Bali is easily Indonesia's most famous island and most popular travel destination. Its name is up there among the World's famous tropical paradise islands, along with Hawaii, Tahiti, and the like.
Yet Bali is different. Sure, it has beautiful, verdant green landscapes topped by towering volcanoes. It also has the sunsets to match. Its resorts are second to none, and in fact have successfully resisted international uniformity in favour of a very distinct Balinese style. Shopping, nightlife, surfing... all there for the taking. However, it also has something you won't find on any of those other island paradises: a unique, fervently traditional culture nurturing some of the finest art forms anywhere in the World that remain very visibly part of everyday life. Wherever you look, you will see intricately carved Hindu shrines and temples. Colorful little offerings are placed everywhere, from street corners to your veranda. Somewhere on the island, colorful religious ceremonies take place on any given day of the year, featuring splendid traditional music and dance that would elsewhere only be performed on a stage. Talking of "rich culture" is a cliche in most parts of the World, but in Bali, it is the mere truth.
As for the beaches? Well, I must say they are an afterthought! They are there for sure, and they offer great surfing or sunbathing, but for pristine white sands with swaying coconut palms you could actually do better elsewhere.
*Bali is a land that seems to have a magnet at its very heart. It is a feeling that is difficult to understand unless experienced but once visited you are surely compelled to come back and you may even want to stay forever, such is its pull. Maybe its Bali’s beauty, maybe the friendly people, or maybe even the influence from spirits that certainly abide in this place.
*Bali goes under many names. Some call it the ‘island of the gods’, others Shangri-La. The ‘last paradise’, the ‘dawning of the world’ and the ‘centre of the universe’ are yet more names for this truly beautiful tropical island inhabited by a remarkably artistic people who have created a dynamic society with unique arts and ceremonies.
*Bali is small, just 140 Km by 80 Km and lies between Java, the most highly populated and influential of all the islands, and Lombok, one of the quieter and moderately slower paced islands. Like many islands, Bali has developed a world of its own. It not only captures what is special about Indonesia but also has a uniqueness of its own.
*Daily life on Bali is culturally linked to satisfying and appeasing the gods, spirits and demons in the midst of breathtaking panoramas of cultivated rice terraces, impressive volcanoes and pristine beaches. Bali’s main volcano, Gunung Agung, is still active and sometimes explosive and is considered sacred among local people as it is believed to be the centre of the universe.
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