Eastern
Bali is where you can come closest to the Balinese lifestyle and local
people. This is the region from where people draw out their livelihoods
thus accounting for the maximum employment opportunities in Bali. Famous
for the lush green paddies, eastern Bali is the core of producing
fruits, vegetables, nuts, rice and all such items which not only fill
the stomachs and hearts of many.
People
in eastern Bali has gone beyond the obvious and converted what little
they have into something which we all are in awe of today. The
livelihood activities of Bali have given rise to the humongous tourism
and placed Bali on the global map.
Where to go
Eastern
Bali is known for its beautiful coffee plantations. Hundreds of years
ago, Dutch planters had recognized Bali as a perfect growing climate for
the heirloom cacao and they moved cacao beans onto Bali soil.
Eventually, the trees spread informally and evolved into a unique, high
quality cocoa. The Kintamani region is still considered
as Bali’s primary coffee growing region. Most of Bali’s coffee is grown
by small local farmers organized in Subak Abian. Subak originates from
rice production and is an organization where farmers within the same
trade join forces and cooperate about the technical, social and
religious aspects related to farming. One of the characteristics of Bali
coffee is the processing method. Wet processing is the traditional way
of coffee processing in Bali, while dry processing is the most common
method on the other part of Indonesia.
Balinese soil is very favourable for growing cashew nuts, owing to the fertility of soil. In Ban Village, Karangasem,
the cashew growing community has created huge employment opportunities
for women in eastern Bali. These cashews were earlier exported to India
or Vietnam for processing. But now a lot of cashew filtering and
processing units are also being setup in Bali. These units employ about
300 staff to crack, pry, peel, roast and bag the cashews. Now the cashew
farmers are able to sell ready-to-eat cashews at a much higher rate.
Arak workshops also create huge working opportunities in eastern Bali, and Sidemen Village
is a well-known area for Arak producing. Arak is the traditional
Balinese liquor that is derived from the palm tree. Arak is clear and
colourless, high in alcohol and has a very sharp, biting taste. It owes
its popularity to the powerful taste and cheap rate. These workshops
take you through a tour of how Arak is produced and how it should be
consumed so that the bitterness does not hit hard.
Bali
is renowned world-wide for its unique and intricate textiles. The
Balinese women are considered to be the guardians of the secret
knowledge of textiles, and like the ingredients for certain dyes and a
rich compendium of sacred motifs. Bali’s rarest textile can be found in
the village of Tenganan, known for its sophisticated
weavings. The Geringsing of Tenganan are produced by what is known as
the double ikat method, a technique in which resist patterns are applied
to both warp and weft threads before weaving, so that the final pattern
appears only on completion. The most striking feature of all Geringsing
is their muted colouring – combining red and reddish-brown tones,
eggshell and dark blue or black violet. Double Ikat is a technique in
which both warp and the weft are dyed with a specific pattern prior to
stringing on the loom. This extremely demanding and time-consuming
process requires a lot of skill and employs skilled craftsmen only.
Amed
is a vibrant fishing village where the daily life has not changed in
decades. This area is responsible for employing hundreds of fishermen.
More than 80 percent of the people in Amed rely on fishing. Traditional
fishing boats line the beach and various sized motor boats are moored to
the shore. The local people are very friendly, and most of the times
they welcome visitors into their homes to see their day-to-day
activities. Each morning before sunrise the local fisherman leaves on
their jukung boats to catch mackerel in the Lombok Straights. The
fisherman usually returns early morning, while the women and children
are waited to collect the fish and take it to the markets. Mahi-Mahi,
Rainbow Runner, Spanish Markel, Travelly, Tuna are some of the common
Balinese catches.
Step outside a little bit, Lombok is known for its golden ‘South-Seas’ cultured pearls. Lombok
produces some of the best South Sea Pearls in the world with over 24
active pearl farms. Pinctada Margaritifera, the black-lip pearl oyster,
exhibits a variety of colour morphs ranging from the commoner reds and
browns to greens, bronzes and creams. Hyriopsis Schlegeli is freshwater
mussels which are common throughout the world, but those used for pearl
cultivation are mainly found in freshwater rivers, lakes and ponds.
These pearls are unique and of the finest quality. Most of Lombok’s
pearl farms are located along the south west coast of the island, from
Sekotong Timur to Bangko-Bangko, Sekotong Tengah and Lembar. At present,
Lombok exports over 700 kilograms of pearls per year. It not only puts
Bali in the global map, but provides jobs to a lot of people along the
coastlines.
What to do
For the underwater lovers, there are several breathtaking diving
sites like Paradise Reef, Kubu, Lipah Bay and Waterloo. The east of
Bali underwater attraction is mainly known for the US Liberty, a world
war II wreck that lies close to Tulamben. Shipwreck diving enables sport
divers to visit the past. Each wreck is considered a time capsule into
history waiting to be explored. There are many rare animals living in
the small reefs and sandy areas close to the wreck. The excellent diving
in this area makes it well worth an extended visit, especially for
photographers interested in critter diving. You can see mimic octopus,
boxer crabs, eagle ray or a couple black tip reef sharks, a big
barracuda or Spanish mackerel.
Eastern
Bali has stunning beaches for the beachgoers. Bias Tugel Beach and Blue
Lagoon are beautiful white sandy beaches near Padang Bai port. The
clean water here allows you to swim or snorkel
to see the beautifully coloured coral reefs and various ornamental
fish. Jemeluk Bay in Amed is another snorkelling spot. The offshore
waters offer good snorkelling with live coral in shallow waters. The
coral reef is right up to the shore and is very gorgeous.
For all those who just cannot get enough of the ocean, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan beaches offer sea kayaking
activity. You can paddle along the coast taking in the beautiful
landscape, including the cliffs and natural caves. Also experience the
beautiful sunny mornings and afternoons paddling along the shoreline of
Mushroom Bay and Lembongan Island. Depending on the tides, you might
experience flat water or some manageable waves.
Telaga Waja river hosts a variety of water rafting
activities for the adventure seekers. The action starts when you launch
into an 9.6 kilometres river stretch, set to a backdrop of wild
unspoiled rainforest, towering gorges and magnificent rice paddy
terraces. Test your adrenaline and feel the sensation of how the thrill
of conquering the rapids of the wild river.
One of the most adventurous things to do during a trip to East Bali is to go hiking
the volcanoes. Mount Agung and Mount Batur provide hiking trails that
will challenge your core stamina. Mount Agung is the most favourite one
among the hikers. Before or during the hiking, you can also camp a day
to get the real sense of being a true traveller. Imagine watching the
starry skies, trading stories over the campfire and enjoy the solitude
all around.
East
Bali will give you loads of options for sight-seeing, adventure sports
as well as brings you very close to Balinese way of life. With so many
livelihood activities around you, there is no scope to miss out
understanding the Balinese tradition and culture. If you keenly observe
the local people, you will not fail to notice how hardworking and
sincere these people are and how their occupation has given rise to such
wonderful tourism options.
This article is also published at NOW! Bali Magazine
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