Joanna James
Bali's calendar contains a lot of festivities that perfectly portray the culture and tradition of the colourful island. If you wish to see a side of Bali that is rarely exposed, visit a festival.
This is a special occasion dedicated towards animals, be it livestock or a pet. They are made by farmers wishing for a successful harvest or animal activists concerned about the well being of animals. Tumpek Kandang is one of many other Tumpek days which all aim to bless different issues. For an instance, Tumpek Landep is geared towards honouring tools while Tumpek Uduh honours plants. While the festival might seem unusual to a tourist, it is still an eventful festival worth checking out. Tumpek Kandang is scheduled for the 20th of January 2018.
Simply said, the Nyepi Day is a new year celebration unlike anything else you have witnessed. The New Year in question is the Saka New Year. Also known as the Bali Day of Silence, this is a day where all the locals stop their activities. Yes, all the locals! Shops are closed, nobody leaves for work, the roads are completely free of traffic and no lights are turned on at night. For a tourist, this might be incredibly inconvenient but the days preceding the main day is certainly eye-catching. The locals build mythical figures and other forms of figures from the eighties using bamboo. The day after the New Year, head to the Sesetan village. Most luxury hotels in Seminyak, the likes of Studios at Alila Seminyak will have no problem getting you there. Sesetan is the nucleus of the Omed-Omedan festival and an array of games are participated in by locals.
The tenth full moon, it is quite a significant event among the Hindus on the island. Many temples hold sacred rituals which are attended by throngs of believers. The temple Besakih attracts the biggest crowds for its 'Betara Turun Kabeh' ritual that invites deities and the dead to bless the believers. The Sunday before the festival is a day where pilgrims carry their valuables and other objects to holy water locations. Interested in the Purnama Kedasa? Well, it falls on the 31st of March, 2018, in case you want to experience it.
I don't know about you, but this is a festival I can wholeheartedly get behind. Taking place between the 13th and 15th of April, 2018, the Ubud Food Festival portrays the best of Bali and Indonesian cuisine. A known gathering spot of the country's most distinguished chefs such as Antoine Olivain, live cooking demos take place in every corner and visitors are treated to a complete culinary tour. Other than the food, one can also find rare ingredients as well as farm fresh and organic ingredients that you would be hard-pressed to find on an average day. Of course, live music, games, movie screenings and workshops help to keep up the festive mood of the event.
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