Melo Villareal
Experience Exotic Bali
The Indonesian archipelago includes more than 17,000 islands offering vacationers a dazzling range of experiences; adventure, heritage, surfing, cultural spectacles, spa resorts, volcanic lakes and some great backpacking country. Exotic Bali is a jewel in Indonesia’s crown with its own special attractions and pace of life. Flights arrive at the capital, Denpasar, and the Ngurah Rai Airport is within easy reach of the major destinations. Sampling some of Bali’s delights is a genuine pleasure. Detailed below are some very good reasons to put Bali at the top of your list for a vacation.
Fine art and architecture
Bali’s museums and galleries, mostly found around Ubud, are home to many native and foreign visual art and craft traditions. Superb Spanish masterpieces can be seen at the Don Antonio Blanco Museum – an extraordinary example of sophisticated Balinese architecture. Other important centers of art include the Rudana Museum; Museum Puri Lukasan, which promotes popular art and craft workshops suitable for children as well as adults; Neka Art Museum, with a great selection of art by natives and artists living locally, and the Agung Rai Museum of Art, which also stages traditional music and dance performances.
Beautiful beaches
For a small island, Exotic Bali is blessed with numerous fabulous beaches: Kuta Beach benefits from spectacular sunsets and big waves, whilst Sanur Beach is quiet, with calm seas. In north Bali, there are black sand shores, such as Lovina Beach, and just as the surfing is great at Canggu, so the diving is first class at Gili Islands. Kuta villas are within easy reach of local beaches, and there is plenty of accommodation available throughout the island.
Exotic Bali Beach
Cultural heritage
Hindu culture continues to have a strong resonance throughout Bali, pervading the temples and holy buildings on the island. The most sacred Hindu temple in all of Indonesia is Pura Besaikh in East Bali, whilst in Central Bali, just outside Ubud, Goa Gajah, or the Elephant Cave, dominates the landscape. This is a very old and curious place with an entrance shaped like a huge, scary gaping mouth and might once have harbored Hindu priests. Everywhere in Bali there are ancient ruins and temples marked with Hindu images and sculpture.
Jungle adventures
An adrenalin-filled experience, the Flying Fox takes visitors on a high wire ride across the tops of the forests with stopping places approximately 175 yards apart, giving a bird’s eye view of the natural world. Launching from Bedugul Botanical Gardens at the Bali Treetop Adventure Park, there are five routes to choose from. Young children are catered for on the yellow route, which includes fun obstacles to conquer, whilst a range of more demanding challenges are open to adults. Alternatively, The Bali Elephant Riding Tour and safari will thrill those less inclined to swing through the jungle.
Partying and pampering
Besides exploring new territory and taking in the sights, an Exotic Bali vacation is the time for a little fun and lots of pampering. Spas, including those in the Kuta Legian region, offer a traditional Bali massage and many include aromatherapy and beauty treatments, plus a relaxing bath in a profusion of flower petals. The Kuta Legian area is also home to bustling street markets and cheap bars where the local beer, Bintang, is sold.
A stay at one of the Kuta villas means partygoers can enjoy their sightseeing, be close to the best of the nightlife, and still enjoy peace and tranquility in luxurious surroundings.
