The Badung Regency includes Bali’s capital city of Denpasar and the major tourist beach resort centers of Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur. The original Kingdom of Badung was strengthened during the 19th century as its trade links expanded and as rival Balinese kingdoms were gradually defeated by the Dutch. The ascendancy of Badung, however, ended in 1906 with the Dutch invasion of the Palace, following the Royal Family’s refusal to pay compensation for items looted from a wrecked ship off Sanur beach. In the subsequent confrontation a puputan or mass-scale ‘ritual suicide’ of Balinese soldiers occurred, an event commemorated by a large statue in Denpasar’s central Puputan Square. Badung, Bali’s southernmost district, is where tourism to the island first took root. Not surprisingly, this area is packed with things for visitors to do and see.Traditional Arts
Directly across the street from the Puputan Square is the Museum Bali, housing a permanent exhibition of traditional artifacts and hosting regular exhibits of fine art. Not far from the museum, in the direction of Sanur beach, is the Werdi Budaya Art Centre which houses a permanent collection of Balinese art and is a performance center of traditional dance and drama. Every June and July, the Art Centers hosts the Bali Arts Festival, a festival of traditional Balinese performance art.
Temple Going
North, south, east and west of Denpasar, interesting temples abound which are well worth a visit. Sea temples dot the coast, such as the ancient Sakenan on Serangan Island, the breathtaking Ulu Watu temple on Bali’s southernmost tip, and Jimbaran’s Ulun Suwi temple, in front of which trance rituals often take place. In Denpasar it self, don’t miss the Maospahit temple. The city to Mengwi, a pleasant drive north of the capital, is the location the lovely Taman Ayun gardens and the nearby Sada temple. Read more....
