While many places in Southeast Asia now claim to be "Paradise on Earth", Bali was the first to make that claim and it is in Bali that the claim is taken most seriously. But there is concern among the Balinese today that the island may soon be known not as paradise but as a Disneyland for tourists.
It is picturesque to the point of resembling a painted backdrop for scenes in a movie: volcanoes climb into the clouds and rice paddies stair step down Bali's mountains. The oceans there are one hundred hues of blue and the land is a thousand different shades of green. Bali's beaches are long and sandy and the water is warm. The culture is vibrant, friendly, and colorful.
Many things make Bali a convenient destination. An international airport in its capital, Denpasar, is chief among them. It is possible to fly in and out of the relative safety of the developed, morally relaxed island without traveling through the politically uneasy Islamic crowds of Indonesia's main island of Java. The two-mile thread of ocean which separates the two islands may be one of Bali's greatest assets.
Bali's capital, Denpasar, has over 370,000 inhabitants. Other important urban areas include Ubud (often referred to as the cultural heart of Bali), the beach town of Kuta (including Jimbaran, Tuban, and Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa, etc), Sanur in East Bali, Nusa Dua in the South, and Berawa-Canggu in the West.
Bali's size is also a great asset. A mere 55 miles from north to south and only 90 miles from east to west, all of Bali's culture and scenery is easily accessible from anywhere on the island through day trips. You can stay in the hotel of your choice and still get to any of the island's six volcanoes, pick out a different beach each day, and make it back home in time to change, freshen up, and go into town for some gado-gado or Balinese lobster for dinner.
One reason for Bali's popularity is that the island is able (and willing) to give a variety of tourists whatever it is that they want. Are you traveling in search of obscene luxury? You can spend a thousand dollars a day in Bali and feel you've gotten your money's worth: spend your day in a secluded villa where you can have a massage in the afternoon and Italian champagne with fresh ripe strawberries on the edge of your private pool later while you watch the sun set on the Indian Ocean.
Or if you prefer the Crusoan quaintness of a bungalow on the beach for fifteen bucks a night, we can do that, too.
What are you looking for? Activities abound! Shopping, surfing, golf, rock climbing, snorkeling, fine dining, and more. It is possible to at least feel as though you are participating in the culture, as most Balinese will allow you to tag along to festivals and funerals (the two are difficult to distinguish). There are theme parks for children or a nightlife that has barely started at midnight.
While many of the same ills and evils that exist in Bangkok or Manila can be found in Bali, the seamy side has never completely taken over the tourism market. People still come to the island first and foremost for the other things the island has to offer -- for sand, surf, and shopping; scenery and serenity, and perhaps to touch the distant past of Bali's Hindu kings and gods, or feel the strangeness of its soul unmolested by politics and crowds.
For many reasons, Bali is one of those rare perfect holiday destinations which offer something for everyone. That has been the life of Bali for the past 70 years; some feel it will be the death of Bali. But for now, Bali seems to be alive and well.