5 Sights Unique to Bali - For a Fascinating Experience!

If you are travelling during the festive times of Galungan and Kuningan, you are in for a treat. During these holy days, the Bali streets are decorated with bamboo sticks and poles and are covered with ornaments made out of coconut leaves. These poles feature many of the harvested items of this region which includes fruits, stalks of rice, coconut leaves and coconuts. Yes, you might have guessed it already, this is like a Christmas tree. Every family here will erect one of these bamboo pole structures outside their residence. This will create an archway in the streets, the likes you have never seen before. Besides, for accommodation, you can check out a Bali beachfront resort, the likes of Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort, for a good experience.

Cremations are a memorable experience when in Bali. This is called the pelebon or the ngaben by the local tongue. So what goes on during a cremation? For one thing, they are actually loud, and you'll be looking at a celebratory procession, where gamelan music is played. Even the coffins are something else altogether. They are ornate and are tall structures that will be carried by a group of men. The coffin is not the same for everyone, and it reflects the social classes from where the deceased hails from. Royal families tend to have very grand coffins, which look like pagodas that can measure around ten meters!

The windy seasons is where the skies here are dotted with giant structures called the layang-layang or the layangan. This is when locals get prepared for the upcoming kite festival. If you want to visit the kite festival, you must know there is no pre-booked date, and it is informed very late. People wait for favourable weather conditions, and when one witnesses it in a day, the locals are informed to gather. The locals, including kids, come out to show off their marvellous gigantic kites to everyone.

Another celebration then you can witness when in Bali is the Saka New Year Celebrations. Nothing much happens on the New Year Day as the entire island, including all shops, closes off and it is a public holiday. However, the eve is something else altogether. On this night, the atmosphere is filled with noisy crackers, lighted with lanterns and torches. On top of that, there are parades that take around hand-made structures around the village.

This is another exciting time to be in Bali. This happens just after the Sake New Year and is a strange festival you can be a part of. On this day the Sesetan village located in Southern Denpasar all gather around to cheer the youths who partake in the omed-omedan which is often translated to 'festival of smooches'. The girls in one queue and the boys in the other, and couples try to get hold of their partner to come in for a brief hug and kiss before they are pulled away from each other. The elders hold buckets of water and spray the couples and drench them.