Bali

Capital:

Denpasar

Currency:

Indonesian Rupee

Population:

3,150,000

Major Airports:

Ngurah Rai International Airport

Major Airlines:

Qantas
Virgin Blue
Garuda Indonesia

Description:

Bali is an Indonesian island situated within Southeast Asia located between the islands of Java to the west and Lambok to the east.

Due to its geographical location Bali is always warm, humid and tropical. The dry season will run from April to October, and the rainy season will last from November to March, however there is plenty of rainfall year round. The Balinese winter is cloudier with higher humidity and an increased chance of thunderstorms.

The official language of Bali is Indonesian, but Balinese is spoken across the island.

The original inhabitants are believed to be migrants from Taiwan and Maritime Southeast Asia. The first European contact with Bali was believed to be the Dutch explorer Cornelis De Houtman who arrived in 1597. The Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840's on the island's north coast. In 1946 the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly-proclaimed Republic of East Indonesia, Bali was included in the "Republic of the United States of Indonesia when the Netherlands recognized Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949.

Islam is the official religion of Indonesia however Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Almost every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the offerings of flowers, glutinous rice and salt in little bamboo leaf trays, found in every Balinese house, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk. They are set out and sprinkled with holy water three times a day, before every meal.

Balinese dance and music are justly famous. As on Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances include: Barong or "lion dance," Calonarang, Kecak or "monkey dance" and Lagong Kresaton.

The Hindu New Year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a whole day of silence. Everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain within their hotels. The day before is celebrated with large, colorful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters, which are paraded and finally burned in the evening driving away all the evil spirits.

The Balinese eat with their right hand, as the left is impure, a common belief throughout Indonesia. The Balinese do not hand or receive things with their left hand and would not wave at anyone with their left hand.

Highlights

The Spas and Beaches of Seminyak
Mount Agung
The mother temple of Besakih, Bali's most significant Hindu temple
Sample Balinese food
Le Meridian Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort
Waterbom Park
Climbing Mount Batur

Landmarks / To Dos:

Seminyak is the high-end spa capital of Bali. Your spa experience here will be one of great luxury in a sophisticated setting. With amazing beaches and resort style Spas you will be pampered in a truly relaxing environment. You can also find the best shopping on the island to be had in the centre of Seminyak.

Mount Agung has a huge spiritual significance to all the people of Bali and is home to the 'Mother Temple' of Besakih. It forms part of a chain of volcanoes that make up the back bone of Bali. Balinese legend has it that Agung was created when the Hindu God Pasupati split Mount Meru (the spiritual axis of the universe) and formed Mount Agung with a fragment. It is actually a complex of many temples each serving a specific purpose. The only way to move around the temples of Besakih is on foot so be ready with a pair of comfortable shoes.

Try some amazing Balinese cuisine, some of the signature dishes of the island include babi guling meaning roast suckling pig, bebek betutu literally meaning darkened duck and lawar which covers a range of Balinese salads.

For one of the best hotel experiences you can go to the Le Meridien Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort. You can see Tanah Lot temple and the pounding surf of the Indian Ocean from this luxury hotel. A key feature of the hotel is its surrounding Nirwana Golf Course and green paddy fields. The course is designed by the legendary Greg Norman and it has been named the "Best Course in Asia" for the fourth year in a row.

Waterbom water park covers 38. Hectare and is packed with exiting waterslides, tranquil dips and inviting blue pools, you can even take a leisurely drift in a tube raft around the park. With a choice of dining outlets and a swim-up bar for tropical drinks, Waterbom Bali is the one-stop leisure capital of Bali.

At 1,700 meters a climb to the summit of Mount Batur, which is still an active volcano, to watch the sunrise is an unforgettable experience. You do not need to be in peak physical shape to complete this trek. Which parts of the mountain are safely accessible changes according to volcanic activity. This is a sight that you cannot see anywhere else in the world, a truly unique experience. .