Have you heard of Bali, a place to the south of Indonesia? It‘s a small island but is becoming more and more famous by its fascinating tourist attractions enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people from world at large. 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. But the postcard paradise gloss has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves who don‘t even have a word for paradise in their language.
When to Visit
Just considering the weather, the cooler dry season from April to October is the best time to visit Bali. The rest of the year is more humid, cloudier and has more rainstorms, but you can still enjoy a holiday.
There are also distinct tourist seasons that affect the picture. The European summer holidays bring the biggest crowds -- July, August and early September are busy. Accommodation can be tight in these months and prices are higher.
Balinese festivals, holidays and special celebrations occur all the time, so don‘t worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events. It could be a nice treat to fuse into the local culture and enjoy the traditional cuisine and local delicacies.
Off-beaten Tourist AttractionsKuta and Legian
Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian, this area is a major sightseeing for travelers, offering cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife. Although it‘s fashionable to contempt Kuta for its rampant development, low-brow nightlife, the cosmopolitan mixture of beach-party and entrepreneurial energy can be exciting.
Kuta is not pretty but it‘s not dull either, and the amazing growth is evidence that a lot of people still find something to appreciate in Kuta. It‘s still the best beach in Bali, with the only surf, which breaks over sand instead of coral. Lots of cheap accommodation is available and there‘s a huge choice of places to eat. Shops and venders offer everything from local handcrafts to genuine antiques. Even the tourists themselves have become a tourist attraction, with visitors swarming into this small island on the tropical area.Behind the beaches, roads and alleys lead back to the most amazing district of hotels, restaurants, bars, food stalls and shops. The renowned Poppies Gang, running directly back from Kuta Beach, is where most of the quieter, inexpensive hostels and restaurants are located. Cheap beachfront accommodation is available in Legian; the lanes running parallel to the beach are the best places to start trawling for a decent bed.
The Bali Museum
The Bali Museum consists of an attractive series of separate buildings, including examples of both palace and temple architecture. The exhibits themselves are not always well presented, but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile. The tiny cane cases for transporting fighting crickets are pretty special. The Abiankapas arts center houses a collection of modern painting and woodcarving. Dancing groups and gamelan orchestras regularly perform here, mostly for the benefit of tourists.