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Bali

WHY CHOSE BALI FOR YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY

For spectacular sunsets, world-class surfing, breathtaking and varied landscapes and a diverse choice of activities and atmosphere - from the late night party zone in Kuta, to the laid-back zen peacefulness around Ubud. Bali’s ace is that it offers something for every pocket and mood, with the constant, colourful backdrop of a rich cultural tradition of ritual and ceremony.

WHAT MAKES BALI SPECIAL

Bali has almost emptied the cliché cupboard when it comes to nicknames. Take your pick  from ‘Island of the Gods’, ‘The Last Paradise’, ‘Heaven on Earth' – or the more recent tourist-tempting tag: ‘Island of Love’, following the 2010 Julia Roberts’ movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ which dreamily showcased Bali’s spiritual and scenic attractions. These include a frequently spectacular landscape – few people won’t have seen a photo of the iconic rice fields climbing the slopes of Bali’s most holy mountain, Gunung Agung. Then there are the 20,000 puras or temples, and a warm and welcoming people with a tradition full of colourful rituals and ceremonies. Add some renowned surfing beaches and world famous sunsets, and there’s something for everyone, from sybarite to surf dude, sun bunny to soul-searcher. It’s the diversity of its appeal which helped Bali win the Best Island award from Travel and Leisure magazine in 2010.

WHERE IS BALI

This vibrant, volcanic Indonesian island is just south of the equator in South East Asia, between Java to the East and Lombok to the West. At 5,632 sq km, Bali is about four times as big as Uluru and half the size of Hawaii. While not vast, it’s wonderfully diverse. Most tourism is in the more populated South, concentrated in a teardrop seeming to fall from the bottom of the slightly eye-shaped island. Further North, the stylish buzz and sprawling beaches are replaced by the scenic beauty of sweeping terraced rice fields, misty jungles and dramatic mountains.

  • Capital : Denpasar.
  • Main tourist hotspots : Seminyak, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua, Bukit. Peninsula, Jimbaran Bay, Sanur, Ubud.
  • Flight time from Sydney : 6 ½ hours direct.
  • Population: 3,947,053.
  • Language: Balinese and Indonesian. English is usually understood in tourist areas.
  • Religion: Over 90% Hindu.

THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE OF BALI

Friendly, polite and superstitious, the Balinese are a deeply religious people, who practice a unique mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism embracing a belief system which worships gods, spirits, ancestors, sacred places and ancient agricultural deities. It is ever-present in daily life, with canang sari – coconut leaf trays of tiny offerings for the gods, containing everything from flowers, rice, salt and biscuits to cigarettes – set out everywhere.  No offence is taken if you accidentally step on one, but there are other ways to accidentally show discourtesy in Bali….

Etiquette :

  • The head is sacred, so don’t touch anyone’s.
  • Don’t point your feet at anyone when sitting.
  • It’s considered rude to point at someone with your index finger.
  • Always remove shoes before entering a temple or house.
  • Never walk in front of someone praying in a temple.
  • The left hand is seen as impure, so when giving and receiving things use the right hand.
  • Talking with your hands on your hips is a sign of contempt or aggression.

THE BEACHES IN BALI

Being a volcanic island, Bali can’t really boast the kind of white sand, picture-postcard shores which leave you speechless. But it can lay claim to some breathtaking surfing beaches, with over 20 top quality breaks on the South West and South East coast, and around the Bukit Peninsula. Although the surf in Bali is usually in the 2-6ft range, spots like Padang Padang, Impossibles and Uluwatu are world-class barrelling reefs, at their best in the dry season May-Sept.

Best beaches:

  • Nusa Dua : Enticing white sands lined with luxury hotels. Good swimming with gentle waves protected by an offshore reef.
  • Kuta : Long sand beach known more for its atmosphere and sunsets than its looks.
  • Sanur : Calm, golden sand fringed by coral reef and a boardwalk with a huge choice of warungs – traditional outdoor Balinese cafes.
  • Pantai Pasir Putih : Lovely crescent of white sand and turquoise sea, off the beaten track on the East coast. Echoes of the Caribbean in Bali.
  • Bingin Beach :  Beautiful, quiet golden beach on the Western side of the Bukit peninsula known for its surf break, but also safe to swim from.

FESTIVALS IN BALI

  • January: Pager Wesi, a day of traditional festivities across the country to celebrate Sang Yung, the creator of the universe.
  • February: Galungan, major island-wide, ten-day celebration, as big a deal as Christmas in the West, followed by the Kuningan ritual ceremony.
  • March: Noisy, colourful parades with giant ogoh-ogoh monster effigies during the Melasti carnival, followed by 24 hours of silence and inactivity to mark Nyepi, the lunar New Year. The amazing Melasti experience should outweigh the strictly-observed quiet of Nyepi – when everything shuts down and tourists are restricted to their hotels.
  • June: Bali Arts Festival. Exhibitions and performances at Bali Art Center, Denpasar, until mid July.
  • September: All the major temples feature celebrations throughout September, including Kuta, Sanur, Ubud and Denpasar.

MONEY MATTERS

  • Local currency: Indonesian rupiah (Rp)
  • ATMS: Widely available throughout the South
  • Notes: Smallest – 1000Rp (approx. 0.11AUD); Largest - 100,000 (approx. 11.59AUD
  • Cards: All high-end hotels, shops and restaurants accept plastic. Visa and Mastercard are the most commonly accepted. A 3-4% surcharge is often added to the bill when paying by card.
  • Advice: With so many zeros on the notes, it’s easy to either feel like a millionaire or get confused about what you’re paying. To avoid haggling like a cash-strapped camel trader over a few cents, or handing over more than you realised, check the noughts on your notes, and get the decimal point in the right place when calculating costs.

TIME DIFFERENCE

  • Sydney : + 3hrs
  • Darwin : +1½hrs
  • Perth : Same time
  • Adelaide : +2½hrs
  • Brisbane : +2hrs

DOS AND DON’TS IN BALI

Safety: Bali is generally a safe destination, but in 2002 ands 2005 several clubs and restaurants in Kuta which were popular with foreign tourists were targeted by terrorist bombers with devastating effect – and to the outrage of the peace-loving Hindu Balinese. As a result, security is tight so expect checks at popular places.

Water: Never drink tap water or ice cubes made from it.

Advice: Avoid unauthorised street money changers – they’re notorious for knowing every scam in the book, from crooked calculators to quicksilver fingers.