Bali is the largest tourist destination in Indonesia and is world famous for its natural attractions and its creative arts such as dance, sculpture and music. The island’s beauty and favourable climate has made tourism the island’s largest industry. Despite the recent terrorist bombings on the island, its beauty, friendly people and unique culture has remained as enticing as it ever was. Bali’s bright colours and lush surroundings make this destination a visual feast.
Visit this island if you are looking for something that you can immerse yourself into; a culture invested in ceremony, Hinduism and ritual. As a first time visitor, you would most likely be aware of its infamous beaches with great surfing and diving. The island is surrounded by coral reefs so you don’t have to spend a lot of money in Bali to discover its beauty. The beaches in the south tend to have white sand and the ones in the north and west have black sand. The town of Kuta is a well known tourist area and is famous for its beach. Other popular areas include: Legian and Seminyak, Sanur, Jimbaran, Ubud, and the newer development of Nusa Dua.
Apart from the beaches, something else that will strike you about this destination is that there are an estimated 20,000 temples (pura) on the island which are an island must when travelling around Bali. The abundance of Hindu temples will make them easy to find, but if you’re looking to see the ‘best of’ then travel to the southern tip of Bali to Uluwatu temple which is easily accessed and therefore quite popular. Tanah Lot is also quite popular too. Balinese people worship at the “mother temple” which is in Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung. If you’re looking for arts and crafts then visit the town of Ubud (north of Denpasar). With its art market and selection of museums and galleries, Ubud is arguably the cultural centre of Bali. Balinese people surrounded themselves with art and pour a lot of creative energy into their everyday lives. Expect to see a lot of Batik clothing, which is a form of dyed material that is dyed with wax. Ikat clothing is also popular; it is a certain type of woven material that also resists dyes. Wooden and stone carvings are also everywhere, along with silverware.
The island’s friendly and traditional people are a big part of what makes the island world famous, Balinese people are undoubtedly spiritual and hospitable. Balinese people live their lives infused with religion and ritual and this can be observed in small offerings such as flowers or glutinous rice made in every Balinese house, restaurant and even airport-check in desks. Balinese people are undoubtedly what make the island quite different to the rest of Indonesia. Although Indonesian is the official language of the Island, Balinese is the everyday spoken language. Balinese people are often tri-lingual, speaking different island dialects or English due to the large amount of incoming tourism. Bali also differs from Indonesia as well by the fact that majority of the island practices Balinese Hinduism as opposed to the Muslim faith. Religious festivals are definitely a defining characteristic of this island. The 20,000 temples on the island hold festivals at least twice a year which means that you are more than likely to view just one. Expect to see lots of colour, decorative art, dances, lush flowers and music.
So how about getting around this island? There are no train lines in Bali so everything is done at a certain “pace” of the island. The traffic is quite chaotic. Traffic jams are common in Denpasar, Kuta, and tourist centres in Bali. Bemos, which are minivans, offer a bus service which can be very cheap if you have a shared meter.
And when to visit? April-October is the dry season on the island, and November-March are rainy seasons but only relatively. There is plenty of rainfall all year round and the winter is cloudy, humid and has a higher chance of thunderstorms.
With so much to see and do on this island, and not to mention the fantastic exchange rate and wide selection of cheap accommodation, Bali offers the kind of getaway that doesn’t break the budget and fills you with visceral experiences that don’t cost a thing. This tropical island getaway will end up giving you so much for so little.
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