Having a holiday in Bali may be one of the best things you can do. Usually, the tourists who are coming by would prefer some famous locations that probably have been filled with a lot of people.
They indeed look gorgeous, especially with their own special histories like the landmarks in Bali for example.
Some people prefer those, but for some, calming and relaxing locations are probably the best choices.
Things like Tegalalang Rice Terrace are actually pretty common in Bali. Locals still depend on the rice production. No wonder, you can meet rice terraces along the way, not only in Bali, but Indonesia in general.
But there’s a location that people are always talking about. A place that is both calming and mesmerizing. A simple yet memorable location, Jatiluwih Rice Terrace. This location, just like the other famous locations like the beaches or mountains, is sometimes crowded by tourists.
The calming nature ambience is like hypnotizing. The cool wind flows on the hot Bali island. Making it a good refresher for everyone. If you want to know this place better, here’s a bit of information about the Jatiluwih Rice Terrace:
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace
Most of the area is paddy fields arranged in terraced forms, and Bali is actually very well known for that. It has about 636 hectares of terraced rice fields, making this area one of the largest areas for terraced rice fields viewing in Bali.
The rice field irrigation system used is Subak irrigation, a traditional Balinese irrigation system based on the locals’ traditional philosophical method. This Subak system also has a temple built to worship the Goddess of Prosperity or the Goddess of Fertility.
The tourists could also visit the village located nearby in order to see how the people of Jatiluwih live with the thick Balinese culture.
The History
Next thing to know from this place that also looks as good as the things to do in Tampak Siring Bali is the history. History of Jatiluwih is entirely based on the stories of the locals who are the original residents of Jatiluwih Village. It is said that the name Jatiluwih actually comes from the words “Jaton and Luwih”.
“Jaton” means amulet or charm , while “Luwih” means good or fortunate. So it can be concluded that Jatiluwih has the meaning of a village that has a really good or lucky fate. Another story tells that there was the mythical animal, that is probably known by Javanese or Balinese people, called Jatayu.
From the word Jatayu, the pronunciation changed through time to “Jaton” and “Ayu”, which have the same meaning as Jatiluwih. Thus, the name Jatiluwih was decided, and never changed to this day.
The fortune is actually proven until now with the results of farming and gardening that are sufficient to meet the needs of life and well-being for all residents and ensure safety for their residents during their farming life.
So in the past, many people from different social classes like Brahmins, Kstaria, Wesia and Sudras from Tabanan area visited the village of Jatiluwih asking for the safety and fortune in life.
Eventually, they built the existing temples in the area of Jatiluwih Village such as Luhur Petali Temple, Luhur Bhujangga Waisnawa Temple, Taksu Temple and other sacred places around the area.
The Farmers’ Lives
Jatiluwih is very famous for its terraced rice fields with a good irrigation system managed by members of Subak. The philosophy of Tri Hita Karana is the foundation that is carried on by the farmers in Jatiluwih, until now.
The management of paddy fields is also based on that philosophy, including the way farmers do their living processes.
In this case, the philosophy tells the relationship with the creator by performing several ceremonies which are part of the farmers’ activities such as; cultivating rice fields, planting rice, harvesting, and so on, in accordance with Hindu culture and religion.
No wonder the visitors can actually witness some ceremonies like Mapag Toya, Ngendag Tanah Carik, Ngurit, and others that are performed by the farmers.
Additional Information
The important information about the place is the location. This Jatiluwih Rice Terrace that is suitable as destinations for honeymooners located in an area called Penebel, Tabanan. Its location is displayed clearly on the google maps completed with navigation as well, so you may check it if you want to.
To visit the Jatiluwih tourism object, it is recommended to come between 8.00 am to evening around 5.00, because between these hours, the farmers’ activities are often found.
Due to high rainfall in the Jatiluwih area it is recommended for tourists to always prepare umbrellas or raincoats. Ticket for entry varies based on the tourist’s nationality. The domestics will be charged with Rp15.000,- per person, and Rp40.000,- for the International tourists.
Things You Can Do
So what you can actually do in this calming place? With a lot of choices of activities, you can have a really good time around the area of Jatiluwih Rice Terrace. Here’s some activities that you can do around Jatiluwih Rice Terrace:
- As a place that’s good for honeymoon trip in Bali, the location is filled with villas and hotels to stay.
- Witnessing the farmers activities.
- Capturing the rare moments of ceremonies.
- Witnessing another beauty of Bali.
- Enjoy traditional Balinese foods in the restaurants.
- Breath in the fresh natural oxygen.