Buleleng is the northern stretch of Bali and can be consider the other side of Bali in terms of culture and landscape

BULELENG REGENCY

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Buleleng is the northern stretch of Bali and can be consider the other side of Bali in terms of culture and landscape. Separated from he south by the vast reams of forest and the mountainous volcanic regions of the north Buleleng is mainly the steep mountainsides and hills that lead down to the slither of flat land at the coast along most of the north of the island. Buleleng has been the area where many archeological sites have been uncovered revealing ancient effects such as beads that date back over 2000 years ago such as the recent discoveries of Pacung just 40km east of Singaraja. These sites have been pivotal in determining the details of the involvement of the Indian trade with Indonesia and relate to the small Buddhist presence in Lovina, the Buddhists landed here and traveled south as their culture blossomed over the next 200 years. Mainly the discoveries at Buleleng have supplied historians with a lot of information about the early seafaring routes up to the colonization lead by the Dutch.

Today the area is a melting pot of cultures that coexist together in a peaceful fashion despite the aggression of their ancestors. Singaraja is home to Hindus, Moslems, Chinese temples, neo-Balinese government offices and the Buddhist fact. All of these people have interesting and intricate temples located within a close proximity to each other creating a rich environment that is a pleasure to walk among. It is noticeable that the actual Balinese elements of Singaraja tend to be located around the outskirts of the center where as the Bugis and Chinese trades tend to occupy the center.

You can visit the Gedung Kirtya library where you can look at the original manuscripts of the Javanese and Balinese. Here an interpreter can explain what each is about and find the most interesting and historical of the scripts. It is also possible to buy traditional prasi art, which is mainly paintings of the ancient style upon lontar palm leaves. Other attractions include the beach resort area of Lovina and its surrounding incredible beaches that are uncrowded and sometimes person-less. Lovina is famous for its aquatic residents including the incredible marine life that makes for excellent diving and snorkeling and also the dolphins that surround the area. You can go on dolphin watching trips although many are quite environmentally unsound and tend to miss the point of viewing the peaceful mammals by chasing them around at top speed hooting and howling. To gain a more peaceful and cultural experience that is also likely to be far cheaper you can head to the river mouths where the fishermen moor and negotiate a price for sitting on board for an hour or so while the fisherman fishes employing the help of the dolphins who drive the fish into the nets and are able to pick off all the food they require easily in the chaos the fishing nets induce. This mutually beneficial or symbiotic relationship is age old and is an excellent way to have up close contact with the dolphins without disturbing them.

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