Bali, Where is It? What is It Like?
Bali is the Island of Gods. It is one among the 17,560 islands that constitute the Indonesian archipelago. Only 11,000 of those islands are inhabited. Indonesia has more than 260 million inhabitants. It is very spread out but also very populated. It is the 4th most populated country in the world!
With 4,225,000 inhabitants, Bali is located just south of the equator, in the Indian Ocean. Bali is only 150km long and 70km wide, about the same size as Corsica. The surface is around 5 600 km2 and it has more than 4,200,000 inhabitants.
The capital of Bali is Denpasar, with its international airport, where the most population lives. There are also several volcanoes in Bali, the top one being 3km high (Mount Agung).
Thanks to its key location and many infrastructures (roads, international and national airports, maritime connections, etc), Bali is a very popular island for both tourists, foreign investors, and locals.
DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL?
Indonesia is a vast country, with more than 17,500 magnificent islands. You can visit many spectacular places at a short distance. If you want to move further, you can discover the rest of Asia, or Australia located just a few hours of flight away. Bali is also a very central destination, that will allow you to travel all around the world.
DO YOU ENJOY SPORT?
You could climb on a volcano. Or, if you prefer, ramble in the luxurious nature and discover beautiful hikes. Do you like water activities? Why not try scuba diving or fishing? The Indian Ocean is full of extraordinary species, reef sharks, dolphins, rays, colorful fish, giant tortoises, starfishes? Amazing nature! Horse and bike rides are also a fantastic way to discover Bali. You may also get tempted by rafting or yoga, or relaxation, or home massages, next to your swimming pool.
DO YOU LIKE LOCAL HANDICRAFT?
Learn more about local traditions by taking cooking, traditional dances (Lelong), painting, or carving lessons. Balinese craft is extremely rich.
Discover Activities in Bali
Today, Balinese live essentially on tourism. Previously, rice culture was the main source of wealth, alongside with fishing, and they remain sources of income for the poors. The island benefits from a very particular quality of rice culture, that allows three harvests of rice a year, a unique advant
Bali is a country of delicious dishes. Nasi goreng is the traditional rice dish, personalized by each cook. Balinese usually eat very spicy dishes but they know how to adapt to occidental tastes. You can try sates, small spicy meat skewers, cooked over a wood fire, with a peanut sauce. Balinese are fond of pork too, babi in Indonesian, and of duck bebek. You can eat fish, shrimps, lobsters, delicious vegetables and fruit. There are many restaurants in Bali, ranging from warung, the cheap local restaurants, to gastronomic ones. Food is really good there, and you can find local as well as occidental (or western) dishes.
Balinese speak Balinese and Indonesian, their official language. Today, because they learn it at school, almost all inhabitants can speak English too. Thanks to their foreign clients, many Balinese can speak other languages, such as French, Chinese, Spanish or Russian.
On the religious point of view, Bali is very different from its muslim neighbour islands, because 95% of the population is hinduist. It is very nice to walk around Bali and see adults and children praying, dressed in sarong, with the typical belts and lace shirts Balinese women wear. There are many hinduist temples in Bali, very beautiful places full of traditions and history. Even if Bali is modernising rapidly, ancestral traditions are stil preserved there. You will also discover religious diversity in Bali, with several nice churches, mosques, temples. Everyone has the right to practice his religion freely. No wonder the countrys motto is (Unity in Diversity).
It feels good to live in Bali ! An outstanding treat. Indeed, the weather is very nice on the Island of the Gods (hot and humid). The so-called dry season spans from March to october (around 27ฐ) and the (wet season) the rest of the year (32ฐ). There is no real monsoon, like in Thailand for instance. Depending on the altitude, the temperature can reach 20ฐ, especially in the mountain. The sun raises at 6am and sets at 6:30pm.
In Bali, the money is Indonesian rupees. It is very simple to change euros or any other currency in Bali. You can also use your credit card.
There are no mandatory vaccinations to go to Bali. It is recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and typhoid. Make sure that your vaccinations against diphteria, poliomyelitis and tetanus are up to date. There is no need for an anti-malarian treatment. There are very good hospitals in Bali, and excellent doctors who speak perfect English. The best hospitals are located in the South of Kuta island (for instance BIMC and Siloam hospitals are very good).
In Bali, everybody likes to move around on a scooter. If you want to do so, you must have an international driving license. You can also drive a car a take a taxi, a very cheap option in Bali.
| Product / Service | Indonesian Rupiah | Euro |
|---|---|---|
| Average salary | 1.500.000 IDR | 97 |
| 1 Liter of gasoline | 7.000 IDR | 0,45 |
| Scooter rental at day | 60.000 IDR | 3,87 |
| Rent a scooter in the month | 800.000 IDR | 52 |
| Touristic guide for a day | 800.000 IDR | 52 |
| Rent a car 7 seats / month | 3.000.000 IDR | 194 |
| Transfer by taxi Airport-Ubud (35 km, soit 1h30) | 300.000 IDR | 20,69 |
| 1 10-minute taxi ride | 80.000 IDR | 5 |
| 1 hour of massage | 150.000 IDR | 10 |
| Nasi-goreng in a warung | 20.000 IDR | 1,20 |
| A glass of wine in a bar | 150.000 IDR | 10 |
| 1 liter of milk | 18.000 IDR | 1,16 |
| 1 bottle of vodka | 350.000 IDR | 24,14 |
| 1 Bintang (beer, 33 cl) | 16.000 IDR | 1 |
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