Bali Art Festival.

One more occasion that must not be missed by tourists whilst in Bali, The Bali Art Festival. This program is an annual program which allowed people to witness all regencies take part in presenting their offerings such as Dancing, Music, and other artistics activities. This festival is not meant for Balinese only, the participants also come from various countries such as Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, America and Europe, not forgetting the other Provinces in Indonesia. The festival takes place in a huge Art Center (Amphitheater) which can hold up 6000 spectators and located in the heart of Denpasar City.

The idea of this program was coming from the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and the Governor of Bali (1978-1988) Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian- Educated Balinese. His basic idea was to redynamize the island's culture by emphasizing the role of the Banjars (neighborhood association) and the Desa Adat (village).

For visitors, beside as unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand, Bali Art Festival would also become an opportunity to get aquainted with the locally produced handycraft and to get access directly to the producers. This festival is always be held in June upto July every year. And during this peiod, Bali reminds itself and the world that it still hosts an admirable, unique culture.

Public Transport

Small vans, called bemo or colt, ply the island for local access. Un-air-conditioned and crowded, they are a good way to get to know the “real” Bali.

The major Denpasar bus terminals:
Kereneng (to Batubulan, Sanur and the city), Tegal (going to Kuta, Sanur, Airport and Nusa Dua), Ubung (all points north and west, including Java), Batubulan (to north and east) and Singaraja (to Java and Denpasar)

Outside Denpasar: Intercity buses depart for Java from Ubung. These bus companies have offices in Denpasar on Jalan Hasanudin near jalan Sumatra and Ubung.

Within Denpasar: you must travel from one end of town to another, and the city is full of one-way streets. Sometimes it’s quicker to walk

Health & Medica

Call an ambulance by dialing 118, but it is quicker to hire a taxi. Most hotels have on-call doctors. For “Bali Belly”, Lomotil and Imodium eliminate symptoms, but not infection. A fever along with above symptoms requires doctor prescribed antibiotics. Drink as much liquid as possible. For discomfort, diarrhea and cramp, drink strong, hot tea; avoid fruits and spicy food. Drink liquids.

Some day-biting mosquitoes carry dengue fever, but this is not a problem in tourist areas. Bali is non-malaria and prophylaxis is not required. Mosquito bites, cuts or abrasions easily become infected in the tropics. Treat them immediately.

Drink only bottled or boiled water (air putih). Peel fruit before eating; avoid raw vegetables except at reputable restaurants. Ice in restaurants is safe.

Protect yourself from the intense equatorial sun. Use sun block and a hat.

AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases are increasing in Indonesia. Local sex workers have multiple partners from around the world. They are not checked for sexually transmitted diseases. Act responsibly and use condoms, available over the counter at pharmacies.

Time Zones

There are three time zones in Indonesia. Bali is on Central Indonesian Standard Time, +8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Bali is on the same time zone as Singapore and Hong Kong.

Business Hours

Indonesians work in the morning to avoid the heat of the day. If you need to visit a government office, arrive between 8 m and 11:30 am. This also applies to banks and private businesses. Government offices close early on Fridays and Saturdays. Generally, offices are open 7 am-3 pm Monday-Thursday, 7:30 am-noon on Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday.

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