Bali
Bali is one of the 13.677 islands of Indonesia. It covers an area of over 5.560 km2 and has about 3 million inhabitants. From east to west it's about 145 km wide and from north to south approx. 85 km. The spoken language is Bahasa Indonesia and the currency is the Rupiah.
Bali has many volcanoes. The chain of volcanoes determines the relief of the Balinese landscape. The highest peak on the island is Gunung Agung (Mount Agung), the Holy Volcano (well over 3100 m). Another famous volcano and tourist attraction is the Gunung Batur (1700 m). Bali has a varied landscape due to the volcanic activity and the tropical climate. The volcanic soil is very fertile, as a result of which various plants, trees and crops grow in abundance. Agriculture is an important source of income. The most important Balinese crop is rice — here one can find the famous sawah's, wet rice fields which are mainly laid out in stepped terraces. Other important crops are coffee, tobacco, spices and fruit.
The southern part of Bali, where the villa is, is rather flat. Next to the capital Denpasar lie the island's best-known coastal areas — Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and, on the peninsula further south, Nusa Dua and Uluwatu. Canggu grew out of a string of farming villages along the coast, and in places the rice fields still run right up to the edge of the new streets.
Over 85% of the inhabitants of the island lives and works in the countryside, approx. 10% is working in the tourist sector. Specific touristic villages besides the seaside resorts are amongst others Ubud (artist village) and the Bali-aga village Tenganan (the original non-Hindu inhabitants of Bali).
Climate
Bali has a tropical monsoon climate. The island is situated close to the equator, as a result it is always warm and there are only 2 seasons: the dry and the rainy season. The average temperature is pretty much the same all year round, although there is a difference between daytime and nighttime temperature. The average daytime temperature is 28 °C, at night the average is 22 °C. Also the temperature of the sea water is quite constant during the year, around 28 °C.
The 'dry' season is from April until November. The so called 'rainy' season is characterized by short abundant rainfall during the months November-April (the monsoon). However, during the 'dry' months plenty of rain can fall as well. When it rains the showers are often heavy but short. Like anywhere in the tropics most showers are either in the late afternoon or evening; most of the times the mornings are clear and sunny.
Due to the high humidity the weather often is quite sultry. Most of the times the weather in the higher situated areas is cooler. Along the coast there's often a pleasant breeze, which makes the beach a nice place to stay.
Culture and religion
Bali is the only island in the 'Emerald Belt' where the Islam has hardly penetrated. The Hindu culture, modified to the Balinese circumstances, dominates the island; 90% of the Balinese is Hindu. You will see the Hindu culture everywhere, expressed in the many temples and the unique processions.
Bali is also called the 'Island of the Gods'. Every village has at least three temples. There are small temples at crossings, hill tops, mountains and sawah's. Of course every house has its own temple(s) as well. On Bali religion is entwined with daily life. This shows, among other things, in the famous Balinese dances, cremations and the big celebration of birthdays. In general the population is very friendly towards tourists, giving you the opportunity to experience the local and religious traditions from up close.
You will see the daily offerings — canang sari, small palm-leaf trays of flowers, rice and incense — laid out at entrances, on stairs and at street corners all over Berawa, to please the gods and to keep evil spirits at bay. Many buildings have stone guardians at the entrance, often with typical Balinese cloths swathed around them.
Things to do
The villa is in Berawa, in Canggu, on the south-west coast. It is one of the easiest bases on the island: the beach is five minutes away, the surf is good most of the year, and the village has grown into one of Bali's best places to eat. Seminyak is a quarter of an hour south, Tanah Lot half an hour up the coast, and Ubud, Uluwatu and the volcanoes of the interior are all comfortable day trips. Read more on the surroundings page.
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