interest_place_tovisit.htm

Kertha Gosa and Taman Gili, the Royal Courts of Justice of Klungkung, are a reminder of the power and glory of this former kingdom These two stately pavilions in their lotus pond gardens at the centre of the town of Klungkung, were built in the 18th century, at which time they acted as the island’s highest court of law. Their fantastic ceiling murals in the traditional "Wayang" style of painting depict the punishments in hell for wrong-doers, as well as the rewards heaven for those who are good and honest in their lifetime, a highly evocative view of the Balinese belief in "Kamapala" every action bears fruit, be it good or bad. Judgments were made according to traditional law by three Brahmana high priests. During Dutch colonial rule the courts were still held here, pronouncing judgments on cases concerning custom and traditional law which could not be settled at the village level. Meetings were also held during the full moon of every fourth month of the Balinese calendar, attended by the regional king’s throughout Bali, wherein the high king of Klungkung gave his directives and decisions concerning the problems of the greater Kingdom of Bali. The hall of Kertha Gosa was also often used for audiences granted to guests and foreigners by the king.

A tall gateway behind Kerta Gosa once led into Bali’s most splendid palace, which was destroyed in the Dutch bombardments of 1908 that resulted in the conquest of the island. A memorial to this terrible this terrible Puputan battle that ended 600 years of glorious rule in Bali by the descendants of Majapahit, has been erected on the eastern side of regent’s office , across the road from Kertha Gosa.

At the western side of the Kertha Gosa pavilions is Taman Gili which was previously the headquarters of the king’s guard. Restored during Dutch times, this pavilions is decorated in more recent "Wayang" paintings, by the best o the Kamasan school of Artists. The ceiling of this moated pavilion describes the Balinese horoscopes, as well as illustrating a number of folk tales from old literary classics.

Kamasan

A few kilometers to the south of Klungkung, past the town of Gelgel, lies the village of Kamasan, the centre of traditional "Wayang" painting. This village is also famous for its gold and silver smiths who make hand beaten bowls and trays used in religious ceremony all over the island.

Goa Lawah

The road past Klungkung runs parallel to magnificent seascapes black sand beaches pounded by turbulent swirling waters. Just 6 kilometers east of the town is the temple and cave Goa Lawah, "The Bat Cave", where shrines cluster around the entrance to a cave which is said to extend all the way under ground to a small temple Pura Goa, in the Besakih complex, right on the slopes of mount Agung. This cave is said to be the dwelling of the mythological naga serpent, Basuki, who is honored by a small shrine within the temple.

A round the mount of the cave cluster thousands of bats, their high-pitched squeaks filling the air , tiny quivering bodies packed together in an undulating mass. As with many strange natural phenomena, this cave and its temple are considered very holy by all Balinese, and groups of devotees come with offerings to complete their post-cremation "Segara Gunung" ceremonies for the soul of their deceased.

NUSA PENIDA AND LEMBONGAN

Two of three islands in Klungkung regency, both of them are very hilly and dry.

The largest island is Nusa Penida and the smallest is Nusa Ceningan.

Recent government has developed seaweed farming entire the islands instead of corn and teak forest.

Offshore attraction become the main attracting point, surfing, snorkeling and its coral reef has made these island as an alternative choice for holiday, you can reach these island by using boat less than a hour.

The island also has famous temple, Pura penataran Ped on the north coast of Nusa Penida is known for its magic.

Nusa Penida, the largest of the 3 Sisters Island, along with Lembongan and Ceningan, offers the chance to see turtles, shark, mola-mola, and healthy reefs in fantastic visibility. However, the currents are fast and unpredictable so you must go, not only with a reputable dive operator, but also with a guide who knows how to 'read' the currents. Most of the diving is along the north and northeast coasts and in the strait between Nusa Penida and Ceningan. Manta Point is located off the southwest of the island.

History

Once known as the Siberia of Bali, Nusa Penida was formerly a penitentiary island of banishment for criminals, undesirables, and political agitators fleeing the harsh and unyielding reign of the Gelgel dynasty. The inhabitants were overwhelmingly of the Sudra caste, with few Ksatriya and Brahmana among them. In Balinese mythology, the island is the home of the fanged giant Jero Gede Macaling, who periodically sends his invisible henchmen to southeastern Bali via the beach at Lebih, spreading plagues, famines, droughts, and rats. The word caling means "fang" and those dying of cholera on Bali are said to be "ambil Macaling" ("taken by Macaling"). Mainlanders attempt to chase the demons away by means of exorcistic trance dance-dramas such as the sanghyang dedari.
Although I Macaling has his own temple, Pura Dalem Penataran Ped near Desa Ped on the northeast coast, no cult images of this god of pestilence exist and he is spoken of only in hushed tones. The Balinese are loath to even utter his name, prefering to refer to him simply by the honorific title Beliau. In exchange for prescribed devotional rituals, I Macaling is expected to protect the people.

Land and Climate
The body of water separating the three islands from Bali?Nusa Penida, Lembongan, and Ceningan?roughly marks the division between Asia and Oceania. As the Balinese say, "Here the tigers end."
Though the Badung Strait that separates the islands and the main island of Bali is more than 100 meters deep, the trench in the Lombok Strait between Nusa Penida and Lombok is even deeper. Here the sea plunges to depths of over 300 meters just four km off Nusa Penida's east coast. The main island, nearly rectangular?22 by 16 km?with a total area of 203 square km, is basically a giant slab of limestone seabed uplifted out of the ocean. In its center is a stepped, rocky plateau?clearly seen as you approach the coast by boat from Bali?very similar in terrain and geology to the Bukit Peninsula of south Bali. A string of low, beautiful, palm-fringed, silvery white sandy beaches are found along the north, northwest, and northeast coasts, fringed with coral gardens. With waves crashing against sheer cliffs up to 230 meters high, Nusa Penida's southeastern and southwestern coastlines, which face the Indian Ocean, are rugged and magnificent. You can drive to within several hundred meters, hike to the top, then walk down steep paths to springs emerging at the foot of the cliffs just above the sea.

Flora and Fauna

No native vegetation here. The island's few uncultivated patches are mostly imported weeds and grass. In stark contrast to Bali, Nusa Penida is a dry, hostile land of arid hills, big cacti, low trees, patches of green, small flowers, thorny bush, shallow soil, and no running surface water. The few animals who live?or rather, survive?on Nusa Penida include birds, snakes, and kra. Walter Spies, in a trip to the island during the 1930s, discovered unusual copper-colored bats that derive their color from algae which grow in their hollow hair.
Birdlife?like white cockatoos?is more Australian than Asian. White cockatoos inhabit Nusa Penida. Other rare species, like the white-tailed tropicbird and the white-bellied sea eagle, breed in the spectacular cliffs of the southeast coast. The island is also the home of the exceedingly rare Rothchild's mynah and a breed of cock much prized as an offering in exorcistic rituals.

The People
The island's lack of infrastructure, meager resources, and harsh living conditions account for Nusa Penida's relatively small population of 47,000. The bulk are Hindu. Toyapekeh is the only part-Islamic village, consisting of a mixture of Sasak, Bugis, Malay, and Javanese settlers whose ancestors migrated hundreds of years ago.
Nusa Peniders are commonly thought to possess knowledge of black magic and are given wide berth by other Balinese. Most speak or understand a little Indonesian, but use their own peculiar vernacular of Old Balinese sprinkled with many words borrowed from Lombok. They have their own adat, dances, puppetry, weaving arts, and architecture. The dour and cheerless people of the central plateau live in austere one-room huts built of jagged limestone blocks, surrounded by rustic stables, storage sheds, the family shrine (sanggah), and terraced dry fields.
Most festivals and religious events are devoted to appeasing, deceiving, or exorcising the black-faced demon-king Jero Gede Mencaling and his white-skinned wife Jero Luh. Personified in giant puppets (barong landung), these terrifying deities dance and strut through village streets at festival times. Another popular exorcistic dance is sanghyang jaran, held during times of catastrophe in the Sakti area of west Nusa Penida.
Dance costumes, body ornaments, and gestures are less elaborate than on Bali. In Cemulik (near Sakti) and Pelilit (in the southeast), the gandrung is performed on Purnama, Tilem, and Kajeng Kliwon. In this dance two adolescent boys dress as women. The group baris gede dance is staged during odalan at Batunuggul, and the archaic baris pati is performed in graveyards during cremations, and the baris jangkang is occasionally trotted out to welcome officials to Sekartaji.

Water Sports

As a dive and snorkeling locale, Nusa Penida is at least as spectacular as Bunaken in North Sulawesi. But it's a long and expensive ride, and, once there, cold, strong, unpredictable swells and currents up to four or more knots make conditions challenging and even hazardous. Not the place for beginners. No dive operators exist on Nusa Penida so finding a well-organized dive outfit on Bali, a knowledgeable guide with plenty of experience in the area, a reliable craft, skilled boatmen, and a good engine are all necessities. The best dive sites, in the channel between Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan, are close together and you can move to alternate locations as conditions dictate.
Two of the most convenient sites lie off the dermaga east of Toyapekeh. Fish life, particularly pelagics, tuna, jacks, and reef sharks are common; manta rays collect on the southwest end of the island. The variety of coral along the drop-offs and steep slopes is incredibly rich, but because of deep upwellings the water can be uncomfortably cold, dropping to below 19° C during the Balinese winter. Visibility, up to 15 meters, is quite good.