Spiritual Vacations in Bali Are a Must

In Bali you will find a deeply spiritual culture, making it a choice for many seeking to embrace the Balinese ways. If you are planning a spiritual vacations in Bali, keep in mind the multitude of things to do. Activities ranging from meditation and yoga to spiritual dances and visiting the Botanical Gardens. A popular activity for many is visiting the many Bali temples. Bali is home to one of the most gorgeous temples in the world called the Tanah Lot temple. Did you know that Bali is known as the "island of 10,000 temples"? Truly amazing!


For those interested in immersing themselves in the Balinese culture, Ubud is the perfect choice. There, the temple dances and costumes are more formal and serious compared to anywhere else throughout Bali. Ubud is also home to a treasure trove of the best Bali art museums and galleries. One of the most well known galleries is the Neka Gallery, something not to miss.

A spiritual vacation in Bali can include things such as:

* learning how the locals pray

* experiencing a Balinese massage

* trying a variety of Balinese food

* eating at Jimbaran Bay

* shopping in the many Balinese villages

* visiting the Gulingan village

* cuddle with the monkeys at the Ubud Monkey forest

When planning to visit Bali you might want to consider a Bali travel package. By opting for a travel package, several things are taken care of for you such as hotel, accommodations and activities. Most packages have planned itineraries but are also flexible enough to allow you to go off on your own. Spirit Quest Tours is a company that specializes in spiritual vacation. They offer more than a decade of personal experience.
Karen Smith

Is a spiritual vacation right for you? Take some time to research the beauty of Bali and all it has to offer. Learn what it is you want to get out of your Bali tour. Spirit Quest Tours offers spiritual vacation to Bali and throughout the world.

Travel To Komodo Island : Into the Heart of The Dragon

Real dragon spurt no fire, have no need to fly and cast no magic spells. And still one look from them might render you speechless. These komodos, the real life dragon, are a sight indeed.


Gigantic, the pre-historic lizard-like creatures are about three or four meters in length, its ancestors roamed the earth up to about half a million years ago. Called "ora" by the local people, komodo dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) can easily weigh about 165 kilograms. Despite of their sheer size and appearance, they are not active hunters. What makes them intimidating is the fact that they are a patient predator. In the wild, they stalk a victim, usually a weak or injured one. One bite and that’s what it usually takes. After following the victim for a while, sometimes up to several days’ time, the komodos will devour the dying prey.

Komodo island, a small island of 280 square km is truly unique, for it is the natural habitat for this almost extinct species. Approximately one thousand and two hundred komodos reside here. The only human population on the island is at the fishing village called Komodo who supplement their income breeding goats which are used to feed the lizardz. Komodos also live in a nearby island called Rinca.

Law protects the Komodo and although they are considered harmless. It is advisable to keep them at a distance. Komodo Island is now a nature reserve, home to a number of rare bird species, deer, and wild pigs, which are prey to the lizards as well. The island can be reached by boat from Labuan Bajo, West of Flores.

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon(Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals

Komodo National Park is currently among three travel destinations in Indonesia that has been qualified in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign held by the New 7 Wonders Foundation (two other candidates is Lake Toba and Krakatau Island).

You may support Komodo National Park to become the New 7 Wonders of Nature by voting through the following the URL:

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/

and give your VOTE in this link :

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/

Komodo National Park has successfully reached the 28 Finalists of the New7Wonders of Nature Campaign

Komodo National Park has successfully reached the 28 Finalists of the New7Wonders of Nature Campaign.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Indonesia would like to express our sincere gratitude to the people of Indonesia and the rest of the world who has contribute their support for Komodo National in the first and second stage of the campaign during 2008 up to July 2009.

Today on the 21st of July 2009 at 12.07 GMT (19.07 WIB/GMT+07), the New7Wonders of Nature Foundation has announced the 28 Finalist (from over 440 participants) which will continue to compete in the final stage of the campaign until 2011 in order to be the Final 7 Wonders of Nature.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism acting as "Komodo National Park Official Supporting Committee" will continue to support Komodo National Park by conducting various awareness campaign programs to encourage active participation from the people of Indonesia to support Komodo National Park as the New7Wonders of Nature.

Our struggle is not over yet, it’s actually just the beginning, now is the time to do something real for the sake of our nation and show the world our true Indonesia!

Support Komodo National Park.. Support your Indonesia!

Komodo National Park Official Suppoting Commitee
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Republic of Indonesia

Minister of Culture and Tourism: There is no tourist exodus in Indonesia

(Jakarta, 21/07/2009) Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik said is no tourist exodus in Indonesia following to the terrorist action on bombing JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton in Jakarta last Friday. The statement was based on a quick survey in Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta and Ngurah Rai Aiport, Bali.

Based on the survey, both of those Indonesia main entry-point shows no tourist exodus, this condition indicate that the bomb terror in Jakarta gave no significant effect to inbound visitors currently traveling in Indonesia.

However Jero Wacik also explains the negative impacts of the bomb-terror have already shown, the cancelation of Manchester United footballs team visit to Jakarta in their Asia Tour 2009 and the release of Travel Advisory to Indonesia by the Australia and New Zealand Government.

The Minister proclaimed that those negative impacts should be considered as challenges for Indonesia tourism stakeholders to work harder and regain Indonesia images as an attractive International tourist destination yet safe to visit.

Unfortunately the action of terror occurred when Indonesia hotel occupancy particularly in Jakarta and Bali are in a very good position which is around 70%-80%, other than that images of Indonesia has been increasing positively in the last couple of year, thus Indonesia tourist stakeholders must be working hand in hand to regain the condition.