Bali Guide

The Tropical Paradise

friendly and remarkably artistic people, the Balinese have created a dynamic society with unique arts and ceremonies, making Bali synonymous world wide with the perfect ‘tropical paradise’. Terraced ricefields dominate the landscape, rivers and small irrigation streams direct the luscious green landscape, filling the air with the enchanting sound of running almost through the center of the island. In Bali the mountains are the home of the gods. Shrouded in mystery and magic, they stretch skywards in majestic splendour. Bali’s main volcano is the sometimes explosive Gunung Agung, which is considered sacred among local people as the center of the universe. Many visitors leave with the same beliefs.

The Balinese have been more exposed to international tourist and generally speak more English than people in other parts of the Indonesian archipelago. They have managed to preserved their culture despite overwhelming foreign influences brought to the region by an ever-increasing number of tourists. Bali’s International Airport, Ngurah Rai, is in the south of the island and is served by numerous international airlines and charters. In order to keep up with the growing the number of visitors and the need for their comfort, more hotels have been built, ranging from small bungalows for budget travelers to the luxurious Nusa Dua tourist resort area. Water sports have naturally gained in popularity and Bali offers superb surfing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving and white water rafting

History
The ancient kingdoms of the "Rajas" and princes of Bali were dismantled by colonial governments in the early part of this century, but many of their royal descendants still own traditional palaces and are very much respected as patrons of the arts. Art and culture are strongly bonded to Bali’s unique form of Hinduism called "Hindu Darma". Classical dance dramas are based on the old Hindu epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabarata, but contain an element of local folklore peculiar to the island . The very soul of Bali is rooted in religion and is expressed in art forms that have been passionately preserved over the centuries. It seems that almost every person is an artist. Whether expressed through beautiful and intricate paintings and dances, extraordinary carvings, superb weaving or even in decorations made for the myriad shrines, the island is alive with art.

Events

Temple Festival
Temple festival occur almost in Bali, such as the Odalan or tern pie’s anniversary celebrations. Offerings are carried to the temple. There are purification ceremonies and a fair-like atmosphere prefails. At night, performances of sacral dances. Wayang Kulit (shadow) puppets and gamelan music are held.

Accommodation

Bali has the biggest concentration of different types of hotels catering to the international tourist. There are several luxury properties such as Nusa Dua Beach Hotel, Club Mediterranee, Bali Sol, Putri Bali in the Nusa Dua area and Bali Hyatt, Bali beach in Sanur Beach in Sanur and Pertamina Cottage and Bali Oberoi in Kuta. All these hotels have convention facilities, swimming pools, sports grounds and a selection of restaurants, bars, night clubs,or discotheques and beach fronts.

There are also smaller cottage style hotels with modern amenities. Most unique is the long established Tanjung Sari with rates comparable to the big hotels. Above hotels and those with two stars have air conditioning, attached baths, telephones and TV.






source www.travel-indonesia.com