Introduction
Lush and languid, Bali beguiles with its beach-side charms. Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
Yes, Bali has beaches, surfing, diving and resorts great and small, but it's the essence of Bali - and the Balinese - that make it so much more than just a fun-in-the-sun retreat. It is possible to take the clich é of the smiling Balinese too far, but in reality, the inhabitants of this small island are indeed a generous, genuinely warm people. There's also a fun, sly sense of humour behind the smiles; upon seeing a bald tourist, many locals exclaim 'bung ujan' (today's rain is cancelled) - it's their way of saying that the hairless head is like a clear sky.
The beauty of Bali is precisely the elusiveness of Bali, and the fact that most of what is happening, in the air, the soil, around you, is taking place in a language you can't decipher.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 5620
Coordinates: -8.5 latitude and 115 longitude
Population: 3551000
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)
Area codes: 0361 (Central Mountains, East Bali, South Bali, West Bali & Ubud), 0362 (North Bali) and 0370 (Lombok)
Getting there and away
Most international visitors to Bali will arrive by air, either directly or via Jakarta. For island-hoppers, there are frequent ferries between eastern Java and Bali, and between Bali and Lombok, as well as domestic flights between the islands.
Getting around
On Bali, the best way to get around is with your own transport, whether you drive, hire a driver or ride a bike. This gives you the flexibility to explore at will and allows you to reach many places that are otherwise inaccessible. Public transport is cheap but can be cause for very long journeys if you're not sticking to a major route. In addition, some places are just impossible to reach. There are also tourist shuttle buses and these combine economy with convenience.
Weather
Just 8° south of the equator, Bali has a tropical climate - the average temperature hovers around 30° C (mid-80s° F) all year. Direct sun feels incredibly hot, especially in the middle of the day. In the wet season, from October to March, the humidity can be very high and oppressive. The almost daily tropical downpours come as a relief, then pass quickly, leaving flooded streets and renewed humidity. The dry season (April to September) is generally sunnier, less humid and, from a weather point of view, the best time to visit, though downpours can occur at any time.There are marked variations across the island. The coast is hotter, but sea breezes can temper the heat. As you move inland you also move up, so the altitude works to keep things cool - at times it can get chilly up in the highlands, and a warm sweater or light jacket can be a good idea in mountain villages such as Kintamani and Candikuning. The northern slopes of Gunung Batur always seem to be wet and misty, while a few kilometres away, the east coast is nearly always dry and sunny. Air-con is not really needed on Bali at night. A cool breeze always seems to spring up in the evening, and the open bamboo windows, so common in Balinese architecture, make the most of the light breezes.
Places of Interest
Adventure looms large in this vast and steamy archipelago, where the best of southeast Asia's spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas and diverse cultures spin and multiply, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling. Indonesia's cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago's territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes.
Events
Apart from the usual western calendar, the Balinese also use two local calendars, the Hindu saka and the wuku. The wuku calendar, which is used to determine festival dates, uses 10 different types of weeks between one and 10 days long, all running simultaneously! The intersection of the various weeks determines auspicious days. It's impossible to work it out yourself: when you arrive in Bali, go to a tourist office and ask which festivals and celebrations are coming up. Try to get to at least one. The Galungan Festival, Bali's major feast, is held throughout the island and is an annual event in the wuku year. During this 10-day period all the gods come down to earth for the festivities and barongs (mythical lion-dog creatures) prance from temple to temple and village to village. The last and most important day of the festival is Kuningan. Nyepi is the major festival of the saka year - it's the last day of the year, and usually falls towards the end of March or the beginning of April. The day before is set aside as a day of purification across the island. The night before, evil spirits are noisily chased away with cymbals, gongs, drums and flaming torches. On Nyepi itself, everyone stays quietly at home, making no noise, using no lights and doing no cooking. The idea is that when evil spirits descend, they are fooled into thinking that Bali is uninhabited and leave the island in peace for another year.
Warning
High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Indonesia. Travellers are advised to check their local consular information and monitor the situation in Indonesia closely before making travel plans. Check out Safe Travel for current government warnings.
Lush and languid, Bali beguiles with its beach-side charms. Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
Yes, Bali has beaches, surfing, diving and resorts great and small, but it's the essence of Bali - and the Balinese - that make it so much more than just a fun-in-the-sun retreat. It is possible to take the clich é of the smiling Balinese too far, but in reality, the inhabitants of this small island are indeed a generous, genuinely warm people. There's also a fun, sly sense of humour behind the smiles; upon seeing a bald tourist, many locals exclaim 'bung ujan' (today's rain is cancelled) - it's their way of saying that the hairless head is like a clear sky.
The beauty of Bali is precisely the elusiveness of Bali, and the fact that most of what is happening, in the air, the soil, around you, is taking place in a language you can't decipher.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +8
Area: 5620
Coordinates: -8.5 latitude and 115 longitude
Population: 3551000
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)
Area codes: 0361 (Central Mountains, East Bali, South Bali, West Bali & Ubud), 0362 (North Bali) and 0370 (Lombok)
Getting there and away
Most international visitors to Bali will arrive by air, either directly or via Jakarta. For island-hoppers, there are frequent ferries between eastern Java and Bali, and between Bali and Lombok, as well as domestic flights between the islands.
Getting around
On Bali, the best way to get around is with your own transport, whether you drive, hire a driver or ride a bike. This gives you the flexibility to explore at will and allows you to reach many places that are otherwise inaccessible. Public transport is cheap but can be cause for very long journeys if you're not sticking to a major route. In addition, some places are just impossible to reach. There are also tourist shuttle buses and these combine economy with convenience.
Weather
Just 8° south of the equator, Bali has a tropical climate - the average temperature hovers around 30° C (mid-80s° F) all year. Direct sun feels incredibly hot, especially in the middle of the day. In the wet season, from October to March, the humidity can be very high and oppressive. The almost daily tropical downpours come as a relief, then pass quickly, leaving flooded streets and renewed humidity. The dry season (April to September) is generally sunnier, less humid and, from a weather point of view, the best time to visit, though downpours can occur at any time.There are marked variations across the island. The coast is hotter, but sea breezes can temper the heat. As you move inland you also move up, so the altitude works to keep things cool - at times it can get chilly up in the highlands, and a warm sweater or light jacket can be a good idea in mountain villages such as Kintamani and Candikuning. The northern slopes of Gunung Batur always seem to be wet and misty, while a few kilometres away, the east coast is nearly always dry and sunny. Air-con is not really needed on Bali at night. A cool breeze always seems to spring up in the evening, and the open bamboo windows, so common in Balinese architecture, make the most of the light breezes.
Places of Interest
Adventure looms large in this vast and steamy archipelago, where the best of southeast Asia's spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas and diverse cultures spin and multiply, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling. Indonesia's cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago's territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes.
Events
Apart from the usual western calendar, the Balinese also use two local calendars, the Hindu saka and the wuku. The wuku calendar, which is used to determine festival dates, uses 10 different types of weeks between one and 10 days long, all running simultaneously! The intersection of the various weeks determines auspicious days. It's impossible to work it out yourself: when you arrive in Bali, go to a tourist office and ask which festivals and celebrations are coming up. Try to get to at least one. The Galungan Festival, Bali's major feast, is held throughout the island and is an annual event in the wuku year. During this 10-day period all the gods come down to earth for the festivities and barongs (mythical lion-dog creatures) prance from temple to temple and village to village. The last and most important day of the festival is Kuningan. Nyepi is the major festival of the saka year - it's the last day of the year, and usually falls towards the end of March or the beginning of April. The day before is set aside as a day of purification across the island. The night before, evil spirits are noisily chased away with cymbals, gongs, drums and flaming torches. On Nyepi itself, everyone stays quietly at home, making no noise, using no lights and doing no cooking. The idea is that when evil spirits descend, they are fooled into thinking that Bali is uninhabited and leave the island in peace for another year.
Warning
High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Indonesia. Travellers are advised to check their local consular information and monitor the situation in Indonesia closely before making travel plans. Check out Safe Travel for current government warnings.
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