Puri Saren Agung, central palace where culture dance is held, located at the northeast corner of the central cross-roads. It was the home of the last “king” of Ubud, and now his descendants live there. It was also Ubud’s first hotel, opening its doors to paying visitors in the 1930s. Still operated as a small homestay style hotel. Parts of the gardens and some of the bales are quite grand and formal, with generous lashing of prada (gold leaf) applied to the carved woodwork.

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A holiday on Bali will take your breath away and stimulate all your senses — even some you didn’t know about. Invigorating and calming at the same time you will not want to leave this mystical island. Here’s what I loved about being here.

Top Ten Things to do in Bali and Lombok

1. Replenish your soul at Uluwatu resort at the south western tip of Bukit Peninsula - you will be lulled to sleep at night by the same waves that rock Dreamland - you will never rest more deeply. This sacred spot is an enchanting jewel - the bungalows cling to a cliff
with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. For lovers, surfers, poets, and solo explorers.

2. Take a surf lesson on Kuta Beach. Even if you don’t stand up - feeling the wave under you is divine. Don’t miss it.

3. Flex you flirt muscles on Gili Trawangan - this friendly island is filled with locals and foreigners who look you in the eye and laugh with you - white sugar beaches seduce you to stay longer - and the peace is hard to beat. No motorcycles, cars, or engines of any kind. Nirvana.

4. Scuba diving - get certified - get wet - get down under and do it! Swim with a big turtle and you will know bliss. On Gili Trawangan go to Manta Dive - they are wonderfully professional and authentically personable. The staff and owners want you to have fun and see the world beneathe us. It’s gorgeous!

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Sumptuous and serene and right on the beach at Seminyak the Bali Holiday Resort soothes you with crashing ocean waves and a gorgeous garden. It’s right in the center of the action too - you can walk to the Double Six Club and Deja Vu or have a tasty dinner on your own balcony brought in. Walk to the countless restaurants nearby and feast your senses on mouthwatering delights.

The pool is so big it can accomodate families and couples with plenty of room to spread out. I loved the delicious breakfast and the attentive staff. Also the king size bed with high thread count sheets and plump pillows behind the linen see through curtains was alluring and romantic. I didn’t want to leave.

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Mary Bartnikowski is the author of a book of essays, “Everyday Naked” available from Amazon. She is a professional photographer in Palo Alto, California.
Contact her at www.bartnikowski.com

The tropical climate, with its biannual change of seasons, makes volcanic Bali a very fertile land. Many different kinds of tropical plants Wow well in the cool highlands and hot, dry coastal areas. The average humidity of 60% during the dry season and 100% during the rainy season influences fertility of the many types of tropical flora, which Wow in Bali.

The daily life of the Hindu Balinese, which is strongly characterized with a diverse range of rituals, makes plentiful use of the fauna and flora available on the island. Leaves and coconuts of the palm tree, bananas, fruits, and a diverse range of flowers are some examples of the flora that is used frequently in daily life. Fruits, such as the salak and the jeruk (citrus), are popularly used as offerings, and are known throughout the archipelago as a specialty of the fruits cultivated in Bali.

Aside from the areas near the seashore surrounding the island, the regency of Jembrana in West Bali is the largest provider of coconuts with its palm tree plantations, whereas many kinds of fruits and flowers are grown in the mountain areas such as Bedugul, Bangli and northern Badung. Tree trunks, found in most areas of Bali, are used as building material. For example, the kwantitan (jackfruit tree) is generally used for the construction of buildings in Bali.

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Throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim, Internet service providers, backbone and regional networks, web hosting facilities, firewalls, and Intranets are being created, deployed, and installed at a staggering pace. The technicians, managers, entrepeneurs and decision-makers responsible are under tremendous pressure to master the skills necessary to build and operate these increasingly complex systems.The mission of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (APRICOT) is to provide a forum for those key Internet builders in the region to learn from their peers and other leaders in the Internet community from around the world.

Held annually, the ten day long summit consists of seminars, workshops, tutorials, conference sessions, birds-of-a-feather (BOFs), and other forums all with the goal of spreading and sharing the knowledge required to operate the Internet within the Asia Pacific region.

In an attempt to ease the travel burden on attendees, APRICOT is held in conjunction with one of the Asia Pacific Network Information Center’s (APNIC) two annual meetings, the winter Asia Pacific Networking Group (APNG) meeting, and meetings of other Asia Pacific Internet organisations.

Wherever possible, APRICOT also attempts to derive synergy by having the meetings close to or back-to-back with other Internet events such as Asia Internet World, ICANN etc.

More information on APRICOT 2007 click here.