BaliHai Guide Service
True Balinese charm by Gede

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Charming People

        Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

    Just considering the weather, the cooler dry season from April to October is the best time to visit Bali. The rest of the year is more humid, more cloudy and has more rainstorms, but you can still enjoy a holiday.

    There are also distinct tourist seasons. The European summer holidays bring the biggest crowds - July, August and early September are busy. Accommodation can be tight in these months and prices are higher. From Christmas until the end of January, airfares to/from Australia are higher and flights can be booked solid. Many Indonesians also visit Bali around Christmas. Outside these times Bali has surprisingly few tourists and there are plenty of empty hotel rooms and free tables in restaurants.

    Balinese festivals, holidays and special celebrations occur all the time, so don't worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events. Just make some inquiries when you arrive and be prepared to travel around the island.

Attractions

Denpasar

The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last few decades, and though 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.

 The Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali consists of an attractive series of separate buildings, including examples of both palace and temple architecture, featuring arts and crafts exhibits (the tiny cane cases for transporting fighting crickets are pretty special). The Taman Wedhi Budaya arts center houses a collection of modern painting and woodcarving. Dancing groups and gamelan orchestras perform occasionally,
mostly for the benefit of tourists.

Gunung Batur

The volcanic cone of Gunung Batur and the lake that fills half of the surrounding caldera form one of Bali's most spectacular landscapes. Climbing Batur (1717m/5631ft) to see the sunrise is a magnificent experience, but be prepared for damp, cold and cloudy conditions and some aggressive souvenir sellers.

Kuta Bay

    The two beach sites of Kuta and Legian have been a major travel draw for more than 25 years, offering cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife.

Ubud

Ubud is the serene cultural center of Bali. Recent development has seen Ubud engulf a number of nearby villages, but these have retained their distinct identities. Exploration of the area will reveal a secluded craft hamlet, rice paddies or the dense Monkey Forest, just south of the town center.

    In Ubud itself, the Puri Lukisan Museum displays fine examples of all schools of Balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. There are several other quality galleries such as Neka Gallery, which features work of some Western artists who have painted in Bali, and Agung Rai Gallery, a commercial operation which also houses a small, but important, permanent collection. The homes of influential Western artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, who played key roles in transforming Balinese art from the purely decorative, can also be viewed. Ubud is a good place to see Balinese dancing and hear Balinese music, and it has some of the finest restaurants on the island.

     
Balinese Dancers

Off the Beaten Track

Pejeng

The Pejeng region around Ubud hides some of Bali's most ancient monuments and relics. Set in the bottom of a lush green valley surrounded by terraced rice paddies are the 10 impressive rock-cut shrines of Gunung Kawi. The shrines are carved out of the rock face in imitation of actual statues - in a similar fashion to the great rock-cut temples of Ajanta and Ellora in India. Less spectacular, but equally important, are the rock carvings at Yeh Pulu, the Pura Samuan Tiga temple and Goa Gajah (the elephant cave) - all just a couple of kilometres east of Ubud. The best way to access these sites is to catch a bemo from Ubud
or rent a mountain bike.

Taman Nasional Bali Barat

    Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park) covers nearly 20,000ha (49,400ac) of Bali's western tip and 7000ha (17,290ac) of coral reef and coastal waters. Most of the natural vegetation in the park is coastal savanna with deciduous trees that become bare in the dry season.

    Over 200 species of plants inhabit the various environments. Animals include black monkeys, leaf monkeys and macaques; and Java, barking, sambar and mouse deer. There's also squirrels, wild pigs, buffalos, iguanas and pythons. The bird life is prolific, with many of Bali's 200 species represented, including the striking Bali starling. The park's attractions include hot springs, uninhabited Deer Island (which has great diving) and guided jungle treks.

    The park's headquarters are at Cekik, near the port of Gilimanuk. Frequent bemos and buses shuttle between Cekik and Gilimanuk, which is connected to Denpasar by bus and to Java by ferry.

Tenganan

The ancient village of Tenganan, inland from the east coast port of Padangbai, can only be reached by motorbike or on foot. It's a walled Bali Aga village, busy with unusual customs, festivals and practices. It's the center for the weaving of the little-seen double ikat cloth, and ancient versions of gamelan and accompanying dances are performed here. The nearby towns of Amlapura and Tirtagangga are known for their decaying water palaces - relics of the power of the Balinese rajahs - which are surrounded by beautiful terraced rice paddies.

Rice terraces

     
 White Temple - Mother Temple - Pagota 

          
A photographers dream