Ask these questions when booking a room:

Do kids stay free? Is breakfast free?

Does the hotel offer a discount for adjoining rooms?

Does the hotel have cribs and roll-away beds? Do they charge to rent them?

Are there any supervised programs for kids? How much do they cost? Do you have to make a reservation?

Is there in-room babysitting? How much per hour? What are the qualifications of the sitter? How far in advance do you need to make reservations?

Do the hotel restaurant and room service have a kids' menu?

Does the hotel offer several family-oriented cable stations, like Disney, Nickelodeon, AMC, Discovery and Lifetime? Does the TV have a VCR, and is there a video library with kids' videos?

Are there Super Nintendos in the room?

Can the balcony or patio door be locked?

Does the pool have any special features (like a slide or waterfalls)?

Does the hotel offer a children's program? Is it included in the room rate?

Travelling with Teenagers
When traveling to several locations, try to stay at least four or five days in one place, so your teens have a chance to meet other kids, adjust to the area and find their way around the vicinity. Then they get a feeling of orientation and independence. Have them memorize the name of your hotel (or the address of your lodging) and give them a hotel business card to keep in their pocket.

City visits with heavy cultural emphasis can be boring for teens. London is an exception, as there are some wonderfully hip places that both parents and teens will find interesting. Any vacation spot where there aren't other teens will be unpopular. (Forget the visit to Grandma and Grandpa's retirement spot in Florida, even if you think the beach is spectacular.)

Many parents find that by the time their kids become teens they are burned out from long road trips and will refuse to do extensive car trips anymore. If your vacation plans include long drives, consider buying or borrowing a small TV and VCR that will plug into your vehicle's cigarette lighter.

Dining at five-star restaurants is a waste of time and money with teens (unless they want to become a chef or have a highly developed palate). And if you are required to wear a tie, they won't like it (you may not either). Consider taking them to one fine restaurant per trip as part of their culinary education.

Have each teen bring a personal tape or CD player with headphones and extra batteries. Agree before departure on where, when and how often they may plug in.

Bring a deck of cards, backgammon set or other games you can all enjoy that gives you a relaxed evening activity together.

If you are traveling abroad with a teenage girl, this is a good time to talk about the many different come-ons of sexual predators.

If you are in a safe place and you trust your teens' common sense, give them the freedom to explore. Remind them of the buddy system: No one should go anywhere -- outhouse, cafe, beach -- without a buddy, whether it is a sibling, parent or friend. Be sure they know and agree to their curfew.

Remind them that when traveling, they are ambassadors in the world and should be extra respectful, helpful and polite to everyone they encounter (including their parents!).

If your teens take off on their own, remind them it is important to be cognizant of the hour of sunset. All over the world, towns and neighborhoods that are filled with activity during the day can empty out once darkness descends. Neighborhoods that have been active and safe during daylight hours are not necessarily so after dark.

Roll up your sleeves and share a volunteer vacation with your teenager. Dozens of non-profit groups offer fascinating trips for paying volunteers in the United States and abroad. They run the gamut of scientific, environmental, educational and social-service expeditions. Because group leaders are on hand to teach skills and monitor progress, volunteer vacations offer an opportunity for parent and teen to participate as equal learners on a team.

Consider letting your teens invite a friend to join you on short vacations, such as car or camping trips.

And perhaps the best bit of advice:
Remember what you were like as a teenager and how you wanted to spend your time on vacation!

Family Vacation Tips

Travelling with Teenagers
When traveling to several locations, try to stay at least four or five days in one place, so your teens have a chance to meet other kids, adjust to the area and find their way around the vicinity. Then they get a feeling of orientation and independence. Have them memorize the name of your hotel (or the address of your lodging) and give them a hotel business card to keep in their pocket.

City visits with heavy cultural emphasis can be boring for teens. London is an exception, as there are some wonderfully hip places that both parents and teens will find interesting. Any vacation spot where there aren't other teens will be unpopular. (Forget the visit to Grandma and Grandpa's retirement spot in Florida, even if you think the beach is spectacular.)

Many parents find that by the time their kids become teens they are burned out from long road trips and will refuse to do extensive car trips anymore. If your vacation plans include long drives, consider buying or borrowing a small TV and VCR that will plug into your vehicle's cigarette lighter.

Dining at five-star restaurants is a waste of time and money with teens (unless they want to become a chef or have a highly developed palate). And if you are required to wear a tie, they won't like it (you may not either). Consider taking them to one fine restaurant per trip as part of their culinary education.

Have each teen bring a personal tape or CD player with headphones and extra batteries. Agree before departure on where, when and how often they may plug in.

Bring a deck of cards, backgammon set or other games you can all enjoy that gives you a relaxed evening activity together.

If you are traveling abroad with a teenage girl, this is a good time to talk about the many different come-ons of sexual predators.

If you are in a safe place and you trust your teens' common sense, give them the freedom to explore. Remind them of the buddy system: No one should go anywhere -- outhouse, cafe, beach -- without a buddy, whether it is a sibling, parent or friend. Be sure they know and agree to their curfew.

Remind them that when traveling, they are ambassadors in the world and should be extra respectful, helpful and polite to everyone they encounter (including their parents!).

If your teens take off on their own, remind them it is important to be cognizant of the hour of sunset. All over the world, towns and neighborhoods that are filled with activity during the day can empty out once darkness descends. Neighborhoods that have been active and safe during daylight hours are not necessarily so after dark.

Roll up your sleeves and share a volunteer vacation with your teenager. Dozens of non-profit groups offer fascinating trips for paying volunteers in the United States and abroad. They run the gamut of scientific, environmental, educational and social-service expeditions. Because group leaders are on hand to teach skills and monitor progress, volunteer vacations offer an opportunity for parent and teen to participate as equal learners on a team.

Consider letting your teens invite a friend to join you on short vacations, such as car or camping trips.

And perhaps the best bit of advice:
Remember what you were like as a teenager and how you wanted to spend your time on vacation!

Solo Vacation

I get vactaion around the world solo, without a partner or friend when I was 30. When I planned the trip, I assumed I would be alone, that it would be lots of hard work, and that at times I would be lonely. I was wrong on all counts. I found out that traveling solo is very rewarding. There is a treasury of companionship out there.

On a beach in Bali I asked an American woman to watch my bag while I went swimming. After a short conversation, we became friends and explored the island together - renting a motorcycle to discover remote villages set among green terraced rice fields, even changing flights to continue traveling together. Later, I met a Swiss woman on a plane to Delhi and ended up renting a houseboat with her in Kashmir. This voyage taught me that women connect easily when traveling and rely on each other for advice and companionship.

If you are considering going solo your next vacation, here are a few travel-tested tips that make it easier:

Buy a Guidebook Geared Toward the Single Traveler
The accommodations, hang-outs and restaurants listed will be full of other independent travelers. You'll have plenty of opportunities to hook up with a variety of people for an afternoon of exploring the bazaar in Kathmandu, eating a meal together, or even traveling for a day or a week together (perhaps even more...I met my husband while traveling in Nepal.)

Check Out the Independent Travelers Meeting Places
Some guidebooks (such as the Lonely Planet series) will list them. Many cities have well-known meccas for independent travelers from bookstores to cafes to youth hostels with bulletin boards and calendars of local events. These provide a treasure trove of listings for inexpensive tours, travel companions or rides wanted, free or almost free lectures, or social gatherings which you can join. A morning jog with the running group "Hash House Harriers" in Singapore or Kathmandu can lead to local friends and social invitations. My hand-written note posted on a message board on a tree in the cafe courtyard of the Old Stanley Hotel in Nairobi led to a safari with dynamic people and some wonderful friendships.

Start Smart
Even if you want to be unstructured, book at least the first night's accommodation in advance. It may cost more than you want to spend the rest of the trip for lodging, but this makes it easier getting your bearings and ensures you don't start the trip fatigued trying to get it all together right when you step off the plane in a foreign country.

Avoid Power Plays and Unwanted Attention
Advances can be thwarted by silence, no eye contact and quickly moving away from the source of irritation. Always trust your instincts. If you are really being pestered, go into a store or hotel and explain that you are a tourist and there is a person annoying you, that you are afraid and don't know how to handle it. Can they help by calling the police or telling the obnoxious person to go away? Works every time! Dress conservatively so as not to draw attention to yourself and take clues from the way local women are dressed.

Do Talk To Strangers
Some of the most meaningful travel experiences come from spontaneous invitations to join a person, family or group for a dinner or activity. Communicate with women, children and elders. Even if you don't speak their language, a smile goes a long way.

Wine & Dine Yourself
Eating alone comfortably is a skill you will quickly develop. Choose a lively cafe or bistro with lots of people. Consider sitting at the counter and watch your food be prepared. Take along reading and writing material. Enjoy watching people and the fine art of eavesdropping. Again, use that smile to reach out and make contact with the diners around you. Your conversations with them may be the highlight of your evening.

Avoid Romantic Destinations
Ask yourself if a destination is perfect for a honeymooners. If it is, then avoid this location (unless you are a romance voyeur).

So be brave and take the plunge - try traveling solo, you may become a convert. Remember, it is better to BE alone than to wish you WERE alone.

All rights reserved. © Marybeth Bond

Bali Arts

Painting

Some travelers get vacation to Bali simply to their lives. They hop off the plane, catch a taxi to Ubud, acquaint themselves with the going prices, and then begin the buying spree.

Balinese paintings are known for their vibrant colors, iconography, stylized figures and ornate backgrounds, and are almost certainly derived from the Wayang Kulit or shadow puppet theatre. The similarities between the colorful, stylized puppets and the figures depicted in many paintings, illustrate the connection. Of course, the influx of Majapahit Hindus also had an impact on painting styles, not to mention Western artists.

Earliest paintings

The earliest paintings, known as the Kamasan style are traced to the 17th century kingdom of Klungkung, where Wayang Kulit figures were incorporated into paintings. Initially, the pictures adorned temples, later becoming decorations for the home. The figures are typically shown frontal, a three quarter view of the face rather than a profile as with the puppets. The artists used natural pigments on bark paper, wooden boards, or on woven, unbleached cloth. Themes are mainly derived from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Twentieth Century

In the early 20th century, no rajas to commission works, many painters laid their brushes to rest. Between the World Wars, a couple of Western artists who’d heard about a haven of artisans, moved to Ubud. The German, Walter Spies, and the Dutch artist, Rudolf Bonnet, established studios in Ubud, encouraging the locals to ignore set formulas, and themselves toying the traditional Balinese methods. The artists used Western style materials, the themes were often free of Religious symbolism, focusing on daily scenes. Colors were restrained, even monochrome, the figures comparatively realistic, although light and shade were largely ignored.

A new generation of Balinese painters was born Made Griya, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and Ida Bagus Anom. In 1936, Spies, Bonnet and several indigenous painters founded an association called Pita Maha devoted to the development of the arts in Ubud, but it disintegrated with the outbreak of the Second World War.

In Batuan, at this time, artists were creating their own styles, some influenced by the Pita Maha. Batuan paintings featured fine lines, painstaking detail filling the entire canvas, and sombre greens and maroons. Themes included fables, legends, the supernatural and later, tourism. I Made Budi, is especially famous for his witty interpretations of tourism, as well as political events.

From the 1950s to the Present

In the 1950s, in Penestanan, a new style emerged influenced by the Dutch painter, Arie Smit, the Australian Donald Friend. Characterized by strong primary colors and simple, bold lines, the paintings demonstrated a child like joy of reality. The paintings sometimes referred to as the naive or young artists style, are extremely popular among tourists, and despite their relatively simple and quick creation, demand the same prices as more complex and technically superior paintings.

There are a few academic painters who have received formal training abroad or at the Indonesian art academies in Yogyakarta and Denpasar. These painters are dedicated to personal styles while still exhibiting Balinese influences.

Carving

The Balinese will carve and sculpt anything wood, stone, bone, horn, deadwood, even roots. It seems that no stone is left unadorned, no piece of wood bare. The ornate split gateways of the temples, to the door of your hotel, everything seems to be carved.

Traditionally, stone was carved for temples and buildings. There has always been a demand for stone carvers, because the soft volcanic paras used for building, although easy to sculpt, deteriorates quickly. Tourism, however, has altered demand, and many carvers have turned to wood.

Initially, the woodcarvers were Brahmana, dedicated to carving for ritual or courtly commissions, the tradition was passed to their son. The traditional Wayang style was prevalent, depicting religious characters and tales of the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics.

Under the influence of Walter Spies, the Pita Maha, the style of carving developed to portray realistic, daily scenes. Today, painted carvings made out of local soft woods are mass produced and imitation fruit, garish garuda and tacky masks can be bought anywhere. Despite the mindless duplication, there are sculptures carved with genius. Like the one made by I Nyoman Tjokot.

The Art Centre at Denpasar and Ida Bagus Tilems gallery at Mas, offer rare treasures.

Textiles

Cloth, to the Balinese, is not so much a necessity as a mark of religious and social standing. Even statues and shrines share in the sartorial splendor.

Balinese cloth is amazingly cheap and gorgeous. Buying from the markets is easy, but the best bet is to venture into the weaving factories and cloth shops. And while you’re there, have a seamstress transform your purchase into a fine garment.

Batik

Hate to disappoint, but most batik sold to tourists is imported from Java. Some factories make hand figured batik, particularly in Gianyar.

Endek Clothes

A tie dyed woven cloth, endek is created from the ikat method of dyeing. Sections of the fabric are wrapped, and then the cloth is immersed in dye, the wrapped parts remaining undyed. The process can be repeated several times. This creates a muted, wavy pattern.

Kain Prada

These are fine fabrics of woven silk or cotton decorated with gold or silver threads, and are usually made into scarfs.

Geringsing

This is a rare method of weaving, only practiced in Tenganan, Karangasem. Both the warp and the weft are dyed in what’s called the double ikat method. Colors are made from natural dyes, and are limited to black, red and yellow. One piece of geringsing may take a couple of years to work. Prices are around one million rupiah range, but the cloth is extremely rare and painstakingly crafted.

Songket

This is the real ceremonial brocade. Gold and silver threads are added on the loom creating a range of patterns simple lines to intricate lotus flowers and Wayang Wit figures.

Songket is sold in art shops throughout the island.

Temple and Society

Temple and societies in Bali has a unique bond in which a temple serves as part of identity of a society. All traditional Balinese social unit from households to kingdoms, possess their own temples where offerings are offered to the deities concerned with their affairs, for example market deities in the market temple, ancestors in the household and clan temple. In other words, each social unit forms congregation of specific temple or shrines, which symbolically defines its place in Balinese social universe.

This principle has survived into modern era, as banks, government offices, and even tourist hotels construct small temple on their ground, which superficially establish their existence but as for identity more light have to be shed on this matter.

The Subaks or irrigation organizations have their water temple in which Dewi Danu, the goddess of lake or other deities which has strong relation with the farmers and agricultural activities are venerated. The traditional markets have their market temple in which Dewi Melanting, the goddess of trade is given homage. The traditional institutions have obvious relationship with particular deities and give identity to their temple and institution. While modern institutions like office buildings have no immediately obvious relationship with particular deities and so it is difficult to assign any identity to the temple and to know which deities should be invited on the temple anniversary.

Unlike traditional Balinese temples which consist of collection of shrines for specific deities which show the identity of the temple – whether it is a clan temple or water temple. The temples of new institution usually only has a single shrine which is known as padmasana (the lotus throne or throne of God) which is the place where God is revered. The reverence of God in these new temples gives no specific identity to these new temple since all temples has a shrine to venerate God and hence the temple does not give any identity to these new institutions.

Published by Sidarta Wijaya; http://blog.baliwww.com

Vacation To India

The Indian peninsula is a continent in itself, whose geographical diversity has encouraged the flourishing of a whole range of wildlife with over 350 species of mammals and 1200 species of birds in the country. At The Kanha Tiger Reserve, the local rangers say: “For every tiger that you see, five see you”. A telling comment on the stealth of this beautiful animal - the undisputed lord of the Indian jungle.

The natural wealth of the Indian subcontinent has remained unique, mysterious and fascinating for nature lovers. Each region has something special to offer - from the ferocious leopards of the terai to the flamboyant flamingos of the Rann of Kutch, from the elusive Nilgiri tahr to the rare red panda of the eastern forests- India’s jungles teem with a wildlife awesome in its utterly impressive variety.

The rich and fascinating variety of India's wildlife can be seen in the 80 national parks, 440 sanctuaries and 23 tiger reserves established by the Government of India in an attempt to conserve this vital resource. More than 500 species of mammals, 1, 220 species of birds, 1, 600 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 57, 000 species of insects populate the subcontinent. India harbours 60% of the world's wild tiger population, 50% of Asian elephants, 80% of the one-horned rhinoceros and the entire remaining population of the Asiatic lion.

Two of India's most impressive animals, the Bengal/Indian Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant are found in most regions, The tiger originated in Central Asia and migrated over the great Himalayas to the dense tropical forests, adapting itself well to the plains.

So pack your bags, slap on the mosquito repellent, and get ready to meet the lord of the jungle- face to face. The experience is one which is guaranteed to stay with you long after you’re back home.