Bali lies between the islands of Java and Lombok. Bali is small, stretching approximately 140 km from east to west 80 km from north to south. The tallest of a string of volcanic mountains that run from the east to the west, is Gunung Agung, which last erupted in 1963. Lying just 8 south of the equator, Bali boasts a tropical climate with just two seasons (wet and dry) a year and an average annual temperature of around 28C. The wide and gently sloping southern regions play host to Bali's famed rice terrace among some of the most spectacular in the world. In the hilly, northern coastal regions, the main produce is coffee, copra, spices, vegetables, cattle and rice.The Balinese have strong spiritual roots and despite the large influx of tourist over the years, their culture is still very much alive. The main religion is Agama Hindu Dharma, and although originally from India, the Balinese religion is a unique blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs and different from the Hinduism practiced in India today.
Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally used their talents for religious purposes and most of the beautiful work to be seen here has been inspirit by stories from the Ramayana and other Hindu epics.
The Majority of Bali's 3,000,000 people live, for the most part, in tight, village communities with large extended families. The largest towns are the capital Denpasar and Singaraja in the North. The main tourist area stretches from Kuta to Seminyak. Kuta became major attraction during the tourist boom of the 70's, because of it famed white-sand beaches, the surf and stunning sunsets.
Today, the Kuta to Seminyak stretch is a major tourist destination, with hundreds of hotels, restaurants and shops. Those in search of a little peace and quite tend to head for the more sedate resorts of Sanur and Candi Dasa, on the east coast, or Lovina in the north. Nusa Dua, on the southern-most peninsula of the island, houses many five star hotels. The central village of Ubud, in the hilly region of Gianyar, has also blossomed as a tourist attraction and is now considered to be the artistic and cultural centre of Bali.
It wasn't until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu and Javanese culture. With the death of his father around AD 1011, the Balinese Prince, Airlanggha, moved to East Java and set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits and costume adopted by the cause.
With the death of Airlangga, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this proved to be short-lived, as in 1284 the east Javanese King Kertanegara, conquered Bali and ruled over it from Java. In 1292 Kertanegara was murdered and Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However, in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of GajahMada, a general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra and Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit empires began to collapse and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists and artisans to Bali ensued. For a while Bali flourished and the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali's cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for the Arts, and Bali became the major power of the regions, taking, control of neighbouring Lombok and parts of East Java.
The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from that of the Indian variety. The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are sin manifestation of Supreme God Shanghyang Widi. Other Indian Gods like Ganesha (The Elephant-headed God) also often appear, but more commonly, one will see shrines to the many Gods and spirits that are uniquely Balinese. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits, and much of the religion is base upon this. They believe that good spirits dwell in the mountain and that the seas are home to demon and ogres. Most villages have at least three main temples; one, the Pura Puseh or 'Temple of Origin', faces the mountains, another, the Pura Desa or village Temple, is normally found in the centre, and the last the Pura Dalem, is aligned with the sea and is dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside of these 'village' temples, almost every house has its own shrine. Some temples, Pura Besakih for example, on the slopes of mount Agung, are considered especially important and people from all over Bali travel worship there.
The most famous of the Balinese dances, the Kecak, originated from the Shanghyang dance choirs, who chant a distinctive 'Kecak-Kecak' accompaniment. The Kecak, as a dance, developed in the 1930's in the village of Bona, where it is still performed regularly.
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