You can have a flight to Bali every month, know all of the picturesque sandy beaches and coral reefs there, be a haunter of yoga and spiritual practice centers… But if you have never participated in the famous Sanur Village Festival, this island can still surprise you.
Every year thousands of cheerful and friendly citizens of Bali, Indonesia, and tourists from all over the world get together in one place – a small village called Sanur, located in the surroundings of Denpasar city. An extraordinarily colorful festival takes place here. Every time it is dedicated to a new topic. For example, the feast of 2019 was held in honor of the worshipped bamboo of Bali which plays an important role in the life of any Balinese: people build houses and use it for all ritual ceremonies.
For the first time, the festival in Sanur happened in 2005. Since then the number of its participants has exponentially increased every year. The village, which is usually quiet and calm, turns into a real extravaganza for 5 days: everyone demonstrates their craft, talent, art. All around the village, there are painting and photo exhibitions. Body-art, popular in Indonesia, is put on everyone right in the process of street performances. By day, all participants compete in tennis, mini football and golf. Those who prefer water sports can test themselves in surfing and traditional fishing. In the evening, the national Balinese ballet and other theatrical performances amaze guests with a blaze of color and its original mixture.
The climax of the Sanur Village Festival is the International Kite Festival, which starts on the last day of the Village Festival. Hundreds of traditional Balinese kites, of all sizes, bizarre shapes and bright colors, fly up to the sky.