Carefully read the subtle burrows in this green. Bonus for selecting the correct club will be a birdie putt.


Hole 12
381 yards, Par 4
A great short hole along a ridge with Balinese temples and a river to the right. Aim your tee shot at the last house avoiding the bunkers. Anything right will be blocked. A downhill short iron to an island green that sits on a rock shelf in the ocean demands respect.


Hole 13
337 yards, Par 4
A deceptively difficult short par 4. A strong wind behind may tempt you to carry the ocean with your drive to get close to the green. The safe tee shot is played to the valley between the bunkers, leaving a low punch shot into the elevated open green. Good club selection is important.


Hole 14
186 yards, Par 3
The Shark tee is surrounded by the ocean for this intimidating shot across the beach to the cliff top green. It is all carry from here, so check the wind and take enough club. A gentle hole from the Resort and Forward tees with the ocean as a backdrop.


Hole 15
447 yards, Par 4
Play a fade up the valley from the tee, keeping out of trouble of the left side bunkers. The hole sweeps uphill to an elevated green. Plenty of sand short and right of the green. Play your second to allow your ball to bounce in from the left.


Hole 16
431 yards, Par 4
A generous landing area for your drive, rewarding longer hitters with runs from the downhill slope. Lay up unless you are confident of carrying the creek in front of the green. Bail out area is left side, avoiding the right green side bunker and temple at the back.


Hole 17
349 yards, Par 4
Aim straight at the big bunker on the left side avoiding the creek right off the tee. This is a positional shot with a long iron or fairway wood, setting up a short approach to a tight green. A good hole to attack, but beware the creek in front, it can be dangerous!


Hole 18
520 yards, Par 5
A great finishing hole. Aim right centre from the elevated tee to this undulating fairway. The hole sweeps downhill to a creek which crosses in front of the green and continues up the right side. Only the very long will attempt this in two. Lay up to the left and pitch close with your approach.

It is still a common practice to wrap newborns in batik cloth, and a piece of batik selendang (scarf) is regularly used to carry the baby around.

When someone dies, batik will cover the body of the deceased and seven pieces of batik are usually used to cushion the corpse. At this time, batik with a parang rusak pattern or a bird design are not supposed to be used.

The values represented in Indonesian batik are considered significant enough by advocates to push the government to nominate it for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s list of intangible cultural heritage, which will be first inscripted in September 2009.

The plan -- set in motion by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN), the Indonesian Batik Museum Institute and batik communities -- is expected to be realized before the nomination deadline of Aug. 31 this year.

UNESCO's program specialist for culture, Himalchuli Gurung, said there were two intangible heritage lists, made possible under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was enforced in April 2006. Indonesia ratified the Convention, which has some 90 member states, in October last year.

The two lists are the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Gurung said in other countries, the inventory work has been completed much faster, making the nomination process easier. Japan, for instance, has an institute especially assigned to do the job.

"There's discussion that China might propose 50 since they're way ahead in documentation...," Gurung told The Jakarta Post.

UNESCO will also incorporate the 90 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity proclaimed between 2001 and 2005 -- before the Convention went into force -- into the Representative List.

The Masterpieces include Albanian polyphonic folk songs, a Zimbabwean dance and Ugandan bark cloth-making.

From Indonesia, UNESCO proclaimed wayang puppet theater and Indonesian kris among the Masterpieces in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Gurung was aware of the recent "tension" between Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, allegedly for claiming Indonesian traditional arts, from batik to songs and dances.

She said both countries could "have" batik, and the material could be found around the world, like in African or Indian batik.

"But the thing is, Indonesian batik is so meaningful in a sense that it still has the traditional practice, rituals and customs behind it.

"Again, the value of batik is its intangible heritage, like how it is made, and it is still widely used for rituals, like wedding ceremonies. So it's more about the meaning behind batik, the philosophy."

A paper presented during the recent discussion with UNESCO, organized by KADIN, explored the close connection between the Javanese philosophy of life and batik, which includes gamelan traditional orchestra, court dances, religion, wayang puppet shows and dance drama.

The paper -- which included contributions by noted designer Iwan Tirta and batik collector and writer Asmoro Damais as members of the Indonesia Batik Museum Institution -- found the connection between gamelan and batik showed in that many batik patterns share similar names with certain gamelan melodies, like Gending Pandelori, Srikaton, Pisanbali, Kawung and Gambirsawit.

Batik is also inseparable from Javanese life -- annual offerings to the guardians of Java's main volcanoes and the Goddess of the South Sea still include pieces of batik cloth.

In weddings throughout Central Java, the patterns of sidomukti, sidoluhur, sidoasih, sidomulyo, wirasat and truntum are used to bless newly married couples and their parents.

The rulers of Yogyakarta and Surakarta Palaces always use prescribed patterns like the parang design.

Batik worn during dress rehearsal of the sacred Bedaya Ketawang dance is always the kampuh parang rusak, while for other Bedaya and Serimpi dances, the batik is always a parang pattern, in this case parang curigo latar putih, parang rusak or parang kusumo.

Various characters in wayang kulit (shadow puppet), wayang golek (wooden puppet) and the most recent wayang orang puppet theater, wear prescribed batik patterns that suit the characters' personality -- the third brother of the Pandawas, Raden Arjuna and his devoted wife Dewi Sumbadra, always wear a parang rusak klitik pattern.

There is also a belief that certain patterns bring bad luck if worn on unsuitable occasions, such as the tambal pattern, which is avoided by a bridal couples as it is feared to bring in patchy luck, like the material's patchwork pattern, while the kawung pattern should not be used to cover the body of a person who dies on a Saturday.

Yogyakarta Sultan, for instance, never wears the kawung pattern since it is considered to be a forbidden pattern for royalty.

The museum members said batik had a legacy that married the tangible -- the cloth and the income -- with the intangible: the moral teachings and religious beliefs of Javanese philosophy.

"It has been lifted to a national iconic art, and it is still going strong," the museum members said.

It is a month long revelry that perhaps no other place in the world can put up on such a low budget as the Balinese. Not only is their traditional culture alive and well, but they have a tremendous pride in it.

It begins in the villages, where the seka or cultural groups are selected and organized at the regency level, vie with each other to perform the Arts Festival and thus display in front of a large audience the uniqueness of their village of birth and resting place of their ancestors.

The Bali Arts Festival is the Denpasar cultural event of the year, perhaps it would no be too far fetched to suggest that it is the cultural event of Indonesia. The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed.

The History of the Bali Arts Festival

When tourism took off after 1965, the Balinese insisted that it followed cultural guidelines: if tourism was to be accepted, it was to be a cultural tourism, or "pariwisata budaya".

As the Balinese put it: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea become national policy, as part of a larger revping of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Bali (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educed Balinese. It led, on the one side, to the creation of enclave resorts such as Nusa Dua to limit the direct impact of tourism, and on the other, to a long haul cultural policy aimed at nurturing and preserving the traditional agrarian culture while adapting it to the demands of modernity, and in particular of "cultural tourism".

At the village level, local music groups, dances and other cultural events were inventoried, then supported by a series of contests at the district and regency level. The ensuing competition energized the cultural life of villages, whose "young blood" was already being drained to the city by the process of economic change and urbanization.

Schools of dance and art were created, in particular the Kokar conservatory and the STSI School of Dance and Music. Beside research, these schools replaced the traditional master/disciple relationship by modern methods of teaching; standardized the dance movements, produced new types of Balinese dances for tourism and modern village entertainment. Most important, it enabled former students to return to the villages as teachers, where they diffused, beside the creed of cultural resilience and renewal, new dances and standardized versions of old ones.

Many of the performances are held at the amphitheater which can hold up to 6,000 spectators, in a temple-like stage.

Each year, the Bali Arts Festival, beside the fed classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new "dance choreography" is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into "colossal" Sendratari Ballets.

The main challenge to the Arts Festival is obviously economic in nature. As village life is increasingly feeling the strains of monetary considerations, dancers, musicians and others cannot be expected to continue participating simply for the sake and the pleasure of it. As costs soar, new sources of financing have to be found. The obvious answer is the private sector and in particular the tourism industry. The greater task then is to convince the hotels, travel agencies and tourist guides to be more participatory in the Arts Festival rather than to their own sponsored events.

Considering the pride the Balinese have in their culture, and the adaptability and dynism they have always demonstrated, this little hurdle can be overcome. Trust the Balinese. They will eventually succeed to transform their tradition into a modern, Balinese culture of their own.

To see more collection about Bali Art Festival 2009, visit the object below