This
tiny island of three million - the last stronghold of
ancient Hindu beliefs in Indonesia - is one of the smallest
yet most visited of Indonesia’s thousands of islands
- the jewel in the crown of Indonesian tourism.
Bali, however, does not give up its secrets easily and
for the most fascinating aspects of its distinctive
and magnificent civilisation the visitor must travel
beyond the developed southern districts.
This is not a daunting task as all the major points
of interest on this 90 kilometres long by 150 kilometres
wide island are accessible within just a few hour’s
journey from Kuta, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar or Ubud.
Most people along the tourist routes speak at least
some English and you can get by quite adequately without
any knowledge of Indonesian, though a few words or phrases
will both delight and surprise your hosts. If you spoke
a smattering of Balinese, it would flabbergast them
even more!
For a quick introduction to the island, join one of
the many guided-tour groups offered as pre-and post-convention
extensions by Bali’s professional destination
management specialists. Two, three, even five-day tours
can take in all the highlights. If pressed for time,
even a one-day foray into Bali’s hinterlands can
put the visitor in touch with the real Bali.
Tours to the south emphasize the shoreline, beach life
and shopping; trips to the centre the classic historic
monuments and temples; trips to the north vault the
volcanic mountain range to the serene coast of northern
Bali; while trips to the east and west cover the more
isolated and natural parts of the island.
For students of history, the Bali Museum in Denpasar
houses a collection of historic and cultural objects
dating back to the Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Tours are also offered to archaeological remains and
ancient spiritual sites such as the mysterious 11th
century
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) in Gianyar,
the nearby 25-metre-long carvings of Yeh Pulu, the sacred
Bronze Age Moon of Pejeng and the 11th century rock-hewn
tombs of Gunung Kawi.
Never ending Festivals & Performances
Besides the myriad destinations available around the
island, there’s another reason that warrants an
escape from the tourist centres for those keen on discovering
traditional Bali: the nearly ceaseless celebrations.
A whole series of religious rites and festivals guide
the Balinese from birth to death and into the after
world.
These ceremonies can be easily seen by simply driving
down Bali’s inland roads, parking your car and
observing the local celebrations from a respectful distance.
Visitors are generally welcome if properly attired in
temple scarf and sarong.
With 1000 dance troupes on the island, dance is at the
very centre of Balinese life and will probably be the
most impressive spectacle visitors will see and remember.
With such musical names as
Cupak, Kebyar, Janger,
there are over 200 kinds of dances, each a composite
of not just a dance but also drama, music, spoken poetry,
opera and song. Visitors won’t have any trouble
finding live performances or rehearsals.
Further a Field
The natural flora of the island is another inimitable
attraction of Bali. Many plants that we lovingly cultivate
as pot plants in the West - poinsettias, dracaena, coleus
and begonias - grow in riotous profusion along Bali’s
roadsides. Twelve varieties of coconut palm and thirteen
species of bamboo exist on Bali.
For the avid botanist, the sprawling high altitude Eka
Karya Raya Botanical Gardens is dedicated to the study
of the mountain flora of eastern Indonesia. Located
in the Bedugul area, visiting this beautifully landscaped,
cool, green and inviting botanical gardens is much like
strolling through an expansive private country estate.
Bali is also home to 32 species of mammals and 300 species
of birds. Join one of the many bird walks offered in
the fertile backcountry lanes of Ubud. The best place
to experience the wild side of Bali is the famous Bali
Barat National Park in West Bali which contains habitats
ranging from rainforests to coral-fringed islands.
A two-hour 11-kilometre rafting trip down the spectacular
Ayung River gorge, through one of Bali’s last
original tropical forests, is a nature lover’s
delight. The Ayung is Bali’s longest river and
it flows year round. Though thrilling enough to be scary,
the well-supervised experience is definitely far from
life-threatening.
Bali is a safe and friendly destination for families.
Kids have room to run around and let loose as most hotels
have ample free space and frequently offer a children’s
activities centre or kid’s club. Gardens, a swimming
pool, a coconut grove and the beach are always nearby.
Bali’s
Volcanic Spine
No trip to Bali is complete without a visit to its high
mountain climes. The cool, 1450-meter high village of
Penelokan, 56 kilometres north of the capital, perches
on the rim of a gigantic caldera that looks out over
the sacred blackened smoking volcano of Mount Batur.
The views here are magnificent. Not only can you see
all the surrounding mountains but also mount Agung to
the east and sometimes even to the sea and beyond to
mount Rinjani on the neighbouring island of Lombok.
With its high, fresh climate, the area offers invigorating
walks, highland rainforests and sweeping panoramas.
It’s a three kilometre corkscrew descent down
to the crescent-shaped Lake Batur below. Along its shores
huddle eight villages inhabited by the Bali Aga, Bali’s
original settlers. A journey along the northwest shore
is through a strange moonlike landscape over rivers
of black lava and volcanic ash and rubble.
Guides of the area will offer their services to lead
you to the top of the smouldering volcano, rising 688
meters above the lake. Though strenuous, Batur is the
easiest volcano on Bali to climb. From the top climbers
can see the sun climbing slowly and lighting the whole
lake.
Bedugul: Bali’s Market Garden
The small friendly lakeside resort of Bedugul in the
middle of the central highlands is just an hour’s
drive north of Bali’s capital of Denpasar. Located
along the main road to Singaraja on Bali’s north
coast, surrounded by scenic terraced vegetable gardens,
the area has unsurpassed views, cool temperatures and
wonderful markets selling delicious citrus, passion
fruit and other exotic fruits.
Over 1200 metres above sea level, Bedugul has been a
popular weekend retreat since Dutch times, a welcome
change from the tropical humidity of the south. Placid
Lake Bratan fills the ancient crater of the long inactive
Mount Catur that towers above the lake. The layers of
mist, reflections of the mountain, the fleecy clouds
and peaceful Ulun Danu Temple lying in the lake’s
shallow waters, lend a mystical quality to the environs.
Hikes along the exquisitely cultivated lakeshore lead
up through steep, jungle-covered hills and pine forests.
From Catur’s summit, there are stupendous views
of Mount Batur to the east and the mountains of the
national park to the west.
From the pier in front of Hotel Bedugul boats of every
size and description - from small
perahu (traditional
Outriggers) to powerboats - stand ready to take you
on tours of the lake. Another attraction of these central
highlands is hidden Lake Tamblingan, one of Bali’s
least known large bodies of water. At 1500 metres altitude,
framed by dramatic peaks, the miniscule lake is also
one of Bali’s highest. An important archaeological
site, remnants have been found here of a people who
lived on the lake’s shore 1000 years ago.
The Historic North
Two main roads cross Bali’s central mountain range
leading to north Bali, an untouristed region of mountain
hikes, rustic farming villages, high waterfalls, steaming
hot springs, glistening black sand beaches, untouched
marine and forest reserves, traditional craftsmen and
dancers and temples decorated with baroque figures carved
from volcanic rock.
The region stretches from the foothills of Bali’s
central volcanoes to a secluded coastal plain against
which the calm warm waters of the Java Sea lazily lap.
Geographically isolated from the densely populated south,
the north has developed distinct cultural differences
in architecture, music and art. North Bali is the birthplace
of the famous Kebeyar style of
gamelan and
dance, a genre now popular all over Bali.
Until the international airport opened at Tuban in 1962,
northern Bali had much greater contact with the outside
world than the south. Singaraja, the main city, has
a cosmopolitan air with many ethnic and religious minorities
living in harmony. A number of imposing European-style
residences still stand, reminders of Singaraja’s
former
grandeur as the Dutch colonial administrative centre
of Bali and all of Nusatenggara.
To the east - at Sangsit, Jagaraga, Bungkulan and Kubutambahan
- are found extravagant specimens of the north’s
flamboyant temple architecture, differing considerably
from the stiff classical lines carved of grey sandstone
on the temples of southern Bali. The soft pink
paras
quarried here allow northern sculptors more exuberant
adornment and artistic license.
