Getting There And Getting Around Getting There By Air Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali (sometimes referred to by its capital name Denpasar) is served by direct flights from cities in Europe, US, Australia and Asia. In addition, there are daily flights from several key Indonesian cities like Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. Some international airlines…
Tabanan, synonymous with rice, has vast expanses of terraced rice fields. But there are also historically important towns that are centres for music, dance and religion, and the mountain sanctuary of Pura Luhur Batukau, an ancestral temple still maintained by descendants of Bali’s royalty. The fertile plains of the Tabanan region were once home to…
west bali Remote west Bali sees few visitors because attractions are so widespread. Those who make the trek west will be amply rewarded with vineyards heavy with bunches of grapes, dramatic windswept coastal temples, isolated Christian communities, some of Bali’s best diving and a massive national park. Travellers fed up with the congested roads of…
North Bali North Bali is almost a world unto itself in terms of its people, terrain and architecture. You can linger at the peaceful coastal resort of Lovina or head inland to the foot of lofty mountains where the cool highlands are speckled with waterfalls, serene lakes and temples, and coffee, clove and vanilla estates….
In the Balinese world view, the east is an auspicious direction. Not surprisingly, Bali’s pre-eminent temple, Pura Besakih, is here. Vestiges of a former grandeur such as the palace remnants at Taman Gili – remain, and there are startling black sand beaches with hundreds of fishing outriggers moored onshore. Neither as developed nor as rich…
Aboriginal Balinese called the Bali Aga make their home on the shore of Bali’s largest freshwater lake, Danau Batur, located at the base of the active volcano Gunung Batur. On a clear day, the viewpoint at nearby Penelokan offers magnificent panoramas. As the road climbs steadily out of Bangli town, the terrain gradually changes from…
Ubud and Surroundings The Gianyar region, to which Ubud belongs, is Bali’s undisputed cultural enclave. This is where to find artists’ studios and galleries together with lush rice fields, ornate temples and ancient historical sites. Ubud is where visitors gravitate to when they want to escape the tourist hordes of the south. Driving northward from…
South Bali Balinese cosmology considers the sea to be inauspicious. Yet it is on the sandy beaches of South Bali where most travellers end up, and where the widest choice of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops are. Culture hounds who search hard enough will find a sprinkling of temples, markets and museums. Southem Bali is…
The order of the cosmos defines how a traditional building is laid out and constructed in Bali. Some of these ideas have inspired contemporary styles that borrow from European design, often embellished with lush, spectacular gardens. For centuries, all Balinese buildings have been laid out according to the principles of sacred space. Even in prehistoric…
Balinese dance and drama are staged purely for entertainment, or more soberly for temple ceremonies. Performed for deities, demons and mere mortals, frenzied spirit possession and trance are key features of some sacred dances. Dance, drama, puppetry and music often take place during religious ceremonies to entertain both divine and human audi¬ences. Performers are often…