Bali - general information, weather, seasons, time

General information about Bali

Bali is an island in the Malay Archipelago, in the Lesser Sunda Islands group, part of the state of Indonesia. It is washed from the south by the Indian Ocean, from the north by the Bali Sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is separated from the west by the Strait of Bali from the island of Java, from the east by the Lombok Strait from the island of Lombok.

The area of the island is 5.6 thousand square kilometers, the length is 147 km from east to west and 80 km from north to south.

Pronunciation: stress in the word Bali is placed on the first syllable, on the letter "a". However, among Russian tourists, it is much more common to hear pronunciation with emphasis on the second syllable.

Bali is one of the most popular, interesting and visited tourist destinations on the planet.

According to a survey of the world's major travel magazines, Bali is called the most interesting place to travel and relax in the world. And in 2010, he received recognition as the best island in the world from readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.

Holidays on Bli combine friendly and hospitable people, rich culture with ancient temples and fascinating dances, wonderful beaches with great surfing and diving, developed tourist infrastructure. The nature on the island is very diverse and fascinates with its picturesque landscapes. In general – "paradise island".

Weather, seasons, climate in Bali

It is possible and necessary to visit Bali throughout the year. The temperature fluctuates slightly throughout the year, and the daytime temperature is always within 20-33 degrees. In the ocean, the temperature is not lower than 26 degrees all year round. On the island, even on the hottest days, a light breeze is constantly blowing, and the heat is easily tolerated.

It should be remembered that Bali is located in the southern hemisphere (beyond the equator), and, accordingly, the hot and cool seasons are opposite here and on the island: when we have winter, Bali is hot; when we have summer, Bali is cool.

The high season and the best time for tourists to visit the island of Bali is the period from July to August. It is during this period that large crowds of tourists arrive on the island, and the price increase begins in early May, as soon as it gets dry, but still relatively cool.

The rainy season in Bali (from December to March) is the peak of the arrival of Russian tourists. The humidity of the air during this period reaches 95%. Most often, precipitation falls at night, and it rains for only an hour or two and falls locally, the rest of the time the sun shines. During the daytime, the sky may sometimes be overcast or overcast, but due to the constant winds, the clouds move very quickly and the situation changes very quickly. However, even under the overcast sky it is hot and you can get sunburn. It is only worth noting that during the rainy season there may sometimes be problems with transport links, and for lovers of mountain tours and diving it is better to choose the dry season (unlike resort places where it is warm all year round, the weather is cool in the mountains in winter).

In the dry season from April to October, the sky is almost cloudless every day, and the weather is clear.

Current weather in Bali (Kuta) and forecast

Time in Bali

The time in Bali is ahead of Moscow time by +5 hours and does not translate from summer to winter.

Culture, traditions and religion of Bali

Bali, like a "state within a state", is very different in its cultural and religious characteristics from the rest of Indonesia. While the vast majority of the population of Indonesia professes Islam, Bali is an island of Balinese Hinduism – "Hindu Dharma" or the full name "Agama Hindu Dharma". Only about 5% of the island's population are Muslims. Balinese Hinduism is a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and local ancient animic cults. The deities of religion are Brahma — the creator of the world, Vishnu — the personification of power, and Shiva — the destroyer.

As in many developing countries, religion determines the way of life, culture and traditions of the local population to the maximum extent.

The religiosity of the Balinese is expressed in many temples. There are more than twenty thousand of them on the island, and any of them can be visited by a tourist. According to local regulations, each village is obliged to build and maintain at least three temples: pura puseh (initial temple) located in the kaya (clean) side of the village, pura desa (village temple) in the center of the daily activities of the village community and pura dalem (temple of the dead) in the kelod (unclean) side of the village.

Balinese culture is unique. Bali is often called a theatrical state. Dance and drama have played a major role in Balinese life since time immemorial. The dances feel the amazing atmosphere of the holiday and the mysterious beliefs of the Balinese. Dances are especially popular: Legong, Barong and Kecak. Balinese dance and music have gained fame and are one of the attractions for visitors to the island. The dances are extremely visual and dramatic, although not familiar to our ears.

No less than dancing, Bali is famous for its artistic crafts: painting, wood and bone carvings, silver and gold jewelry, pottery, stone and limestone sculptures. Shades of these crafts can be found on the island everywhere, wherever you are. All hotels on the island are built in a unique national style, and even in your room you will certainly find copies of local artisan works. In countless shops you can buy unique souvenirs – from a small wooden figure to a huge stone statue. Artisans of various types are united and live and work in various settlements of the island: Tokhbati — exclusive batik; Maas — wood carving; Cheluk — jewelry; Ubud — the world-famous center of painting.

Interestingly, even the cuisine of Bali is significantly different from the rest of Indonesia. In addition, the islanders themselves make a distinction between Balinese food and Balinese cuisine. The first is traditional Balinese dishes prepared in Aboriginal homes and in unpretentious cafes (warung); the second implies a whole set of dishes (traditional and borrowed) that are served in the island's restaurants. The basis of many dishes is rice, corn, sweet potatoes, sago, breadfruit. Dishes prepared from seafood and traditionally served will be able to satisfy the needs of the most demanding customers.

Balinese are very hospitable and friendly people. They are helpful, charming and cheerful. Religious canons are preached in schools, but the theater is the main means of instilling morality.

The basis of Balinese society is a hereditary caste system, but not as strict as in India. There is a custom of addressing a person according to his caste: Brahmins, Shatriya, Veshya and Shudra (90% of the population), and for the most part caste is limited to this. It is not customary to look down on people from the lower caste here, there are practically no restrictions in choosing a profession.