Bali is kind to inexperienced travelers, and those who wish to try a trekking holiday for the first time would do well to start here. Most of the local people have at least a limited knowledge of English, low cost accommodation is plentiful, transport is reliable, the food is generally very good, and safe drinking water is always available

Almost the entire island of Bali is ready and waiting for visitors from around the world--from the densely populated resort areas of the south, to the cool central mountain highlands and the spectacular eastern coastal areas. The best idea is to be mobile, to travel with a lightweight pack, a comfortable pair of shoes and an attitude of breaking the traditional tourist mould.

Bali lies only eight degrees south of the equator and has an eternal summer, warm steady breezes, and high humidity. Tropical showers can quickly give way to blinding sunshine. Rainfall, which usually is not heavy and continuous, arrives mainly in the late afternoon or night. From November to April the rains really come; the wettest days are in December and January. The dry season is May to October. From June to the end of September, Bali is very pleasant.

All major points of interest on this 70 km long by 45 km wide island are easily accessible within a few hour’s journey of Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Nusa Dua, or Denpasar. The shortest distance by road between the island’s north and south and between the eastern and western tips is only around 200 km. Tourists congregate in the bottom eighth of the island while most of Bali’s 5,000 square kilometers of back country remain rural, traditional, and nearly unspoiled.

Being a tiny island, there is nowhere in Bali that cannot be reached in a single day, and there is no need to travel via overnight buses. This means that a fixed itinerary is not really needed, however a general plan of places to visit and stay at should be considered. The exact details of where you will stay and for how long will really depend on how much time you have available to spend on the island.

If you can stay a couple of weeks or more, you may consider staying in three or four places, and in eighteen nights it is possible to stay in perhaps five or six different places, depending on your own favored pace and on whether you decide to stay longer in a place you really like for instance.

Perhaps a circuit of the eastern part of the island is the best plan, starting in Kuta or better yet, Ubud, then a cool break in Bedugal (or nearby Candikuning), north to the Lovina beach area (perhaps Singaraja or Yeh Sanih as alternatives), eastward to Tirtagangga, Candi Dasa or Padangbai, then west to Ubud or Kuta.

Each of those places will provide great bases for day trips, long interesting walks and general relaxation. If you desire, there are many other villages that you can visit whilst maintaining the same general direction so that you can miss the masses of western tourists.

Highlights include beautiful jungle walks, stunning mountain vista?s over terraced rice fields and relief to see villages that have not yet totally succumbed to the trappings of the tourist trail.

Bangli, the capital of the Central-Eastern Bangli District, a neat and very clean city with several beautiful temples, including Pura Puseh and the nearby Pura Kehen which is located a short walk from the city centre at the top of the hill.

Bona, is located only a short distance from Gianyar, the village of Bona is famous for almost every variety of Bamboo furniture and artistry imaginable. Bona is also famous for its dances, especially for the kecak, or fire dance. Performances are staged regularly for the tourists visiting the village, and special trips are available from most of Bali?s major centres to see this spectacular ceremony.

The center of gold and silver shopping with artisans and traders making and selling their local craftworks, is Celuk. The local artists are famed for their delicate gold and fine filigree style silver work, which is very popular with visitors around the world. If you want, special pieces can be made to order.

Goa Gajah, an ancient Bhuddist hermitage and bathing place, with partially restored fountains and statues surrounding it. Goa Gajah is commonly known as the Elephant Cave, and features prominantly in the adjenda?s of most visitors to Bali. The popularity of this temple is well deserved however and it should not be missed. The enterance is flanked by a well established market, and a large car park for tourist busses.

Tag: Bali Island