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Quick Facts

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Coordinates
  • Latitude: -6.1227778
  • Longitude: 106.9916667

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Introduction

Legian Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Legian Beach, Bali, Indonesia

© All Rights Reserved CatAttack

Bali is the western most island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. The island is west of Java and to the east of Lombok. With a population of over 3 million with the vast majority of the island's population, 93.18%, being Hindu makes this place very different from the rest of Indonesia. Bali is one of the largest tourist destinations in Asia and the largest tourist spot in Indonesia.

The island was first settled around 2,000 BC by people from Taiwan. The culture took a major shift when Hinduism was introduced from India in the 1st century AD. When the Hindu empire on Java fell in the 15th century most of the intellectuals, priests, musicians and royalty relocated to Bali. The Dutch discovered the island in 1597, although Dutch control was not solidified till the 1890s. Even then Dutch control was loose at best. After Indonesian independence the island was hit hard during the communist crackdowns of the 1950s and 1960s with 10% of the islands population being executed. In 2002 and 2005 bombs were set off in major tourist areas, which greatly affect the tourist industry.

The main attractions for tourist going to Bali are the stunning beaches, amazing mountains, art work, dance, music and pumping nightlife. On top of this there is extremely clean and clear water that are filled with coral reefs, which makes for world class diving. For adventure seekers there is some of the best surfing in the world and excellent mountain climbing

Check the Bali website for more information.

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Geography

Kintamani Lake, Bali

Kintamani Lake, Bali

© All Rights Reserved claireh

The island is a series of steep and high volcanos with the tallest being Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 ft) on the eastern end of the island. Mount Batur, also on the island, had one of the largest volcanic events on the planet about 30,000 years ago. The south part of the island is the alluvial plain, which has several shallow rivers that are low during the dry season and swell during the wet season. Bali is surrounded by beaches and vibrant coral reefs. The beaches in the south usually have white sand and the beaches in the northern or western parts of the island have jet black sand. The ecology of the island is stunning with over 280 birds and plenty of wild animals.

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Cities

  • Singaraja was the colonial capital of the province.
  • Denpasar is near the southern coast and is the current day capital of the province and largest city on the island.

Tourist Towns

  • Kuta is a major tourist area on the island.
  • Padangbai is a beach town on the south east side of the island.
  • Seminyak
  • Sanur
  • Jimbaran
  • Ubud - Has a large art market and with several museums and galleries is the cultural centre of Bali.

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Sights and Activities

Tanah Lot, Bali

Tanah Lot, Bali

© All Rights Reserved ferryardx

Tanah Lot

Located 20 km from Denpasar sit the amazing temple and rock formation of Tanah Lot. The temple was built in the 15th century by the famous priest Niratha, who was wondering the coast and came along some fishermen. After the fishermen gave him food and spending the night on the little island he told the fishermen to build a shrine on the rock. The temple is one of the seven seaside temples located around the coast of Bali. The temple is supposedly protected by poisonous sea snakes.

Bali Baret National Park

Bali Baret National Park is located in the north western part of the island. The park is roughly 10% of the land area of the island of Bali. it is bordered by the port town of Gilimanuk and the village of Goris. The park covers many different ecological zones including coral islands, savanna, mangroves and mixed-monsoon forests. There are even some ancient volcanic remains to explore.

Other Sights and Activities

Oh Beautiful Bali

Oh Beautiful Bali

© All Rights Reserved erin-sean

  • Seven Seaside Temples are worth a visit becayse these seven coastal Hindu temples are within eyeshot of each other. Most were built in the 15th century and have stunning architecture.
  • Mother Temple Besakih is located in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung is one of the most important Hindu temples in Indonesia.
  • Beaches - Spend time on white and black sand beaches to get a good tan and relax.
  • Surfing - Hang ten on some of the best waves in the world.
  • Diving in Bali is a great place to check out the reefs with some scuba diving or snorkeling.
  • Rock climbing here is amazing on the cliffs around the island.
  • Arts and Crafts on Bali are some of the best in the world.
  • Traditional Dance here is stunning. Learn a move or two of traditional Balinese dance makes a trip great.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Bali has a tropical climate with hot, humid conditions. Temperatures are mostly between 30 and 32 °C during the day and nights are still well above 20 °C. The mountains in the interior are cooler and see more clouds as well. The April-October period is the dry season and November-March is the rainy season, though showers are still possible during the dry season and periods of dry weather occur during the monsoon season.

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Getting There

bali_lembongan_01

bali_lembongan_01

© All Rights Reserved Frankee

Bali is not connected to the land by a bridge.

By Plane

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) is located in the southern part of the island, just 13 km south of Denpasar. It is the third busiest airport in the country and now meets international aviation security standards. The airport has extensive international service and good domestic service, including flights to Jakarta, Surabaya, West Papua, Borneo, Sulawesi and Sumatra. Pretty much every country in the Asian and pacific region can be reached directly by flights from this airport.
Garuda Indonesia flies to/from Hong Kong, Melbourne, Nagoya, Osaka, Perth, Seoul, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo and lowcost airlines Air Asia serves Kuala Lumpur.
Several other airlines have some more destinations, including Taipei, Amsterdam, Dili, Darwin, Brisbane, Doha, Bandar Seri Begawan, Guangzhou, Broome, Bangkok, Moscow and Adelaide.

By Boat

There a car and passenger ferry connecting Bali (Gilimanuk) and east Java (Ketapang), crossing takes about an hour.
There's also a car and passeger ferry between Bali (Padangbai) and Lombok (Lembar), crossing takes about 4 hours.
There are now also some direct services from Bali to the Gili Islands as well, all of them either via Lombok, or continuing to Lombok after the Gili Islands:

  • Blue Water Express travels from Benoa to Bangsal on Lombok, continuing to Gili Trawangan, taking about 2 hours
  • Gili Cat travels to Gili Trawangan from Padang Ai (1,5 hours).
  • Island Getaway travels there from Serangan (2 hours)
  • Perama Express to Trawangan from Padang Ai, continuing to Senggigi.

Pelni ships link Bali with many other parts of Indonesia, including Waingapu, Ende, Kupang and Kalabahi, Bima, Makassar and Papua, Labuan Bajo and Sulawesi.

By Bus

Some long-distance services can take you all the way to Jakarta, using the ferry services described above. Jakarta is about 24 hours away, Yogyakarta about 16 hours. Lombok can be reached as well by bus. Check the Peramatour buscompany for more schedules and prices.

By Train

There’s a train station near the ferry port on Java, with trains to Probolingo, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.

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Getting Around

By Car

Most of the roads hug the coastline or the edge of the mountains. Due to the steepness of the mountains in the interior of the island there are very few roads across the island. A car with a driver is relatively cheap if you share with a few more travellers and gives you maximum flexibility regarding the route and sights.

By Bus

Larger minibuses and full-size buses ply the longer routes, particularly on routes linking Denpasar, Singaraja and Gilimanuk.

By Boat

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Eat

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Drink

The night life in Bali is one of the best in the world. Mainly dominated by western tourists these places can get pretty rowdy year round.

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Sleep

Bali has sleeping options for every kind of traveller. Therefore if your looking for a luxury resort or a hut on the island has a place to sleep for any kind traveller.

Budget accommodations including travellers ratings:

PropertyAddressTypePopularity
Abian Biu ResidenceBr. Umalas, Jl. Umalas Kauh II - 106 / Tunon Kerobokan, DenpasarGuesthouse90
Adi Dharma CottagesJl. Legian 155, Kuta PO BOX 1120, Tuban, DenpasarHotel73
Adi Dharma HotelJl Benesari, Kuta PO BOX 1120, Tuban, DenpasarHotel77
Bali Nyuh Gading Villa ( BNG VILLA )Jl.Uma Alas 1 No 99x Seminyak KutaHostel-
Bali Nyuh Gading VillasJl.Uma Alas 1 No 99 x Seminyak KutaHotel-
Bali Prime VillasJl.Uma Alas II No 10 X Kerobokan KutaHotel83
Bali Santi BungalowsJl Raya Candi Dasa, BaliHotel78
Bamboo Bed & BreakfastJl. Raya Legian 131 KutaGuesthouse81
Green Garden Beach Resort & SpaJl. Wana Segara Tuban, South Kuta BeachHotel94
Hidden Oasis Hotel & SpaJalan Pantai Kuta 47B KutaHostel73
Hotel MikiJalan Dewi Sri 78 KutaHotel77
Hotel SimpatikJl. Jend. Sudirman No. 65 Stal KudaHotel-
Jati Home Stay and GalleryHanoman Street ,Padang tegal Ubud GianyarHostel87
Karina Beach HotelJalan Serririt Singaraja Lovina BeachHotel82
Legong Keraton Beach HotelJl. Pantai Berawa, Canggu North Kuta BeachHotel83
Lumbung DamuhJalan Pantai Buitan Kelod Kec. Manggis, KarangasemHotel70
Mustika Sari HotelJl. Raya Silayukti Padang Bai KarangasemHotel73
Nandini Bali Jungle Resort and SpaBr. Susut, Desa Buahan, Payangan - UbudHotel-
Nick's HomestayJl. Hanoman No. 57 UbudHostel85
Nick's PensionJL. Bisma ~ Ubud Bali 80571Guesthouse79
Ombak Bagus Homestay & ToursJl. Uma Sari, Banjar BabakanGuesthouse93
Puri Dajuma Cottages, Eco Beach Resort & Spa BaliPekutatan Village NegaraHotel100
Puri Saron VillasJl. Raya Lovina Lovina Beach SingarajaHotel-
Semawang Beach HotelJl. Cemara No. 3 Semawang, Sanur, BaliHotel79
Sri BungalowsMonkey forest st.Hostel90
Sunset Beach Front VillasCetragandamayu Nusa DuaHostel-
The Kozy VillasJalan Dewi Saraswati 999 no.9RK Seminyak, KutaHotel-
The Lokha LegianJl. Padma, Legian KutaHotel-
The Replica SuiteJalan Umalas Lestari no.8RK, Br.Semer Kerobokan, KutaHostel-
Tirtarum VillaNelayan street Gg Dolphin No 03 Canggu, Kuta UtaraHostel85
Tropical Bali HotelJalan penyu dewata 3/2 Padang Galak, SanurHotel92
Ulam Segara Luxury HomestayJl.Pantai Baruna - Ulam Segara, Lovina BeachGuesthouse53
Villa IreneJalan Patai Jasri Jasri-KarangasemHostel60
Villa Sunrise Guesthouse. TejakulaGuesthouse93
Villa Victoria BaliJalan Kuwum II, Gg Rajawali, Krobokan, KutaHotel-

This is version 15. Last edited at 10:35 on Oct 26, 09 by Utrecht (+2015). 23 articles link to this page.

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