Bali Agung or Great Bali!
As I write this, I have just been treated to a sneak preview of the theatrical production Bali Agung – the Legend of Balinese Goddesses at Bali Theatre In the Park. And what can I say? It was spectacular! Mesmerising. World-class. If that sounds like strong praise, it is. And it’s well deserved. Staged at the brand new purpose-built Bali Theatre, which, with its 80-metre stage and seating for 1,200 is now the largest fully-equipped theatre in Indonesia. It may sound like an unlikely venue for this mega-theatre but it is situated at the Bali Safari and Marine Park, in Gianyar on Bali’s east coast, and when you’ve seen the show you’ll know why. This operatic theatrical extravaganza has been created and produced by an internationally acclaimed theatrical team including Peter Wilson, the Creative Director of the Sydney Olympics, Made Sidia, one of Bali’s most acclaimed dalangs, and features an all original musical score by world-renowned composer Chong Lim who was the musical director the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the Doha Asian Games. With such a wealth of talent working on this project expectations were high, but the results do not disappoint. To give you an idea of the scale, this is a theatrical production which at one point has ten, yes ten(!) live elephants on stage, as well as a menagerie of other exotic animals, including tigers, hornbills, entire flocks of ducks, snakes and camels...and that’s not even mentioning the cast of 150 spectacularly-costumed actors, dancers and perfomers! This is a world-class show which blends state-of-the-art western theatre techniques with Balinese legend to retell the story of Sri Jaya Pangus, a twelfth century Balinese King, his Chinese Princess wife Kang Cing Wie and the Goddess of the Lake, Dewi Danu. Highly recommended family entertainment.
Bali Agung, or “Great Bali”...Bali really is great, but then you know that already. I sometimes wonder though whether people are really aware of all the amazing world-class products and designs that are created in Bali and Indonesia. The creations from Kevala Ceramics, Republic of Soap and Wiracana hand-made fans, are just three examples that spring to mind of fantastic world-class products that are produced right here in Bali every day! Everyone knows Bali for its beaches and culture, but there is so much more than that going on here, and it is the mission of this magazine to showcase all that amazing design to the world – which we’ve been doing for over 5 years now. We would like to thank all our readers, partners, sponsors and advertisers, for all your hard work and your continued support. The advertisers and products you see in Bali Style are some of the top people and companies in their fields and we absolutely encourage our readers to contact them. Tell them you saw them in Bali Style magazine! Ask them for a discount! You never know what you might get. Some of our advertisers offer a 10% discount if you bring their ad into the shop with you.
This is our BIGGEST and BEST issue of Bali Style to date. We hope you enjoy reading it and flipping through the pages of luxurious villas, interiors and accessories as much as we enjoyed putting it together. I would like to devote this issue to Bali Agung or Great Bali! To all those creative souls who call Bali home, who, every day, quietly go about their business of making startlingly beautiful objects and designs whether for the local market, export, or indeed as offerings to the gods. This one is for you...
Om shanti shanti shanti om...
The Editor
Rachel Greaves Rachel's childhood dream was to live on a tropical island and become a writer, but she followed the careers advice she'd been given at school and spent 19 years working for a corporate company in the UK before making the momentous decision, in 1998, to change her life. She is now living her dream in Bali, writing for magazines and guidebooks.
Jeremy Allan Best-selling author of both Jakarta Jive and Bali Blues, Jeremy Allan has called Indonesia home for the last 30 years. He has travelled extensively throughout the archipelago, much of it by bicycle, and has written for countless publications. In this issue he takes us to Bali's east coast and the beautiful surrounds of Candi Dasa.
Sarah Dougherty Sarah Dougherty is an Australian food and travel writer who has been in love with Bali for almost twenty years. An ex-pat kid who went on to have ex-pat kids, Sarah's Bali adventures began back in the days when a plastic cheese jaffle with Blue Brand margarine were considered haute cuisine. These days she travels to eat and eats to travel and covers all sorts of stories from breaking news to Bali Style.
Adam J. Fenton Arriving in Bali for the first time on a package tour booked at the Mount Waverly travel agency in 1995, Adam has been living in and photographing Indonesia and the region for the last 15 years, and edited or contributed to various publications including the Garuda inflight magazine, Jakarta KINI, Hello Bali, and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He recently completed a Graduate Diploma of Indonesian language from Darwin University in Australia's Northern Territory.
