Bali, being tourism generated, has a lot of festivals throughout the year just like the Bali Arts Festival I wrote about in a previous article. A majority of these festivals are excellent for families on holiday in Bali and most are a definite must-see mainly because of what they have to offer.
Of course the Balinese have their own festivals relating to their culture and religion such as Kuningan and Galungan to name just two, as well as temple festivals. All of these festivals are fabulous for tourists to see. However, the special festivals geared towards tourists occur during different months of the year. Here is just a selection in no particular order.
Ubud Readers and Writers Festival: The Festival is an annual-ongoing event, held each October, in a month that commemorates the first Bali bombing. This festival is the largest and most prestigious literary gathering in the South-East Asian region and is recognised as being one of the most important artistic and cultural festivals in Indonesia.
What I like about the festival is that is has so much to offer. There is a wide range of writing related workshops for adults such as travel writing, writing for the media, editing and publishing, memoir writing, short story writing and novel writing.
Denpasar Street Festival: This festival occurs on the 31st December every year. What’s cool about this festival is that not only are the parks and public places used for exhibitions and the ilk, the streets are also utilised creating one huge party atmosphere. The good thing about having the festival in Denpasar is that is will showcase all the fabulous things one can see and do in this bustling city.
Nusa Dua Festival: Occurring in August, the Nusa Dua Festival is a week-long event centered around the Nusa Dua Resort and is a definite must-see for families visiting Bali. Like so many other festivals throughout the year, it features many Balinese attractions including singing, dancing and eating as well as numerous stalls selling all manner of goods
Bali Kite Festival: The annual Bali Kite Festival is held near Sanur Beach during the month of July and this year it will be the 22nd – 24th. The three-day event showcases kites in all shapes and colours from around the world. Other attractions include a traditional gamelan orchestra providing music and a host of other entertainment. Some of these traditional giant kites measure around four metres in width.
Kuta Carnival: This carnival is held on Kuta Beach and is one of the best for kids of all ages and parents. It’s a great family atmosphere and includes a host of events. Balinese arts, cartoon exhibitions, movie screenings, Balinese food, sand sculpture competitions and lots more.
Kuta Sidewalk Festival: Held on the 17th August every year which is the date of Indonesia’s Independence Day. The Balinese celebrate this important date by putting on a 3-day sidewalk festival in Kuta. There is an array of events occurring during this festival and they include sidewalk stalls, traditional culture presentations, Balinese arts and crafts, a food bazaar and games for the kid and even cooking competitions. Another great family festival.
