The Orchids of Bali – A Photo Journal

You see them in the lobbies of the hotels you stay in or in the gardens and, in offerings made to the Gods, you might even have one given to you as a greeting or see them at a temple and, you will definitely see them growing wild in the countryside wherever you travel in Bali. Of course I am talking about the most gracious and beautiful ever to be created on this earth – Orchids. They really should be the floral emblem of Bali but unfortunately Malaysia has that honour. The great majority are to be found in the tropics and in Asia there are roughly 260 to 300 species, all different colours, types and each emitting a delightful and pleasing odour. There is a school of thought that says orchids may have an ancient origin and have arisen 76 to 84 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous. In other words, they may have co-existed with dinosaurs. It shows also that at that time insects were active pollinators of orchids.

In my opinion, the orchid is a floral gift from the Gods to be shared and enjoyed by all and if you head up to the area around Lake Beratan you will find an excellent botanical garden (kebun raya) at Candikuning called Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. Besides being a fabulous place to while away a few hours in the enormous floral and tree selection the gardens have to offer, they have an orchid nursery with over 400 species rivalled only by the Botanical Gardens in Bogor, West Java. Meanwhile, enjoy there fotos: