An Undersea Promenade - Bali ”Seawalker” Park

One of the water activities in Sanur Area is undersea seawalker or promenade. This activity is probably the one and only in Bali and even in Indonesia. By means of a helmet (seawalker helmet), you will be taken to become ‘fish’ in few hours.

Its helmet is specially designed that the user can walk vertically and breathe as on the land. By seawalker, you can enjoy the allurement of undersea panorama without swimming or diving.
Seawalker activity located at Semawang Beach, in front of Puri Santrian Hotel Bali. It is 500 meter from the beach and resides in the depth of 5 meters. This location is only 10 km from Ngurah Rai International Airport or 20 minutes drive.
According to IB Putra Darmayasa, Sales & Marketing Manager of Club Aqua, the helmet used for seawalker is manufactured in Japan. Further, he explains that similar activity has operated in several countries like Guam (the United States), Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and Europe. In Bali (Indonesia), its operating license is authorised to PT Wisata Jalan Laut since 2000.
Seawalker is easy to be done by any body, from 10-70 years, without the exception for disabled persons provided their hands can function well. Seawalker helmet is connected with a hose as long as 30 meters to air filter then to compressor. Air filter functions to make the air supply constant in accordance with the composition of air content that is inhaled on land like nitrogen (79%), oxygen (20%) and other elements (1%). By this composition, the air entering the helmet can be used to breathe normally as on the land.
How much does its cost? It is only USD 69.00 per adult person or USD 64.00 per person (child)! During the activity, participants have enough spare time undersea. Except for getting pick up service, lunch is also provided. For the rate USD 49.00 per adult person and USD 44 per child, participants are only entitled to get seawalker service, excluding pick up service and lunch. In the meantime, domestic tourists will be given 30% discount. “All participants of this activity are already covered by insurance worth USD 100,000,” utters IB Putra.
Prior to ‘diving’, all participants are given some important instructions pertaining to the activity and how to communicate by hand gestures (hand sign). It is also taught how to do breathing when alteration of pressure occurs instantly, things that are not allowed to do during undersea activity and instruction for self-safety in emergency case.
Then, by motorized outrigger participants proceeded to Seawalker pontoon and further perform diving. Participants walk down the steps leading to undersea and when the water has reach shoulder-deep, Seawalker helmet should be put on gradually. By safety bar, all participants are led to walk as long as 30 meters to enjoy undersea panorama. Attraction of feeding various kinds of fish that come near is moderately liked by participants.
Since 2001, Asian travellers like best this activity. “The most is Japanese, approximately 70%, domestic 10% and the remaining is European and Australian,” utters Putra Darmayasa. Want to try it out? Simply come to Club Aqua at Puri Santrian Hotel, Griya Santrian Hotel, Arena Sport and Mezzanine Restaurant, The Village Restaurant or Sekar Menuh Transport.

Source: http://www.bali-travelnews.com/

Bali: Nusa Dua Undersea

The dives just beyond the reef line east of the northern part of Tanjung Benoa peninsula, or in front of Sanur, are are not the best in Bali. But the sites are easy to get to, and there is quite a good variety of reef fish to see. These dives serve perfectly as a quick refresher if you haven't dived in a while, or as your first dive if you just completed a dive course. An outboard-powered outrigger canoe takes you the few hundred meters from the beach to the dive location, just beyond where the waves break. The only way out is over very shallow reef flat, so the tide must be in to make the trip. Be prepared for a bit of spray during the ride out or back and when crossing the (usually low) breaking waves. On the reef face off Tanjung Benoa, we dropped down to 8-9 meters on a slightly sloping bottom with scattered coral formations. Visibility (late september) was just 6-8 meters, but we were told that it is usually twice this.The majority of the fish were at 8-10 meters. We made a couple of quick dips to 14 meters, and saw nothing.

Good Variety of Fish

The coral cover here is not fantastic, but the few mini-pinnacles drew plentiful fish life with a good variety of species. We saw several 50-75 centimeter fish glide by, but visibility was too restricted to make an identification. Our guide found a giant moray and pointed him out to us.This big fellow lives in a coral cave with several openings, and for a while he played hide and seek, popping his head out of three different holes.We saw a fairly large group of yellowtail fusiliers, a nicely compacted hovering mass of blue lined snappers, a few red bigeyes and several small aggregations of bigeye soldierfish.
Fairy basslets hovered over almost every coral outcrop Damsels were present in a variety of species. The butterfly fish were well-represented, but the only schooling species we saw was a small group of masked bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros). Groupers were common especially the white-lined grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) which we saw in both color morphs: white, and brown-green.
Parrotfish were present in good variety, but the only species we noticed more than once was the blue-barred parrot (Scarus ghobban). The only angelfish we saw were the dwarf bicolor angel (Centropyge bicolor) and several big emperor angels. Surgeonfish were common, particularly the spotted unicorn fish (Naso brevirostris). We saw pairs of rabbitfish of at least three species, and a single pair of Titan triggerfish.

Feeding Frenzy

The highlight of the dive came when we saw a furious cloud of several dozen fish of various species whirling around what looked like a bare patch of dark reddish coral. Caught up in a feeding frenzy, the small fist, allowed us to approach as close as we wished. We could even touch them, they were so intent on their meal. We never did identify what it was they were eating although it is likely it was a fresh spawn of some kind. Dives off Nusa Dua will probably not offer such a show very often, but are still worth making for the variety of fish here. The reef to the north, off the Sanur coast, is similar-wide tidal flats behind the reef front, and access is also impossible at the lowest tide. The variety of fishes is quite good in Sanur, but there is even less coral cover than at Nusa Dua. If you are a serious diver, either of these dives will just whet your appetite for more challenging locations.

Source: http://www.balivision.com

Bali Beach and Undersea: Diving in Pemuteran

Good Diving and a Comfortable Resort

It's a long drive from the Nusa Dua/Sanur/Kuta area to Menjangan, which adds up to a lot of time on the road for just a couple of dives. But there is an excellent alternative: stay at the Pondok Sari Beach Bungalows in Pemuteran, which has a professionally-run dive operation, Reef Seen Aquatics, which offers very good diving. Pemuteran is located just a few kilometers east of Meniangan on the north coast, on a little bay.Reef Seen runs its own boat to Menjangan, but divers often prefer the closer locations. The latter are all just a few minutes away. There are five main dive spots, well explored by the operator, each worth several dives. The dive center caters to small groups of divers, especially to those staying for several days, for whom discounts are available. Independent divers, not requiring a guide, can save a bundle on both day and night dives from shore. We highly recommend this (live business, developed by PADI instructor Chris Brown, a pro in all senses of the term, who also takes concrete measures to preserve the marine ecology.


The atmosphere in Pemuteran is quiet and pleasant, and the Pondok Sari Beach Bungalows are very nicely designed: The rooms are spare and decorated with natural woods and clean white sheets on the beds; the bathrooms are open to the sky, and feature dripping Japanese bamboo pipes and smooth black river pebbles. A very comfortable, and romantic place. All the sites Chris Brown has pioneered off Pemuteran are small takas, or bank reefs. He is constantly investigating new sites, however. The diving here is generally good year-round, with very occasional rough seas during the southeast monsoon, May-JuIy. The very best times are from March to early May, and September through January. The rainy season, during the northwest monsoon from January to early March, usually brings heavy rain only in the late afternoon ar at night. Water temperatures almost always are around 28°-32°C. Visibility is good, but not as clear as Meniangan under the best of conditions. There is hardly any current, and this is a good site for beginners.

Napoleon Reef
"Napoleon Reef," is a flat-topped, underwater mound, about the size of a football field. At its shallowest, to bottom rises to about 5-10 meters of the surface. The reef is covered with sponges and corals, including great table-top Acropora reaching a diameter of 5 meters. From the top, the profile follows a gentle slope to 35 meters, with very good invertebrate life. Two enormous barrel sponges serve as landmarks. Fish life is quite good. Large cuttlefish are often seen. Occasionally, manta rays appear to feed across the reeftop. The southeastern point of Napoleon drops down to 35 meters, where there is an excellent deep reef with soft corals and whip corals, dubbed "Cody's Corner."

Close Encounters
"Pertamuan Dekat" (literally the substrate shows a "Close Encounters") takes its name from the big fish here which allow-and even initiate-close encounters with divers: reef sharks, tuna, mackerel, barracuda and jacks, and an occasional large grouper or Napoleon wrasse. Even whale sharks have been seen here on occasion.

Lebar Reef
At Lebar (literally "wide") Reef, steep slopes drop to flat sand at about 25 meters. Out over the sand, coral outcrops appear at 25 meters and again at 35 meters.Both the reeftop and side of the taka are covered with thickets of staghorn Acropora, some with colorful blu tips, interspersed with tabletops Acropora and fan gorgonians.

Kebun Batu
Kebun Batu ("Rock Garden") is just a 5 minute snorkel from shore. Here a huge boul rises vertically from about 18 meters to just 3 meters from the surface. The rock, full of crevices and small, shallow caves, serves as a hotel to many fish. Elsewhere, the substrate shows a mixture of sponges, hard and soft corals. This is a very good night dive.

Kebun Chris
Kebun Chris ("Chris's Garden") is the dive operators current favorite site. Diving begins just 20 meters from his back door, with hard corals starting at less than a meter's depth and continuing on down to about 10 meters. This reef spreads continues for about 300 meters, parallelling the shoreline.

Source: http://www.balivision.com

Bali: Sanur beach and Undersea

Sanur Beach, 6 km east of Denpasar, is the location of the first tourist resort beach in Bali. It was on that beach that the Dutch troops in 1906 landed and the \n attacked Denpasar Kingdom, which provoked a bitter struggle that is well known as Puputan Badung.

This beach also tempted the heart of Belgian painter, Adrien Jean Le Mayeur, to establish a museum on August 28th, 1957, which is currently called Le Mayeur Paniting Museum.

There are now many five-star hotels on Sanur beach, including the only ten-floored hotel in Bali, called Inna Grand Bali Beach, which was build in 1966.
From this beach, you can watch the sunrise, and the calm sea provides the perfect atmosphere for swimming, and the expansive white, sandy shores are great for sunbathing.

Sanur Beach, either in the morning or afternoon, is an excellent place to exercise, because there is a pavement path along the coast more than 5 km long. Many use the falt white sand for yoga exercise.

Daily activities include Sanur Reef Snorkelling, glass bottom boat, boat/Balinese outrigger sailing, wind surfing, canoeing, Jet Ski, parasailing, coral fishing, and scuba diving.

All equipment for these activities is provided by Jeladi Wilis, a cooperative of marine transport belonging to the community of Sanur. Various kinds of tourist facilities like hotels, restaurants, tarvel agents, security posts and lifeguards are also available at Sanur.

Sanur Beach is lengthy. Several kilometers from the south to the north, this beach has different names and superiorities. On the southern end of Sanur Beach there are the Segara, Sindhu, Semawang, and Mertasari beaches.
Wind and kite surfing competitions and traditional ceremonies are regularly held between the Sindhu and Semawang beaches. On the Semawang beachside, precisely in front of Puri Santrian Hotel sits the Bali Seawalker Park (undersea promenade activity).

From Sanur Beach to the north, is the Matahari Terbit, and Padang Galak beaches. These beaches are seldom used for swimming because the waves there are very large and the current is strong.

Many processions and religious ceremonies like melasti, melukat and mejar-ajar take place at this north-ernmost beaches. Padang Galak Beach is most commonly used as a place for meditation, yoga and ofter spiritual activities.

News by International Bali Post

Bunaken is one of world’s top diving destinations

Bunaken is one of world’s top diving destinations, located on the north of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. Bunaken Island is part of Bunaken National Marine Park which includes neighboring islands of Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. This Park attracts scuba divers around the world and makes Bunaken well-known as paradise for divers. Bunaken and Manado, the nearest big city around the Park and a capital city of North Sulawesi Province, do not have wide selection of hotels and accommodations, especially accommodation that meets international standard, compared to other tourist city in Indonesia. In this post, I will feature four international standard hotels you may consider for your Bunaken and Manado trip.

Santika Hotel Manado, a 4-star rating waterfront hotel located about 15 minutes from town centre and 30 minutes by boat to diving sites Bunaken and Siladen Islands. This hotel has good service and provide diving package. Value for money option with pricing start from $60.

Sedona Hotel Manado, a 5-star user rating waterfront hotel, suitable for family. This quite new hotel in the area and easily accessible from town centre, about 15 minutes driving time. As like most resort hotel in Manado, the hotel provides diving trip services to Bunaken Marine Park which can be reached by boat in 30-40 minutes.

If you like staying in a villa, you can try Kima Bajo Resorts Manado. This waterfront hotel has mountainside view as well, located in mainland around 40-minutes ride from city centre (Manado).

If you want to spend several days diving, snorkeling and doing other activities (trekking, canoing, and fishing) in Bunaken National Marine Park, you can stay on a resort within the island, such as Siladen Resort and Spa, an exclusive international resort on the Siladen Island across from Bunaken. This 5-star villa hotel is located on a stretch of white coral beach on the secluded western side of the Island facing the Manado Tua Vulcano. The rate starts from $160 and only 15 villas available.

Considering the boat costs to travel from Manado to the diving sites, staying in the island may save your time and money. Combining two hotels for your whole trip such as a hotel in the mainland (Manado area) and a hotel in Bunaken Marine Park, can be a wise plan. So, you can explore Manado city and beyond by taking adventurous tours to Mahawu Volcano, Tangkoko Nature Reserve, and Minahasa Highlands or diving in Lembeh Strait.

Tanah Lot Temple

The name of Tanah Lot temple in tourism bibliography about Bali almost never absent. Among those temples as a tourist visit it is probably Tanah Lot is second most popular after Besakih. The name Tanah Lot is probably from " tanah laut " means land in the sea. It is the fact that the strong sea abrasion has separated the temple area with Bali mainland, so it looks that the temple nests on a small speck of rock building up on the ocean. Despite the fact that strong hit of sea wave but the site is still standing while the whole side have disappeared by the raged waves of hundreds of years.

No historical record is found so far to construct the history of the temple. Scripture of Dang Hyang Nirarta mentions that the priest Dang Hyang Nirarta had visited the temple and asked the people around the area to build shrine. While the priest also educate the fishermen there in making fish trap.

The temple as a whole is dedicated to the god of the sea. Fishermen pray to get fish and prosperity. A story mentions that one of the shrine at Batukaru temple was lost, and was found here standing at Tanah Lot temple complex. It was very probable that the temple was built by Mengwi kingdom as the sea temple. A kingdom in Bali normally had 3 main temples, one located near the sea, one in the city or near the palace, and one on the mountain or near the mountain. This concept of 3 temples has also influenced the smaller unit of Balinese settlement in the level called " Banjar ". Every Banjar in Bali has also 3 main temples dedicated to different way of worshipping the gods and ancestor's spirits.

Now only 3 villages that responsible for the temple those are all nearby villages of Braban, Kelating, and Tibu Biyu, and still as the temple for Mengwi palace. The ceremony is performed every 6 month, based on Hindu-Java calendar which is already printed out during November every year.

For tourists, it is not only the traditional magic of the temple is interested, but the location in the natural setting, especially during the sunset, the temple changes into silhouette against the sunsets above Indonesian ocean

Gili Islands Lombok Indonesia

They are now easily accessible from Bali by charter boat which is provides by some of accommodation on the island as their services to the customers, or by short 20 minute flights from Bali and local boat from Lombok. All these islands feature superb, white sand beaches, crystal clear water, amazing colorful reefs, ton of colored fishes, and the best snorkelling and diving areas.

Visitors from all over the world are attracted to simple pleasures of sun, beautiful beaches, diving, snorkelling and socializing. The absences of car and motorbikes on the islands by local people living there its offer the cozy leisure and paradise holiday on the islands. Although now the wide range accommodation is available, the island has maintained the lazy rustic of charm of a tropical paradise.

What To See and Do

There are many options for enjoyable your holiday on the Gilis. you can rent snorkelling gears, joint diving course, kayaking, fishing, or take glass bottom boat to see the magnificent of coral reefs and fishes.

Health and Medical

Sanitation has improved on the Gilis there are two health center on the island one is at Gili Trawangan located at Hotel Villa Ombak with better facilities for tourist, Gili Meno also have one of the health center which is funded by local business, and one is in Gili Air located at main village, locally known as Puskesmas.

Security

There are no Police station office or military post at Gilis, but there is Police station at Bangsal Harbor. The island funded uniform community policing group (SATGAS), visitors security and safety. In the rare event of someone breaking the law or disturbing tourists, perpetrators are handed over to Police on Lombok and face banishment from the island for up to five years. For your own safety, deposit valuable items at the reception where you're staying at. Carry only small cash and necessary items.

Moving around

To get around the islet, you will not find any cars or motor bikes on the gilis cause they are prohibited by the local living there. The only means of transport is Cidomos the horse drawn carriage. Bicycles rental are available too. Expecting higher price on the most things at Gilis as all of foods and goods must be brought from mainland of Lombok.

Source: http://www.lombok-tourism.com