Bali General Information

The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours.

GEOGRAPHY:

The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it's no problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening.

Located only two kilometers east of Jawa, Bali's climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand.

FLORA:

The wide variety of tropical plants is surprising. You'll see huge banyan trees in villages and temple grounds, tamarind trees in the North, clove trees in the highlands, acacia trees, flame trees, and mangroves in the South. In Bali grow a dozen species of coconut palms and even more varieties of bamboo.

And there are flowers, flowers everywhere. You'll see (and smell the fragrance of) hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, and water lilies. Magnolia, frangipani, and a variety of orchids are found in many front yards and gardens, along roads, and in temple grounds. Flowers are also used as decorations in temples, on statues, as offerings for the gods, and during prayers. Dancers wear blossoms in their crowns, and even the flower behind the ear of your waitress seems natural in Bali.

FAUNA:

Elephants and tigers don't exist any more in Bali since early this century. Wildlife, however, includes various species of monkeys, civets, barking deer and mouse deer, and 300 species of birds including wild fowl, dollar birds, blue kingfishers, sea eagles, sandpipers, white herons and egrets, cuckoos, wood swallows, sparrows, and starlings. You can watch schools of dolphins near Lovina, Candi Dasa, and Padangbai. Divers will see many colorful coral fish and small reef fish, moray eels, and plankton eating whale sharks as well as crustaceans, sponges, and colorful coral along the east coast and around Menjangan Island near Gilimanuk.

CLIMATE:

You can expect pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.

Even when it rains in most parts of Bali you can often enjoy sunny days on the "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran Beach. On the other hand, in Ubud and the mountains you must expect cloudy skies and showers throughout the year (this is why the international weather reports for "Denpasar" or "Bali" mention showers and rain storms during all times of the year). In higher regions such as in Bedugul or Kintamani you'll also need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.

POPULATION:

Bali's population has grown to over 3 million people the overwhelming majority of which are Hindus. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia who seek work in Bali.

Most people live in the coastal areas in the South, and the island's largest town and administrative center is fast growing Denpasar with a population of now over 370,000. The villages between the town of Ubud and Denpasar, Kuta (including Jimbaran, Tuban, and Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa, etc), Sanur, and Nusa Dua are spreading rapidly in all directions, and before long the whole area from Ubud in the North to Sanur in the East, Berawa/Canggu in the West, and Nusa Dua in the South will be urbanized.

LANGUAGE:

Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing.

English is a common third language (and the primary foreign language) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the tourism industry.

ECONOMY:

This southern part of Bali is where most jobs are to be found, either in the hotel and tourist industry, the textile and garment industry, and in many small scale and home industries producing handicrafts and souvenirs. Textiles, garments, and handicrafts have become the backbone of Bali's economy providing 300,000 jobs, and exports have been increasing by around 15% per year to over US$400 million. Textiles and garments contribute about 45%, and wood products including statues, furniture and other handicrafts 22% to the province's total income from exports. Silver work is ranked third (4.65%) with 5,000 workers employed. Main buyers are the US and Europe with 38% each, and Japan with 9%.

Important agricultural products besides rice are tea, coffee, tobacco, cacao, copra, vanilla, soy beans, chilies, fruit, and vegetable (there are now even vineyards near the northwest coast). Bali's fishing industry and seaweed farming provide other products which are important exports.

The new free-trade regulations will create some problems for Bali's exporters as they do not allow to employ children. Most children here work for their parents, and this is part of the process of acquiring professional skills and kind of an informal education which has been very important in the Balinese society for centuries.

CURRENCY:

You will need a credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express etc) for paying your bill in the hotel. For all other purposes traveller`s cheques in US or Australian $ or major European currencies or banknotes are best (the rates for cash are slightly better but remember, traveller`s cheques can be replaced if they are stolen or lost - while cash is gone forever if you loose it). You can cash your traveller`s cheques at the money changing booths in Sanur, Denpasar, Nusa Dua, or Ubud or in banks, but most banks accept only traveller`s cheques in US $ (the only exception is the BNI bank). Always ask if there is an extra commission to be paid for cashing a cheque! Hotels also cash traveller`s cheques but the rates are worse.

The Indonesian currency is the Rupiah. On August 2012 the exchange rate is US$1 = Rp 9,300-

DRINKING WATER:

Water is generally not potable in Bali. Most hotels provide bottled water in each room, often at no additional charge. Bottled water is available everywhere in Bali.

HEALTH REQUIREMENT:

No vaccinations are currently required for visitors to Bali but cholera, typhoid and tetanus shots are recommended.

Note that malaria and dengue fever infections do occur in urban areas. However, cases reported among tourists staying at hotels and resorts where pest control  measures are in place are very rare.

Since late 2009 Bali has been experiencing a outbreak of rabies. No known fatalities have been reported among foreign visitors.

In December 2008, a rabies outbreak began on the island of Bali. While the government is waging a full-fledge battle against the outbreak more than 40 people have died from suspected rabies infections as of March 2010. Caution should be exercised around stray dogs with any bits or scratches from animals reported immediately to a local hospital where anti-viral serums can be administered

Medicines you may need:

• The prescription medicines you take every day. Make sure you have enough to last during your trip. Keep them in their original prescription bottles and always in your carry-on luggage. Be sure to follow security guidelines, if the medicines are liquids.
• Antimalarial drugs, if traveling to a malaria-risk area in Indonesia and prescribed by your doctor.
• Medicine for diarrhea, usually over-the-counter.

Other items you may need:

• Sunblock and sunglasses for protection from harmful effects of UV sun rays. See Basic Information about Skin Cancer for more information.
• Antibacterial hand wipes or alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
• To prevent insect/mosquito bites, bring:
  • Lightweight long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat to wear outside, whenever possible.
  • Flying-insect spray to help clear rooms of mosquitoes. The product should contain a pyrethroid insecticide; these insecticides quickly kill flying insects, including mosquitoes.

VISA GUIDE FOR BALI AND INDONESIA:

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS:

Prohibited Items

Weapons, narcotics and pornography are prohibited to bring into Bali. Pets are strictly banned to prevent the spread of rabies.

Alcohol & Tobacco

You are only allowed to bring a maximum of one liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 100grams of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume into Indonesia. Photographic equipment, typewriters, laptop computers and radios are admitted, provided that they are taken out on departure. All these should be declared via a customs declaration form that must be completed before arrival.

Currencies, Etc

Another subject is the import and export of currencies; one is not allowed to import or export Indonesian currency exceeding Rp. 5 million. I n addition, the export of national treasures is frowned upon - genuine antiques, tortoise shell, crocodile skins and ivory are not to be taken out of Indonesia.

BALI FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Don't look for "Bali" in airline time tables. It's listed as "Denpasar" (DPS) which is the name of the island's capital. However, from Bali's international Ngurah Rai Airport it takes you just  30 minutes by car to Kuta, and in about 50 to 60 minutes you can be in Ubud.

Today there is an increasing number of direct flight connections between Bali and Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Brunei, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guam, Honolulu, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Munich, Nagoya, Osaka, Paris, Perth, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Vienna, and Zurich.

LOCAL TAX:

To enter Bali your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from your date of arrival. Travellers holding passports from some countries (including Australia and New Zealand) may be granted a seven day visa on arrival for a fee of USD$10 or a 30 day visa on arrival for a fee of USD$25. Payment must be made in USD on arrival.  Both visas are non-extendable and non-transferable. The period of stay for visas is calculated from the day of arrival. For example, if a tourist with a seven day visa arrived on a Sunday, they must depart Indonesia the following Saturday. If the tourist departed on the following Sunday, they would be considered to have overstayed their visa. This principle also applies to 30 day visas. Fines are imposed for each additional day in Indonesia.

On leaving, travellers will need to pay a Departure Tax. Currently the tax is Rupiah 150,000. Please note that variations can occur with little or no notice.

or a tourist this may be of little interest except that bars and restaurants charge sales tax. Sales tax in restaurants ranges from – 10% – 15% – 21%. This depends on class of restaurant not area, with fancier places whacking on more tax. A service charge of 5% is also sometimes added.

TIME:

Bali time zone is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +8)

WHAT MAKES BALI SO SPECIAL:

There is the combination of the friendly people, the natural attractions, the great variety of things to see and do, the year-round pleasant climate, and the absence of security problems. And then there is Bali's special "magic", which is difficult to explain.

As soon as you step off the plane you might sense the difference. In the villages you'll notice the quietness and wisdom in old people's faces, and the interest and respect in the young's. Old men sit at the road side caressing their fighting cocks. Beautifully dressed women walk proudly through rice fields and forests carrying offerings on their heads to the next temple. There is the smell of flowers, and in the distance you hear the sound of gamelan music.

Gods and spirits have been an important part of Bali's daily life for hundreds of years. Gunung Agung – Bali's holy mountain – is internationally regarded as one of the eight "Chakra" points of the world. This may be more than an coincident. Watch out, the moment you feel the magic of this island, you're addicted for the rest of your life.