Are you heading to Bali for the festive season? Here at The Bali Sun, we are excited that Christmas is just around the corner and are looking forward to all the festive activities we can recommend to you.
Although Bali is a predominantly Hindu island, Christmas is still a big deal and widely celebrated there.
Tourists looking for a cultural experience during their festive vacation in Bali should seriously consider visiting Penglipuran Village in Bangli Regency. The tourism village is preparing to welcome a huge surge in visitors in the coming weeks, and for a good reason.
Penglipuran Village is one of the world’s most acclaimed tourism villages and works around the clock to ensure that Balinese heritage is preserved and promoted to visitors in an engaging way.
In anticipation of an increase in tourist numbers, the team at Penglipuran Village has begun preparing the tourist attraction to ensure all visitors are safe, comfortable, and engaged.
The Head of Penglipuran Tourism Village, Wayan Sumiarsa, told reporters that management has installed new information points and educational signage boards, as well as updated regulations, to ensure that the whole attraction is being operated in alignment with the village’s green tourism principles.
Sumiarsa told reporters, “These steps align with the recommendations of the latest study on managing overtourism and destination carrying capacity, ensuring the quality of visits is maintained while protecting the quality of life for residents.”
The quality of life for residents is of the utmost importance, especially since, first and foremost, Penglipuran Village is a regular residential village home to dozens of local families who have lived in the community for generations.
Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, there will be a series of cultural events taking place for visitors to enjoy.
On the 27th December, Penglipuran Village will host a Barong Macan Parade. Featuring at least 15 Barong, which is the mythological panther often seen in Balinese cultural performances, the parade will be accompanied by live music from a traditional local orchestra known as a gamelan, played by musicians from the Penglipuran Youth Organisation.
From 28th December to the 1st January, Penglipuran Village will also host a performance of Tetantrian Macan Gading, which tells the story of the Barong and will also be presented by the Penglipuran Youth Organisation, bringing together music and theatrical arts to tell a story about courage and togetherness.
Sumiarsa explained, “In the run-up to Christmas and New Year, we will also decorate the village with themed decorations utilizing bamboo and other natural materials, in keeping with Penglipuran’s character as a culturally and environmentally-based tourism village.”
“The use of bamboo replaced many single-use plastic decorations, thereby reducing waste and reinforcing the message of regenerative tourism, a festive celebration that maintains a low ecological footprint.”
Penglipuran Village has said that they hope that the end-of-year activities will bring joy to tourists and have a tangible positive impact on the village’s natural landscape, culture, and community.
Penglipuran Village has consistently been voted amongst the best tourism attractions in the world, including being named as the UN World Tourism Organisation’s Best Tourism Village in the World.
Tourists can arrange a day trip to Penglipuran Village with a local travel agent or tour guide, or arrange an independent visit to the site and buy tickets on arrival.
It is best to time a visit for the very early morning, before the crowds arrive, or for the late afternoon, when most visitors have traveled onward. Penglipuran Village has already surpassed its tourism target for 2025 of 720,000, but the end of November welcomed a total of 822,000 people.
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