Situated on a hill between Tirtagangga Water Palace and Bebandem, about 87 km to the east of Denpasar and 7 km away from Amlapura City stands the village of Budakeling overlooking the east coast of Bali with Mount Agung towering majestically in the background. Budakeling is wellknown among Balinese for its high priests especially from the Buda sect. but for the visitors Budakeling is a village of farmers, artists and craftsmen – from dancers and painters, to stone sculptors and engravers of Sanskrit lontar manuscripts.

Budakeling is one of few Balinese old villages; the establishment of this village can be traced back to the 15th century during the reign of King Waturenggong in Bali. The king wanted to held a grand ceremony, and one of the requirements of the ceremony is that a high priest of Buda sect have to officiate the ceremony along with the high priest of Siwa sect; so Danghyang Astapaka, a high priest of Buda sect which also brother of royal priest Danghyang Nirartha was summoned form East Java to officiate the ceremony. After the ceremony was over, the King offered a piece of land to Danghyang Astapaka as a reward. Danghyang Astapaka saw an illuminating ray came from a piece of land in the northeast, so he requested that piece of land as a reward. The king fulfilled his request, and Danghyang Astapaka established the village of Budakeling on that land.

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The Nirwana Resort and Spa is located in Candidasa and about 60 km from Bali’s capital city, Denpasar. Its prime ocean front position gives a stunning view of the Indian Ocean. While enjoying a few sessions in the swimming pool or tasting our chefs special at the very own “Nirwana Sunset Restaurant”, guests can enjoy romantic view of the sunset sinking into the Indian Ocean in the South. This memorable moment certainly will be too good to miss out. Situated in East Bali, a quieter part of the island, the newly renovated The Nirwana Resort and Spa is beyond doubt the place for anyone seeking tranquility and natural beauty

The Nirwana Resort and Spa consist of 18 new bungalows with option of 12 garden or lagoon view bungalows and 6 ocean view bungalows. These 18 bungalows are all air conditioned and with open terraces. Inside each room there is a refrigerator with mini bar. TV with international channels spacious room and bathrooms with standing shower and bathtub. If you are feeling homesick, there is also in room IDD Telephone line

Among other things which are named after or have anything to do with Balinese national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai (i.e. Ngurah Rai International Airport, Ngurah Rai by pass, or Margarana Heroes Burial Park), Tanah Aron is the least known and given adequate attention.

Tanah Aron is located at the foot of mount Agung, near the village of Budakeling, in Karangasem regency. It was the place where I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his Ciung Wanara troops fought against Dutch’s troops and hide from Dutch’s aerial bombardment. Ngurah Rai and his troops managed to escape the Dutch’s attack and continue their guerrilla warfare until met their final fate in a battle in Margarana.

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Standing on Tukad Badung Street, Renon Denpasar is one of two franchises of Nasi Ayam Kedewatan’s Mrs. Mangku (the central of course in Kedewatan, Ubud and another franchise is in Kuta. This restaurants attracts many people to come especially the fans of Nasi Ayam Kedewatan’s Mrs. Mangku from Denpasar who do not have enough time to go to Ubud or Kuta.. On the first glance, it is like others restaurants; woody tables and chairs dominate the room then the cashier is in the left corner. Don’t sit on there if you are not in a hurry. Pass on the second door and you will see the best part of this restaurant.

There are, on the back of the first building, some gazebos covered with sago-palm roof stand. Those were built on the long pond and encircled by the high grass and also assorted flowers. While you are eating you will be comforted by spattering water falling from the bamboo tube so the noisy sound of the street in front of the restaurant will barely audible. It is allowed you to chat with your family and friends or laugh together freely. Nasi Ayam Kedewatan gives you the chance to choose-the sitting on the floor-gazebo or -sitting on the chairs-gazebo. A comfortable place for having a lunch.

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Here is an interesting writing on Buddhism in Bali by venerable S. Dhammika. It is interesting to see the point of view of a Buddhist Monk form outside Bali on Buddhism in Bali.

Much attention has been given to how far west Buddhism extended in ancient times. The most westerly Buddhist monument that can be is the foundations of a large stupa in the south east corner of the ancient citadel of Khiva in Turkmenistan. Small communities of Buddhists may have existed beyond this but if they did they would have been insignificant, isolated and exceptional. We can say therefor that the outer edge of Buddhism in the west was what is now eastern Iran. But how far to the east did Buddhism spread its gentle and civilizing influence? To the outer islands of Indonesia, to Australia or perhaps beyond? In the 1920’s a superb bronze bust of the Buddha was found on Sulawesi, one of the larger islands that make up Indonesia. This is the eastern most point that any Buddhist antiquity has ever been found. There is, though, no evidence of an enduring Buddhist presence either on Sulawesi or beyond it; no ruined temples or monasteries, no inscriptions or references to it in the historical records. However, only a few hundred miles south west of Sulawesi is the small island of Bali where MajapahitG and literary evidence shows that Buddhism existed along side Hinduism for about seven hundred years.

Indian merchants first arrived in Bali in about 200 BCE and it was probably these people who introduced Buddhism and Hinduism. A Balinese work of uncertain date called the Nagarakertagama by the Buddhist monk lists all the Buddhist temples in Bali, twenty six altogether, and mentions that in 1275 King Kretanagara underwent a Tantric Buddhist initiation to protect his kingdom from an expected invasion by Kublai Khan. The island’s history is scant until 1343 when it was conquered by and absorbed into the Majapahit Empire of Java-Sumatra. Hinduism and Buddhism both received state patronage although the type of Buddhism that prevailed gradually became indistinguishable from Hinduism. A Javanese Buddhist work from about the 12th century contains this telling verse. “The one substance is called two, that is, the Buddha and Siva. They say they are different but how can they be divided? Despite differences there is oneness”. Clearly at the time these words were being composed some Buddhists were struggling to maintain the uniqueness of the Dharma while others were stressing its similarity with Hinduism. Eventually in both Java and Bali the integrators prevailed. Incidentally, the phrase “Despite differences there is oneness” ( Bhineka tunggal ika ) has been taken as the motto for the Republic of Indonesia. With the collapse of Mahapahit in 1515 and the ascendancy of Islam, Java’s old intellectual and religious elite, including the last surviving Buddhist monks and scholars sought refuge in Bali.

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Bvlgari Hotel & Resorts Bali is located on the southern tip of the Jimbaran Peninsula, close to the Temple of Uluwatu; an exclusive and intimate setting for guests seeking the ultimate in privacy and luxury.

Resort Services and Facilities
• Spa and fitness Club • Bar • Indonesian restaurant • Italian restaurant • Function room up to 80 guests for dinner • Boardroom • Business centre • Swimming pool • Private beach • Bulgari Store • Balinese arts and crafts store.

The Accommodation
The 59 individual villas, freestanding and private, will include an open-air pavilion, terrace and private plunge pool, enjoying spectacular ocean views. The villas, decorated with Balinese antique pieces of art, will offer state of the art technological features.