BALI

INTRODUCTION TO BALI, INDONESIA

WHERE IS BALI? The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located between Java island in the West and Sunda Islands in the East. Flying time from Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, from Singapore 2.5, from Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and from Sydney/Melbourne (Australia) about 6 hours. GEOGRAPHY: The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 km square and measures just 90 kilometers along the north-south axis and less than 140 kilometers from east to west; so, it's no problem to explore the island on a day tour; you can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the south have white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand. CLIMATE You can expect pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, the rain is rare in the coastal areas. POPULATION: Bali's population has grown to over 3 million and majority people is Hindus. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia who seek work in Bali.

WHAT MAKES BALI SO SPECIAL:

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There is an interesting combination of the friendly people, the natural attractions, the great variety of things to see and do, the year-round pleasant climate, and the absence of security problems. Gods and spirits have been an important part of Bali's daily life for hundreds of years. Gunung Agung Bali's holy mountain is internationally regarded as one of the eight "Chakra" points of the world. Watch out, on the moment you feel the magic of this island, you're addicted for the rest of your life.

BALI FLIGHTS Today there is a great number of direct flight between Bali and Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Brunei, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guam, Honolulu, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Munich, Nagoya, Osaka, Paris, Perth, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Vienna, and Zurich. Bali is listed in airline time tables as "Denpasar" (DPS) which is the name of the island's capital. However, from Bali's international airport you drive just 15 to 30 minutes to Kuta, Legian, Sanur, and about 50 to 60 minutes for the distant towns.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Bali has a wide selection of restaurants, so you will never go hungry. This Island is full of excellent restaurants to choose from. International restaurants and dishes are generally more expensive than some of the local restaurants. Prices, style, food presentation, decoration and service you will try in Bali vary from basic to luxurious and from extremely cheap to expensive. You can still have a tasty meal at one of the many food stalls (warungs) for less than US$ 0.5, and you can spend US$ 150 and more per person (without wine) in some of famous Bali's hotel restaurants.

WE CAN CHOOSE FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CUISINES We find here original Austrian Schnitzel, Chinese delicacies, German Wurst, Greek Souvlaki, Indian Tandoori Chicken, Italian Lasagna or Pizza, Japanese Sushi, Mexican Enchiladas or Tacos, Spanish Tapas or Swiss Cheese.

TRADITIONAL BALINESE FOOD There are two traditional Balinese dishes you should not miss: Babi Guling- the crispy skin and pieces of grilled suckling pig and the Bebek Betutu, a delicious duck specialty, slowly baked in banana leaves together with many different herbs and spices. The best place to experience a whole range of authentic dishes from is the BUMBU BALI Restaurant.

BEER, WINE, AND LOCAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Many restaurants and pubs serve well-known brands of beer and wine imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and China. Beer is available in all supermarkets and many smaller shops. Wine is very expensive in supermarkets but there is specialized wine shops where you can find a good choice at more reasonable prices. Balis drinks: Tuak (about 5% alcohol) is a sweet palm wine made from the juice of the coconut palm flower. Brem is made from black rice and coconut milk; the alcohol content is about 7% to 9% after three days fermentation. Most popular for foreigners is Arak- a colorless, sugarless spirit with 20% to 50% alcohol content. A whole bottle costs about US$ 4, and it is very appreciated drink.

RESTAURANTS: A very popular is MASSIMO IL RISTORANTE belong an Italian established for many years in Bali; pasta comes in unusual shapes and sizes with sauces which combine tomato, garlic and chilli; Many tasty fish and meat dishes are combined in a wide variety of different pizzas; other desserts and home-made ice creams make the choice really difficult. A nice dinner for two will be around US$ 30 -35, plus drinks. Char MING has a nice combination of French and Asian cuisine. Service is friendly and attentive; you can eat in the garden or in open-air restaurant very pleasant; the cost is about US$ 50, plus drinks. CAFE BATU JIMBAR - is a casual sidewalk cafe and popular with regular visitors who meet here for breakfast, lunch or dinner under huge trees. You can choose from a number of fresh fruit juices, healthy salads and light dishes; the vegetables and herbs are grown at the owner's farm.

MEZZANINE - is an open-air restaurant. You sit comfortably either in the front garden or the indoor area and enjoy a wide choice of Western, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine. You can choose pasta dishes, burgers, steaks, sushi and sashimi huge crabs. You pay about US$ 40 for two, without drinks. RYOSHI the restaurant serves pork, beef and chicken at reasonable prices. You can have a good meal here for about US$ 20 per person; the service is friendly but not very professional. POPPIES - restaurant is in a beautiful garden; you can choose from a number of Asian and Western dishes including, soups, curries, lobster and steaks. It's very pleasant for a leisurely lunch in the shade of large trees, but in the evenings the place tends to become crowded with tourist groups; the prices are considerably.

BALI AFTER DARK Night life in Bali starts late, which means around midnight. Many places become crowded after midnight. PEANUTS Discotheque or CASABLANCA are open-air pubs and very noisy , sophisticated, where you can meet the rich or famous businessman and local-star DJs. BOUNTY SHIP, SKY GARDEN, M-BAR-GO - offer the perfect ambiance for a wild night; young girls (dancers) and live house music of new talented bands and artists, heat up the atmosphere. The MAMA'S is an attractive pub; menu is huge but the food is often disappointing. Green plants and palms decorate the interior, giving it a jungle feel. When most places close around 2.00 or 3.00 in the morning, night owls (fete iesite la agatat) of all kinds continue drinking until sunrise. DOUBLE SIX is an Irish pub with much cold beer. You have try Tap Beer but conventional bottled beer, wines or champagnes, whiskeys, too; here are available some tasty snacks like sandwiches, soups, salads, pastas, burgers and desserts.

ATTRACTIONS
Bali Sea Cruises - These cruises and sea safaris offer a convenient way for visitors of Bali to know Asian beauties by taking a journey into regions of Indonesia. Here you can visit some beautifully islands, you can swim at pristine beaches, or explore old villages or visit the island of Komodo (famous for its dragons) . Also, you can practice a lot of various water activities such as diving, fishing, banana boat riding, ski-jet all in a day's adventure.

BALI MUSEUMS & ART EXHIBITIONS: Museum Le Mayeur - The museum features a good variety of the artists paintings; La Mayeurs works capture the natural beauty of Bali and its culture long ago. Bali Museum - The object collections which are kept are coming from very old history periods like: sarcophagus clay containing superstitious formula Ye Te, the bronze statues, ethnography object collection and religious ceremony equipments . Randelli Gallery - Contemporary mix of pop culture, figurative and abstact art of young established artists. Low Art Gallery is a recently opened gallery specialized in the kitsch and the retro. It includes a substantial collection of old movie posters and all kinds of weird and wonderful art.

EVENTS: Nyepi - is a Balinese "Day of Silence"; It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. Indonesian Independence Day (in august, 17) is a public holiday throughout Indonesia; Streets and building are decorated with the ornaments and banners such as Indonesian red-white flags. In almost every villages and town , you can watch sports competitions and free concerts.