Bali proudly boasts a reputation as one of the most stunning and varied tourist locations in Asia, attracting approximately 1 million tourists every year from all corners of the globe.

Bali is located between the islands of Java and Lombok, and is included in the over 17,000 islands that comprise the Indonesian Archipelago.  All of Bali’s beauty and diversity is contained within the small area of approximately 140 km from east to west and 80 km from north to south.  Included in its assorted landscape is an east-west chain of fascinating volcanic mountains.  The tallest of these volcanoes is named Ganung Agung, and last erupted in 1963.  Currently it is 3,142m high at it’s tallest point.

Bali is an entirely tropical country, as it lies only 8º south of the Equator.  With a tropical climate, Bali has only two seasons, the wet season and the dry season, and maintains an overall annual temperature of approximately 28ºC.

It is the rich volcanic soil and the soaking, predictable monsoon season that provide the island of Bali with a tremendously fertile growing area, allowing for a diverse range of crops to be grown.  Bali’s most famous crop and region is in the southern regions, where Bali has its rice terraces, which are among the most impressive in the world.  The northern regions are home to crops such as coffee, copra, spices, vegetables, rice and cattle.

There are strong spiritual roots to the Balinese people, and this weighs heavily on the Balinese culture.  Though there is a grand influx of tourists recently, which grows every year, the Balinese culture has remained strong and is still very much in practice.  The main religion in Bali is Agama Hindu Dharma, which arrived in the 11^th century by way of Sumatra and Java.  Though this religion began in India, the Balinese form of this religion is a combination of Hindu, Buddhism, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs, interspersed with customs quite dissimilar to the typical Hinduism practiced in India.  In the 15^th century, Java brought Islam to Bali, and this influence is obvious in its artistic community.

The Balinese have always treasured creativity and have traditionally used these creative juices for religious purposes, creating striking religious artwork inspired by the stories from the Ramayana and other Hindu epics.

Bali’s population sits at about 3 million, the majority of whom live within tight village communities based on extremely large extended families.  The largest towns of Bali are the Capital, Denpasar (population 250’000) and Singaraja of the northern region.  However, the main tourist area is Kuta, which is near to the airport.  Though it seems to be a tiny, very sleepy village, its tourism is a result of its famed white-sand beaches, the surf, and stunning sunsets.

Kuta is now the home of many bustling resorts, with hundreds of hotels, bars, restaurants and shops.  Many are now moving away from the hustle of Kuta and are heading in search of a more peaceful and traditional atmosphere in the calmer resorts of Sanur and Candi Dasa, located on the east coast, or Lovina, which is found in the north. Nusa Dua is now becoming a hot tourist spot, on the southernmost peninsula of Bali Island, and it caters to a more upscale crowd with its biggest 5-star hotels.