Monthly Archives: April 2019

Five major events to discover Balinese culture and tradition

bali

Apart from the captivating nature, beaches, sunshine and ancient archaeological sites, Bali also draws the attention with some fantastic festivals, cultural events and celebrations that take place all throughout the year.

Here are five major upcoming festivals and events you can be a part of when visiting Bali:

Ubud Food Festival

One of the most anticipated culinary festivals in Indonesia, Ubud Food Festival is here to treat food lovers from all corners of the world. This three-day culinary event is a celebration of diverse Indonesian cuisine, local produce and innovative chefs. This year, the event is scheduled from 26th April to 28th April. Visit here with your family and friends and explore various live cooking demonstrations, workshops, food tours, markets, movie screenings and live music.

Semarapura Festival Klungkung

An event that aims to promote the district of Klungkung for tourism, Seemarapura Festival attracts art and culture lovers from all around. Visitors can learn about the culture of Klungkung through a number of cultural performances, art and culinary competitions and small exhibitions that take place throughout the festival. The five day event begins 28th April and would last until 2nd May. Visitors can be a part of the lively activities at the fest all throughout the day starting from 7:30 am till 11 pm.

Pesta Kesenian Bali

A month long Bali Arts Festival that takes place every second Saturday in June till the second Saturday in July, Pesta Kesenian Bali festival is an annual celebration of Balinese culture. Another aim of the festival is to promote Indonesia as a major tourist destination. You can enjoy various literary competitions, handicraft exhibitions, traditional dance performances and other cultural activities throughout the festival.

Tenganan Festival

Tenganan Festival is held during Usaba Sambah, a temple ceremony in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village, one of the ancient villages of Bali. The festival mainly focuses on the tradition of ” Perang Pandan” or Pandaus War, and is a huge ritual dedicated to God Indra, the Hindu god of war and the sky. This year, the festival is scheduled from 22nd June to 25th June. During the event you will find houses decorated beautifully, girls boarding a large wooden swing, a special arena that is established for Tenganan men to perform the ritual of duelling as part of the celebration.

Bali Kite Festival

One of the most mesmerising of all the festivals and events in Bali, Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival celebrated in Padang Galak area of Sanur Beach. This competitive tournament takes place between the months of July and August, and is a way for the people to thank the Hindu Gods for the year’s harvest. Traditional colourful kites are flown for a communal dance by teams from the villages of Denpasar; and the teams comprise 70-80 people, each with its own Gamelon band, flag bearers and flyers. You can have a great time with your family attending this lively cultural event that is going to take place from 15th August to 18th August this year.

Some of the Best Surfing Spots Across South Africa

Surfer

With its nearly three thousand kilometre coastline popular for waters with great swells and waves, South Africa has become a hub for the high adrenaline water sports that is surfing! In fact surfing at several of South African bays and beaches is a major draw attracting thousands of adventure enthusiasts from all around the world.

south-africa

Here we’ve compiled a list of some of the most stunning surfing spots across the country.

Durban Cave Rock

Durban is the surfing capital of South Africa and if you wish to experience surfing alongside the locals, Durban Cave Rock is the place to be. With its regular swells, favourable wind directions and an array of reef, point and beach breaks, the beach presents wonderful surfing opportunities. You can consider visiting here during the months of April to September when most of the surfers are out on the beaches.

Elands Bay

With a rocky, kelp-covered shelf encircling a corner and altering into the sand at a tiny river mouth, this place is ideal for more experienced surfers. While the picture-perfect beach beauty of the bay is a treat for sore eyes, a number of reasonably priced hotels and guest-houses, and a campsite for backpackers make it a perfect holiday destination. Visit the place in summer months when you will have fine waves and swells to ride and experience the best of surfing.

Jeffrey’s Bay

Having voted “the best surfing destination of the world”, Jeffrey’s Bay is one of the top attractions in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It draws surfers with its consistent tubes and Supertube waves, and is a true paradise of aloes, dolphins, shells, perfect points and classic reefs. Also, do not miss to be a part of Billabong Pro, the world-famous surfing event hosted here every year and attended by many surfers from across the globe.

Long Beach

Those with an intermediate level of surfing skills will find Long Beach an ideal place to make the most of this water sport. This long, sandy beach offers small to medium swells and some of the best and most consistent shore breaks of South Africa. It can be surfed all throughout the year, however, winter is considered to be the best time to discover the Western Cape Province.

Wild Coast

Representing a long stretch of shoreline between Cintsa in the south and Mtamvuna River in the north, Wild Coast is home to an array of great surfing spots. While surfers can enjoy here excellent rides on a well-exposed point break, nature lovers can delight in some of the best coastal sceneries in the world. Sharks Point, Lwandile and Mdumbi are some of the well-known surfing spots to discover on the Wild Coast.

Top 5 National Parks to Discover in Sri Lanka

sri-lanka

Sri Lanka is not just about endless beaches, rolling surf and eternal sunshine, there’s a lot more to this Indian Ocean destination. Its sprawling national parks are among its major draws. The unique and diverse wildlife including Asian elephants and Sri Lankan leopards attract wildlife and nature lovers from far and wide. Here are some of the top national parks of Sri Lanka:

Pigeon Island National Park

A place where you can experience beach vibe as well as exciting wildlife, Pigeon Island National Park is one of the most famous marine national parks in the island country. It is the only place in Sri Lanka to discover a variety of blue rock pigeons. The park comprises two islands – the small pigeon island and the large pigeon island; and you can spot plenty of sea life including blacktip reef sharks and Hawksbill turtle. Besides, water sports enthusiasts can indulge in excellent snorkelling opportunities offered here.

Yala National Park

Yala-National-Park

Considered to be the second largest and the most popular eco-tourism destination in Sri Lanka, Yala National Park is a true wildlife delight in the country. It is famous for spotting elephants, birds, buffaloes as well as the big cats, the leopards. You can plan a visit to the park with your family and friends at any time of the year and can enjoy the beaches, safaris, bird watching and a host of other things to do amidst its diverse landscape.

Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe-National-Park

Lying on the boundary of the dry and wet zones of Sri Lanka, Udawalawe National Park is the third-most visited national park in Sri Lanka. If you wish to witness elephants in the wild, this is the place to be. Apart from the Sri Lankan elephants, you will also get a chance to spot other habitants including sambar deer, mongooses, wild buffalo, water monitor lizard, jackals, leopards, sloth bears, snakes and turtles. Bird watchers can enjoy spotting endemic bird species here such as red-faced malkoha, brown-capped babbler, Sri Lanka spurfowl and Sri Lanka grey hornbill and more.

Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and is home to nearly 200 species of birds making an excellent choice for birders. The park is open all year-round; and most of the people visit the park on jeep tours from Tissamaharama, a town in the Southern province of Sri Lanka. The Greater Flamingo, Painted Stork and Eurasian Spoonbill are the major bird species to spot here. Reach the park early morning to start your jungle exploration, and you will have a good chance to spot crocs, wild boar, monitor lizards, mongooses, monkeys and elephants.

Minneriya National Park

Minneriya-National-Park

One of the best places in Sri Lanka to see Asian elephants, Minneriya National Park is popular among tourists for its wonderful safaris and camping. It is situated in the dry zone of Sri Lanka; and May to October is the best time to visit here when you can spot the largest gathering of the wild elephants. Plenty of scrub, forest and wetlands within the park draw huge crowds of nature lovers from all around. You will also have an opportunity to witness toque macaques, sambar deer, buffalo, crocodiles and leopards.