Last week, after celebrating Kuningan, which marks the end of the Galungan festivities and the departure of the ancestors from the family temples, we installed a magnificent billiard table in the large lobby room. We discovered on this occasion that in a small village 10 km from Dajuma, surrounded by nature, there was a billiard manufacturer known throughout Bali and even exporting to other islands and abroad. A great novelty that should delight our guests!
Bali never stops partying: after celebrating Christmas and the New Year, it’s the turn of the Balinese New Year whose festivities will last 10 days, from January 4 (Galungan) to January 14 (Kuningan). It is a good opportunity to decorate the streets with magnificent panjore and to make offerings to the gods and ancestors who come down to earth during this period. For Balinese, it is also an opportunity to visit family, sometimes far away, which generates heavy traffic on the roads. A joyful and meaningful celebration which delights our guests!
Last Saturday, like millions of people around the world, we celebrated the new year, happy to turn the page on COVID. Despite the uncertainties that remain for 2023, the wishes exchanged between the participants were particularly optimistic and even enthusiastic. It must be said that the program for the evening could only make people happy: a gargantuan buffet around the traditional Babi Guling, 2 orchestras playing Jeggog and Anklung music accompanying traditional Balinese dances and an orchestra performing live rockabilly music from 70s 80s (a great moment when a guest took the microphone to perform several songs in a simply magnificent deep voice). At midnight, fireworks were fired from the beach ending the evening in apotheosis.
Selamat Tahun Baru!
A 20-year journey through fascinating and wild West Bali! This is what we celebrated with our staff a few days ago on the occasion of Christmas 2022. A nice moment of sharing, very touching, most of our staff working for Dajuma from the start. After the traditional speech, each member of staff received a gift and a package for their family. and started tasting the famous Babi Guling (for Hindus) and goat sate for Muslims. It was not only the celebration of our 20 years of existence but also that of our rebirth after 2.5 years of Covid crisis, making everyone so happy!
This week we witnessed an astonishing natural spectacle that gave us food for thought: the sacred Talipot palm tree that marks the location of the temple of our hotel has decided to bloom, but not just any flowering. This one is exceptionally large and magnificent at nearly 12m in height. As if nature also wanted to celebrate this end of the year with us. The most believers among us also see it as a sign from the gods. Anyway, it is one more curiosity in our garden that we invite you to come and discover. See you soon!
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a new Yoga retreat organized by Mimi for participants from all over Australia. A week of intensive practice combining physical exercises and meditation. Which didn’t prevent the group from also having a good time, as evidenced by their last evening in front of a wood fire on the beach!
Last week, an unusual event took place in Dajuma: the Annual Forum of Development Planning Agencies of the 8 Regencies of Bali + 1 Municipality of Denpasar. Each regency in Bali alternately hosts this annual event. Nearly 100 people exchanged their experiences over two days based on a performance evaluation by the Bali government and central government team. The top three regencies with the best development plans have been announced in this forum. Karangasem in third place, Denpasar in second place and Klungkung in first place. The next forum will take place in Bangli Regency. On the last night of the forum, the Jembrana committee organized the farewell party with Jegog performances and live music.
There is also another way to discover Bali: simply by visiting the villages and more precisely the village schools. By talking to villagers, teachers and students, you can learn a lot about social life in Bali today. This is what is offered to our guests in a tour entitled “Village life and rice farming”: after a long bike ride in the rice fields and a rice farming exercise in real size, they are invited to visit a village and its primary school. A very interesting moment of sharing. As the photo shows, 4 of our guests made it last week and came back absolutely delighted!
Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming a yoga retreat led by Mary Bue from Minneapolis. As stated on her website (marybue.com) “Mary is a songwriter, Nada yogi, traveler, runner, vegan, retreat guide, music and yoga teacher, often traveling this beautiful world. Named best songwriter of 2020 by City Pages, her music addresses sacred subjects and a deep concern for the environment. Her latest album The World is Your Lover was released in 2020 to rave reviews from around the world.”
Last night they celebrated the end of the retreat with a Teppanyaki dinner hosted by our Senior Chef Dedi. And we will have the pleasure of welcoming her again in March 2023 for another yoga retreat. Not to be missed! (http://marybue.com/Bali2023).
Why not take advantage of a holiday in Bali to learn to surf? It is a sporting discipline that transcends the body through direct contact with an environment to which we are not accustomed: the ocean and generates a lot of adrenaline. In Dajuma all the conditions are met for you to discover it. An instructor, son of local fishermen who has been surfing since childhood. A fine sand beach in front of the hotel with long waves ideal for beginners. For the experienced, a free shuttle takes you to the famous Medewi surf spot in about ten minutes. And then surfers and boards can earn a well-deserved rest!
