History

The majority of Bali 's 3,000,000 inhabitants are Hindu. The islands Hindu roots date back to the 16th century when the Javanese Majapahit empire began to collapse in the face of the spread of Islam and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests and artists migrated to Bali .

The Hindu religion of the Balinese differs from that of the Indian variety from which it originated.

The Balinese believe in the power of spirits and magic, basing much of their religion on this. They believe good spirits dwell in the mountains.

Several times a day offerings are made to the gods in the form of small trays containing food money and sometimes cigarettes to ensure good luck and health.

From the tourist perspective the dances and processions that are a regular part of Bali 's culture, are a spectacle of colour not to be missed.

The Language

The Common language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia. Many of the islands however speak their own dialect.

In Bali, with its history of Tourism, English is spoken widely.

Getting Around

Renting cars and motor bikes.

This is very reasonable here. but a word of caution. Driving can be stressful as you must cope with and understand the local road rules.you must have an International Driving license. Your national licence is not enough so you must apply for an international license before you come to Bali.

A popular choice is to hire a car and driver for part or all of your stay. SUV's seating 8 or more passengers are common and reasonably priced. We can arrange this for you with a recommended company in advance if you wish.

Taxi

Also very reasonably priced and work with a meter. They are to be found everywhere but can be ordered by telephone. Most of the drivers, especially with the larger companies, speak English.

Accommodation:

Bali caters for everybody from the back-packer to the multi billionaire, so you must decide carefully when trying to arrange or getting someone to arrange your accommodation. You must decide your nightly budget carefully. We can assist you with this provided you give us relevant information as to your needs and requirements.

Beverages: Alcohol is readily available and permitted throughout Bali; however prices for wine can be extremely high, especially in upper end hotels and restaurants, so be warned.

Ceremonies: These are numerous throughout the year and can be fascinating to watch, cremations are a daily occurrence so the chances of you either seeing a cremation procession or one actually happening right in front of you are relatively high. Check carefully with your travel agent as regards the Balinese holiday called Nyepi, usually held in early March but varies due to the Balinese calendar. During Nyepi you will not be allowed out of your hotel/villa for 24 hours and no lighting or noise is allowed.

Electrical Supply: Indonesia has a 220 volts electrical supply.

Medical Services: Bali has progressed rapidly over the past few years and very good medical services are readily available quite often with either Western Doctors or local Western trained Doctors.

Money Changers: available throughout Bali, however be extremely careful when changing your hard earned money, some money changers are the best magicians on the planet !! and can make money disappear into thin air. Always be the last person to handle the money given to you and count it very carefully and check the denominations given to you.
Also some money changers will try to have you believe that there is a tax payable on changing money, this is total rubbish.
You may experience problems for example refusal or a lesser exchange rate if you bring with you badly marked currency for changing into local currency, also especially US Dollars from the years 1996, 2001 and 2003 with series DB & DH are not readily exchangeable so try to avoid these if possible.
Having said this, the vast majority of money changers are good and you will not get any problems.

Weather: Bali has only two seasons, “rainy and dry” season. The rainy season usually commences around November and goes through to April and during this time the humidity can be extremely high, sometimes 100%, so be prepared to sample tropical rains throughout this period, however the most rain normally occurs either in the very early mornings or late afternoon time.
Temperatures usually are in the mid 30*C all year round, with a variance over the year of only about 5*C.

Visas

Visas are required for all nationals except the following

countries and territories: Brunei Darussalam , Chile , Hong Kong , Macau , Malaysia , Morocco , Peru , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam .

Nationals of the following countries May enter Indonesia on a Visa on Arrival: Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Canada , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Hungary , Italy , Japan , New Zealand , Norway , Poland , South Africa , South Korea , Switzerland , Taiwan , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom and the United States of America.

A Visa on Arrival (VoA) is valid for either 7 or 30 days upon arrival by air in Bali , Jakarta and a few other international airports or by ship at a limited number of Indonesian sea ports.

A 7-day visa costs US$10 and a 30-day visa costs US$ 45.00 per person.
The VoA cannot be extended or converted into any other kind of visa. Also be aware that Immigration officials calculate the 30-day period as follows: your arrival day is counted as your first day, and you must leave the country on the 30th day


Passports must be valid for at least 6 months or a visa will not be issued.
Payment of visa fees can only be made in US dollar bank notes, Indonesian Rupiah equivalent or by VISA or MASTERCARD.