Journey to the Last Paradise

Beautiful Hindu temple in Lake Beratan. Image: tripadvisor.com.au

Bali is known as The Island of the Gods. Although small, Bali is surrounded by beautiful beaches, mountains, hills, lakes, valleys, rivers, terraces of rice fields, and many more. 

The sun always shines all year round and there is two seasons, the rain season and the dry season. Not far from Pesaban, Karangasem Regency, you can see Mt. Agung, the highest peak in Bali, to the north. The weather in Mt. Agung is cool and calm. 

Pura Besakih, the largest  Hindu temple in Bali. Image: inzumi.com

You can also see the southern seas and the famous Nusa Penida Island. Bali is also known as the Island of A Thousand Temples. Every house has a temple, so does every village has their own temple. 

Government and business offices also has a small temple.Since the reign of ancient Indonesian empires, Bali has already been full of festive religious and traditional ceremonies, with the traditional Balinese Gamelan that variates from religious music to entertaining music. Since the time they are born, the Balinese people’s lives are full of these kinds of ceremonies. From the birth, birthdays, important events in life, marriage, and the cremation ceremony for the dead, known as Ngaben. Every ceremony is full of tributes to God, full of flowers and other decorations, and also a wide range of Gamelan music.

A fantastic Barong dance. Image: baliweather.net

The Balinese people are friendly and bound to their traditions, but their minds are also open to new ideas from outside Bali. Foreign visitors like artists from the Western world are well-received, which influenced original Balinese paintings, dances, and other parts of Balinese traditional arts and culture, but people won’t know whether the art is influenced by outsiders’ traditions. They are all packed up in the original traditions of the Balinese. 

When you go to Bali for a holiday, you can slowly tell the difference of the influenced Balinese arts from the original traditional arts of Bali.The friendly nature of the Balinese people makes the outsiders who come to live there feel comfortable and peaceful. Local and foreign tourist will also feel encouraged to stay for more than a week. The harmonic tolerance in Bali makes people blend in to the Bali environment more easily.

If you’re visiting Bali, you don’t have to think about “expensive”. Many “backpackers” can enjoy a long holiday in Bali, sometimes longer than a week. They know how to find a low-budget place to stay, low-budget food, and even low budget transportation to enjoy, such as bicycles and motorbikes.

Beautiful view in wonderful hotel in Bali. Image: lilyfieldlife.com

Some hotels — and even some people rent some of their rooms for low budget tourists. If you’re renting someone’s room for a stay, congratulations — you’re in a home stay program. You can find these locations all over Bali; from towns to villages. 

These people are used to receive backpackers even though they sometimes can’t speak in English fluently. But they know your currency, especially dollars, so don’t worry about payment.If you got some extra cash, you can pick your hotel, from the lowest — I mean lowest — budget to the luxurious five stars hotels. You can even choose the classy and elegant boutique hotels. They are unique to other kinds of hotels, with not many rooms, but real exclusive. You can find these hotels all over Bali.

Wonderful scuba diving in Bali. Image: balitourismboard.org

Some favorite locations are Bukit Jambul, Seminyak, Tirta Gangga, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Ubud, Lovina beach, Candi Dasa, Tanah Lot, Bedugul, and lots more. Souvenirs are also abundant throughout Bali, mostly traditional handiwork.

 Expect to find a wide variety of goods, from traditional clothing to wood carving and even kites.No matter what you do in Bali, remember to stay cool and relax. The Balinese people are known to have a rather laid-back personality, but can offer world class service. The Balinese people are exposed to many kinds of cultures from the outside world, and the many cultures actually interact well with the Balinese culture. But their culture remains unchanged, and it still exists in harmony with other cultures.

No matter what you choose, just relax. Bali, as a tropical island, only has two kinds of season, the dry season and the rain season. Even when it’s raining, you can still feel the warm sun or see the sun sets and rises in several spots. Feeling like surfing or scuba diving? No problem. Bali is the heaven of surfing and seafood. Kuta has been the main choice for world class surfers visiting Bali. The Jimbaran beach near Kuta offers a wide variety of local and international food, mainly seafood. Remember to enjoy a beautiful dinner at Jimbaran beach, especially with your spouse, friends, or lover. It’s unforgettable.