Regions And Attractions
South Bali: In South Bali, from
Denpasar to Kuta to Nusa Dua, you can find a wide variety
of things. Traces of the Badung Raja of Puputan War fame still
exist. Beautiful, tranquil beaches gracefully integrate with
the world's most sumptuous and luxurious hotels in Nusa Dua.
And then there is Kuta, where everything you want as a tourist
and everything you hate about tourists coexist.
Central Bali: Central Bali,
predominantly around Ubud, is the cente of art in Bali. Ubud
is the birthplace of Bali's modern paintings. And Puri Lukisan
Museum (Palace of Fine Arts) and Museum Neka are two excellent
museums with permanent collections of paintings that will
tell the evolution of Balinese paintings. Galleries are practically
everywhere.
 A
little South of the city you can find Celuk where silver and
gold jewelry has been perfected to fine detail, and Mas where
masks for dances and other performances are made. And further
North you can enjoy the panorama of the higland of Bali, in
Kintamani by Lake Batur or in Bedugul by Lake Bratan.
East Bali: The Eastern part
of Bali is the most mountainous of the island. The highest
point in Bali, Gunung Agung (literally means Holy Mountain),
is located here. And the Mother Temple of Bali, the Besakih
Temple, is located at the foot of Mount Agung. This is the
Mount Olympic of Bali, and you can find here various manifestations
of Bali's religious beliefs.
 The
Klungkung area is also historically significant, having served
as a focal point of art and culture in the Gelgel dynasty.
The roof of Kertha Gosa, the court room of the Klungkung kingdom,
is dramatically painted with thousands of panels, telling
the story of justice.
A long stretch of beach marks the East
side of Bali - diving, snorkelling, spectacular sunsets, sun
bathing, etc. Tenganan, a village of the Bali Aga people,
is also here, just west of Candidasa, where you can see a
mysterious water temple submerged in the water.
 North
Bali: North Bali includes most of the Buleleng district,
around Singaraja. It has a rich history of Bali behind its
casual daily life. In Singaraja you can find remnants of Dutch
imperialism as it once was the administrative center of the
Lesser Sunda Islands. Horse-pulled carriages (dokar or sado)
gallantly walk the pleasantly tree-lined streets, landscaped
by Dutch colonial houses. Lovina Beach, a group of small villages
west of Singaraja, offer popular beach resorts, with much
of the amenities of Kuta but without the crowds. Here you
can dolphin watch out at sea, snorkel in the clear water,
and enjoy an active social and night life.
West Bali: Most of West Bali
is not as popular as the other parts of Bali. (Hint: for those
who truly say that they want to get away from other tourists...)
Gilimanuk, at the Western tip of Bali, is the gateway to Java.
The wildlife of Bali is preserved in the Bali Barat National
Park. Also found is the tomb of Jayaprana, a 17th century
king whose Romeo and Juliet style love story is immortalized
by folklores in Bali.
Bali has probably the widest
range of accommodation of any destination from the very basic
to the most luxurious hotels, resorts and villas with everything
in between. Because there is literally something for everyone,
coupled with the inherent magic of the Island and its people,
Bali attracts holiday makers from all over the globe from
young back-packers to package tourists to beautiful people,
rock and movie stars, royalty and the rich and famous.
Once smitten by the magic most
return, some again and again - it's that sort of place.
The largest tourist areas are
in the south near the international airport so this is where
we shall start.
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