Bali, Indonesia

Popularly known as the Island of the Gods, Bali features a varied landscape of mountains and hills, rugged coastlines with beautiful sandy beaches, barren volcanic hillsides and lush rice terraces. Alongside the unique and highly spiritual culture, Bali has won the admiration of many as a real paradise on earth. It is also a hot tourist destination that features world class diving and surfing spots, numerous archaeological, historical and cultural attractions as well as a wide range of top notch accommodations. From super rich travelers to young and adventurous back- packers, Bali has truly something unique and special to offer any kind of traveler regardless of his many and varied travel needs.

The most visited part in Bali is South Bali with chic Seminyak and Kuta Beach. Central Bali is the cultural center of the island and west Bali is home to West Bali National Park. North Bali is home to old capital city and quiet sand beach and East Bali features laid back and highly attractive coastal villages. Major cities in Bali include Denpasar, Candidasa, Jimbaran and Lovina. More than 4 million people call Bali their home and this is a place where the ‘paradise’ has been used to refer the place for no apparent good reason. During tourist season in Bali which falls between August and September, Bali can be seriously crowded.

Unlike most other islands in Indonesia that are largely dominated by Muslims, Bali is a hub of Hindu religion. While a typical Balinese life is highly suffused with Hindu culture, the tiny offerings are the most common signs of Hinduism found in every house, restaurant, work place, airport and souvenir stalls. Bali is also a place where many festivals take place. Each of the more than 20, 000 temples in Bali holds at lest two festivals in a year. Notable festivals that you might come across are such as funerals, Galungan festival, Hindu New Year/ Nyepi and many national public holidays.

The best known attractions in Bali are the countless Hindu temples. To enter the temples, tourists are required to dress appropriately with sash and a sarong. The landscapes of Bali which majorly consist of the beautiful beaches are also hot attractions on the island. Both modern and traditional art has for years been a major attraction as well and are found almost at every place which makes it pretty impossible to miss. The artistic centre of Bali is Ubud which is home to many retail outlets, informal workshops and several museums. Museums in Bali majorly showcase works of both dead and living artists as well as foreign artists.

Bali Bomb Memorial is a monument that reminds locals and foreigners of the sad events that took place in October 2002 where more than 200 people died. Other famous monuments can also be seen at Puputan Park and in Klungkung which commemorates fight for independence from Dutch. Bali also has many hot springs that tourists can discover as well as many exciting activities to be engaged in like Paragliding, mountain cycling, jungle trekking and hiking.