About Bali

Country: Indonesia
Area: 5620 sq km (2192 sq mi)
Population: 3 million
Capital city: Denpasar (pop 370,000)
People: 95% ethnic Balinese, plus Javanese minority, Language Bahasa Bali, Bahasa Indonesian, plus English in tourist areas
Religion: 95% Balinese Hindu, plus Muslim and Christian minorities.

Denpasar
The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle and confusion one associates with the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic, noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish, Denpasar still retains pleasant, tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali, given that tourists generally give it a wide berth.

Denpasar is in the south of Bali, about 10km (6mi) northeast of Kuta.

Kuta Bay and Legian
Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian, this area is the major drawcard for tourist and travelers of all walks. Kuta offers cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife. Kuta Bay is in the south of Bali, about 10km (6mi) southwest of Denpasar.

The mixture of busy local Indonesian village and thriving tourist trades makes for an exciting atmosphere. Despite the bustle Kuta is still a village: a place of quiet compounds and narrow alleys, where devotional offerings are placed in front of houses and neighbours emerge in the coolness of the evening to gossip in the street.

Legian is a slightly quieter, more sophisticated version of it’s neighbouring district Kuta. Both areas Legian and Kuta have both become a major cross cultural international meeting spots of tourists and travelers from all walks.

Sanur
Is an upmarket alternative to Kuta and was Bali's first beach resort area, a place of remarkable contrasts.

Sanur today is a golden mile of Baliesque hotels that has attracted millions of paradise seeking globetrotters.

Sanur is one of the few remaining brahman kuasa villages in Bali controlled by members of the priestly caste - and boasts among its charms some of the handsomest processions on the island, Bali's only all female keris dance, the island's oldest stone inscription, and the hotel world's most beautiful tropical garden. Even the souvenirs sold on the beach - beautifully crafted kites and toy outriggers are a cut above those found on the rest of the island.

Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa
Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa are Bali's modern tourist resorts - a government-run dreamland of coconut palms, white sand beaches and pristine waters located near the island's southernmost tip. Geologically, the area is quite different from the rest of Bali, and even from the rest of the Bukit peninsula upon which it rests. Nusa Dua is an upmarket alternative to Sanur.

Instead of rice fields or limestone cliffs, there is sandy soil reaching down to a long, sandy beach protected by a reef. Coconut trees are everywhere - Nusa Dua was once a huge coconut plantation. The climate here is also drier than the rest of Bali, freshened by a mild ocean breeze.

Ubud
Situated in the hills 20km (13mi) north of Denpasar, Ubud is the serene cultural centre of Bali.

Ubud has long been a quiet haven for the arts. Set amidst emerald green rice paddies and steep ravines in the stunning central Balinese foothills, the village was originally an important source of medicinal herbs and plants. "Ubud" is in fact derived from the Balinese word for medicine - ubad.

During the 1920s and '30s, artists from all parts of Bali were invited to settle here by the local prince, Cokorda Gede Sukawati, and Ubud's palaces and temples are now adorned by the work of Bali's master artisans as a result.

Jimbaran
The bulbous peninsula at Bali's southernmost tip is Bukit Badung, which is connected to the rest of Bali by a narrow isthmus, upon which lies the village of Jimbaran. Many lovely beaches and secluded sands line the shores of the peninsula and the isthmus.

The whole area has a host of natural attractions for those willing to invest the time to explore. Grand, gray-white cliffs overlook long, white rollers world famous among surfers. Graceful boats sway at anchor in tranquil Jimbaran bay. The quiet and empty bush areas of the elevated plateau are ideal for experienced hikers. The region also boasts places of cultural significance, the most renowned being Uluwatu Temple Luhur Uluwatu.

Candidasa
Candidasa is a good place to escape the bustle of Kuta. Accommodations are good and relatively cheap, as is the food. There are no beach vendors and aggressive hawkers are rare. Although the town has tripled in size in recent years, the surrounding area is still serene and very quiet. Everything is oriented along the main street that parallels the beach.

Tulamben
The Village of Tulamben can seem uninviting: the beach is rough black sand and in the dry season the countryside is uniformly brown. But Tulamben's attractions lie beneath the water. The wreck of a World War 11 Liberty class ship, a magnet for divers, lies 30 m from the beach. Experts say 400 species of reef fishes live on the wreck, visited by 100 species of open-ocean pelagics. It's not hard to see why this is probably Indonesia's most popular dive spot. Reach Tulamben by bemo from Candidasa via Amblapura for Rp2,000. Taxi is Rp25,000 each way.

Lovina
Six km west of Singaraja, the popular beach resort of Lovina is a long stretch of black sand bordering the coastal villages of Anturan, Tukad Mungga, Kalibukbuk, Kaliasem and Temukus. Numerous hotels and restaurants have sprung up here, lining the coast for some 7 km. The pace of life at Lovina reflects the calmness and safety of the sea. This is an excellent spot for swimming and snorkeling, particularly near the reef, and local boats are for hire. The sunsets at Lovina are particularly spectacular

The name "Lovina" was coined by the last king of Buleleng. A convert to Christianity, he gave the name to a small tract of land that he purchased at Kaliasem, where he built the Tasik Madu ("Sea of Honey") Hotel in the 1960s. The name Lovina signifies the "love" that is contained "in" the heart of all people.

IMMIGRATION
All travellers to Indonesia must be in possession of a passport valid for at least six months after arrival and must show proof (tickets) of onward passage.

Visas are waived for nationals of 39 countries for visits of no more than two months (non-extendable). The countries are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco (entries only through the airports of Jakarta, Medan and Bali), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

Entry and departure must be made through the airports of Medan, Batam, Pekanbaru, Padang, Surabaya, Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta), Bali, Manado, Ambon, Biak, Kupang (Timor), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) and Pontianak (west Kalimantan) and/or the seaports of Medan, Batam, Tanjung Pinang (Riau Islands), Jakarta (Tanjung Priok), Surabaya, Semarang, Bali (Benoa and Padang Bai), Ambon and Manado.

Taiwan visitors with passports coded "MFA" or "M" issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei, whose point of departure is Taipei international airport are allowed visa free entry through the airports of Jakarta, Medan and Bali and the seaport of Batam Island only within one week of leaving Taipei airport to enter Indonesia.

For other ports of arrival and departure, visas are required. Visas are also free for registered delegates attending a conference which has received official approval.

For those who are not nationals of the above-stated countries and who arrive and/or leave from non-designated ports, tourist visas can be obtained from any Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. Two photographs are required and a small fee is charged.

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