Bali, Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia Travel

Bali is the western most island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. The island is located west of Java and east of Lombok. With a population of over 3 million with the vast majority of the island’s population, 93.18%, being Hindu makes this place very different from the rest of Indonesia. Bali is one of the largest tourist destinations in Asia and the largest tourist spot in Indonesia.

History of Bali

The island was first settled around 2000 BC by people from Taiwan. The culture took a major shift when Hinduism was introduced from India in the 1st century AD. When the Hindu empire on Java fell in the 15th century most of the intellectuals, priests, musicians and royalty relocated to Bali. The Dutch discovered the island in 1597, although Dutch control was not solidified untill the 1890s. Even then Dutch control was loose at best. After Indonesian independence the island was hit hard during the communist crackdowns of the 1950s and 1960s with 10% of the islands population being executed. In 2002 and 2005 bombs were set off in major tourist areas, which greatly affect the tourist industry.

Geography

The island is a series of steep and high volcanos with the tallest being Mount Agung at 3,142 metres (10,308 feet) on the eastern end of the island. Mount Batur, also on the island, had one of the largest volcanic events on the planet about 30,000 years ago. The southern part of the island is the alluvial plain, which has several shallow rivers that are low during the dry season and swell during the wet season. Bali is surrounded by beaches and vibrant coral reefs. The beaches in the south usually have white sand and the beaches in the northern or western parts of the island have jet black sand. The ecology of the island is stunning with over 280 birds and plenty of wild animals.