| INTRODUCTION Bali is possibly the best known of the Indonesian islands and is the western most island of the Lesser Sunda
Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It is also the
largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.
Bali on the map seems such a small island. The island covers a small area of just 5,620 square
kilometers, and is one of the
smallest islands in the Indonesian archipelago. However, it is a great mistake to think that you can see all of Bali in a few days. Apart from a stunning range of scenery that varies with every kilometer and a maze of criss-crossing roads to explore, there are
thousands of places of interest to discover, a unique culture and lifestyle which is full of exciting events to witness.
Everyone saying "Hello", hands waving and smiles flashing as curious pedestrians leave it to the last second to adroitly step out of your way. Double and triple rows of immaculately uniformed school children riding abreast on bicycles, the odd regiment of ducks
marching out to the fields in military precision, religious processions that stretch for miles, all are common road hazards in Bali, not to mention those lazy dogs that seem to think the main street is for sunning themselves and snoozing the day away.
Bali’s roads seem to have a surprise around every corner, and when touring you are bound to be entertained by a visual feast of picturesque vignettes of local life, stunning views of natural scenery that change with a rapidity that is astounding for such a
small island.
The side of the road is sportsground, marching arena, local market, meeting place and in general the hub of communal activity. Routes generally pass though the main street of villages and towns. Rice and sweet potatoes are spread out on the verge to dry in the sun.
Rows in baskets are lovingly set our for a daily sunning. Towering offerings are borne gracefully to temples, balanced on the heads of the brightly dressed women.
Your destination may be a volcano, temple, palace, dance performance, craft centre or a number of these combined that will make up an exciting half or full day tour. Bali is crisscrossed by a maze of inter-connecting roads that range from modern highways to narrow
roller-coaster roads and unsealed back-country paths passable only by motorbike or jeep.
A good map is an invaluable tool, whether on tour or venturing out alone. The best and busiest roads connect Denpasar with the main towns and tourist areas. Tour buses and taxis generally limit themselves to these routes and travel agents can arrange hire of
motorbikes or jeeps for those who wish to explore further off the beaten track. Bicycles are also available for hire for the more adventurous explorers.
Public transport is definitely recommended only for those who have mastered a little of the language and are prepared to put up with local conditions. Public vehicles are generally loaded to full capacity and follow unpredictable schedules making a journey of any
length a test of patience and endurance for the uninitiated.
The two main public bus stations in Denpasar, Kreneng, serving the East and Central parts of Bali and Ubung, serving West Bali, offer a choice of local and inter-island buses, speeding horn-happy minibuses called “colts" and smaller "bemo" vans that carry
up to 12 persons plus innumerable shopping baskets, livestock and various market-bound goods squeezed into every possible space. For shorter distance, a novelty ride in a dokar pony-cart will take you at a sedate pace along local roads and thorough
fares in the main Kuta &Tuban tourist areas.
Even getting lost in Bali can be fun! The island is too small to be lost for long, and every turn in the road promises the unexpected.
Hiking is another experience altogether. Paths should be worked out well in advance and an experienced tour guide is needed, as the best routes follow the natural terrain, passing cross-country through terraced rice-fields, gorges and isolated villages where
the local people can be seen at their daily work.
For those who love the sea Bali has an off-shore playground comparable to none. Scuba diving and snorkeling tours are available with a number of tour agencies to the many and varied dive sites which have been carefully selected for their special attributes. Sailling
trips on local outrigger sailboats can be arranged departing from Sanur, Benoa Harbour and
Nusa Dua, as well as on the north coast of the island and keen fishermen can arrange the hire of equipment.
As well as lounging under the palm trees and sipping delectable tropical cocktails at your hotel bar, recovering from pre-holiday pressures and jet-lag, there is a whole new world to discover in Bali. So much to see in fact that advance planning is well advised.
Geography of Bali
Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java and approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. East to west, the island is approximately 153 km wide and 112 km north to south (95 by 69 miles, respectively), with a
surface area of 5,632 km˛. The highest point is Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 feet) high, an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains cover centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Mount Batur (1,717 m) is also still
active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a catastrophic eruption — one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.
In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, drier in the dry season and overflowing during periods of heavy rain.
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The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja, the former colonial capital of Bali, and the present provincial capital and largest city, Denpasar, near the southern
coast. The town of Ubud (north of Denpasar), with its art market, museums and galleries, is arguably the cultural center of Bali.
There are major coastal roads and roads that cross the island mainly north-south. Due to the mountainous terrain in the island's center, the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains. There are no railway lines.
The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the south east has both: the main beach and the secret beach have white sand and the south beach and the
blue lagoon have much darker sand. Pasut Beach, near Ho River and Pura Segara, is a quiet beach 14 km southwest of Tabanan. The Ho River is navigable by small sampan. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the
seaside temple of Tanah Lot, this is not yet a tourist area.
To the east, the Lombok Strait that separates Bali from Lombok marks the bio-geographical division between the fauna of the Indo-Malayan eco zone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia that is known as the Wallace Line, for Alfred Russel Wallace, who first
remarked upon the distinction between these two major biomes. When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age, Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to
keep Lombok and the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated. The population of Bali is 3,151,000 (as of 2005).
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 official statistical figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Immigrants from other parts of Indonesia have drastically changed the demographics in Bali. Although the majority of the population of Bali adheres to Balinese Hinduism, recent years have brought an influx of people from other islands seeking to benefit from the tourist industry, export of local handicrafts and other factors, making
Bali the most affluent island in the region.
Language
Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and like most Indonesians, the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken
option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing.
English is a common third language (and the primary foreign language) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the large tourism industry. Staff working in Bali's tourist centres are often, by necessity, multilingual to some degree, speaking as many as 8 or 9
different languages to an often surprising level of competence.
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