| | | Denpasar
Bali
Bali (Indonésie)
| | | | Virtual tour |  | 25 sections and 155 items |
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Cities (5)
|  | Kuta (6)
Kuta beach is the most visited place by the tourists in Bali.
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|  | Ubud (5)
Ubud is a town in central Bali, considered the arts and craft center of the island. Ubud is 33 km from Kuta and 10 km from Denpasar. Normal driving time from Seminyak is 45 mins to 1 hour.
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|  | Candidasa (4)
Candi Dasa
Candidasa was part of a real estate boom in the 1980's, during which most of it's coral reef was dug up and plundered as construction resources.
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|  | Sanur (2)
Sanur, on the southwest coast of the island, is a beach which stretches on three kilometres. More rich than Kuta, this place begun to be known when artists settled down there, for example the Belgian painter Mayeur.
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|  | Cremation ritual in Bali (8)
Balinese religion is based on respect for and worship of God and ancestors, and is a combination of Hindu elements and indigenous Balinese culture.
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Outdoor Architecture (14)
|  | Puri Saren Agung Palace (8)
Ubud's Royal Palace
Puri Saren Agung is located in the center of Ubud on the Ubud Main Road, across Ubud Market, at the end of Monkey Forest Road in the north. Puri Saren Agung also know an the Ubud palace.
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| Temple of Tanah Lot (11)
Pura Tanah Lot
XVIth century
Tanah Lot is a famous rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home of a famous pilgrimage temple, the Pura Tanah Lot and a popular picture motiv for tourists.
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|  | Tirtagangga (9)
1948
Tirtagangga, meaning holy water of the Ganges in Balinese, is a water garden built in 1948 by the Raja of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. This water garden was constructed in a very unique architecture of Balinese and Chinese styles.
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|  | Mother Temple of Besakih (15)
Pura Agung Besakih
The Mother Temple of Besakih, in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, is the most important temple of Agama Hindu Dharma in Bali, Indonesia and one of a series of Balinese temples.
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|  | Gunung Kawi temple (13)
Pura Gunung Kawi
XIst century
Gunung Kawi, one of Bali's oldest monuments, means "carving in the mount" Constructed along a river in the 11th century, it is a complex of pavilions and rock-cut shrines carved into the hillside approximately 17 kilometers north east of Ubud, just after the town of Tampaksiring.
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|  | Relief Yeh Pulu (6)
Yeh Pulu is a small carved rock face about one kilometer away from Goa Gajah.
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|  | Goa Gajah (8)
XIst century
The Goa Gajah, that literally means Elephant Cave, close to Bedulu in Peliatan from the 11th century. It is a cave shaped in the form of the letter "T".
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|  | Goa Lawah (4)
1007
Goa Lawah means "bat cave" in Balinese. The center of the temple is built in front of a cave filled with thousands of bats. Founded in 1007 by , Goa Lawah is located on the main road between Kusamba and the turn off for Padangbai. It is considered very lucky and is one of the 9 kayangan jagat that is directional temples that is believe to protect Bali from evil spirits.
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|  | Uluwatu temple (2)
Pura Luhur Uluwatu
Pura Uluwatu is a large temple complex built of carved grey coral limestone on top of a cliff.
It is located on the most southwest tip of Bali. The landscape is rocky and dry and very different from the lush, green rest of Bali.
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| Terraced Ricefields (3)
The rituals of the cycle of planting, maintaining, irrigating, and harvesting rice enrich the cultural life of Bali.
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| Mount Agung, Pelokan lake and Batur volcano (3)
Gunung Agung
Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a mountain in Bali. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.
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|  | Pantai Uluwatu (2)
Located on the Bukit peninsula, the spot provides basic accommodation and cafes for surfers and day trippers. It is also renowned for its dangerous shorebreak. This place is classified as one of the best surfing sites, but suitable for advanced surfers only.
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|  | Bay of Jimbaran
Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located just at the south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, the beach is cluttered with hotels from inexpensive homestays to five stars hotels.
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Hours :
Bali Time Zone is GMT + 8 hours.,
Bali has a tropical climate appropriate to its proximity to the equator. Year round temperatures averaging 31 degrees Celsius. High humidity can be expected during the Wet Season between the months of October - April. The Dry Season between the months of May - September have also the lowest humidity.
The Wet Season brings daily rain and quiet overcast days with the most rain recorded between December - February. Occasionally rainfall can also be expected during the dry season but usually at night or very early morning. June - August there is usually a very refreshing cool breeze all day long. The central mountain area is typically cooler than the lower coastal areas mainly especially at night.
Light, airy, casual clothes are the most practical and you'll find natural fibers like cotton or linen are the most comfortable in Bali's often humid conditions. Waist sashes should be worn when visiting temples.
Most hotels use 220 volts, 50 cycles and a round, two-pronged slim plug. Bathroom shaver plugs usually have a transformer switch. We suggest taking an adaptor for your appliance.
If you wish to hire a car you must be over 18 years of age and posses an International Driver's License or license from ASEAN countries.
Admissions :
- The visa on arrival is non-extendable and cannot be converted into a different visa.
- The Visa purchasing system will take approximately 3-5 minutes per applicant. need to proceed to Immigration where your visa will be processed.
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| | Description | |
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Bali is an Indonesian island located the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.
Geography
Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java and approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. East to west, the island is approximately 153 km wide and 112 km north to south (95 by 69 miles, respectively), with a surface area of 5,632 km². The highest point is Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 feet) high, an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains cover centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Mount Batur (1,717 m) is also still active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a catastrophic eruption - one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.
In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, drier in the dry season and overflowing during periods of heavy rain.
The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja, the former colonial capital of Bali, and the present provincial capital and largest city, Denpasar, near the southern coast. The town of Ubud (north of Denpasar), with its art market, museums and galleries, is arguably the cultural center of Bali.
There are major coastal roads and roads that cross the island mainly north-south. Due to the mountainous terrain in the island's center, the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains. There are no railway lines.
The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the south east has both: the main beach and the secret beach have white sand and the south beach and the blue lagoon have much darker sand. Pasut Beach, near Ho River and Pura Segara, is a quiet beach 14 km southwest of Tabanan. The Ho River is navigable by small sampan. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot, this is not yet a tourist area.
Administrative divisions
The province is divided into 8 regencies (kabupaten) and 1 city (kota):
- Badung
- Bangli
- Buleleng
- Denpasar (city)
- Gianyar
- Jembrana
- Karangasem
- Klungkung
- Tabanan
Economy
Three decades ago, the Balinese economy was largely agriculture based both in terms of output and employment. Tourism is now the largest single industry and Bali is as a result one of Indonesia's wealthiest regions. The economy, however, has suffered significantly as a result of the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005.
Although in terms of output, tourism is the economy's largest industry, agriculture is still the island's biggest employer, most notably rice cultivation. Crops grown in smaller amounts include fruit, vegetables and other cash and subsistance crops. A significant number of Balinese are also fishermen. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce batik and ikat cloth and clothing, wooden carvings, stone carvings and silverware.
Although significant tourism exists in the north, centre and east of the island, the tourist industry is overwhelmingly focused in the south. The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), and its outer suburbs (which were once independent townships) of Legian and Seminyak, Sanur, Jimbaran, Ubud, and the newer development of Nusa Dua. The Ngurah Rai International Airport is located near Jimbaran, on the isthmus joining the southernmost part of the island to the main part of the island. Another increasingly important source of income for Bali is what is called "Congress Tourism" from the frequent international conferences held on the island, especially after the terrorist bombings of 2002; ostensibly to resurrect Bali's damaged tourism industry as well as its tarnished image.
Religion
Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 93% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (5.7%), Christianity (1.4%), and Buddhism (0.6%). These official statistical figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Language
Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and like most Indonesians, the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing.
English is a common third language (and the primary foreign language) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the large tourism industry. Staff working in Bali's tourist centres are often, by necessity, multilingual to some degree, speaking as many as 8 or 9 different languages to an often surprising level of competence.
Culture
Bali is famous for many forms of art, including painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese gamelan music is highly developed and varied. The dances portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, and kecak (the monkey dance).
National education programs, mass media and tourism continue to change Balinese culture. Immigration from other parts of Indonesia, especially Java, is changing the ethnic composition of Bali's population.
The Hindu new year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. On the preceding day large, colorful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system. | | History | |
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Bali has been inhabited since early prehistoric times firstly by descendants of a prehistoric race who migrated through mainland Asia to the Indonesian archipelago, thought to have first settled in Bali around 3000 BC. Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.
Balinese culture was strongly influenced by Indian, and particularly Sanskrit, culture, in a process beginning around the 1st century AD. The name Balidwipa has been discovered from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong charter issued by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 913 AD and mentioning Walidwipa. It was during this time that the complex irrigation system subak was developed to grow rice. Some religious and cultural traditions still in existence today can be traced back to this period. The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293-1520 AD) on eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. When the empire declined, there was an exodus of intellectuals, artists, priests and musicians from Java to Bali in the 15th century.
The First European contact with Bali is thought to have been when Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived in 1597, though a Portuguese ship had foundered off the Bukit Peninsula as early as 1585. Dutch rule over Bali came later, was more aggressively fought for, and they were never ultimately able to establish themselves as they had in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku.
In the 1840s, a presence in Bali was established, first in the island's north, by playing various distrustful Balinese realms against each other. The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults first against the Sanur region and then Denpasar. The Balinese were hopelessly overwhelmed in number and armament, but rather than face the humiliation of surrender, they mounted a final defensive but suicidal assault, or puputan. Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 4,000 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders. Afterwards the Dutch governors were able to exercise little influence over the island, and local control over religion and culture generally remained intact.
Japan occupied Bali during World War II during which time a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese "freedom army". Following Japan's Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch promptly returned to Indonesia, including Bali, immediately to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration. This was resisted by the Balinese rebels now using Japanese weapons.
On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, 29 years old, finally rallied his forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance. In 1946 the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly-proclaimed Republic of East Indonesia, a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia which was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta. Bali was included in the "Republic of the United States of Indonesia" when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence on Dec. 29, 1949. In 1950 Bali officially renounced the Dutch union and legally became a province within the Republic of Indonesia.
The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia.
In 1965, after a failed coup d'etat in Jakarta against the national government of Indonesia, Bali, along with other regions of Indonesia most notably Java, was the scene of widespread killings of (often falsely-accused) members and sympathizers of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) by right-wing General Soeharto-sponsored militias. Possibly more than 100.000 Balinese were killed although the exact numbers are unknown to date and the events remain legally undisclosed. Many unmarked but well known mass graves of victims are located around the island.
On October 12, 2002, a car bomb attack in the tourist resort of Kuta killed 202 people, largely foreign tourists and injured a further 209. Further bombings occurred three years later in Kuta and nearby Jimbaran Bay.
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali
Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License | | More pictures | |
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