Bali is a spiritual place. In villages all over the island, plaited baskets filled with flowers and herbs are placed on pavements, on the prows of fishing boats and in markets - part of the island's indigenous culture that fills everywhere with beauty. There are over 10,000 temples, and in the tiny village of Ubud, traditional dances are staged nightly in streets thronging with arts and crafts galleries. Wood carvings, silverware and paintings are all popular. Visit the ancient settlement of Kintamani, perched on the rim of a vast crater overlooking Lake Batur, the largest in Bali. The beach resorts of the south have wonderful white sands and a laid-back, tropical ambience. A day trip can have you snorkelling or diving in clear waters over colourful coral, and for the adventurous there are water sports including some great surfing. You can sample some great Balinese food, and the nightlife at Kuta is great fun. Getting there Flight Details - Singapore Airlines flights to Bali depart daily from London Heathrow, via Singapore. Flights from Manchester depart daily, except Tue and Thu. Flight Supplements - For Manchester flights and return flight SQ322, a supplement of £25 per person applies at all times. Flying Time - Approx 12 hours 40 min to Singapore. Approx 2 hours 30 min from Singapore to Bali. Flight Upgrades - Singapore Airlines Business Class to Singapore available from £1,189 supplement per person each way. Time Difference - GMT +8 hours Currency - Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) Visa Requirements - British citizens will need to obtain a visa on arrival in to Bali - approx cost of US$25 for stays of 4-30 days. Passports must be valid for a minimum period of 6 months upon arrival. Language - The official language is Bahasa Indonesian. English is widely spoken in areas frequented by tourists. Additional info Cuisine You'll find restaurants serving all kinds of international cuisine in Bali, including Thai, Indonesian and East Javanese. The seafood is particularly good: lobster here is so inexpensive, you could probably afford to eat it every day if you wished! A Balinese favourite is suckling pig, and Bali's curries use exotic ingredients such as banana flowers and palm hearts. Glass noodles with vegetables is a tasty classic. CultureA famously friendly country, Bali has been a Hindu island since the 14th Century and has some beautiful shrines and temples to visit, including Besakih, the country's biggest temple. In Ubud you can watch a traditional Barong dance performance, which narrates a fight between good and evil, and you'll find exquisite gold and silver jewellery in Celuk. Balinese batiks make beautiful souvenirs to take home. Stunning SceneryMuch of Bali is so beautiful, it looks like a film set. Inland are verdant rice terraces, hidden volcanoes and forested hills. In the tropical forests, wild deer roam among wild orchids and tall pine trees, and there are huge, mysterious caves to visit. Endless sandy beaches line many of the island's shores, including the famous white sands of Kuta and the peaceful lagoon beach at exclusive Nusa Dua. Beach LifeIn Bali, idyllic palm-fringed beaches are the norm. The clear, warm water is great for swimming and snorkelling. Take a day trip to the island of Nusa Penida, where the startlingly clear waters allow you to snorkel or dive, seeing colourful coral and marine life such as giant clams. Water sports are popular, including surfing, particularly on the south and west coasts of the island, at Uluwatu and Padang Padang. Spas and Well-beingBali is a spa hotspot, and in between all those beach trips and tours, you can replenish yourself in the wonderfully sumptuous hotel spas. Treatments include relaxing massages, rejuvenating facials, invigorating body scrubs and stimulating wraps. Try a Balinese Boreh (a ground spice exfoliation), a Bali coffee scrub, a traditional Balinese massage using local herbs, and a relaxing flower-filled bath. HoneymoonsThe spiritual atmosphere of mist-shrouded temples, the tropical flowers that grow everywhere, the white sand beaches and calmly lapping waves... Bali was made for romance, so where better to spend your honeymoon? Have Balinese musicians serenade you after the ceremony, enjoy special candlelit dinners on the beach, and spend a couple of hours with a spa treatment specially designed for two. Labels: bali |
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