Although the Indonesian archipelago consists of around seventeen thousand islands, none of them are as popular as the island of Bali. Situated roughly two kilometres from the eastern coast of Java, the island is home to amazing beaches, many historical attractions and a warm, friendly populace. While the island’s main draw is its beaches, those who do not explore its other attractions are really missing out. Tourists who want to broaden their island experience can get a slice of history at the Museum Gedong Kirtya.
The Museum Gedong Kirtya was founded by the Dutch in 1928 and is a museum for manuscripts. The Dutch called it the Liefrinck van der Tuuk library, but the name was eventually changed. The museum is located in Singaraja, the northern part of Bali. It is housed inside the Sasana Budaya, a palace used by the Buleleng Kingdom. The collection consists of thousands of ancient Balinese manuscripts written on ‘lontar’ leaves, which are leaves from the Asian Palmyra palm. The leaf inscriptions cover a wide range of topics including literature, history, mythology and spirituality.
This museum is truly one of a kind and visitors are sure to enjoy themselves here. The most amazing aspect of the museum’s collection is the tremendous effort behind it. The leaves used have to be dried in a specific way and the inscriptions are done with a special tool. The collection consists of originals, brought down from royal courts around the island, as well as copies. There are over four thousand manuscripts in total. The museum is open from Monday to Friday and is closed on weekends. There is an entrance fee, but the experience is well worth the small admission price.
As a highly popular tourist destination one can expect the infrastructure in Bali to be of a very high standard, especially when it comes to restaurants and hotels. Tourists on a luxury retreat Bali will enjoy staying at Uma Bali. The Ubud hotel is one of the finest around. The hotel décor has just the right touch of Asia, giving foreigners the feeling of being abroad yet completely at home while enjoying the enchanting atmosphere of this idyllic island paradise.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
