Bali Travel Guide

Beaches - Bali in Indonesia is a small island that can be pretty much navigated around by car in around an hour, but it has some beautiful beaches with many activities available. Like the popular Kuta beach, for example, where water sports like wakeboarding, surfing and swimming are offered and on the beach there are activities like kite flying as well as slingshot activities. But if you're looking for something more relaxing while you're lying on the beach then there are many pleasurable experiences to be had with wonderful massages, manicures and hair braiding. It's ideal for those of you wanting to bake in the sun and be pampered at the same time. For family fun there is a brilliant waterslide park called Waterbom. It is filled with exciting slides and exhilarating raft experiences, along with wall climbing and tubing. There is plenty to do there for a full day excursion in this tropically green and lush environment.

Sightseeing - There are so many highlights to this small island as it is crammed with culture and nature, from volcano tours and botanical gardens to amazing rice fields and trips to see the beautiful Hindu Temples that are dedicated to different spirits. These Temples are dotted all around the island. The court house Kerta Gosa is a fabulous building built in the 18th century that has now become quite famous for its bright and lavish ceiling paintings that depict the hell that awaits the law breaker. Some of the buildings in Bali are truly amazing and there are so many photo opportunities.

Shopping - As to be expected on such a small island, there are no malls, or international chain stores, but what there are is plenty of buying opportunities, because this small island has plenty of small shops selling designer fashion ware. There are also open air markets to tempt you with handmade clothing to your personal preferences, beautiful jewellery and many handcrafted items. Not forgetting the bright and wonderful art work. The prices are excellent, but a little haggling won't do any harm. You won't be going home empty handed, so be sure to leave some spare room in your suitcase.

Eating - There are many eating establishments in Bali, but very few selling typical Bali food like suckling pig with rice. Most of the restaurants and hotels sell international cuisine to appeal to the tourist market. Eating out in Bali is very cheap and not to be grumbled at as there are very few cheap places left nowadays. The outdoor markets sell some delicious fruits for you to taste and there are beach hut vendors selling snacks and drinks.

Nightlife - There are plenty of nightclubs and bars around this small island, but they don't open until around midnight and the best place to be at that time is in Legian; any of the taxi drivers in your resort will take you there. The clubs are very popular in this area, it is very well known as it's more upmarket, the place where everyone dresses to impress in their designer clothes. International imported drinks can be very expensive in these places though, so don't expect the night life to be cheap.

Lapped the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Bali is one of 17,500 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, yet even among its colorful neighbors and even after decades of tourism development, it stands alone in its lushness and incomparable beauty. Long, sugary beaches lead inland to hillsides terraced with jewel-green rice paddies; forests dotted with ancient temples abound. These centuries-old shrines are evidence of Bali’s deep, enduring spirituality. For the island’s three million, mostly Hindu residents, daily routines are punctuated by prayer, blessings, and rituals—and it’s these traditions, even more than the spectacular landscapes, that make Bali such a compelling, authentic, and utterly singular destination.

Bali pretty much offers anything a traveller might want. It’s beautiful, the culture is rich and fascinating, it’s cheap (or at least consistently excellent value for money), the geography is stunning, the shopping eclectic, cuisine wide-ranging and delicious, and the people friendly. In short, Bali is really what other destinations try to conjure themselves up to be when seeking to entice tourists.

Learn to surf at Kuta, eat and shop your way through Seminyak, explore the rich culture of Ubud or escape to the northern beaches of Amed and Lovina. Dive off Pemuteran, surf off Medewi or Balian and enjoy the kecak at Uluwatu. Eat, Pray and Surf!