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Bali Indonesia Travel Guide |  |
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Country: Indonesia
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The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle and confusion one associates with the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic, noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish, Denpasar still retains pleasant, tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali, given that tourists generally give it a wide berth.
Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian, this area is the major drawcard for tourist and travelers of all walks. Kuta offers cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife. Kuta Bay is in the south of Bali, about 10km (6mi) southwest of Denpasar. The mixture of busy local Indonesian village and thriving tourist trades makes for an exciting atmosphere. Despite the bustle Kuta is still a village: a place of quiet compounds and narrow alleys, where devotional offerings are placed in front of houses and neighbours emerge in the coolness of the evening to gossip in the street. Legian is a slightly quieter, more sophisticated version of it’s neighbouring district Kuta. Both areas Legian and Kuta have both become a major cross cultural international meeting spots of tourists and travelers from all walks.
Instead of rice fields or limestone cliffs, there is sandy soil reaching down to a long, sandy beach protected by a reef. Coconut trees are everywhere - Nusa Dua was once a huge coconut plantation. The climate here is also drier than the rest of Bali, freshened by a mild ocean breeze.
During the 1920s and '30s, artists from all parts of Bali were invited to settle here by the local prince, Cokorda Gede Sukawati, and Ubud's palaces and temples are now adorned by the work of Bali's master artisans as a result.
The whole area has a host of natural attractions for those willing to invest the time to explore. Grand, gray-white cliffs overlook long, white rollers world famous among surfers. Graceful boats sway at anchor in tranquil Jimbaran bay. The quiet and empty bush areas of the elevated plateau are ideal for experienced hikers. The region also boasts places of cultural significance, the most renowned being Uluwatu Temple Luhur Uluwatu.
The name "Lovina" was coined by the last king of Buleleng. A convert to Christianity, he gave the name to a small tract of land that he purchased at Kaliasem, where he built the Tasik Madu ("Sea of Honey") Hotel in the 1960s. The name Lovina signifies the "love" that is contained "in" the heart of all people.
Entry and departure must be made through the airports of Medan, Batam, Pekanbaru, Padang, Surabaya, Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta), Bali, Manado, Ambon, Biak, Kupang (Timor), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) and Pontianak (west Kalimantan) and/or the seaports of Medan, Batam, Tanjung Pinang (Riau Islands), Jakarta (Tanjung Priok), Surabaya, Semarang, Bali (Benoa and Padang Bai), Ambon and Manado. Taiwan visitors with passports coded "MFA" or "M" issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei, whose point of departure is Taipei international airport are allowed visa free entry through the airports of Jakarta, Medan and Bali and the seaport of Batam Island only within one week of leaving Taipei airport to enter Indonesia. For other ports of arrival and departure, visas are required. Visas are also free for registered delegates attending a conference which has received official approval. For those who are not nationals of the above-stated countries and who arrive and/or leave from non-designated ports, tourist visas can be obtained from any Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. Two photographs are required and a small fee is charged.
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History of Bali - Geography of Bali - Ecology of Bali - Administrative Divisions of Bali - Economy of Bali
Transportation in Bali - Demographics of Bali - Religion in Bali - Language in Bali - Culture of Bali
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