Bali

Although only few traces of Stone Age people were found on Bali, it is almost certain that the island was inhabited very early in prehistoric times. Bali's oldest written records date from the 9th century AD and consist of inscriptions on a stone pillar not far from Sanur. Indian traders brought Hinduism to the Indonesian archipelago, but little is known about this period. The religion came to Bali in the first half of the 11th century, probably from Java. During that period the rock-cut memorials at Gunung Kawi were sculpted.

The Javanese Singasari dynasty conquered Bali in 1284, but the dynasty collapsed not long after and Bali regained its autonomy. On the island the Pejeng dynasty rose to power. Their central administration was in modern-day Ubud. In 1343 the Pejeng king was replaced by the great Majapahit dynasty from Java. In the 15th century, when Islam started spreading throughout the archipelago, the Majapahit kingdom collapsed and many of its intelligentsia moved to Bali. Many of them were priests, who introduced many of the complexities of Balinese religion and artists, dancers and musicians, who diversified and enriched the island's culture.

Foreigners have visited Bali ever since the 15th century, when the Majapahit dynasty retreated from the island. The first Europeans that came to the island, where Dutch seamen in 1597. Some sailors fell in love with the island and refused to return to Europe, when the ship's captain prepared to set sail. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch had established trade treaties with Javanese princes. By that time, the Dutch had also wrestled control of the spice trade from the Portuguese, but they were only interested in their profits and didn't care about the island's culture and natural beauty.

In the early 1900's, the Dutch tried to gain more control over the archipelago, by means of a divide-and-rule policy. In 1846 they used Balinese salvage claims over shipwrecks as a pretext to land military forces in northern Bali. The Dutch teamed up with the Sasaks of Lombok to defeat the rajahs of Bali, but the Sasaks changed their minds and the Dutch were slaughtered. That event angered the Dutch so much that they invaded northern Bali with a heavy military force and as a result, local Balinese rulers lost their control over Lombok. In 1904 another salvage dispute triggered a Dutch invasion of the southern half of the island.

When the Balinese royalty and religious leaders were surrounded by the Dutch, they decided to take the honorable path of a suicidal puputan, a fight to the death, rather than surrender. They burnt their own palaces and marched into a certain death, wearing their finest jewelry and waving golden daggers. The Dutch, with their modern weapons, begged the Balinese to surrender, but the locals didn't accept that and some 4000 of them were slaughtered.

When remaining local kingdoms capitulated and others were defeated, the Dutch gained control over the entire island and Bali became part of the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch didn't do much to develop an exploitative plantation economy on Bali and the common people continued to lead the same miserable life they had experienced under the rule of the rajahs. The Dutch didn't rule Bali for long; In WWII, Indonesia fell to the Japanese.

After WWII, the Indonesia leader Sukarno proclaimed independence, but the Dutch did not want to lose their colony and a four-year long independence struggle initiated. In the beginning, the Dutch booked some successes. In 1946, a Balinese resistance group was wiped out in the Battle of Marga, for example. In 1949, the Dutch finally accepted Indonesian independence. After that, the only event of major importance was an attempted coup in 1965. The attempt was blamed on communists and it eventually led to Sukarno's downfall. General Suharto suppressed the coup and emerged as a major political figure, who would rule the country for 30 years.

Suharto outlawed the Communist Party and initiated a wave of anti-communist reprisals. On Bali, local communists who had called for land reform and an end to social repression were perceived as a threat. Religious traditionalists took advantage of the post-coup hysteria to get rid of communist sympathizers and mobs clubbed suspected communists to death. The Chinese community was particular victimized and an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people were killed before the army stepped in and restored order on Bali. At that time the island's population totaled 2 million and almost everyone on the island lost family members or friends in the killings.

Suharto looked to the West for alliances and investments. Under his rule, economic growth and dramatic improvements in infrastructure were achieved on Bali, mainly by expanding the island's tourist industry. Countless hotels were constructed, but in the process thousands of locals had to be displaced and many traditional communities were disrupted.

Although Bali has largely been spared the destruction that ravaged the rest of Indonesia in the wake of the 1998 economic fallout, tourism took a downturn. Nevertheless Bali is still a popular destination and it is far more crowded with visitors than most other islands in the archipelago. Most tourists don't just come to see Bali's marvelous landscape. It is an interesting place for the people's culture as well. Most locals live in traditional houses and participate in a timeless round of religious rituals and rice cultivation. They know surprisingly well, how to handle tourism. Despite of centuries of foreign influences, the Balinese have retained rich traditions of music, dance, visual arts, architecture and religion.

Bali is probably Indonesia's most picturesque island. Most hillsides are covered with rice paddies and look like giant steps. There are also numerous lush, tropical forests on Bali, as well as high volcanoes. Bali's beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The island is a true paradise, but that paradise has largely been polished by the international tourist industry. The Balinese themselves don't even have a word for paradise in their language and many of them live in poverty.

Music, dance and drama are all closely related in Bali. Many of the Balinese dances are vary nice to watch. They are very precise, but seem to look jerky, shifting and jumpy and they are usually accompanied by gamelan music. In most tourist centers, dances are performed virtually every night, but if you want to see the original thing, you will have to be in Bali during one of the island's temple festivals.

Balinese dances often include clown figures who are a welcome counterpoint to the staid noble characters. Every movement of wrist, hand and fingers is important, but only experts would see these details. For ordinary tourists these technicalities go by unnoticed. Most Balinese dances involve some confrontation of good and evil and the crowds usually cheer good characters and cringe when demons appear.

The Balinese music that accompanies the Balinese dances is usually based around an ensemble known as gamelan. A gamelan can comprise anything between 4 and 50 instruments and the music is heavily percussion based. As a result it is quite easy to understand for Westerners, unlike many other forms of Asian music. The gangsa, a xylophone-like instrument with bronze bars on bamboo resonators, is the main instrument of the gamelan. A hammer is used to hit the keys and player dampens the sound with is free hand.

Another important part of Balinese culture is the shadow puppet play of wayang kulit, which is popular all over Indonesia. The puppets are believed to possess great spiritual powers and the dalang, the puppet master, is almost adored like a mystical figure. The wayang kulit is usually based on the struggle between good and bad and most stories are derived from the great Hindu epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Shadow puppet plays often last as long as 6 hours. The puppets are made of pierced buffalo hide. They depict legendary characters that every Indonesian knows. The puppets' shadows are cast onto a screen by an oil lamp. This gives them a romantic effect.

Balinese painting is very distinctive, compared with work from other parts of Indonesia. It has a crowded or layered style and usually depicts narrative tales from classical stories, or scenes from everyday life. Up until the 1930's, painting and other decorative arts, such as carving, were only used to adorn temples and festival trappings. But after Westerners started arriving in larger numbers, the Balinese were prompted to see the paintings and sculptures as truly artistic creations. Most Balinese crafts that are sold to tourists are of very poor quality, as the manufacturers just want to make quick money.

Most stone sculptures in Bali are made for the local market. The works often depict legendary figures from Balinese Hindu mythology. Balinese artisans also make excellent masks, jewelry and weavings.

The best time to visit Bali is during the dry season, between April and October, when the weather is not so hot. Unfortunately, during that period countless tourists arrive and especially from July to early September, during the European summer holidays, Bali gets very crowded and prices go up. During these months, accommodation can be difficult to find.

The rest of the year it is more humid and cloudy and frequent rainstorms occur, but the weather is still good enough to enjoy your holiday. During that period there are far less tourists and prices are generally lower. The only exception is the period from Christmas until the end of January, when numerous Australians arrive. Many Indonesians also visit Bali around Christmas.

Balinese festivals and holidays are celebrated throughout the year, so you don't have to worry about coinciding your holiday with the events. There is always something going on, but you should be prepared to travel around the island, as not all events take place in every town.

Most Balinese events are based on one of the two local calendars that are used. The Hindu saka and the wuku, which is used to determine festival dates. The wuku calendar is quite complicated. It uses 10 different weeks, each one of which is between 1 and 10 days in length. Apart from that, all 10 weeks run simultaneously. It is impossible to figure it out yourself, during your stay. The best thing to do is to go to a tourist office and ask which festivals and celebrations can be expected.

Bali's most important event is the Galungan Festival, which is celebrated all over Bali. The 10-day long festival takes place once every wuku year. Locals believe that during the Galungun Festival all the gods come down to earth to join the festivities. According to legend, mythical lion-dog creatures, known as barongs, prance from temple to temple and village to village during the festival. The last and most important day of the Galungun Festival is Kuningan. Because the wuku calendar is used, the dates of the Galungun vary from year to year. For example, in 1998 it took place in April and November, while a year later it was celebrated in June.

The most important festival of the saka calendar is Nyepi, which takes place on the last day of the saka year, which is normally at the end of March, or the beginning of April. The day before that is used for purification and the night before people go out on the streets to chase away evil spirits, banging on drums, gongs and cymbals and flaming torches. On Nyepi itself, everyone is very quiet, so, when the evil spirits descend, they think Bali is uninhabited and leave the islanders in peace for another year.

There are many interesting towns and sights on Bali. Some of the most popular destinations include Amlapura, Denpasar, Kuta, Legian, Lovina, Pejeng, Sawan, Singaraja, Tenganan, Tirtagangga, Tirtha and Ubud. The region around Kuta Bay is one of Bali's major tourist destinations. There you will find several resorts and plenty of accommodation. If you want to see some wildlife, you should visit the Bali Barat National Park and the area around Bali's highest volcanic cone of Gunung Batur is one of the island's most spectacular natural sights.

Most tourists come to Bali to enjoy a holiday, lazing on one of Bali's beaches. The water of the Indian Ocean is nice and warm and along Bali's western coast, especially around Ulu Watu and Kuta Beach, there are good surf possibilities. Other good surfing spots along Bali's western coast include Padang, Bingin, Belangan, Canggu and Medewi, while Nusa Dua and Sanur on the island's eastern coast can also be tried. Windsurfing can be done anywhere on Bali's coast, providing there's wind. At many places you can only go out during the high tide, which covers the reefs.

Bali boasts some of the world's nicest coral reefs, which is home to an enormous variety of marine life. The best scuba diving possibilities are found around Sanur, Nusa Dua, Candidasa, Padangbai, Lovina Beach, Tulamben and the island of Nusa Penida, not far off Bali's southwestern coast. The reefs at Nusa Dua, Sanur and Lovina Beach on the northern coast are the best places to go if you just want to do some Snorkeling.

Bali is densely populated and as a result there are few remote areas, where one could go trekking, but it is nice to visit different villages on foot. If you are exploring the island's interior, it's a good idea to climb the volcanic cone of Gunung Batur (Mount Batur) for excellent views over the area. The best Rafting possibilities are on the Ayung River, not far west from Ubud and on the Unda River near Klungkung.

Most tourist arrive at Bali's International airport of Ngurah Rai, 15 km southwest of Denpasar. Bali has direct air connections with Jakarta and other domestic destinations, such as Java, Lombok and several outlying islands. There is also a number of international flights, to places such as Tokyo, Seoul, T'ai-pei and Hong Kong, as well as a number of European capitals and most cities in Australia. Bookings should be reconfirmed at least 72 hours before departure, to avoid over-bookings. Taxis ply the route between Bali's airport and the town of Kuta, 2.5 km (1.5 miles) to the north. In Kuta, buses and bemos (minibuses) to several other cities on Bali are available. There are two types of taxis, ones that work with a fixed price (negotiate before you get in) and metered taxis. It is also possible to walk along the beach from the airport to Kuta.

You can easily get from Bali to Java and Lombok, as numerous ferries ply the route every day. One ferry shuttles between Gilimanuk in the west of Bali and Ketapang in eastern Java, while there are two ferries a day between Padangbai on eastern Bali and Lembar on the west coast of Lombok. A ferry from Benoa in southern Bali and Lembar on Lombok operates twice a day as well. Boat/bus combination tickets to travel between Denpasar on Bali and several Javanese cities are available.

The best way to get around Bali is by bus or bemo (minibus). They run on set routes, between towns and are cheap and quite convenient. There are also comfortable tourist shuttles between the major tourist centers, but they are expensive. It is also possible to rent a car or motorbike, or to charter a bemo for the day. Balinese traffic is on the left and also quite noisy, as everyone seems to use his or her horns frequently. It is also possible to rent bicycles on Bali. In the island's congested southern region the traffic is horrendous, but once away from there, traffic is relatively light and biking is very good. The roads on Bali are good as well.

It is difficult to give an indication of the cost of traveling in Bali, as the Indonesian currency and the political situation can be unstable. The Indonesian rupiah once valued 2400 rp to the US dollar, but it has been as low as 10,000 too. Many hotels in Bali try to quote rates in US dollars, rather than in rupiahs. Remember that most hotels add a 10 to 21% service charge on top of the bills. Outside the tourist areas, you might be able to negotiate a lower rate. Especially in places with a lot of competition and only few tourists, you can bargain for the lowest price.

Apart from the tourist season between July and early September and the time around Christmas, Bali receives remarkably few tourists and there are plenty of empty rooms available. There are also numerous restaurants, including those that serve original Balinese dishes. Local food often consists of cold steamed rice, vegetables, some nuts or prawn crackers and a little chicken, pork or fish. Many dishes bear Chinese influences and in most restaurants you will find nasi goreng (fried rice, sometimes served with meat or vegetables), mie goreng (noodles with meat or vegetables), cap cai (mixed fried veggies), gado gado (steamed vegetables in a spicy peanut sauce), nasi campur (steamed rice topped with a mix of veggies and meat) and sate (tiny kebabs served with a spicy peanut sauce). If you are traveling to Bali, don't miss two of Bali's most favorite foods: babi guling (spit-roasted suckling pig) and betutu bebek (duck roasted in banana leaves). Tipping is not expected in Bali, but most workers have miserable wages, so if the service is good, you could always leave some small change.

On Bali it requires fierce bargaining to pay a reasonable price for souvenirs, such as clothing, arts and crafts. Travelers' cheques can be cashed in most banks on the island, but rates vary, so you will have to shop around for the best deal. Moneychangers work faster, but have worse rates. In most tourist areas, most credit cards are accepted without any problem, but in smaller towns with few tourists, that can be more difficult. It is best to have small bank notes, when traveling to towns in Bali's interior, as change is often unavailable in these places.

Bali is in the south of Indonesia, immediately east of Java.