Tourists sample Bali village life in Kemenuh
Tourists sample Bali village life in Kemenuh
By Tarko Sudiarno
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): The sun rises in the East. The compound
awakens early in the small village of Kemenuh near Gianyar, south
of Denpasar.
Farmers go to their rice fields shortly after sunrise in order
to finish their work before noon. Women prepare morning offerings
-- food, fruits and flowers -- at their family shrines and ask
for the protection of God, their ancestors and holy spirits.
Older children go to nearby schools, the younger ones stay at
home with their mothers.
In the afternoon, villagers gather at a banjar, a traditional
Balinese community, to hold various activities, including playing
the gamelan, a Balinese orchestra, dancing or just gossiping
about the latest news in the village.
This is the typical and simplistic life of most Balinese
villages designed as unique tourist packages by Sua Bali for its
distinguished clientele.
Sua Bali literally means 'Meets Bali', a tourist village
concept, and is intended to provide different nuances to visitors
coming to Bali.
The director of Sua Bali, Ida Ayu Agung Mas, said this tourist
package stresses the balance and harmony between people and their
surroundings, the philosophy of most Balinese people.
She went on to say that tourism development in Bali had
frequently ignored the concepts of harmony and balance.
Visitors, she said, mostly stayed in the southern part of Bali
-- in the Denpasar, Kuta and Sanur areas. They rarely get an
opportunity to deeply understand the way the local people live.
What they usually get from their short visits was only a
glimpse of artificial Balinese culture, said Ida Ayu.
Beautiful mountains and beaches, exotic Balinese dances and
music, warm-hearted people, elaborate textiles and artistic
souvenirs was what most visitors thought of Bali, she added.
In Sua Bali, guests are invited to take part in various daily
chores.
"They can learn how to cook, to make batik or learn how to
dance," she explained.
For visitors who want to cook Balinese food, they can practice
with the assistance of villagers, instead of a professional chef.
Guests can buy various Balinese spices and cooking materials
at the nearby traditional market. They can choose what kind of
food they would like to have for lunch or dinner.
In a traditional-style kitchen, guests and villagers prepare
the meal. After the meal is ready, they go to the spacious and
airy dining room to have their lunch.
In the afternoon, visitors can swim in a nearby river and play
the gamelan.
"Visitors are required to make a US$1 donation to the Kemenuh
community," she said.
The donations are used to hold ritual ceremonies and social
and art projects in the village.
"Local people directly benefit from tourism, while at the same
time visitors also learn about the culture of the locals," she
said.
Friction often occurs between the locals and visitors because
of a lack of understanding and communication.
It is expected the village-based tourist concept will create a
balance between the Balinese people and foreigners.