Bali is said to be so diverse it can offer something for
everyone, from the young student to the socioeconomically elite. Balinese locals are said to be welcoming and friendly, and rarely intolerant of tourists. They rely on tourists heavily as the majority of Bali's gross income comes from tourism. Many of their tourists are not locals from surrounding Islands, but international travellers who come with more money than Balinese locals could ever dream to have. One Canadian dollar is equivalent to almost 9500 Indonesian Rupiah--tourists travelling to Bali from Canada are bound to feel like they have all the money in the world when in Bali. Such tourists help with wealth redistribution--travellers from Canada and other rich countries will come to Bali and spend their money, helping the less rich locals to earn an income and achieve partial wealth themselves. Tourism being
such an important source of income for the Balinese, each region of Bali has
developed to offer its own unique tourist experience including an extravagant
night-life scene, world class surfing and diving, mountain trekking, and cultural,
historical and archaeological attractions.
South Bali is considered to be the most popular
part of Bali for tourists. It offers many sea-side resorts, fine dining
restaurants, beaches, and night clubs. Kuta is known to be party central, and
is the most heavily developed area in Bali. It is here that tourists can get
their shop on! Bukit Penninsula is another popular tourist destination in South
Bali that enables tourists to visit the clifftop Uluwatu temple. In addition,
surfing areas and spas in Canggu and world renowned golf courses (a user oriented recreational resource) in Tanah Lot
offer even more tourist fun. Bali even offers something for kids—the Waterbom
Park in Kuta is one of the largest water parks in Asia. Overall, South Bali is
usually more associated with urban entertainment based attractions rather than nature based ones, and it typically has a niche for younger tourists.
Central Bali is most well-known for its arts and culture,
and provides a more enriching experience for those travellers who aren’t as
focused on the nightlife and beaches. Like Kuta is known as the party capital
of Bali, Ubud is known as the fine arts capital. Here there are art galleries
and multiple museums, such as the Museum Puri Lukisan (Museum of Fine Arts)
which opened in 1954 and provides exhibits on many Bali art forms. Ubud also
contains many centres for dance and is a popular site for tourists wanting to
experience traditional Balinese dance performances. Areas immediately around
Ubud all seem to specialize in their own form of art—Mas is known for
woodcarving, whereas stonecarving is more important in Singakerta. There are
also historical sites in Central Bali, such as the Gunung Kawi (Poet Mountain)
which is thought to be the burial complex of King Anak Wungsu and his many
wives. Central bali provides the culture and rural attractions that can't be found in South Bali.
West Bali is the poorest developed tourist region of Bali,
as the West Bali National Park takes over majority of this region and remaining
parts are protected reserves. However, tourists are able to trek through the
forest and hills of the national park and partake in wildlife viewing—Bali is home to the Bali
Starling, one of the rarest birds in the world. In addition, the north and east
coasts provide amazing diving, surfing, fishing and snorkeling sites as Bali
waters have vibrant marine life. West Bali provides excellent resource based recreational sources.
Snorkelling on the coasts of West Bali
North Bali may offer a more peaceful vacation getaway as it
is far from most tourist areas. It may also lend a more genuine and traditional
experience of Bali, as most Museums or monuments are illustrations of the local
artistic taste. Local Balinese residents love large monuments, and this is
obvious is North Bali as they are scattered throughout the region. There is
also an extravagant temple in the city of Singaraja named Pura Meduwe Karang,
where daily offerings are made in hopes that infertile soils will continue to
grow crops. In addition, in parallel with North Bali’s relaxing atmosphere,
cold springs and rebalancing massage are specialties of this area. And, like
almost all parts of Bali, there are long stretches of beach where recreational
water activities like diving and snorkeling can be arranged. North Bali is said to be more calm and quiet, and therefore has a niche for older tourists and those tourists looking to have a more relaxing rather than excitement-filled vacation.
East Bali is of particular interest to those tourists who
love natural landscape. Not only does East Bali offer the highest mountain in
Bali, Mount Agung, but it is also home to an active volcano, Mount Batur! And
if volcanoes aren’t your thing, don’t worry, East Bali also has lush forests
and black sand beaches, providing just as much for the beach-loving tourists as
any other region of Bali. In addition, this region of Bali is deeply routed in
religious and spiritual practice. The Besakih Temple complex has more than 20
temples and many other shrines, each with its own purpose. The Hindu Balinese
consider the Pura Besakih to be their mother tempe, the single most important
temple on the whole island. It is, thus, one of the biggest tourist attractions
in Bali.
