Best Beaches In Asia | Bali Island

Sheltered in the Indonesian archipelago, Bali Island, one of the best beaches in the world, is a blend of harmony, dance, mystery and natural splendor. Few places on earth celebrates life with such vitality like Bali Island . From the moment of arrival, guests are assaulted by an intense concentration of color, sights, smells, sounds and tastes. Friendly people from Bali Island calls the tourists ‘tamu’, a term which means guests and welcomes them.

Exotic and full of diversity, the Bali  island is so picturesque that it can be compared to a painting: volcanoes climb to the clouds and terraced rice fields down to the ocean. The great Indian politician, Jawaharlal Nehru, called the island “morning world”.

In Bali Island, the natural landscape combines with the splendor of luxury hotels, chic bars and restaurants with internationally recognized. Also, Bali Island is the area that gather the largest concentration of thermal waters around Southeast Asia. This peace of heaven is not only dedicated to pampering the body, but also finding the inner balance. Bali Island is an ideal destination for those seeking to banish fatigue, stimulate the senses and to awaken their spirit.

Bali Island is an ideal place to spend an enviable vacation. The most luxurious tourist facilities are intertwined with the mystical colorful festivals, accompanied by music and folk dances. Bali Island is not only one of the 18,000 islands of Indonesia, it is also an exotic paradise, a tropical island known for its culture and traditions preserved over the ages. Among the natural attractions of the island you can find extensive sandy beaches, volcanoes over 3,000 meters high, rapid rivers, sacred caves and lush rainforest.

Various Bali Island  beaches:

Legian – beautiful beach on the north coast of the Bali island where the dolphins are at home; beautiful sunsets are favorite subjects of photographers

Jimbaran – a quite beach, highly sought after the open of Four Seasons Hotel

Kuta – is the most animated beach of the Bali island (it was the favorite beach of hippies from 60s generation)

Tuhan – beach where you can find all major hotels, is between the airport and Kuta

Uluwatu – favorite beach for surfing on Bali Island

Sanur – the most famous beach on the east coast of Bali island, 20 minutes from Kuta, a beach ideal for snorkeling

Nusa Dua – beach with great hotel some of which have private beaches

Nusa Lembongan – is the most popular destination for a day cruise in Bali Island

Padang Bai – is the port where cruise ships returning from Lombok

Candi Dasa – on the east coast of the Bali island, a beach eroded due to corals

Lovina – a quiet beach with fine sand

Tanaj Lot – located on the west coast, a beach for advanced surfers.

Hospitable and friendly people, stunning flora and fauna, miles of sunny beaches, a pleasant climate and culture fascinating, very different from ours, are just some of the things that make Bali a place so special. Once you get there you start to smell the tropical flowers and hear in the distance traditional music. In Bali Islands, magical atmosphere is complemented by traditional costumes and objects of art that is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Bali is a very small island, one of the 1,600 inhabited islands of Indonesia, measuring 90 kilometers from north to south and 140 kilometers from east to west. It is, therefore, easy to explore the island with day trips, to visit numerous tourist attractions and also to admire the mountainous terrain, with many active volcanoes. High waves hitting the coasts of Bali Island, make an impressive show and the scenery is complemented by fast rivers, caves, deep terraces and rice crops in tropical forests full of exotic animals and birds.

Balinese art is more complex than any other in the world, attracting crowds of passionate for culture in art galleries and museums. Architecture temples, teak wood statues, carved painstakingly sarcophagi are some of the traditional items that you really admire. You should not leave there without a batik, painted material using a special technique (apply wax or other substance impervious to areas not affected by paint) or without seeing rituals and traditional dances. Kecak is the most famous traditional Balinese dance and Wayang is a very important type of theater for the locals, which debate the struggle between good and evil. Gamelan, Indonesia specific music is different in Bali, compared to other regions. Balinese Gamelan accompanies dances and rituals and is played with traditional instruments: bamboo flute, drum made of wood and leather kendang goat and Kemp gong.

Water sports enthusiasts will have serious work in Bali. You can swim in quiet coves, you can make boating, water skiing, wind surfing and other water-related sports. In Bali Island, Young locals are masters of surf, so if you do not have the courage to take lessons from them can sit on the shore watching them. Surf experts around the world come to Bali to find places with great difficulty which offers true challenges for them.

But most fans come to Bali Island for a great dive. A lot of companies are scrambling to offer tourists special equipment and experienced guides. Best places for diving are on the east coast of the island near cities Candi Dasa, Amed and Tulamben. If you get the best guidance you can see, along with colorful exotic fish, coral, sharks, whales, crustaceans, sponges, some wrecks of ships sunk.

For those who are afraid to do diving, but do not want to miss the show from the depths, there are underwater for a marine safari. Submarine reach up to 21 feet deep and because they have huge underwater windows, you can make photos of the marine plants and animals, including sharks.

Nobody leaves Bali Island without making at least some holiday shopping. Ancient art objects, furniture traditional gold and silver jewelry, textiles, statues, masks and other decorations and souvenirs can be found in the region of Kuta and Sukawati market.

Bali: Overview

Lush and languid, Bali beguiles with its beach-side charms.

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.

Recent tragic events have scared away many of those who simply saw Bali as a place for cheap beer. While the Bintang is still tasty and plentiful, Bali's temples, ceremonies, beaches, mountains and passion for life are undiminished and more easily enjoyed than ever.

Travel Warning: Check Before You Leave

High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Indonesia, including Bali. Travellers are advised to check with their local embassy or travel advisory for up-to-date information before making travel plans. Terrorist bombings aimed at tourists took place in 2002 and 2005 and although it is normally safe, the island could be a target in the future.

Check out Safe Travel for updated government warnings.

severity: High-level alert

Weather

Just 8° south of the equator, Bali has a tropical climate - the average temperature hovers around 30°C (mid-80s°F) all year. Direct sun feels incredibly hot, especially in the middle of the day. In the wet season, from October to March, the humidity can be very high and oppressive. The almost daily tropical downpours come as a relief, then pass quickly, leaving flooded streets and renewed humidity. The dry season (April to September) is generally sunnier, less humid and, from a weather point of view, the best time to visit, though downpours can occur at any time.

There are marked variations across the island. The coast is hotter, but sea breezes can temper the heat. As you move inland you also move up, so the altitude works to keep things cool - at times it can get chilly up in the highlands, and a warm sweater or light jacket can be a good idea in mountain villages such as Kintamani and Candikuning. The northern slopes of Gunung Batur always seem to be wet and misty, while a few kilometres away, the east coast is nearly always dry and sunny.

Air-con is not really needed on Bali at night. A cool breeze always seems to spring up in the evening, and the open bamboo windows, so common in Balinese architecture, make the most of the light breezes.

Events

Apart from the usual western calendar, the Balinese also use two local calendars, the Hindu saka and the wuku . The wuku calendar, which is used to determine festival dates, uses 10 different types of weeks between one and 10 days long, all running simultaneously! The intersection of the various weeks determines auspicious days. It's impossible to work it out yourself: when you arrive in Bali, go to a tourist office and ask which festivals and celebrations are coming up. Try to get to at least one.

The Galungan Festival , Bali's major feast, is held throughout the island and is an annual event in the wuku year. During this 10-day period all the gods come down to earth for the festivities and barongs (mythical lion-dog creatures) prance from temple to temple and village to village. The last and most important day of the festival is Kuningan .

is the major festival of the saka year - it's the last day of the year, and usually falls towards the end of March or the beginning of April. The day before is set aside as a day of purification across the island. The night before, evil spirits are noisily chased away with cymbals, gongs, drums and flaming torches. On Nyepi itself, everyone stays quietly at home, making no noise, using no lights and doing no cooking. The idea is that when evil spirits descend, they are fooled into thinking that Bali is uninhabited and leave the island in peace for another year.

Getting There

Most international visitors arrive by air, either directly or via Jakarta, though island hoppers can catch frequent ferries from the neighbouring islands of Java and Lombok. There are direct flights to Jakarta and Bali from major airline hubs in Asia such as Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. There are direct flights from major Australian cities. The departure tax on international flights is about US$10.00 . Bali is well connected to most of Indonesia and has direct domestic flights to Java, Lombok and outlying islands on a daily basis. Fares have increased considerably in recent years but are still good value. Domestic departure tax is US$2.00 Transport from Ngurah Rai international airport, 2.5km (1.5mi) south of Kuta, is quite simple. Pay a set price at the airport taxi counter, or walk across the airport car park and hail a metered cab outside the airport's roadway exit. The impecunious (and lightly laden) can walk straight up the road to Kuta, although it's a more pleasant stroll along the beach. A ferry shuttles constantly between the western Balinese port of Gilimanuk and Ketapang in eastern Java. Boat/bus combination tickets between Denpasar and Javanese cities can be purchased. Ferries between the eastern Balinese port of Padangbai and Lembar on the west coast of Lombok depart throughout the day. A few ferries link Bali with other Indonesian islands.

Getting Around

The main forms of public transport on Bali are the cheap buses and bemos that run on more or less set routes within or between towns. If you want your own transport, you can charter a bemo or rent a car, motorcycle or bicycle. The Balinese drive on the left, use their horns a lot and give way to traffic pulling onto the road. Tourist shuttle buses, running between the major tourist centres, are more expensive than public transport but are also more comfortable and convenient.

VISA REGULATIONS

The government of Indonesia has changed its visa policy for foreign tourists effective February 1st., 2004.

Visiting Indonesia Without Any Visa

Entering Indonesia without any visa is possible now only for nationals of the following 11 countries and territories: Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Citizens of the above countries will be issued on arrival a stay permit for 30 days free of charge upon presentation of a passport which is valid at least for another 6 months. This stay permit cannot be extended or converted into another type of visa.

VISA on ARRIVAL (VoA)

This facility is now available for nationals of the following countries: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, People's Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Quatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Citizens of these countries will be able to apply for a VoA valid for either 7 or 30 days upon arrival by air in Bali, Jakarta and a few other international airports or by ship at a limited number of Indonesian sea ports. A 7-day visa costs US$10 and a 30-day visa costs US$25.

The VoA cannot be extended or converted into any other kind of visa. Also be aware that Immigration officials calculate the 30-day period as follows: your arrival day is counted as your first day, and you must leave the country on the 30th. day!

How to Obtain the "VISA on ARRIVAL" (VoA)

Travelers from the above countries must be in posession of a passport which is valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival and the completed embarkation/disembarkation card they received from their airline. They must also be able to prove they have sufficient funds for their stay in Indonesia.

Arriving travelers with Visa-On-Arrival status have to go first to one of the 'VoA Counters' to pay the appropriate fee and have their passports stamped with the VoA before proceeding to the Immigration Clearance Desk. An official bank is part of the VoA service counters. Payment of visa fees can be made in all major currencies or by VISA or MASTERCARD.