Negara - Water-buffalo Races

Water-buffalo races

There is one annual event which brings a little life to this otherwise sleepy little town - the water-buffalo races which have been held here for the last hundred years or so in November and attract thousands of visitors. The exact date varies from year to year: ask at your hotel reception or a tourist office in Denpasar for information.

The race is run by two-wheeled carts drawn by a pair of buffaloes, which are controlled by a "jockey" whose task is, on the one hand, to keep his balance and, on the other, to urge the rather clumsy beasts to greater speed. The astonishing fact is that they manage to achieve speeds of up to 50 km (30 mi.) an hour over the 2.5 km (11/2 mi.) long course.