Bali

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Bali is an island in Indonesia, at the east end of Java.

	bali Travel Guide : 1 Regions 2 Other destinations 3 Understand 3.1 Culture 3.2 Festivals 3.3 Climate 3.4 Time 3.5 Electricity 4 Talk 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By boat 6 Get around 6.1 By taxi 6.2 By bemo 6.3 By car or bike 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Stay safe 9.1 Stay healthy 10 Get out

Regions

South

• Denpasar — The administrative center and transport hub of the island
• Jimbaran — Nice beaches south of Kuta.
• Kuta and Legian — Surfer central, by far the most heavily developed bit of Bali.
• Nusa Dua — A enclave of expensive high-end resorts.
• Sanur — More beaches.
• Seminyak and Kerobokan — Quieter, more upscale beachside resorts and villas just to the north of Kuta.
• Uluwatu — A small village near the southernmost tip of Bali with a stunningly located clifftop temple

Central

• Ubud — The center of art and dance in the mountains

West

• Gilimanuk — Ferry to Java
• Negara —

North

• Lovina — Small villages, black volcanic sand beaches and coral reefs on Bali's north coast.
• Singaraja -- Largest city on the north shore.

East

• Amed — The dry side of the island featuring black sand, coral reefs and shipwrecks.

Other destinations

Visit the volcanic caldera in the center of the island. Take a dip in a hot spring along the north coast. Go diving at Pulau Menjangan.

Understand

The word paradise is used a lot in Bali, and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unparalleled number one tourist attraction.

The popularity is not without its flip sides — once parasidical Kuta has degenerated into a congested warren of concrete, touts and scammers live on overcharging tourists, and the island's visibility has even drawn the unwanted attention of terrorists in 2002 and 2005 — but Bali has managed to retain its magic. Bali is a wonderful destination with something for everyone, and though heavily traveled, it is still easy to find some peace and quiet if you like.

Culture

Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture, although Balinese Hinduism is so far removed from the original Indian variety that the casual eye will be hard put to spot any similarities. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (sesajen) 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 no less then three times a day, before every meal.

Balinese dance and music are also justly famous. As on Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate.

Festivals

There are an estimated 20,000 temples (pura) on the island, each of which holds festivals (odalan) at least twice a year, meaning that there are always festivities going on. Funerals are another occasion of pomp and ceremony, when the deceased are ritually cremated in extravagantly colorful rituals.

There are some large festivals celebrated islandwide, but their dates are determined by two local calendars. The 210-day wuku or Pawukon calendar is completely out of sync with the Western calendar, meaning that it rotates wildly throughout the year.

• Galungan (last held October 5, 2005). A 10-day festival celebrating the death of the tyrant Mayadenawa. Gods come down to earth and are greeted with gift-laden bamboo poles called penjor lining the streets. The last day of the festival is known as Kuningan. .

The lunar saka (caka) calendar roughly follows the Western year.

• Nyepi, or Hindu New Year, usually March/April (next April 10, 2006). This is the one festival worth avoiding: on Nyepi, also known as the Day of Absolute Silence, absolutely everything (including electricity!) on the island is shut down and tourists are confined to their hotel rooms.

Nyepi is a very special day to the Balinese as this is the day that they have to fool all evil spirits that no-one is actually on Bali - hence the need for silence. If this can be achieved, then it is believed that the evil spirits will go looking elsewhere for their prey and leave Bali island alone for another year. Balinese people are very religious and life is full of ritual - Nyepi is one of the most important days in their calendar. Police and security are on hand to make sure that everyone abides by this rule.

Nyepi also serves to remind the Balinese of the need for tolerance and understanding in their everyday life. In fact, Hinduism on Bali is unique because it is woven into and around the original Balinese animistic religion. The two now have become one for the Balinese - a true sign of tolerance and acceptance!

All national public holidays covered in Indonesia also apply, although Ramadan is naturally a much smaller event here than in the country's Muslim regions.

Climate

Bali is always warm, humid and tropical. The April-October dry season and November-March rainy seasons are only relative, with plenty of rainfall around the year, but the Balinese winter is cloudier, more humid and with a higher chance of thunderstorms.

A more important consideration is the tourist season, as Bali can get packed in July-August and again around Christmas and New Year's. Australians also visit during school holidays in early April, late June and late September, while Indonesians visit during national holidays. Outside these peaks, Bali can be surprisingly quiet and good discounts on accommodation are often available.

Time

Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone, same as Singapore, one hour ahead of Jakarta.

Electricity

Electricity is supplied at 220V 50Hz. Outlets are the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" or the compatible, but non-grounded, CEE-7/16 "Europlug" types. Generally speaking, U.S. and Canadian travelers should pack an adapter for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Bali.

Talk

Balinese is linguistically distinct from Bahasa Indonesia, although the Indonesian lingua franca is spoken by practically everybody. In touristy regions English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken.

Get in

By plane

Most visitors will arrive at Denpasar's international airport, which has extensive domestic connections as well as direct flights throughout Asia and Australia. In addition to the usual suspects, a few specialist airlines like Qantas subsidiary Australian Airlines (http://www.australianairlines.com.au/) operate cheap flights from Australia to Bali.

By boat

Ferries cross from Gilimanuk in western Bali to Ketapang on the island of Java every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the crossing takes just 30 minutes (plus waiting around, loading, unloading, etc).

There are also services from Padangbai to Lembar (Lombok) every few hours, with the trip taking around 3.5 hours.

Get around

Bali's a fairly big island and you'll need a method to get around if you plan on exploring more than the hotel pool.

By taxi

Metered taxis are very common in southern Bali up to Denpasar but not available elsewhere. The starting fee is Rp 4,000 for the first two km and the meter ticks up Rp 2,000 per kilometer afterwards. Waiting time is Rp 20,000 per hour. Trips outside southern Bali will incur an extra charge of 30%, as the driver has to go back empty — if day-tripping, it's often cheaper and more convenient to arrange for your driver to wait and take you back.

By bemo

Bemos, basically minivans which serve as a flexible bus service, are Bali's "traditional" form of transportation, but they have largely given way to metered taxis in the south. Fares on shared bemos can be very cheap, but drivers will often insist that foreign tourist charter the entire vehicle, in which case they'll usually ask for taxi prices or worse.

By car or bike

Car and motorbike rental is available, but may not be safe for drivers used to more formal traffic rules. Consider hiring a car and driver as you can relax, be safe, and not get lost.

Eat

Bali has a huge variety of cafes and restaurants, serving both Indonesian and international food. Try the smaller local restaurants rather than touristy ones, the food is better- and cheaper.

Actual Balinese food, however, is rarely seen — the only dishes you're likely to spot are babi guling, roast suckling pig, and betetu bebek, roasted duck in banana leaves. Both are large ceremonial dishes that must usually be ordered in advance.

Drink

• Beer Indonesia's most popular beer, Bintang, is a pilsner that can be found virtually anywhere in Bali. Cans and bottles and widely available and occasionally draught at some restaurants.
• Wine Bali produces its own wine, though their enjoyment can be inconsistent. Wine is expensive compared to other things in Bali.

Stay safe

Bali has been the scene of lethal terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005, both waves of attacks targeting nightclubs and restaurants popular among foreign visitors. Security is consequently tight in obvious targets, but it is of course impossible to protect fully against terrorism. If it is any reassurance, the Balinese themselves — who depend on tourism for their livelihood — deplore the bombings and the terrorists behind them for the terrible suffering they have caused on this peaceful island. As a visitor, it is important to put the risk in perspective: the sad fact is that Bali's roads are, statistically, far more dangerous than even the deadliest bomb. It is still prudent to avoid high profile western hang-outs, especially those without security measures, and the paranoid or just security-conscious may wish to head out of the tourist enclaves of south Bali to elsewhere on the island.

Stay healthy

The midday sun in Bali will fry the unwary traveller to a crisp, so slap on plenty of suntan lotion and drink lots of fluids. However, don't carry liters of water as you can buy a bottle virtually anywhere.

Get out

Boat services run regularly to Lombok, Flores, and islands further east. Combined bus and ferry service will take you to Java destinations such as Yogyakarta, though the trip can be long on winding jungle lined roads.

Less than one hour, at the south-east of Bali lies Nusa Lembongan. From Sanur a ferry service can take you to this small and beautiful island. This island is a good place to go one or two days, if you want to get out of the touristic area from Bali. Along the beach you can find many small and cheap Homestays. Be aware you get wet feet getting in or out the ferry. And the island doesn´t have a Money Machine or Bank. Many people on this island live from farming seaweed. And the acres with the different coloured seaweed, just under the sealevel, makes a beautiful view.

• Yogyakarta has convenient air service from Bali on Garuda with scheduled service early in the morning and late in the evening, making it possible to have a full day of sight seeing in Prambanan and Borobudur and still make it back to your hotel in Bali in time for bed.

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