Balithisweek

19/08/2026

There's a sport that started as farmers racing their plow buffalo home from the rice fields, and it's still running exactly like that.

Makepung comes from kepung, "to chase," and by the 1960s what began as friendly rivalry between rice farmers turned into an actual circuit. Two buffalo pull a jockey standing barefoot on a narrow wooden cart, racing a U-shaped dirt track split between two rival camps, who've been going head to head for generations. The buffalo get river soaks and herbal tonics for weeks before race day. A winning pair can be a whole village's pride.

If you want to catch a heat in person, Jembrana has one running this Sunday, August 23, 8am to noon at Sirkuit All in One, Pangambengan. Bring water and a hat, most tracks have zero shade, and remember this is a local tradition first, so watch from a respectful distance and let the community have their moment.

Share this with someone who needs a reason to finally go west. Save this, Makepung season runs through November. Follow Bali This Week for the context tourism boards won't give you.

📽️: tk/

18/08/2026

No infinity pool in this list. Just cliffs, grassland, and a lake that feels like it belongs somewhere else entirely.

Seven places, seven completely different sides of the island. Terraced hillsides that turn farming into art. A cliff edge where the land just... ends. A lake so quiet it feels like a different country. Grassland that makes you forget you're on a tropical island at all. This is the Bali that takes a little more effort to reach, and rewards you for it every time.

Which one's already on your list, and which one just made the cut?

Share this with someone who keeps saying "next trip" to Bali's wilder side. Save it for when you're actually planning the route. And follow Bali This Week for more of the island beyond the obvious.

18/08/2026

Taman Safari Bali Celebrates Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day with a Flag Ceremony Alongside Its Animals

This year’s celebration of the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Taman Safari Bali took place in a unique way. It was not only people who joined in commemorating this historic occasion. A number of animals from Taman Safari Bali also took part in the…

17/08/2026

Nusantara has officially opened at Nuanu Creative City, bringing the flavours, art, and cultural stories of Indonesia together in one destination in Tabanan, Bali. 🇮🇩

The experience takes guests on a culinary journey across nine Indonesian islands—from Java and Sumatra to Bali, Lombok, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumba, Flores, and Madura.

During the opening, we explored INDONESIAN VISION at The Gallery, featuring 1,000 Indonesian tribal artefacts curated by Pascal Morabito, followed by a contemporary Indonesian dining experience at Meja 36.

📍 Nusantara, Nuanu Creative City, Tabanan, Bali
🕰️ Open daily from 12 PM–10 PM

Would you add Nusantara to your Bali dining list?

IndonesianCuisine FineDiningBali BaliFoodGuide BaliThisWeek WhatsOnBali

17/08/2026

There's a monument in Denpasar that's been counting down to today since the day it was built.

Bajra Sandhi doesn't look like most independence memorials. It's shaped like a priest's bell, wrapped in a story from Balinese Hindu philosophy about the search for eternal life, and somehow every measurement still traces back to one date. Seventeen gates. Eight pillars. Forty-five meters tall. None of it is coincidence, all of it points to August 17, 1945. Most people photograph it from the outside and never learn why it's shaped that way.

Inside, there's a full floor of dioramas most visitors walk straight past, tracing Bali's history from its earliest settlements through the fight for independence. If you're in Denpasar today, it's worth the detour, go in the morning before the heat and the crowds catch up.

Share this with someone who's in Bali this August and has no idea why it matters. Save this before your next Denpasar trip. Follow Bali This Week for the context tourism boards won't give you.

📽️: TikTok/Ngurah Surya Kusuma

17/08/2026

It's August 17th! Somewhere in your neighborhood right now, a flag ceremony just wrapped and the real celebration is about to start.

Independence Day in Bali isn't one big event you show up for, it's happening block by block. Kids are lining up for kerupuk-eating contests, someone's already halfway up a greased pole, and by late afternoon the flag comes down the same way it went up this morning, quietly, with the anthem. None of this is staged for visitors. It's just what today looks like here, whether you're watching or joining in.

If you get pulled into a game or invited to a street party, go for it! That's usually the whole point. Bring snacks if you can. And if something feels closed to community only, respect that and just enjoy the show.

Comment "Merdeka!" if you're spending today in Bali too.

Share this with someone who needs the context before they head out today. Follow Bali This Week for more insider news.

14/08/2026

Every August 17th, Bali proves that celebrating independence doesn't mean choosing between tradition and a good time.

This weekend, the island's community calendar fills up fast: sunrise runs through Seminyak and Renon, open-air markets swapping goods for stories, and afternoon gatherings where the classic games your grandparents played meet live sets and vinyl tunes. It's the kind of weekend where a batik shirt and running shoes are both acceptable outfits, sometimes on the same day. What ties it together isn't the flag-raising ceremonies, it's how many different corners of Bali decided to build their own version of the celebration, from Kerobokan gardens to Canggu run clubs.

Which one's calling your name this year, the early run or the late-afternoon hangout?

Save this for your long weekend plans, share it with your Independence Day squad, and follow Bali This Week for more of what's actually happening on the ground.

12/08/2026

Bali's calendar this week has two moods running side by side, and neither one is quiet.

On one side, the island's gearing up for Kemerdekaan season, community-driven runs, neighborhood festivals, and beachfront celebrations that turn entire streets into open-air parties. On the other, there's a full lineup of niche, curated culture: a folk festival tucked into Ubud's hills, a kite festival at Nuanu, secret comedy nights popping up in Seminyak and Ubud, and a vinyl release party for the kind of crowd that still cares about needle drops.

This is the version of Bali that doesn't show up on the first page of a Google search, it shows up when you know where to look.

Which one's making it onto your weekend?

Save this for planning your week, share it with whoever's asking "what's happening in Bali right now," and follow Bali This Week so you never miss the next one.