Duck farmer

Returning home to eat the offerings

Fresh chickens at the market

Island of the Gods
Religion plays an important role in the everyday lives of the island's predominantly Hindu population. Temples and religious offerings are an inextricable part of the fabric of the island. The Balinese give daily offerings in the form of flowers and rice to appease their gods and to ward off evil spirits.

Bali is blessed with breathtaking scenery, including lush rice paddies, mountain ridges, lakes, rivers and coral reefs in clear, uncontaminated seawater. The island has a year-round pleasant climate, with a distinct wet season and dry season.

Bali is one of 13,677 islands that comprise the archipelago of Indonesia. The island covers an area of over 5,560 km2. Its total population is around 3 million. The island measures approx. 145 km from West to East and 85km from North to South. The official language is Bahasa Indonesian, and the unit of currency is the Rupiah.
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Landscape
Bali is renowned for its many volcanoes. The highest point on the island is Gunung Agung, the Holy Volcano (over 3,100m). Another famous volcano and a favourite amongst tourists is Gunung Batur (1,700m). Bali's varied landscape has been shaped by its tropical climate and volcanic eruptions. The volcanic soil is extremely fertile, allowing a diversity of plants, trees and crops to grow. Agriculture is an important source of income. Rice is the main agriculture product. Other important crops include coffee, tobacco, spices and fruit.

The southern half of Bali is relatively flat. It comprises the island's capital, Denpasar, and the main major tourist towns of Sanur and Kuta. The landscape is dominated by luxury hotel apartments, golf courses and shopping centres.
More than 85% of Bali's population live and work in rural areas. 10% of the population are employed in the tourism sector.

Famous tourist attractions outside the seaside resorts include the artist village of Ubud and the Bali-Aga village of Tenganan, home to the original non-Hindu peoples of Bali.

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Bali's climate