Indonesia
Bali (and Denpasar)
An island steeped in tradition with a rich Hindu spiritual life, Bali has more than 20,000 temples scattered among the terraced paddy fields, in the cemeteries, the markets, on the beaches, in the caves and among the trees. You need to carefully plan your stay if you want to see this wealth of temples and other famous sites and still enjoy the beautiful beaches. wpe7B.jpg (14682 bytes)

The capital, Denpasar in the south of the island is a lively town, particularly after dark, for the local people are friendly and love to stroll and mingle at the roadside market.

The museum is well worth a visit for it has a beautiful collection of artefacts from various periods in Balinese history.

The lush countryside is dotted with interesting villages where visitors are welcome to join the crowds to watch cockfights or see religious ceremonies.

Roads are vastly improved, so a trip around the island (which is 5,620 kilometres) is highly recommended. Most villages are half a day by car away, so you can visit them by hiring a car, jeep or mini-bike.

Villages worth a visit are Celuk which is noted for its beautiful silverware; Mas with its excellent wood carving; and Ubud, the cradle of the legong, traditional Balinese dancing and music. Here you can also see Balinese painting for there is a large colony of artists, both locals and foreigners resident.

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Close to the village of Bedulu is the Goa Gajaa or Elephant Cave with stone carvings that date back to the 11th century, and at the village of Batubulan, religious figures and demons have been carved from sandstone as ornaments for the houses and temples. From here take a drive to the Monkey Forest at Sangeh, home of hundreds of spirit monkeys who are cheeky enough to bite you and try and snatch your camera or glasses.

One of Bali's most important sea temples is Tanah Lot built in the 16th century atop a large rock encircled by the sea. Visit during the late afternoon and soak up the sunset to get the full impact of this sanctuary silhouetted against brilliant red skies.

There are two volcanoes, Gunung Agung and Mount Batur, each 64 kilometres from the capital. Mount Batur is reached via Celuk, Mas and Ubud. The nearest villages are Kintamani and Penelokan which are on the edge of the Batur volcanic crater which is an impressive 14 kilometres in diameter and 60 feet deep. You can actually see where the new lava has flowed from small internal volcanic outlets down the mountainside. The caldera (crater) is now a lake and on its shores is Kedisan, an ancient village inhabited by people who call themselves 'Bali Aga' or original Balinese for they still live by the old ways.
wpe7F.jpg (12965 bytes) En route visitors can stop at Gunung Kawi where there are ancient burial towers carved from the hillside and visit the holy Pura Tirta Empul temple built around a sacred spring at Tampaksiring which is said to have curative powers. On the slopes of Gunung Agung, 1,000 metres up, is Besakih, the most holy of all Bali's temples.

North of Denpasar are the villages of Mengwi, which has neolithic stone thrones and a temple, and Budugul in the mountains on Lake Bratan.

Popular with young tourists is Kuta Beach where the surfing is good, though strong currents make it dangerous for swimming. Here accommodation ranges from international hotels to home-stays. The village has lots of restaurants, shops, discos and other tourist facilities.

In southern Bali, Nusa Dua is a resort known for its clean white beaches and gentle surf, while Sanur has a palm-lined beach, and its waters are protected by reefs which makes it ideal for windsurfing, boating and other watersports.

Beautiful Bali may be reached by ferry from Ketapang (north of Banyuwangi) in eastern Java. It crosses every hour to Gilimanuk and a bus takes you to Denpasar, the capital. However, most people choose to fly directly to the island.

See also renting cars on bali