What You Can See & Do in Bali, Indonesia
What You Can See & Do in Bali, Indonesia
Bali's natural attractions include miles of sandy beaches (many are well-known amongst surfers), picturesque rice terraces, towering active volcanoes over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) high, fast flowing rivers, deep ravines, pristine crater lakes, sacred caves, and lush tropical forests full of exotic wildlife.The island's rich cultural heritage is visible everywhere - in over 20,000 temples and palaces, in many colorful festivals and ceremonies (including tooth filings and cremations), in drama, music, and dance.
You can experience Bali on many different excursions and guided tours by coach, private car or "Big Bike", by boat or by air plane: seeing Bali's beaches and rice terraces, the famous Besakih Temple on the slopes of holy Mount Agung, Lake Batur and it's active volcano, Ubud, Legian, Kuta, Nusa Dua, and the temples of Tanah Lot and Ulu Watu from a helicopter is a really special experience. For helicopter tours and private charters (3 to 6 passengers) please contact the Balivillas.com Service Center at 703-060 as soon as you arrive.
Most full day tours by car (about 8 to 10 hours, min 2 persons) cost about US$45 to US$50 per person, half day tours US$30 to US$35. These prices include a multi-lingual guide and transport in an air-conditioned private car, all entrance fees, but no meals. Which guide and driver you choose can make or break your day: be warned that those who offer very low prices tend to waste your time by showing you hardly any more than those shops which pay them a commission on your purchases.
BALI WEDDINGS
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NGABEN CREMATION
Bali Ceremony - The most striking ritual in Balinese society that we can see now is Ngaben, weather it is followed by a cremation of real body or corpse or not. The complex and time, energy and fund consuming ritual has come to the view of society as the bigger burden of their life. This type of exaggerated ritual must have started from royal palace that much possible started from 13th century, then followed by the common people. It is probable also that the Priest or Pandita have given the hope to the people that by doing such as exaggerated ritual a promise of Sorga or good life after death. Other reason it would have been the chaos of castes where each group claimed or traced their progenitors to high person of the past by showing that they performed the great ritual. This is a fact when a certain family can only use tower with only one roof, 3 roofs, or even 11 roofs. This is to show the social status of the dead and his family as the high class descendants.
If we trace back the very root of this ritual has actually already existed among the ethnics of the archipelago. Dayak people in Kalimantan has the tradition of Tiwah, in Toraja has the tradition of hanging graves, Sumba has the megalithic burials and others. During the prehistory, the treatment of the dead is shown by the complex burial stone coffins such as sarcophagus and clay jars. All of these ancient burials followed by the indication of ritual, which might at the simple form. And from this tradition originally practiced by the people then got the influence of Hindu and Buddhist. The concept of original burial and dead person treatment has some similarities with the new comers, with the degree of similarity the two concepts were easily mixed up and become a tradition with more elements involved in the completion of the ritual. The old concept of ancestor worship now added with concept of gods, where human soul can reach the state of divinity by treating the dead with certain ceremony. In Bali some of villages still practice this tradition such as Tenganan, Trunyan, Pedawa, Sidatapa, Tigawasa and Sembiran, called the Bali Age villages, they burry or place the dead at the cemetery but do not introduce the ritual of ngaben. It was only the year of 2000 that Trunyan village and Pedawa villages imitated the lowland villages to conduct the ritual of ngaben in a light different procedure and materials used. It was lack of knowledge of Hindu Assembly that allowed them to change their traditional which will affect all their life to perform an exaggerated rituals, and will causing also the set back of their society, unless economically they can keep pace with the growing need of the modern life.
The concept of unity between human soul and the god lately added with the doctrine that the unity can be intentionally made with ritual, not only those people who carried his life with good ethic of religion. Even this doctrine in the course of history become more higher compared to the real ethic itself. This new doctrine called " penyucian atman " laterally means soul purification. It is put forward that the purification ritual will returned the elements of the body into " Panca Maha Bhuta " or five elements of the universe. It is hard to understand why the doctrine of atheistic like Camkya philosophy of cosmology in India become incorporated in a theistic concept like Hindu in Bali. According to Camkhya, the universe is formed by 5 elements, the pertiwi ( earth ), the apah ( liquid ), the teja ( heat or light ), the bayu ( wind ). and the akasa ( universe medium ) The doctrine of ngaben translated this 4 elements as the body part of human being. Eloquently described that composed the body called " stula sarira" This stula sarira consist of " tri sarira " or 3 bodies, one is the body ( panca maha bhuta ), spirit, and soul. The spirit is translated as those soul which still not yet reach its divine state, and can still visit their family or stay some where on the world but by human being it can not be seen. This is the function of ngaben that purify this spirit to reach its highest state as atman ( soul ).
During the course of history this this ancestor worship incorporated into Hindu tradition called " manusa yadnya" or life circle rites, which was practiced in India thousand years ago with the name of " Samskara" and now enthusiastically practiced in Bali. Ngaben is the last order of the manusa yadnya, when a human being left the worldly life, called pitra yadnya, basically means the ritual to the ancestor. Pitra originated from Sanskrit " pitre". The worked father of Sanskrit is fatar which might correlated with pitre means ancestor. If we see current burial until ngaben there are steps of ritual that must be followed or at other areas have other tradition that is still showing the similar process, except older Balinese villages mentioned above. In most cases, when a person is died, the corpse is bathed and dressed in symbolic ways, given the holy water for purification then buried at the cemetery. Some banten ( offering ) to the goddess of the cemetery are made to request good way and place to the dead. It is believed that the goddess of cemetery, the Dewi Durga who reside at Prajapati temple is on control of the cemetery. After this burial ceremony, the family wait for another years to conduct the ceremony of ngaben and memukur together with other families who also have the member dead. This mass ceremony was expected to get cheaper cost and energy. But later this type of mass ngaben and memukur also become an expensive work, which has gone astray from their first objective. With this situation some villages initiated a much more simplified ritual by taking at once when their family is dead making the ritual of ngaben and memukur at a time. This is also expected to save cost and time. The banten of ngaben and memukur are so complicated, and without clear reasons back ground, various symbols are also made from the small tower, music instruments, symbol of the ancestor, real tower, symbol of the dead, and dozens of symbols. All of these objects need banten for symbolically bring to life, purification, and put them dead again. At the village where direct cremating of the corpse is permitted, still symbol of the dead is made. At the highland areas where cremating the corpse is not permitted, they cremating the symbols. The symbol is given a complicated process again. It is brought to the cemetery, as if the symbol is united with the body of the dead with various type of banten, then brought to the ngaben pavilion to get daily banten until the departure again to the cemetery. On the day already fixed all these symbols again brought to the cemetery with tower then cremated at the cemetery and the ash were brought to the river with various bantens, while new symbols appear again to be put on the memukur pavilion. Until the day that will be determined this symbols again cremated and the ash put in young coconut which later will be thrown to the sea. Indeed this process is followed again by a complex banten. Most of the ngaben during a trip to Gowa Laway to perform a ceremony of memukur with dozens of banten types, then visited Gowa Lawah, Besakih, Pura Dalem Puri, Goa, and to the house of the Brahmana ( Griya ) then back to the village. Again in the village a ceremony of enthroning like a god. This is not yet finish in total but still some ceremony with banten to symbolically cleaning the whole village from all superstitious dirts after the big ngaben and memukur rituals. An under developed villages in Bali can work for months to complete all this ceremonies and not rare after the ritual a family drained out of wealth, sickness, or even quarrelling with relatives. This view only for a general type of the ceremony, and variations can be found throughout the island.
DIVE at Tulamben
Tulamben is a small fishing village on the north-east coast of Bali. It is among the most popular dive sites on Bali since the wreck of the Liberty, a US Army Transport ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 lies just off shore. During high-season, up to 100 divers descend to the wreck each dayHistory
The town's name is derived from the word batulambih, which roughly translates as "many stones" a reference to the destructive eruptions by Mount Agung that have effected this part of Bali from time to time. The modern name evolved over time, first to "Batulamben" and finally settling on the contraction Tulamben ("batu" means "stone" in Indonesian).[2]
The wreck
The wreck lies in shallow water and is considered appropriate for divers of all certification levels. The ship rests in 30 meters of water, is roughly 25 meters from shore and can be reached with a short swim from the beach. The highest point of the wreck tops out about 5 meters from the surface. The ship was torpedoed by the Japanese off the nearby Island of Lombok and the ship was towed to the beach at Tulamben for salvage operations. The 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung, which devestated much of the eastern side of Bali, drove the ship into the water just off shore, where it became encrusted with coral and a home to other sea life.[3]
The best conditions for diving here are during October and November, when the weather is generally calm and during the start of southeast monsoon, which typically extends from May to July. In addition to a wide variety of corals and invertebrates on the wreck itself, large fish frequent the wreck in some seasons, most popularly Mola Mola and Whale Sharks. Professional divers have praised local residents for minimizing local fishing activity
BALINESSE ART
Balinese art is art of Hindu-Javanese origin that grew from the work of artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, with their expansion to Bali in the late 13th century. Since then, Ubud and its neighboring villages have been the center of Balinese art. Ubud and Batuan are known for their paintings, Mas for their woodcarvings, Celuk for gold and silver smiths, and Batubulan for their stone carvings. Covarrubias[1] describes Balinese art as, "... a highly developed, although informal Baroque folk art that combines the peasant liveliness with the refinement of classicism of Hinduistic Java, but free of the conservative prejudice and with a new vitality fired by the exuberance of the demonic spirit of the tropical primitive." Eiseman correctly pointed out that Balinese art is actually carved, painted, woven, and prepared into objects intended for everyday use rather than as object d 'artRECENT HISTORY
Prior to 1920s, Balinese traditional paintings were restricted to what is now known as the Kamasan or Wayang style. It is a visual narrative of Hindu-Javanese epics: the Ramayana and Mahabharata. These two-dimensional drawings are traditionally drawn on cloth or bark paper (Ulantaga paper) with natural dyes. The coloring is limited to available natural dyes: red, ochre, black, etc. In addition, the rendering of the figures and ornamentations must follow strictly prescribed rules, since they are mostly produced for religious articles and temple hangings. These paintings are produced collaboratively, and therefore mostly anonymously.
In the 1920s, with the arrival of many western artists, Bali became an artist enclave (as Tahiti was for Paul Gauguin) for avant-garde artists such as Walter Spies (German), Rudolf Bonnet (Dutch), Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur (Belgian), Arie Smit (Dutch) and Donald Friend (Australian) in more recent years.
On his first visit to Bali in 1930, the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias noted that local paintings served primarily religious or ceremonial functions. They were used as decorative cloths to be hung in temples and important houses, or as calendars to determine children's horoscopes. Yet within a few years, he found the art form had undergone a "liberating revolution." Where they had once been severely restricted by subject (mainly episodes from Hindu mythology) and style, Balinese artists began to produce scenes from rural life. These painters had developed increasing individuality.[1]
This groundbreaking period of creativity reached a peak in the late 1930s. A stream of famous visitors, including Charlie Chaplin and the anthropologists Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead, encouraged the talented locals to create highly original works. During their stay in Bali in mid 1930s, Bateson and Mead collected over 2000 paintings, predominantly from the village of Batuan.[3] Among western artists, Spies and Bonnet are often credited for the modernization of traditional Balinese paintings. They provided painting media and introduced western painting concepts, such as western perspectives and techniques concerning picture and color composition and human anatomy.[4] More importantly, they acted as agents of change by encouraging individual freedom of expression, and promoted departures from the confining traditional Balinese painting traditions. The result was an explosion of individual expression that led to the birth of the modern traditional Balinese painting. The Ubud painters particularly embraced it with courage and enthusiasm. This modernization took the forms of: (1) the shifting of the choice of subject matter from the narration of religious epics to the depiction of daily Bali life and drama; (2) the change of the patron of these artists from the religious temples and royal houses to western tourists/collectors; (3) shifting the picture composition from multiple to single focus. The latter is most evident in the works of Ubud artists.[5] Despite the adoption of modern western painting traditions by many Balinese and Indonesian painters, the modern traditional Balinese painting tradition is still thriving and continues by descendants/students of the artists of the pre-war modernist era (1928-1942). The schools of modern traditional Balinese painting include: Ubud, Batuan, Sanur, Young Artist and Keliki schools of painting
UBUD painting
bud has been the center of art for centuries, with the surrounding royal houses and temples as the main patrons. Prior to the 1920s, traditional wayang style paintings dominated the subject matters, although Jean Couteau[4] believes that both secular and religious theme paintings have long been co-existing in the form of the expression of the unity of opposites (Rwabhinneda in Balinese belief system).
It was not until the late 1920s that this balance was tilted toward secular art by the arrival of western artists such as Miguel Covarrubias, Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur, Theo Meier, Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet. The last two artists were often credited as the agents of change that brought Balinese Art to modernity.[4]
Their influence culminated with the founding of the Pitamaha Art Guild in 1936, with Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati as one of its founders. Its mission was to preserve the quality of Balinese Art in the rush of tourism to Bali. The board members of Pitamaha met regularly to select paintings submitted by its members, and to conduct exhibitions throughout Indonesia and abroad. Pitamaha was active until the beginning of the second world war in 1942.The subject matters shifted from religious narration to Balinese daily life. Ubud artists who were members to Pitamaha came from Ubud and its surrounding villages; Pengosekan, Peliatan and Tebasaya. Among them were: Ida Bagus Made Kembeng of the village of Tebesaya and his three sons Ida Bagus Wiri, Ida Bagus Made and Ida Bagus Belawa; Tjokorda Oka of the royal house of Peliatan; Anak Agung Gde Sobrat, Anak Agung Gde Meregeg, I Dewa Putu Bedil, I Dewa Nyoman Leper, Anak Agung Dana of Padangtegal; I Gusti Ketut Kobot, I Gusti Made Baret, I Wayan Gedot, Dewa Putu Mokoh of Pengosekan; I Gusti Deblog and I Gusti Nyoman Lempad.
The spirit of Pitamaha is well preserved by the descendents of these artists.Noted Ubudian artists include I Ketut Budiana, I Nyoman Meja, I Nyoman Kayun, A.A. Gde Anom Sukawati, I Gusti Agung Wiranata, and Ida Bagus Sena
BATUAN painting
The Batuan school of painting is practiced by brahman artists in the village of Batuan, which is situated ten kilometers to the South of Ubud. The Batuan artisans are gifted dancers, sculptors and painters. Major Batuan artists from the pre-modernist era include I Dewa Njoman Mura (1877-1950) and I Dewa Putu Kebes (1874-1962), who were known as sanging; traditional Wayang-style painters for temples' ceremonial textiles.
The western influence in Batuan did not reach the intensity it had in Ubud.[3] According to Claire Holt, the Batuan paintings were often sultry, crowded representations of either legendary scenes or themes from daily life, but they portrayed above all fearsome nocturnal moments when grotesque spooks, freakish animal monsters, and witches accosted people. This is particularly true for paintings collected by Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson during their field studies in Bali in 1936 to 1939.[3] Gradations of black to white ink washes laid over most of the surface, so as to create an atmosphere of darkness and gloom. In the later years, the designs covered the entire space, which often contributed to the crowded nature of these paintings.
Among the early Batuan artists, I Ngendon (1903-1946) was considered the most innovative Batuan School painter.[4] Ngendon was not only a good painter, but a shrewd business man and political activist. He encouraged and mobilized his neighbours and friends to paint for tourist consumption. His ability in portraiture played an important role in teaching his fellow villagers in Batuan more than Spies and Bonnet.[4] The major Batuan artists from this period were: I Patera (1900-1935), I Tombos (b. 1917), Ida Bagus Togog (1913-1989), Ida Bagus Made Jatasura (1917-1946), Ida Bagus Ketut Diding (1914-1990), I Made Djata (1920-2001), and Ida Bagus Widja (1912-1992). The spirit of the Pitamaha period is still strong and continues by contemporary Batuan Artists such as I Made Budi , I Wayan Bendi (b. 1950), I Ketut Murtika (b. 1952), I Made Sujendra (b. 1964), and many others. I Made Budi and I Wayan Bendi paintings capture the influence of tourism in modern life in Bali. They place tourists with their camera, riding a motorbike or surfing in the midst of Balinese traditional village activities. The dichotomy of modern and traditional Balinese life are contrasted starkly in harmony. I Ketut Murtika ( still paints the traditional story of Mahabharata and Ramayana in a painstaking details with subdued colors. His painting of the Wheel of Life viewed from the Balinese beliefs system shows his mastery of local legends and painstaking attention to details. I Made Sujendra, an art teacher at a local art school, depicts old Balinese folklore with a modern eye and a high degree of individuality. Rejecting excessive decoration and relying on the composition itself, I Made Sujendra is successful in depicting tensions in his work and the old Batuan style of 1930sSANUR Painting
Unlike Ubud and Batuan which are located in the inland of Bali, Sanur is a beach resort. Sanur was the home of the well known Belgian artist Le Mayeur de Mepres, who lived with a Balinese wife (Ni Polok) and had a beach house in Sanur beach.
Tourists in 1930s came to Bali on cruise ships docked in Sanur and made side trips to Ubud and neighboring tourist sites. Its prime location provided the Sanur artist with ready-access to Western tourists who frequented the shop of the Neuhaus Brothers who sold balinese souvenirs and tropical fishes. Neuhaus brothers became the major art dealer of Sanur paintings.
The beach around Sanur, full of outriggers and open horizon, provided local artists with a visual environment different from the Ubud and Batuan, which are located in the hinterland.The playful atmosphere pervades the Sanur paintings, and are not dictated by the religious iconography[5]. It is lighter and airy than those of Batuan and Ubud with sea creatures, erotic scenery and wild animals drawn in rhythmic patterns; often in an Escher-like manner.[4] Most early works were black and white ink wash on paper, but at the request of Neuhaus, latter works were adorned with light pastel colors often added by other artists specializing in coloring a black and white drawings. Their name code is often found at the margin.
The Sanur school of painting is the most stylized and decorative among all modern Balinese Art. Major artists from Sanur are I Rundu, Ida Bagus Nyoman Rai, I Soekaria, I Poegoeg, I Rudin, and many others. I Rudin, who started to paint in mid 1930s, draws simple balinese dancers in the manner of the drawings of Miguel Covarrubias.
Hotel Address Ubud Area
| Hotel | Address | Phone |
| FOUR SEASON SAYAN | Jl. Sayan Ubud | 977577 |
| AMANDARI RESORT | Jl. Raya Kedewatan-Ubud | 772353 |
| THE CHEDI | Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan | 975963 |
| BEGAWAN GIRI RESORT | Jl.Raya Payangan-Ubud | 978888 |
| PITAMAHA RESORT | Jl.Raya Sanggingan-Ubud | 974330 |
| TJAMPUHAN RESORT | Jl.Raya Tjampuhan-Ubud | 975368 |
| KUPU KUPU BARONG | Jl.Raya Kedewatan | 975478 |
| LOR’IN | Br Saba-Ds Saba-Blahbatuh | 297070 |
| CHAMPLUNG SARI | | 975418 |
| PURI KAMANDALU | Jl.Tegallalang-Br.Nagi | 975825 |
| IBAH | Jl.Raya Campuhan Ubud | 976 225 |
| KOMANEKA | | 976 090 |
| MAYA UBUD RESORT | Jl. Gunungsari, Banjar Ambengan, Desa Peliatan | 977 888 |
| ULUN UBUD | Jl.Raya Sanggingan-Ubud | 975024 |
| ANANDA COTTAGE | Jl.Raya Sanggingan-Ubud | 975376 |
| AGUNG RAKA BUNGALOW | Jl.Raya Pengosekan Ubud | 975757 |
| ARTINI II | Jl. Hanoman | 975689 |
| CAHAYA DEWATA | Jl.Kedewatan Ubud | 975495 |
| FIBRA INN | | 975451 |
| MUNUT BUNGALOW | Jl.Campuhan Ubud | 975073 |
| | Jl.Raya Tebasaya Ubud | 975193 |
| PERTIWI BUNGALOW | | 975236 |
| PURI SAREN | Jl.Raya Ubud | 975057 |
| UBUD INN | | 975071 |
| VILLA BUKIT UBUD | Jl.Raya Sanggingan | 975371 |
| VILLA INDAH | Jl. Raya Kedewatan | 975490 |
| PURI BAGUS JATI | Jl.Raya Tegallalang | 978885 |
| TIING GADING | Tebesaya, Peliatan | 973 228 |
| | Desa Nyuh Kuning | 974 013 |
| WAKA DI | Jl. Sueta | 973 178 |
VISA ON ARRIVAL
7 days individual US $ 1030 days individual US $ 25
1. Aljazair
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Bahrain
6. Belgium
7. Brazil
8. Bulgaria
9. Canada
10. Chez
11. Cyprus
12. Denmark
13. Estonia
14. Egypt
15. France
16. Fiji
17. Finland
18. Germany
19. Greece
20. Hungary
21. Holland
22. India
23. England
24. Iran
25. Irlandia
26. Islandia
27. Italy
28. Japan
29. Kambodia
30. Kuwait
31. Laos
32. Latvia
33. Libya
34. Liechtenstein
35. Lithuania
36. Luxemburg
37. Maldive
38. Malta
39. Mexico
40. Monaco
41. New Zealand
42. Norwegian
43. Oman
44. Panama
45. Poland
46. Portugal
47. Qatar
48. RRC
49. Rumania
50. Russia
51. Saudi Arabia
52. South Africa
53. South Korea
54. Slovakia
55. Slovenia
56. Spain
57. Suriname
58. Sweden
59. Swiss
60. Taiwan
61. Tunisia
62. Uni Emirat Arab
63. United State
Announced on the 28th of May 2007
Countries that do not require a Visa to enter Bali.
1. Thailand
2. Malaysia
3. Singapore
4. Brunai
5. Philipina
6. Hongkong SAR
7. Machao SAR
8. Chili
9. Morocco
10. Vietnam
11. Peru
ALL ABOUT BALI
Bali Information
One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Bali for few years awarded as the world best island by The International Travel Magazine. There, however, are still many people who do not know in depth about the uniqueness of Balinese culture. Life in Bali is always related to "Tri Hita Karana" or a tripartite concept that include the spiritual relationship between human and God, and their environment.
The rapid growth of development in tourism has had a big impact and influences to Bali tradition and lifestyle. Interestingly, Balinese culture is still as what it was, growing along with the of globalization. It is the Balinese civilization what makes the island different from other destination.
Among 17,500 islands across the Indonesian archipelago, Bali is one of the 33 provinces of the Republic of Indonesia, the largest archipelagic country in the world, made up of 2,000,000 km2 of land with a chain of islands stretching over 500,000 km from Sumatra to Papua, and covers territorial waters of more than 5,000,000 km2.
Situated between Java and Lombok, the island of Bali is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator with the Java Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the south. Bali’s covers an area of 5,636 km2 or 0.29% of Indonesia, measuring just 90km long the north-south axis and less than about 140km from west to east.
Divided into three areas of water, the North Bali Sea is about 3,168km2, the East about 3.350km2, and the West about 2,982km2. Bali Sea covers an area of 9,500km2. The North Bali sea runs along the coastline of Buleleng, the East Bali Sea runs along the coastline of Karangasem, Klungkung and Gianyar, and the West Bali Sea include the coastline of Badung Tabanan and Jembrana.
The province of Bali is divided into nine regencies (eight regencies and one municipality) with its own capital. Buleleng covers an area of 1,365.88 km2 or about 24% of the Bali’s land. Jembrana covers an area of 841,80 km2 or about 14.94%, Karangasem 839,54 km2 or about 15% of Bali’s land, Badung 420,09 km2, Denpasar 123,98 km2, Gianyar 368 km2, Klungkung 315,00 km2 and Bangli 520,81 km2 or about 31%.
The topography of Bali is formed by a mountain chain that stretches from west to east splitting the island into two parts. Some of the volcanic peaks are active, including Mount Agung, 3,142m, the tallest point above sea level, and mount Batur 1717m. Some barren peaks include mount Merbuk, Patas, Seraya, Prapat Agung, Klatakan, Sanghyang, Mesehe, Musi, Lesung, Tapak, Adeng, Pengiligan, Catur, Penulisan and mount Abang. The north side of the mountain slopes is fairly steep, creating narrow lowland along the coastal area. Meanwhile, the south slopes are much leaner, forming a fertile plain that becomes the main center of Balinese culture. Some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches are in the south, including Sanur Beach, Kuta and Nusa Dua. The south slope also is home to four lakes, i.e. Lake Buyan (367 hectares), Lake Tamblingan (115 hectares), Lake Beratan (376 hectares) and Lake Batur (1,605 hectares).
With sunshine shining throughout the year, Bali has a tropical monsoon climate, with pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainy season starts from October to March, when the West monsoon brings heavy showers and high humidity. June to September is considered the driest season, with low humidity and it can be fairly cold in the evenings, the best time for any outdoor activities.
Something unique can be found about climate in Bali. Even when it rains most times in the most parts of Bali you can often enjoy sunny days on the "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran. On the other hand, you may expect cloudy skies and drips throughout the year in Ubud and the mountainous areas. Most interestingly perhaps, the international weather reports for "Denpasar" or "Bali" mention showers and rain storms all times of the year. In higher regions such as in Bedugul or Kintamani you'll expect to wear either a sweater or jacket when evening falls.
Just like common tropical islands, in Bali you will find a wide variety of plants by surprise. Huge banyan trees are everywhere in the villages by the Bale banjar or pavilion, or temples ground. Tamarind is also a typical Balinese tree mostly found in the north coast, as well as clove at the highlands. Meanwhile acacia, flame tree and mangrove can be found along the south coastlines. Craft and house use basketries, a dozen species of coconut palms and varieties of bamboos are also everywhere across the island.
Flowers families are just as surprisingly as the variety of big plants. The most common are hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, and water lilies. Magnolia, frangipani, and a variety of orchids are found in many front yards and gardens, along roads, and in temple grounds. In the day to day life flowers are routinely used as decorations in temples, on statues, as offerings for the gods, and during prayers. Dancers wear blossoms in their crowns, and flowers are worn behind the ear during ceremony sessions.
Fauna
Like some other parts of Indonesia, Bali was home for big mammals such as elephant and tiger, although they no longer exist since early of last century. However, Bali still is rich of wildlife with the existence of various species of monkeys, civets, barking deer and mouse deer. There are 300 species of birds occupy the island including wild fowl, dollar birds, blue kingfishers, sea eagles, sandpipers, white herons and egrets, cuckoos, wood swallows, sparrows, and the endangered Bali starlings. The underwater world or marine life of Bali has been noted as one of the best in the world with various species such as dolphin, shark and sun fish, and some smaller inhabitants like colorful coral fish, small reef fish, and moray eels, as well as crustaceans and sponges.
The existence of these flora and fauna become necessary for the day to day life of Balinese, where ceremonies and rituals always flourish.
Bali’s population of over 3,000,000 souls spread over the whole island, including those in the smaller islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, Nusa Lembongan, Serangan and Menjangan Island. The overwhelming majority of Balinese are Hindus, with the increasing number on non-Hindu migrating from the closest neighboring islands of Java and Lombok.
The coastal areas in the south are the most populous area with over 370,000 people living in various professions in the capital of Denpasar. Farming has been the primary way of living in Balinese life. Where else fishing, trading and craftsmanship are also in fashion from generation to generation. Yet with the fast growing of tourism since past few decades, young people start to build up a new touch in their living culture.
Life in Bali is very communal under the organization of villages. Temple ceremonies, marriage, cremation, farming and even the creative art festivals are decided by the local community institution called “Banjar”. The responsibilities in the day-to-day life are normally administered by both the Banjar and the government. The local government mostly responsible for schools, health clinics, hospitals and roads, and Banjar is responsible for all other aspects of life. There is another association exists in the banjar named “Subak” that concerns to the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. Every family who owns a rice field must be a member of their local Subak, which then ensures that every member gets his fair distribution of water. A banjar consists of an average of 50 to 150 family members, owning a meeting venue called the Bale Banjar, which is used for regular gatherings and a center for local gamelan orchestras and drama groups.
With the increasing number of direct flight to Bali from some other parts of the world, it makes it easier to go to Bali. From Bali, flight to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours, with various airlines offering their services. Please check at "airline info" for more information about flight schedules. Just make sure you look for "Denpasar (DPS)" instead of "Bali" in airline time tables. It is the capital of Bali. Or you can check your "Travel Agents" for more travel arrangements and accommodation.
Local Transportation
Because of the size of the island, it is not difficult to get around Bali by various modes of transportation. The traditional types of transportation to the high class limousine are available for tourist to choose. Not to forget the sea transportation that connect Bali to some of its sister islands. However, train does not exist in Bali.
Bemo : this is the most used transportation in Bali especially in the city of Denpasar. It is a miniature van with a routine route set by local government periodically. This type of transportation is good for short distance around town and cities, because of its size and passenger can get in and out at any point. Most importantly, it is cheaper compared to some other type of transportations, even though fairly slow. Price ranges usually around Rp 3,200 to Rp 4,000 per one stop over.
Buses : there are buses for transportation between towns that relatively bigger compared to bemo. These buses connect all towns and most places of the island through local bus stations. Likewise bemo, buses also can be stopped at any point of the routes. They mostly operate day time inter island, but some are available at night for long distances within cities. Fares are between Rp. 1.500 to Rp. 10.000 per one stop point.
Taxi : Taxi is the most efficient and convenience transportation in the island. Either chartered or metered one, they are everywhere and quite inexpensive compared to some other countries. In Bali there are some different companies providing taxi services.
Rental Cars, Motorbikes and Bicycles : If you plan to explore Bali in half day or full day trip, the best way is hiring a car with the driver. The average rate is from Rp 120,000 to Rp 300,000 a day depending on the type of the vehicle. There are many independent car rentals around the island. If you wish to have better services, you can go to a Travel Agent. You even can hire a tour guide of your own language. The other possibility is to rent a self drive car. An international driving license from your own country is required. This rule also applicable for motorbike rental, but in some cases you can get a temporary permit at local police office. Price ranges are around Rp. 35,000 to Rp. 50,000 per day for motorbike and Rp. 15,000 for bicycle. Likewise, a safety helmet is a compulsory when you ride a motorbike. Meanwhile, bicycles are normally available for rent at hotels. Some bigger resorts even provides bicycle tour for free including a professional tour guide.
Dokar : in many areas of Indonesia, a traditional horse and cart transportation still can be found in many different versions. In Bali, this kind of transportation is known as “dokar”. Nowadays, the use of dokar is simply limited due to efficiency. In some areas dokars are even prohibited by the government because it becomes a dwindling sight around the street. A dokar ride can be a fairly bumpy and unique experience. That is why some hotels and event organizers sometime offer a dokar ride for their guests, wedding couples or special groups.
Sea transportation : to travel to some sister islands of Bali famous for their marine activities, local cruises is the most convenient. They normally offer a tour package including meal, activities and even a resort to stay over night. Some traditional boats are also in service for shorter distances such as to Serangan or Menjangan island.
Bali has a long chain of history from the ice-age era (pre-historic time) to modern, global civilization era. With a dynamic characteristic indicating selectivity and flexibility, the Balinese culture initially reflects a configuration of an expressive culture dominated by religious, solidarity and aesthetic values. Nowadays, it develops along with the adoption of foreign values especially in the aspects of the economic, science and technology, as a result of the global modernization.
In general, the history of Bali is divided into three different eras including the pre-historic, the Hindu-Buddhist era and the modern culture.
The pre-historic marked the oldest and simplest way of life, an era of hunting and food-stuff gathering, verified by the discovery of several tools and hunting equipments. In the following era there were also building construction system and a particular communication system. These were just proofs of the existence and further development of Balinese culture. The Balinese culture flourished that nowadays one can indicates a perfect bonds between religions, tradition and culture to become the identity of the Balinese community.
The Dutch seamen were the first Europeans to arrive on Bali and started to introduce western culture in 1597, though they hadn’t discovered any appealing aspect until 1800s. Around 1846 the Dutch returned with colonization in their minds, having established a strong political base as majority of the Indonesian islands were under their control since the 1700s. The military campaign embarked from the northern coast of Bali. With the help of Sasak people of Lombok, by 1911, all Balinese principalities were under the Dutch control.
The sense of Indonesian nationalism began to grow after the World War I, with the young generation declaring the national language in 1928, known as Bahasa Indonesia. During the height of World War II the Japanese arrived, expelling the Dutch and ruled the country for about 3.5 years, which ended later in 1945 when Indonesia declared independent led by its very first president, Sukarno. Yet the new-born nation was only recognized by the international community as an independent country in 1949.
Bali Religion
Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (4.79%), Christianity (1.38%), and Buddhism (0.64%). These figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
When Islam triumphed over Hinduism in Java (16th century), Bali became a refuge for many Hindus. Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam in which gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities and sacred places. Religion as it is practiced in Bali is a composite belief system that embraces not only theology, philosophy, and mythology, but ancestor worship, animism and magic. It pervades nearly every aspect of traditional life. Caste is observed, though less strictly than in India. With an estimated 20,000 temples and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of the Gods".[20]
Balinese Hinduism has roots in Indian Hinduism and in Buddhism, and adopted the animistic traditions of the indigenous people. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, possesses its own power, which reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, or woven cloth is a potential home for spirits whose energy can be directed for good or evil. Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual, and is less preoccupied with scripture, law, and belief than Islam in Indonesia. Ritualizing states of self-control are a notable feature of religious expression among the people, who for this reason have become famous for their graceful and decorous behavior.[21]
Apart from the majority of Balinese Hindus, there also exist Chinese immigrants whose traditions have melded with that of the locals. As a result, these Sino-Balinese not only embrace their original religion, which is a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, but also find a way to harmonies it with the local traditions. Hence, it is not uncommon to find local Sino-Balinese during the local temple's odalan. Moreover, Balinese Hindu priests are invited to perform rites alongside a Chinese priest in the event of the death of a Sino-Balinese.[22] Nevertheless, the Sino-Balinese claim to embrace Buddhism for administrative purposes, such as their Identity Cards.
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