Travel Info

Bali is one of the 17 000 (+/-) islands of Indonesia. The small volcanic island covers 5.800 square km, from north to south 120 km, from west to east 220 km. To many tourists and travellers it is the most beautiful place in the world with its warm climate, lush green rice terraces, dramatic volcanic scenery, Hindu art and culture and last but not least its friendly, charming people.

Seasons: There are basically two seasons, the dry season, influenced by the south east monsoon lasts from about June to September, the wet season, influenced by the north west monsoon from about December to March. The climate is rather constant – Bali lies between eight and nine degrees south latitude - variying between 300  C and 320 C during the day and 260C to 280C during the night.
Light cotton clothing that will wash and dry easily is recommended for this climate as is good sun protection. The temperature in the hills can be cool, so bring a light jumper.
A strong mosquito repellent will help avoid bites.

Religion: The Balinese are mainly Hindu, Agama Hindu Dharma principles govern religious and cultural practices; the Balinese calendar, the Pawukon, follows a 210-day rhythm and all ceremonies and celebrations are in strict accordance with it.
All temples are holy places, so everybody is requested to wear a sarong and a sash to pay respect. Mountains are also considered holy places, when climbing Batur or Agung a sash is required. Decent clothing when visiting holy sites should be regarded as a matter of fact.

Culture: Bali has been famous for arts and crafts for decades and visitors to Bali find an abundance of masks, statues, paintings and jewellery.
Hardly any visitor leaves Bali without having participated in a dance performance, ranging from stately ceremonial dances to the Barong dance, the performance of the Ramajana-story to the wild kecak, the monkey dance which is not originally Balinese as are more “modern” choreographies.
Dance is accompanied by the gamelan, a percussion orchestra made up of metallic instruments.

Money: The curreny is the IDR – Indonesian Rupiah. Foreign currencies can be converted into rupiah in all tourist areas whereas it is impossible in remote rural areas. Banks, officially registered money changers and hotels, who normally charge a fee, are safe places for changing money. Money changers accosting you on the street cannot be recommended.
ATM machines are also safe but the amount is limitied to one million IDR, you find them in tourist areas and larger cities,  not in rural areas.
Most credit cards are accepted by hotels and larger stores, simply look for the sign at the door.

Language: The official language is Bahasa Indonesia, but there is also the Balinese, a variation of Bahasa with its own words and hierarchical elements.
English is spoken and understood by most working in tourism, French, German, Japanese and lately Chinese are spoken by some staff at hotels or by special tour guides.