Balinese Culture

Bali culture is unique and famous especially for its rich and vibrant arts. Various forms of dance and music have made Bali's arts and culture scene one of the most diverse in the world. Hinduisim as the main religion is the major influence behind its development. Music, drama, dance and costumes become a feast for the senses during temple festivities. Rites of passage at Balinese family households can almost be seen daily, celebrating the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Special cultural dates and highlights also mark the calendar, through annual art festivals and local revelries that visitors should check out to make the best of their visit

Art is everywhere in Bali. From the intricate flower decorations in a Barong dancer's headdress, to elaborately carved temple facades and beautiful oil paintings. Bali's performing arts are also an integral part of Balinese culture.

Music and dance play a huge part in significant rituals and religious ceremonies. Known as " the Island of the Gods" hardly a day goes by without a ceremony or festival taking place. Traditional dances with full gamelan orchestras are performed for tourists daily in addition to the day to day religious ceremonies. Definitely worth seeing.

Barong Dance 
The Barong is triumphant display of graceful movement and vibrant colour. The dance is basically a contest between the opposing forces of Rangda - chaos and destruction, and Barong - order. (Basically good and evil.)

 Kecak Dance
The kecak is a ritual dance which was created in the early 1930's for the movie "Island of the Demons" by the German painter and intellectual Walter Spies. The dance combines the chorus of the "Sanghyang" trance dance with a dance story from the epic "Ramayana." It is extremely impressive with its circular chorus of sometimes over 100 bare-chested male singers.

There's probably more Bali temples than homes on the island. Many temples in Bali are actually shrines. However, the number of religious compounds might well be over 10,000. The number is spread throughout the far-flung corners of the island, from mountain and hilltops to low-lying coastal areas. Bali temples are normally peaceful and desolate. They transform into scenes of great activity during festivals or temple anniversaries. Traditional dance performances, cockfighting and even gambling often takes place during such events. You’ll find that each of Bali’s temples is unique. They may either face towards the mountains, the sea or towards sunrise.

Bali is not just a tropical paradise, it is also a cultural adventure for you to take on. There are many tropical beaches in the world, but only Bali offers them with its spiritual, traditional values you will not find elsewhere. Balinese Hinduism is distinctive for its addition to the island’s own traditional values.

For Balinese people, this aspect of their life is extremely important. And knowing that you, a visitor to their island, acknowledge it, and they will give you nothing but respect in return. Plus, it will give your vacation spiritual experiences you’ll never have elsewhere. So, get ready to make some changes to your itinerary for this tropical island of gods.