subject: Black Sand Beach And Bali Aga Villages In Candidasa [print this page] A small piece of paradise, Candidasa is a coastal town on the Eastern coast of Bali. Candidasa Bali normally covers the stretch of coastline from Manggis through Candidasa town itself and east to Bugbug. A laid back and very relaxing area of Bali, there are many visitors, especially Europeans, who combine a stay in the hotspots of south Bali with a more relaxed break in Candidasa.
Found in the hills just four km inland from Candidasa at Tenganan, is the most famous Bali Aga or original Balinese villages, which is one of the few original Balinese villages remaining in Bali and is famous for its double ikat weaving and ancient beliefs.
The Aga Balinese people are said to have retained an ancient pre-Majapahit Bali culture, which is apparent in the many obvious differences from the rest of Bali which you will find in Tenganan.
One can see that the villagers are able to maintain a strict adherence to ancestor worship, cosmology and other animist beliefs, as well as a rigid social organization. This is probably because the village is an isolated community in almost every way.
A solid stone wall that entirely encompasses the village separates the village from the rest of the world. The village has only four gates in the wall, one for each point of the compass. Once can also see that all houses are exactly alike and aligned either side of natural stone pathways, which are only accessible by a flight of steps.
Balinese Aga villagers are known to be required to live inside the village and marry from within. The Tenganan village itself is known to be closed to outsiders after dark. Also, the Balinese dialect spoken in Tenganan is heard nowhere else, and differs substantially from even the other Bali Aga community in Trunyan on the shores of Lake Batur near Kintamani.
The 70 foot long Bali Agung pavilion is the focal point of Tenganan. This is the place where the village elders meet to discuss matters of concern. The Pura Puseh (the temple of origin) is the major communal village temple, which is said to actually lie outside the village walls just to the north.
The Bali Aga village of Tengananis is well-known for producing some of the finest woven basket-ware and a fabled double weave ikat fabric called Geringsing. This fabric is extraordinarily complex and fine pieces fetch enormous prices in the international markets.
Candidasa is also known for its black sand beaches. However, in Candidasa there is not much beach, especially at high tide. Thats why the black sand beaches are very narrow and often disappear altogether at high tide.
Candidasa is also well-known as an area of Bali with a range of accommodation from the most simple of bungalows to world renowned five star resorts and Bali villas. One such villa in Candidasa is Sea Breeze Villa.
Overlooking the beautiful Lombok Strait and the Island of Nusa Penida, Sea Breeze Villa features five private air-conditioned Bedroom Suites with granite floor, natural stone wall and breathtaking large terrace views overlooking the Indian Ocean.
All rooms and villas include spacious verandah with a view to the ocean, the garden and the pool. The bedrooms with king size bed or queen size bed are also ideally suited to sleep 2 to 4 people.
Each bungalow has large terrace overlooking the sea, entertainment garden and two swimming pools for adult and children. The turquoise waters of the dreamy, palm fringed swimming pool is said to appear to overflow into the azure sea has made this place best suited for couple and/or family enjoyment.
Alternatively, there is an outdoor Bale or chair near the water edge with private white sandy beach to enjoy the view and feel the gentle of sea breezes.
