Cities

• Denpasar — a bustling city, the administrative centre and transport hub of the island but not a major tourist destination
• Candidasa — a quiet coastal town, the Bali Aga and gateway to the east coast
• Kuta — surfer central, by far the most heavily developed area in Bali. Lots of shopping and night-life and the centre of lower-end party culture on Bali
• Jimbaran — sea-side resorts, a nice sheltered beach and seafood restaurants south of Kuta
• Legian — located between Kuta and Seminyak; also the name of Kuta´s main street
• Lovina — beautiful black volcanic sand beaches and coral reefs
• Sanur — sea-side resorts and beaches popular with older families
• Seminyak — quieter, more upscale beachside resorts and villas just to the north of Legian, with some fashionable upscale restaurants and trendy designer bars and dance clubs
• Ubud — the centre of art and dance in the foothills, with several museums, the monkey forest and lots of arts and crafts shops

Other destinations

• Amed — an area of peaceful, traditional fishing villages featuring black sand beaches, coral reefs and excellent diving
• Bedugul — nice lakes in the mountains, a golf course, the botanical gardens and the famous Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
• Bukit Peninsula — the southernmost tip of Bali, with world class surfing, great beaches, and the can't-miss cliff-hanging Uluwatu Temple
• Kintamani — active volcano Mount Batur, great mountain scenery and fruit growing
• Mount Agung — highest mountain in Bali and the mother temple of Besakih
• Nusa Dua — an enclave of high-end resorts and a long, golden sand beach
• Nusa Lembongan — good diving, snorkeling and surfing and a great place to relax
• Nusa Penida — wild, rugged and untamed and as off-the-beaten-path as you will get in Bali
• West Bali National Park — trekking, birdwatching and diving in Bali's only substantial natural protected area

Understand
Bali is one of more than 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometres (almost 1.5 miles) from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island, home to about 4 million people, is approximately 144 kilometres (90 mi.) from east to west and 80 kilometres (50 mi.) north to south.

The word "paradise" is used a lot in Bali and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unrivaled number one tourist attraction. Eighty percent of international visitors to Indonesia visit Bali and Bali alone.

The popularity is not without its flip sides—once paradisaical Kuta has degenerated into a congested warren of concrete, touts and scammers live on overcharging tourists, and the island's visibility has even drawn the unwanted attention of terrorists in 2002 and 2005—but Bali has managed to retain its magic. Bali is a wonderful destination with something for everyone, and though heavily traveled, it is still easy to find some peace and quiet, if you like.

A consideration is the tourist season and Bali can get very crowded in July and August and again at Christmas and New Year. Australians also visit during school holidays in early April, late June and late September, while domestic tourists from elsewhere in Indonesia visit during national holidays. Outside these peak seasons, Bali can be surprisingly quiet and good discounts on accommodation are often available.

Climate
Daytime temperatures are pleasant, varying between 20 and 33 degrees Celsius (68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round. From December to March, the west monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but days are still often sunny with the rains starting in the late afternoon or evening and passing quickly. From June to September, the humidity is low and it can be quite cool in the evenings. At this time of the year there is hardly any rain in the lowland coastal areas.

Even when it is raining across most of Bali, you can often enjoy sunny, dry days on the Bukit Peninsula which receives far less rain than any other part of the island. On the other hand, in central Bali and in the mountains, you should not be surprised by cloudy skies and showers at any time of the year.

At higher elevations such as Bedugul or Kintamani, it gets distinctly chilly and you will need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.

Time
Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone (known in Indonesia as WITA, Waktu Indonesia Tengah), same as Western Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and one hour ahead of Jakarta.

Electricity
Electricity is supplied at 220V 50Hz. Outlets are the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" or the compatible, but non-grounded, CEE-7/16 "Europlug" types. American and Canadian travellers should pack a voltage-changing adapter for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment (although a lot of electronics with power adapters will work on 220 volts, check your equipment first).

Tourism information centres

• Telephone: 166 from a landline in Bali only. From a handphone in Bali dial 0361 166.
• Bali Tourism Board: Jl Raya Puputan No41, Denpasar 80235, [1], tel: +62 361 235600, fax: +62 361 239200.

Some major destinations in Bali have their own tourism offices; contact details are given in the relevant destination articles.

Talk
Balinese is linguistically very different from Bahasa Indonesia, although the latter is the lingua franca in Indonesia and is spoken by practically everyone in Bali. In tourist regions, English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken. Balinese is a difficult language, and any visitor who makes an effort to speak a few words will be especially warmly received by the local people.