The renowned global magazine, TIME Magazine, has included the SAKA Museum in Bali on its list of the '2024 World's Greatest Places.' This list, published last Thursday, features 100 global destinations. Located in Ayana Estate Bali, Jimbaran, the SAKA Museum is the only representative from Indonesia on this prestigious list.
The museum, which showcases the unique beauty of Bali and reflects various aspects of Balinese culture in every corner, stands alongside other beautiful destinations from around the world.
The SAKA Museum in Bali emphasizes the philosophy of harmony and balance between God, nature, and humans. This two-story museum displays Balinese art and culture from hundreds of years ago to the present, including sculptures, palace doors from the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden calendars, lontar manuscripts, gamelan, and other musical instruments, as well as a theater room showing videos about Balinese culture.
However, the most intriguing feature of this museum is the presence of 10 large ogoh-ogoh, statues used by the Balinese community for Nyepi Day that depict mythological spirits. These ogoh-ogoh combine tradition with technology, allowing movements like robots.
In addition to ogoh-ogoh, visitors can explore Bali's history through hundreds of books and films about Bali in various languages at the Knowledge Center. Interestingly, visitors can enjoy these films using headphones available in different languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English.
In its publication, TIME Magazine divides its recommended travel destinations into two categories: “Place to Stay” or “Place to Visit.” The SAKA Museum in Bali made it into the "Place to Visit 2024" category, along with other renowned destinations such as Maui Cultural Lands in Hawaii and Pearling Path in Bahrain.
Besides Indonesia, another Southeast Asian country featured in the "Place to Visit" category is Air CCCC, a circular campus and cooking club restaurant in Singapore. Other places included in the "Place to Visit" category are Aviva Studios, home of Factory International in England, Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum in Morocco, and Museum of Solutions in India.
TIME Magazine's list of recommendations includes various types of destinations, from hotels to museums, all offering unforgettable travel experiences. This list is compiled through a rigorous selection process, involving nominations from correspondents and contributors worldwide.
While last year TIME Magazine highlighted a list of 50 top places, this year the list has expanded to 100 of the world's best places, including the SAKA Museum in Bali.
