Candi Dasa
Encyclopedia
Candi Dasa is a seaside town in eastern Bali
that rests on the edge of a lagoon. It is popular tourist stop and is often described as a more sedate and laid back beach alternative to the teeming, nightclub filled Kuta
area or the large, manicured resorts at Nusa Dua
.
Most sources say a fishing village was founded on the site by the 12th century and before the modern name of Candi Dasa was adoped it was known as both Teluk Kehen ("Bay of Fire") and Cilidasa.
There is a temple near the lagoon, with a statue of the fertility goddess Hariti
surrounded by a group of children, and cilidasa translates from Balinese as "ten children." The modern name is thought to be a corruption of this older name. The town began to catch on as a tourist destination in the 1970s, since there is good snorkelling and diving in the area and the town provides easy access to other destinations in eastern Bali.
jutting out into the water in an attempt to preserve the beach, with mixed results.
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
that rests on the edge of a lagoon. It is popular tourist stop and is often described as a more sedate and laid back beach alternative to the teeming, nightclub filled Kuta
Kuta
Kuta is administratively a district and subdistrict/village in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations...
area or the large, manicured resorts at Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is known as an enclave of large international 5-star resorts in south-eastern Bali. It is located 40 kilometres from Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, and administered under Kuta South District. Nusa Dua means two islands....
.
History
There is a temple near the lagoon, with a statue of the fertility goddess Hariti
Hariti
Hārītī , is a Gandharan ogeress and Bactrian mythological figure who was later transformed in to a symbol for the protection of children, easy delivery, happy child rearing and parenting, harmony between husband and wife, love, and the well-being and safety of the family...
surrounded by a group of children, and cilidasa translates from Balinese as "ten children." The modern name is thought to be a corruption of this older name. The town began to catch on as a tourist destination in the 1970s, since there is good snorkelling and diving in the area and the town provides easy access to other destinations in eastern Bali.
Beach erosion
In the 1970s and 1980s, the area received a large amount of investment in tourism and a construction boom. To fuel the construction of beach bungalows, new homes and restaurants, the offshore reef was mined for lime to make cement and other construction materials. This removed the coastal barrier that had protected the beach which was undermined and washed away. Local hotel owners constructed a series of t-shaped groinsGroyne
A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore or from a bank that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment. In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift. In a river, groynes prevent erosion and ice-jamming, which...
jutting out into the water in an attempt to preserve the beach, with mixed results.