Weekend in Bali

Planning a weekend in Bali? Then look further than the tourist magnet of Kuta Beach, which has suffered from the easy access that its location near the airport affords. Instead, spend a few more minutes in the taxi and head for Seminyak. This seafront town easily charms with its laid-back vibe and great restaurants. Here’s our itinerary for the perfect Seminyak break. (Read “A Greener Education in Bali.”)

FRIDAY: After checking in at one of the many luxury villas available in the area (see a selection at www.elitehavensbali.com),

Emerald Award for Six Hotel

This year, the accreditation team of Tri Hita Karana (THK) Tourism Awards issued four Emerald Awards respectively for Sofitel Seminyak; Nusa Lembongan Resort; Waka Di Ume Resort & Spa; and Tanah Lot. They are entitled to received Emerald Awards as the highest medal of the THK Tourism Awards since they all have accomplished Gold Awards three times in succession namely in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Another two Emerald Awards were presented to Matahari Beach Resort & Spa and Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort for the second time.

The presentation of the THK Tourism Awards & Accreditation took place at the Bali Art Center, Denpasar, Thursday (4/12). Present on this joyful event, amongst others, were the Representative of Minister for Tourism and Culture and Representative of Minister of Environmental Affairs. In Addition, hundreds of stakeholder members of Bali tourism also looked on during this prestigious event. Meanwhile, the Governor of Bali, Made Mangku Pastika and other high officials of Bali Province and Regencies/City across Bali were also present to witness the annual event organized by Bali Travel News as English language tourist publication in Bali.

The complete recipients of the THK Tourism Awards 2006 are as follows: Emerald: Sofitel Seminyak; Nusa Lembongan Resort; Matahari Beach Resort & Spa; Tanah Lot; Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort; Waka Di Ume Resort & Spa; Hotels 5 Stars and Plus: Sofitel Seminyak (Gold); The Laguna Resort & Spa (Silver); Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa (Bronze); Hotels Four Star: Novotel Benoa Bali (Gold); Alila Manggis (Silver); Puri Santrian (Bronze); Hotels 1-2-3 Stars: Nusa Lembongan Resort (Gold); Risata Bali Resort & Spa (Silver); Inna Sindhu Beach (Bronze); Jasmine Hotels/Home Stay: Waka DiUme Resort & Spa (Gold); Puri Lumbung Cottages (Silver); Villa Kubu Seminyak (Bronze); Boutique Hotels: Bali Tropic Resort & Spa (Gold); Warwick Ibah Luxury Villas & Spa (Silver); Bulgari Hotel & Resort Bali (Bronze); Special Tourist Objects: Tanah Lot object tourism (Gold); Sangeh object tourism (Silver); Goa Lawah object tourism (Bronze).

Celebration at Home: Jazzed up With Layered Abug

Beyond the ritual session, Christmas also denotes a good opportunity to gather the family members. Such an annual celebration usually brings together the family living afar. Some drinks and traditional cakes can be served then like layered abug. Though they are traditional cakes, it does not necessarily mean that the celebration will lack merriness. However, it will much depend on how we could capture the spirit of celebration and the meaning behind it. Here is the recipe for layered abug.

Ingredients: 500g sticky
rice flour, grated coconut (obtained from 1/2 pc), 200g sugar, 2 different food
coloring agents and 1 tsp salt.

Method:

• Mix the sticky rice flour well with grated coconut. Knead until it is evenly blended and add the salt and sugar. Mix again.
  
• Prepare a square mould bybrushing with small amount of palm oil so that the mixture will not stick.
  
• Divide the batter into three parts and color each part with different coloring agents. One green, one red, and the remaining part is left white.
  
• Firstly, put the batter into the mould. Steam it for some 10 minutes, then add the white batter on top of the green one. Steam for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the red batter onto the previous one and steam it for around 30 minutes until cooked.

The 53rd Tokyo Koenji Awaodori

The Tokyo Koenji Awaodori is the second largest Awa-dance festival in the nation next to the one in Tokushima, where the dance festival is originally from. The festival in Koenji began in 1957 as a new event by a youth group that the local business association had just established. As volunteer members visited Tokushima and learned authentic Awa dance, local dance groups began to form and the level of dancers dramatically improved. The event has continued to grow and today attracts 1.2 million visitors every year, known as one of three major summer festivals in Tokyo along with the Sumida River Fireworks Festival and Asakusa Samba Carnival. 12 performance areas are established from the north side of Koenji Station to the south side along the Konan Dori Avenue to provide over 10,000 dancers from 70 teams with a stage on which to perform their dance. A combination of elegant female dancers, dynamic male dancers, and the swinging rhythms of noisemakers will captivate many first-time visitors with heat and passion.

Asakusa Samba Carnival

As one of the largest local events, Asakusa Samba Carnival attracts approximately 500,000 people to Asakusa every year to mark the end of summer. The event started in 1981 based on the idea of then mayor Eiji Uchiyama and a local comedian Junzaburo Ban. While participating dance groups are divided into four leagues to present their samba, the highlight of the parade comes when the experienced teams in league S1 and S2 compete for the best performance. Often referred to as "moving opera," the samba parade requires perfection from the participating teams in their performance and expression based on a theme of their choice. Each team takes time and effort to create their original costumes as well as a float called alegoria. Enjoy the unique theme and high-level presentation by passionate dancers and musicians.

Harajuku-Omotesando Genki Matsuri (Festival): Super Yosakoi 2009

Super Yosakoi is a popular dance festival that started in 2001 to inspire a world shadowed by bleak news. While the festival is based on the traditional Yosakoi dance originally from Kochi Prefecture, dancers entertain spectators of Harajuku, Japan's fashion center, with unique and colorful costumes and makeup along with their energetic performance. About 6,000 dancers of 92 teams from Tokyo, Kochi, and other parts of Japan will participate in the festival. In addition to the popular Lotte Ghana Yosakoi-ren (5th year of participation), a new group from Hanoi, Vietnam will join the event to celebrate the festival with an international atmosphere. Many visitors also stop by nearby Yoyogi Park and enjoy strolling through various vendors selling specialty products and local gourmet foods at "Jiman-ichi" local product fair.