Bali was originally settled by Indo-Chinese people from the area of present-day Taiwan in around 2000BC. Dutch explorers arrived in the area around the year 1600. The so-called Dutch East Indies included most of the Indonesian archipelago including Bali and violence flared in the early 1900s when more than one massacre took place when indigenous Balinese marched against Dutch troops.

As a result of these battles, Dutch authority in Bali was never as concrete as it was in other parts of Indonesia. In the 1930s Bali became famous as an artist colony and many painters, writers and sculptors from the United States and Europe settled in Bali for creative residencies.

Japan occupied Bali during the Second World War and after the Japanese surrender forces from The Netherlands re-occupied the island. In December 1949 Dutch authorities recognised Indonesian independence and Bali became part of the Federated Union of Indonesia at this time.

In 1963 Mount Agung exploded and killed thousands and in 1965-66 independence wars across Indonesia saw around 80,000 Balinese killed in various protests, fights and scuffles both within Bali and elsewhere across the Indonesian archipelago.

Bali’s tourist industry grew quickly from the 1970s with the island’s surf breaks, laid back Hindu lifestyle and belief systems and very low costs to visit drawing backpackers from all over the world. Tourism boomed in the 1980s and 1990s when Bali became the most popular overseas tourist destination for Australian holiday-makers after New Zealand.

Trouble returned to Bali in the 21st century with a series of deadly tourist attacks shrouding the island in gloom and fire. The Sari Club bombings of 2002 killed over 200 people and it was followed by another deadly attack in 2005. Tourist numbers to Bali shrank drastically after these events, and economic woes ensued.

Bali is famous all over the world for its fine handicrafts and artworks. People travel here from all corners of the globe to purchase wood carvings, metal ware and paintings not as souvenirs from a well-earned tropical holiday, but as wholesale produce to take back to their galleries and art stores back at home. Balinese arts and crafts are sold in museums and stores the world over.

Balinese woodcrafts are best displayed at the Mas Village, a wood carving centre of the island that is now a large outdoor exhibit, museum and also, shop. All kinds of practical and decorative wood carvings can be found here and you can also see local artisans working with wood as their families have been doing for generations now.

Stone carving is also very popular in Bali. Soapstone and volcanic rock is often favoured by the local stone workers who operate all over the island but who have a thriving centre between Denpasar and Ubud, in the village of Batubulan. Here, thousands of carvings are lined up for display along the roadside and like the woodcraft centre of the Mas Village, visitors can observe artisans plying their trade.

For something lighter and of quick convenience and souvenir value, hit the day or night time markets that are all over Bali, especially in the crowded tourists areas of Kuta and Seminyak. Here, you can buy imitation sunglasses, jeans and leathergoods as well as DVDs and CDs. A lot of the time these goods are of variable quality and some are obviously fake but you may want to consider the legalities of purchasing counterfeit goods.

How do you make Nasi Goreng, the world’s most famous Indonesian dish, and one that is eaten by tens of thousands of tourists every week in Bali? Nasi Goreng is Balinese fried rice and you can serve it with other dishes such as satay meat or jazz it up with sweet chilli or tomato sauce.

The recipe is very easy to learn and you can modify it to your own tastes.

Nasi Goreng recipe

Ingredients:

• about 2 cups of rice
• 1 tbs oil
• 2 chicken breasts or meat of your choice, cut into 2cm pieces
• 3 or 4 bacon rashers, finely cut
• 5 spring onions, finely cut
• 2 crushed and finely diced cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stick of celery (not a bunch), finely diced
• small handful of cooked, peeled prawns
• 1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs fried shallots
• 2 tbs kecap manis

Method:
1. Cook rice as normal then spread in 2 baking trays and leave to cool for two hours.
2. Heat half the oil in a wok and stir fry the chicken, then the bacon. Both should be well browned. Set aside.
3. Add remaining oil and stir fry the garlic, spring onions, carrots, celery and prawns.
4. Add the cooked bacon and chicken with the cabbage and stiry fry all together then add the rice, bean sprouts, most of the shallots, the kecap manis and the soy sauce. Heat and stir through then place in a big bowl.
5. Fry the eggs.
6. Serve the nasi goreng in bowls and top each serving with a fried egg and a sprinkling of the shallots.

Serves 4

Because Bali is a religious Island and because the main religion is Hinduism, visitors may mistake being here for spending time in India. Like the subcontinent, there is rarely a time when some form of festival is not taking place and these festivals invariably involve some form of coloured face make up, gigantic icon statues and puppets, and all kind of music, incense, colour and movement.

Balinese celebrate festivals together, or individually, when families celebrate and worship their personal house deities, for example.

Religious festivals in Bali include odalan, a festival that mark’s the anniversary of a temple’s opening and this festival can run for an entire week and are signified by flowers, flags and lots and lots of music and noise.

Another common religious festival is melasti. This is a festival of purification and many will dress up in their very best clothes and head towards the waters edge where they will bathe and play music. After this festival, a period of silence or at least general quiet, follows.

Nyepi is the festival that follows melasti and it falls at the beginning of the new lunar year which tends to occur each Spring in early April. Even holiday makers are expected to observe the calm and peace that is called for on this day and most businesses including hotels will be closed or at least, non-staffed.

Galungan is observed over the eleventh week of the Balinese calendar and marks creation of everything visible in the natural world. This is a family oriented festival and is marked by feasting and drinking (not alcohol, necessarily).

This major festival is followed by Kuningan which marks the end of the festive period. Water temples and most expecially the water temples of Ubud are centres of this very popular festival.

Many other Bali festivals have nothing whatsoever to do with religion. The Negara bull races take place between July and October and feature decorated bulls harnessed in chariots ridden by festive local jockeys. Watch out if a couple come barreling around a street corner in your direction.

The rice harvest festival is marked with dolls made from rice and a general sense of happiness and feasting, and Indonesian Independence Day is marked in Bali, naturally.

Balinese welcome foreigners into their festivals. The more the merrier, but be sure to dress appropriately – there is no need to dress up or follow festive costume, but flip flops and beach attire would be considered inappropriate.

Bali is primarily reached by air, since many visitors fly directly in and out of Denpasar. Other travellers come to Bali as part of wider journey through Indonesia and the region, and they invariably arrive by boat.

Getting to Bali by Air | Getting to Bali by Sea

By Air

Ngurah Rai is the name of Denpasar International Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in Indonesia. The main arrival point for around 90% of visitors to Bali, the airport has 17 gates and is served by a very wide range of carriers and destinations including:

Domestic
Garuda Indonesia (who fly to Jayapura, Makassar, Mataram, Balikpapan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Timika, Yogyakarta)
Lion Air (Jakarta, Makassar, Manado)
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Bandung, Bima, Mataram, Maumere, Merauke, Jakarta, Kupang, Surabaya, Waikabubak, Waingapu)
Wings Air (Surabaya, Yogyakarta)

International
Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur)
Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai)
Eva Air (Taipei-Taoyuan)
Garuda Indonesia (Hong Kong, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Singapore,  Nagoya-Centair, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
Japan Airlines (Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
KLM (Amsterdam, Singapore)
Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon)
Malaysian Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
Qatar Airways (Doha, Kuala Lumpur)
Royal Brunei Airlines (Bandar Seri Begawan)
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)
Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo)
Uni Air (Kaohsiung)

The above is by no means an exhaustive list. Many more airlines are queued to start regular services out of Ngurah Rai and also, many seasonal and charter jets serve Chinese and Australian locations.

The airport is located about 13kms south of Denapasar and holiday makers relaxing on Kuta Beach can see the jumbo jets landing just towards the cape at the very far end of the main beach.

Bali by Boat

The main ferry service to and from Bali runs from Ketapang, a pier on the west side of Bali, to Gilimanuk in the island of Java. These services run very regularly – several times an hour – and the jounrey takes about thirty minutes. The three-and-a-half hour ferry journey from Padang Bai to the neighbouring island of Lombok and these leave every three hours.

About 90 per cent of Balinese are Hindu, much different to the Islamic majority in the rest of the Indonesian archipelago.This is part of what gives Bali its unique flavour and why many people sometimes mistake Bali as a separate country – it isn’t, just culturally distinct from the rest of Indonesia because it is predominantly Hindu.

Balinese Hinduism is the island’s main religion. A smaller percentage of the Balinese people are Muslim (about one in twenty people), Christian (about one in a hundred) or Buddhist (one in two hundred people). Balinese Hinduism is a combination of ancient Hinduism as found and practiced in India and local beliefs which include animism and various tribal and ethnic traditions.

Also part of Balinese Hinduism, a composite religion, is ancestor worship, worship of gods or folk heroes and other such traditions. Balinese religion follows Hinduism in the belief in a number of gods and goddesses who project their powers and symbolism into all natural and man made objects.  Therefore, Balinese people will often be observed honouring sacred pieces of cloth or even furniture. These objects have been interpreted as being invested by the powers of the related gods and goddesses.

Bali’s polyglot religious culture extends to Chinese immigrants too. These Balinese residents – Sino-Balinese – are primarily Taoist and to a smaller extent Buddhist but the happily worship in Hindu temples and a very welcomed there. Joint wedding, birth and funeral customs are presided over by both Sino-Balinese Taoist priests as well as a representative from the Hindu community.

All kinds of churches and temples are found across Bali and many of these are open to the public. As always, observe respect of local religious customs and be very careful to show respect to objects or area invested with religious importance. The island of Bali is full of temples and shrines these too are very popular tourist attractions.

Depcitions of Hindu epics like the Ramayana or the Mahabhrata were the hallmarks of classical Baliense art in the Kamasan or Wayang styles. Coloured dyes drawn onto rended bark fabrics, these artworks hang in galleries and museums all over the world and some can still be bought today in Bali, especially in the art galleries in Ubud.

Bali’s real art boom came early in the 21st Century with the arrival of artists from Europe, the Americas and Australia. The influence of these artists on local Balinese artists saw a shift away from religious themes and into paintings that depicted – literally or in abstract – scenes of daily or routine life in Bali.

The main focus of new Balinese art during this period – when even Charlie Chaplin visited – was on Ubud, and the smaller Bali towns of Sanur and Batuan, a centre of carving and music. The three towns soon started producing distinctive works of their own emerging styles with the Ubud artists creating agricultural, open scenes of nature and the Batuan artists created more bustling urban scenes.

Balinese woodcarving is possibly the most renowned artisan product and makes for very interesting and potentially quite valuable souvenirs and even investments. Many collectors and curators make regular trips to Bali, particularly Ubud, to purchase woodcraft to take home to their own stores and galleries. If this is your motivation to visit Bali, be sure you are aware of import laws and also, quarantine requirements since the export of any kind of natural fibre or artwork, especially in bulk or in large numbers is subject to restrictions.

Gold and silver jewelry is another good buy and some rings and brooches are intricately carved and polished up to a beautiful gleam. As always, shopping for gold or silver in Bali comes with a buyer beware caveat when it comes to gem stones and precious metals, however vendors are generally trustworthy and the metals are usually the real thing.

High above the hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak are the mist enshrouded spa resorts of Ubud. These wonderful retreats are the main attraction in Bali for many visitors, and they are often heavily booked all year round. It’s a testament to the tranquility and sophisticated sense of sedation of Ubud that despite their popularity, these resorts offer guests a sense of quiet isolation and gentle relaxation.

Some of Ubud’s most popular spa resorts include Milano, near the Monkey Forest. This Ubud retreat is famous for its manicures and pedicures and welcomes many day visitors. The Maya Ubud Resort and Spa offers around three dozen palatial guest rooms with horizon edge lap pool and superior herbal massages. For a splurge, take one of the 20 villas at the Kupu Kupu Barong, possibly Ubud’s most expensive spa resort and certainly one of its fanciest. This marvelous and world famous place treats visitors like royalty and the villas are separate enough to give a sense of being on private holiday in a treehouse, though the sunken marble baths may give the game away. Less deluxe but happily indulgent is the Verona Spa, also near the monkey forest. Famous for its head massages and herbal hair treatments (with complimentary scalp massage) this Ubud resort is also a popular choice of day trippers, passing through town. The Padma Hastaa Spa offers afternoon-long milk baths and all kinds of herbal skin care treatments.

The Ubud Sari Health Resort offers western levels of luxury and service over traditional Balinese health treatments like massage and aromatherapy with hot rocks.

At one of these places, you may forget you’re in Bali all together.

The luxury resort town of Nusa Dua is one of Bali’s most exclusive holiday spots, but it isn’t the only one. The rich and famous from all over the world come to Bali for their holidays in search of sun and seclusion.

Oscar nominated British Actor Ralph Fiennes is a Bali fan. So is Nathaniel Parker. Both come for different reasons, praising various resorts in Nusa Dua or the tree top retreats of Ubud, where discretion is the order of the day. You can rub shoulders with people like this – and even Kate Moss has paid a visit or two to Bali – without breaking the bank. Like most places, if you really want to spend the farm, you can do so here as some of the best suites in the finest high end luxury resorts will cost several thousands of dollars each night. That’s up to you.

Other travellers take advantage of excellent online discounts and package offers to live it up like a star in Bali without ending up bankrupt. Some of Nusa Dua’s luxury five star resorts have suites that go for double figure room rates – that makes them cheaper than many airport motels in the UK! This kind of value is really unbeatable especially considering you can wake up and cross the teak terrace of your suite to go left to the white sands of the beach or right to the resort swimming pool where wait staff bring cocktails while you relax on a banana chair under a fine mist of lightly scented cooling water.

Beautiful restaurants are dotted around Bali and plenty of celebrities eat at these places. Again, the price range is astounding but you can easily grab a table and eat like a star without emptying your inheritance.

The Balinese capital of Denpasar is not the world’s most exhilarating city. It doesn’t really hold up to other Southeast Asian capitals like Jakarta or Bangkok and this is perfectly understandable considering that it isn’t a national capital and also that it has a very small population of just under half a million people. Those expecting something along the lines of Manila or even Pnomh Penh may be disappointed in the relatively underwhelming surrounds of Denpasar. Not that many take time to notice considering that the only reason many visitors to Bali even pass through Denpasar at all is to come in or out of the island’s international airport. This isn’t to say, however, that Denpasar is without attractions at all.

The main international airport of Bali is here at Denpasar and this airport is called Ngurah Rai airport. Kuta and Legian are just a little over ten minutes drive from the terminals.

Denpasar was, historically, the ancient capital of Badung until it was taken over by the Portuguese triggering what is called in Bali a puputang which is a mass suicide to avoid being captured or killed by an invading enemy. Today a plaza stands on the site of the former royal palace and a statue commemorating the puputang is right there in the centre of this plaza.

Denpasar’s central market thrives in the morning. Follow the crowds to grab fresh produce, silks and arts and crafts. The locals of Denpasar are known for their friendliness. For a more formal shopping experience try the Duta Silk store which is known throughout Indonesia for its extremely competitive prices.

The Bali Museum is an outstanding collection of Hindu and Balinese history, art and culture. All visitors to Bali should take some time to see this great museum. Temples of note include Pasar Badang, Pur Maospahit and the steel towers of Pura Jagatnata. Try also the palaces of Pemekutan and Satria.