Interesting facts about Bali. Interesting and shocking facts about Bali! What should a tourist know? Interesting facts about pain

1. Place, which shouldn't have happened.

An amazing and unlike anything else island of “thousand temples” in the country of “thousand islands”. Why is his existence so unusual? Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world by population. And how did a small island among 13,000 other islands (the largest and most densely populated of them radically Islamic) manage to preserve its unique religion and age-old traditions? Personally, this question haunts me; the whole issue seems to really be about some invisible forces protecting the island.

2. How did this happen?

Hindu-Buddhism (namely, this is the official name of the religion in Bali, and its local subtype “Agama Hindu Dharma”, although rather it is a mix of Hinduism, Buddhism, pagan ancestor worship and ritual rites) came to the island from neighboring Java (and there from India). On the island of Java in the 15th century. AD Islamists began to actively oppress the ruling supreme families, and they had to hastily flee to the neighboring village inhabited island, taking only the most necessary and necessary (close servants, good artisans and doctors, including). Many clergy also moved to Bali.

The Balinese consider themselves direct descendants of those rulers and their entourage who fled from Java. It was at this time that the culture and religion of Bali were formed almost in the form in which it still exists. Since the settlers were mostly talented and gifted people, all types of art flourished in Bali. And now every Balinese, if he doesn’t draw, then carves wood or bone, or sews, or makes something else. Fine motor skills and anything done with the hands are truly excellent for all residents. For example, I have never seen such fine, elegant woodwork anywhere. I’m already silent about Balinese massage.

3. It’s difficult to say how many gods there are in the Balinese religion., they all have different ranks and meanings. What can be said about all of them is that no one is clearly good or bad. The main thesis and ideology: to find a balance between good and evil, and one cannot exist without the other.

The Hindu famous trinity Brahma - Vishnu - Shiva on the island of Bali is fused into a single person, Shiva. This is one of the differences between Balinese Hinduism. Religiously, the Balinese are quite “promiscuous” or “receptive”. Their beliefs actively absorbed the innovations that came with the colonists. Buddha is perceived by the Balinese as the “younger brother” of Shiva. And Christian missionaries tried to bring teachings about one God to the inhabitants of the island, and it was also accepted and transformed. The equivalent of such a God has become Sanghyang-Vidi-Vas a, which “cannot be seen or imagined.”

4. Holy water religion.

Balinese Hinduism is also called the "Holy Water Religion". Water plays a key and symbolic role. Sources fresh water on the island are volcanic lakes on the tops of sacred mountains. But, nevertheless, only the local population can drink this water. Literally! The reaction of tourists’ bodies to it can be extremely unpleasant and unpredictable. In all tourist places they use only bottled water and it is also recommended to wash fruits and cutlery if you are not sure of the quality of the water purification.

5. Island of 1000 temples, but it can’t be!..

Maybe, maybe even more, on this moment 6,000 temples (!) are considered official, and in total there are about 20,000 of them, including home ones.

6. Why so much? Many, because they perform different tasks. Each village has 3 temples with different functions: 1) Pura Des a, first, central temple in the village. Here the residents gather together and ask for the favor of the gods in ordinary daily affairs and for the general prosperity of the village. 2) Pura Puseh- a temple of a more general meaning, dedicated to the spirits of the earth, ceremonies related to fertility are held here. 3) Pura Dalem- this temple is located next to the cemetery and accordingly is considered a temporary refuge for souls before cremation.

And also temples outside villages, in every house, in a hotel, near sacred springs and in other most unexpected places.

One of ancient temples in the "heart of Bali", the city of Ubud

7. Why is the island called that and how to pronounce it correctly?

The name of the island of Bali comes from Sanskrit and means “hero” or “strongman”. The country was originally called Bali-angka - " cradle of heroes", and abbreviated simply Bali.

How to say B correctly A Lee or Ball And. Dictionaries give the first option, which sounds a little strange to our ears. The Balinese themselves say something like “Ba-a-li?”, but it’s hard to tell where the emphasis is. In addition, there are a lot of city names in Russian that do not match the pronunciation by native speakers, for example Fl O Rida-Flor And yes, Rome in other languages ​​is Roma, and Beijing in general is Beijing. And this doesn't shock anyone. So say what’s most convenient for you, time will tell which option will take root.

8. Castes.

Surprisingly, the island still has a caste system (echoes of Hinduism), although they are not as rigid and strict as in India. A transition from caste to caste is possible in principle. But in traditional villages it is still not allowed to take a husband/wife from another village. Divorce is strictly condemned. If there is a divorce in the family, then the wife returns to her parents and can only take her personal belongings with her; her rights are so limited that very few women decide to do this. Children, for the most part, remain with their father (and his family), especially if the child is male.

Although some softening is already felt now (the pernicious influence of the West), our driver admitted that at the wedding his wife was already pregnant, 15 years ago - it would have been a shame and a stain on the whole family. It seems completely appropriate and logical for the islanders to ask strangers “ do you have children, how many, and if not, then why?" I wouldn’t say that they worry about their children and overly pamper them, but in their coordinate system, marriage and the subsequent necessarily having offspring is such a logical, understandable and variable process that there is nothing to discuss.

9. Appease the spirits immediately after brushing your teeth.

Offerings- This is a daily ritual that is learned from childhood (especially girls). Usually this is a basket of palm leaves with flowers and a handful of rice, but on holidays ( and, in my opinion, there are half of the days in the calendar) can be expensive rice (red or black), fruits, and animals. Traditional suckling pig on a spit- it's not just food. They are slaughtered with deep meaning: by killing a pig, a mystical ritual act is performed, along with it a sacrifice is made to the spirits, and deliverance from anger, hatred and other harmful emotions.

10. At the ceremony, a Balinese spends a quarter of his life and half (!) of his salary. Religion regulates absolutely all life-determining areas. From the moment of birth to death and even later (more on this later), a Balinese resident spends every smallest stage of his life in rites and rituals. Without an offering, not a single small task begins. No tree is cut down to build a house without the approval of the village elders (and they will also choose the right tree on the right day).

Dancing plays a huge role in ceremonies. All of them, of course, are not just a set of movements, but a ritual performance that tells some local legend. Basically, the main leitmotif is the struggle between good and evil and, most often, a draw. During the dances, a special rhythm is set with the help of special instruments and the participants and spectators fall into a state close to trance. In some cases, dances can last 5-7 hours!

11. Cockfighting.

Also, in a sense, sacrifices and one of their favorite entertainments for the male part of the island’s population. For these purposes, special fighting roosters are raised in almost every yard, their combs are cut off and they are kept outside so that they get used to the noise and are not afraid of it (and during the fight, the blades are tied to their paws). A good fighting cock can cost as much as a decent bike (another thing that a Balinese cannot live without). In cockfights there are real money stakes and excitement, and heart attacks from excitement, many Balinese lost their fortunes, after which the fighting days were regulated and shortened, but their popularity did not decrease one bit.

12. Volcanoes occupy a very special, physically and metaphysically central place in religion. The center of the world is Gunung Agung (3142 m) - the most sacred mountain. Other mountains and volcanoes are also where the energy and protective forces of the island are concentrated, the abode of good spirits and gods. The coast and especially the ocean surrounding the island - haven of demons and evil spirits. Local residents around coastline they don’t like to live, they look at tourists who are also willing to pay to live there with distrust, and they themselves prefer to settle higher in the mountains, but not too high (deities live on the peaks and close to them and people don’t belong there) . ( On all volcanic islands I observe a similar trend, although not everywhere with a religious justification :))

Balinese legend says that the island was originally flat. But when Java was converted to Islam, the Hindu gods decided to move to Bali. In the new place they needed to live somewhere, naturally high, in order to correspond to their position. So they created mountains, one for each depending on their rank.

13. Is it dangerous to relax there?

Of course, eruptions and tsunamis are rare, but they do happen. But what about the island, which is volcanic, and is also located geographically in the region where Indian and Pacific Oceans, and tectonic plates move. But now tracking and monitoring systems are well developed (there are even special websites (this one, for example), so the risk for tourists is minimal.

Although the volcanoes are active (Batur and Agung) and sometimes show their character!

In 1963 On the days of a sacred religious ceremony for the Balinese, a powerful volcanic eruption began on Agung, which in its strength surpassed volcanic eruptions throughout the world in the 20th century! Lava erupted from the eastern side of the mountain, wiping out several villages. Because of this eruption, all the beaches turned dark east coast, where there used to be white sand is now gray-black and lava stains. The Balinese believed that such wrath of nature in a sacred place was an omen. In a sense, it was like that, after a couple of years it began Civil War with massacres and repressions, as the Balinese themselves say: “the rivers overflowed their banks because of the bodies dumped in them.”

14. The islanders have their own special "feng shui and compass". All orientation on the island runs along the axis up - Agung volcano (towards the gods), down - to the sea (towards the demons). All construction on the island corresponds to this principle, everything is more important and sacred, closer to the gods, in the direction of the volcano.( Even the beds in the house are invariably set according to this rule, with the head facing the mountain.) Every temple, every house is laid along these axes. The direction to the east is also endowed with a sacred meaning; the sun rises there, which, of course, is one of the divine incarnations.

15. Difficulties in translation.

All local residents can speak general Indonesian. But the island also has its own language, which, like religion, is a crazy fusion, starting with Sanskrit and ending with Dutch.

Particular complexity and difficulties arise due to the fact that Balinese is 3 languages ​​at the same time, not particularly intersecting with each other. This is the speech of “low level”, “middle” and “higher”. For each situation and for each interlocutor (depending on age and caste), the correct version of speech must be chosen, otherwise serious offense can be caused!

16. It's hard to believe, but Bible translation Balinese people saw it only in 1990. ( work on this scripture lasted more than 80 years). And its application is limited due to the fact that most Balinese people do not speak sufficiently to understand the text " highest level” language, which was chosen for the book because of its highly spiritual themes.

17. And you say it’s difficult to learn English...

Writing. Traditionally, the Balinese use the Aksara Bali alphabet, a modified version of the Javanese alphabet. This is a syllabic letter, where the symbols represent a syllable of 2 (less often) three letters. Currently, in addition to Balinese, the mandatory written language of the Balinese is Indonesian, which they begin to learn from elementary school. The entire population owns it to a greater or lesser extent. In addition, there is also the Balinese alphabet, but based on the Latin alphabet, it is increasingly found in publications and street design.

18. About finances.

Until recently, residents lived mainly by subsistence farming and exchange. With the flow of tourists, the situation, of course, has changed. Although salaries still remain low and the average resident of Bali can afford almost nothing (all their investments are motorbikes, in my opinion), has never left the island and has almost no equipment at home (a refrigerator is a luxury).

People come from neighboring Java to work for $100-150 a month, creating additional competition. It’s true that prices in Bali are low. But the cost of housing is inexplicably high; almost no one can afford to buy a plot of land, even the smallest one (rent - please, but buy - no). The fact is that all the buildings in Bali are low; residential, so generally a maximum of 2 floors. And not because they don’t know how to build. All the Balinese we asked answered the same thing. “It’s wrong to sleep higher than coconuts grow.”.

19. Bury me twice.

In Bali, it is customary to cremate dead people, and not just cremate them, but with honors, dances, dances, tambourines and plentiful treats. But such a ceremony is very expensive, so mass cremation ceremonies are widespread. The deceased villagers are buried in a special cemetery, and then, when a sufficient number has accumulated, they are dug up and burned, and I arrange one ceremony for everyone.

20. Indonesian money printed on Russian paper. They are slightly smaller in size. And on Indonesian coins there are flowers and parrots and dancing girls.

21. This year Bali has become the center of political and cultural life. So many events at once: the WTO conference (and rallies associated with it), World culture forum, APEC 2013, Miss World 2013, Putin also celebrated his birthday there.

22 . Balinese calendars.

In addition to the Gregorian calendar, there are two more in force in Bali. Gregorian time is used mainly to communicate with tourists and the outside world. The Indian calendar is considered to be the true calendar. moon calendar, where the base unit is the solar year, starting from the vernal equinox. And the Javanese-Balinese calendar is the Pawukon calendar. Brahmans) - the highest caste, people of this caste are engaged in spiritual work, they also calculate holidays, days for ceremonies and good days for weddings/construction and anything else according to all these calendars. Pawukon lasts 210 days and has a rather complex and interesting structure: the first week in this calendar lasts 1 day, the second - 2 days, the third - 3 days, and so on until a ten-day week. The week itself and the day of the week on which one was born are of great importance to the Balinese, much more than the date and year.

23 . Simple human joys.

Balinese smoke a lot and often smoke special Kretek cigarettes, in which tobacco is mixed with cloves. It’s quite sad with alcohol: although it would seem that it would be worth growing grapes and making wine or importing them from Australia/New Zealand. But no. Only arak, a local strong drink made from rice (terrible for my taste), is on sale.

The distribution and use of drugs is punishable by death, however, in some places they sell quite openly " special mushrooms"(on Gili they offer it right away, before you even have time to unload from the boat).

24. Also joys, but already past. Until 1908, women did not wear tops and went topless. The Dutch “closed the shop” in the literal and figurative sense; they considered this look of girls indecent and provocative... But in all the bas-reliefs and paintings women are depicted in exactly this form.

25. And not joy at all. Just literally 20 years ago, men on the island did not work at all. All the roads, administrative buildings and everything else were built by women. The men were " for beauty”(in their own words) and for active participation in cockfighting. Until now, the attitude towards women is a little strange for our European worldview. Women carry all the weights, almost always on their heads. Any family business, be it a cafe or a massage parlor, is mostly served by women.

26. Balinese healers.

Everyone knows about Filipino doctors, but few know about Balinese ones. But there is practically no official medicine on the island. I didn’t see a single hospital and only noticed a pharmacy once(!). Local residents prefer to be treated by sorcerers; there are white and black ones with obviously different ranges of services.

The prototype of a healer-teacher-mentor in book "Eat, Pray, Love"" is a real person living near Ubud. He still holds receptions for all those who suffer. For those who haven’t read the book, in short: the girl lost the meaning in life, her “own self” and money just because of an ordinary divorce, which she herself provoked. First I ate for 4 months in Italy, then I went on a diet and meditated in India, and then for balance I went to Bali. Found what I was looking for here: sexually transmitted infections, a cheating girlfriend, a man who is 15 years older and did not even agree to move for her sake. That's it, happy ending in American style. But the film and book are strangely popular and part of the filming took place in Bali, and the highlighted places have become a place of tourist pilgrimage.

27. Bali is the most calm, peaceful place and practically heaven on earth.

This is the tale our tour operators tell, with, as I understand it, the Indonesian government actively supporting this image.

This, unfortunately, is not entirely true. More recently, there was active military action on the island in the past.

At the beginning of the century, the Dutch invaders, during the East India Company, tried to capture the island in several approaches. The most striking and saddest story of these attacks: in 1906 The Dutch demanded the voluntary surrender of the islanders and recognition of defeat. The Balinese did not have firearms and had nothing to resist the armed squadrons with. The islanders chose death shameful surrender and several families on central square committed mass suicide( according to evidence, among them was the king and representatives of noble ancient families).

The Dutch occupation did not last very long; during the Second World War, Japanese troops carried out a series of brutal attacks and captured the island. After the surrender at the end of the Second World War, Japan had no time for the small island. Bali finally received the freedom it wanted, but then brutal civil wars followed with massacres.

Only in 1965 military action was more or less over on the island and it finally became open to tourists. But even here there were tragedies. Just recently in 2002. and in 2005 Islamic extremists carried out terrorist attacks in places popular among visitors, resulting in the deaths of many tourists. ( The tourist places were not chosen by chance - everything was done to attract attention).

28. But, if you don’t know the history, then Bali really looks like a piece of heavenly Earth. The soil here is so fertile and soft humid climate that almost everything grows. Coffee, cocoa, spices ( Did you know that the Indonesian islands are the birthplace of cloves? Wherever it is now grown, these are artificially planted plants. Previously, it was exported only from here, and for a few kilograms of this spice you could get a whole fortune).

Fruits, vegetables (including the usual tomatoes/cucumbers/radish) - all of this is growing and active. (Naturally everything is eco/bio/organic, etc.). But the most basic agricultural industry is, of course, rice. Many people come to Bali to admire the amazing rice terraces, many of which are several centuries old.

The fauna is also extremely diverse, there is no point in describing it, I will only show an amazing animal, I have never seen it before.

Meet:

I diagnosed the animal incorrectly the first time, it’s not bear couscous, but Binturong. Often it is also called bear cat (cat-bear), for some similarities with both animals. Active at night like a cat. Walks clumsily like a bear. Lives in trees. Eats fruit.

29. I’ve already heard this somewhere...

Balinese name children by birth order, the names for boys and girls are the same: Wayan-first child Made- second, Newman- third, Ketut- fourth (Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut). If the fifth is born, then the cycle ends and he is again called Vayan.

In Bali, until the child is six months old, he does not participate in any ceremonies and for the first three months of his life, children should not touch the floor with their feet, because... It is believed that until this time the child still has a divine essence, and gods, as we know, do not walk on earth.

30. Nowhere else have I met so many extraordinary, talented and unusual people as in Bali. And not only local residents, but also tourists ( except for those who travel to the Nusa Dua area and live exclusively on the beaches/bars/clubs.)

• In 2 weeks, for example, we met an American woman from Los Angeles, who has traveled all over the world, but considers St. Petersburg her favorite city (we were cautious about which one, but no, that’s right, our St. Petersburg charmed her),
• a refugee from Java, who lived there on the brink of poverty, almost swam to Bali, worked 3 jobs to learn languages ​​and eventually knows several languages, including Russian (!).
• A young Russian couple who almost abandoned the benefits of civilization and bonuses in the form of plastic everywhere and chemical food, and voluntarily left Moscow “into the wilderness”: they built themselves a house there, raised children and grew organic vegetables.
• A Dutch woman who has a very interesting and unusual farm in Bali, where she is experimenting and trying to create a closed, self-sufficient bio-house, during the off-season she provides free housing and food to sympathetic young people from Europe, although in return she asks them to collect garbage in public places on the island.
• A local resident from a traditional, tradition-honoring village. Monkey Man, as he called himself, in the morning his duties include collecting bananas/coconuts from the village palm trees, and then he restores and redraws the calendars that his grandfather drew on bamboo leaves. He really wants a family and children, but there are only 400 people in their village and there are no available girls...

I could go on for a long time, the energy and unusual relaxed atmosphere set this island apart from others. Unusual people come here, and ordinary people too, but unnoticed by themselves, they discover something new and unknown. Try it and see.

P.s. At the same time, I congratulate everyone on the upcoming holidays. May you have unforgettable experience, trips to the city/country of your dreams, finding harmony (no matter what you mean by this concept: financial well-being, meeting an ideal partner or just inner peace in the future) - let everything come true!

Finally, I found time to finish the article that I started writing while still in Indonesia. The result is a whole list of 25 interesting facts, observations and tips that I collected over six months of living in this wonderful country. This article will be especially useful for those who are planning a trip to Bali or other Indonesian islands. Enjoy!

1. Indonesia is the largest island country and the most populous country in the world. The entire country consists of 17,800 islands.
2. The main religion of Indonesia is Islam, followed by 86% of the population. 9% are Christians, 3% are Hindus and the remaining 2% are Buddhists and others. But in Bali the picture is completely different. Almost 90% of the island's local population is Hindu.
3. A good one can be rented for only 500,000 rupees per month ($52) or for 35,000 rupees per day ($3.6).
4. Fuel is very cheap in Indonesia - the price of one liter of gasoline costs 4,500 rupees ($0.46).
5. Volcano Agung (3142 meters) in Bali is considered the most sacred place on the island. All the temples of the island face in its direction and all Balinese try to sleep with their heads towards this volcano.
6. The most reliable and cheapest telephone service in Indonesia is Telkomsel SimPATI.
7. In almost all major cities in Indonesia, you can easily find free housing through and thereby get to know the local youth.
8. In almost all local eateries (warungs) you can have a hearty meal for only 15,000 rupees ($1.5).
9. On the main island of Java, locals will constantly ask you to take photos with them. “Hello mister, can I take a picture with you?” - standard phrase. By the way, even if you are a girl, you will still be called "Mr."
10. Prices for food and accommodation on the main island of Java are sometimes two to three times cheaper than in Bali.
11. In markets and stores where there are no price tags, you can safely bargain and reduce the stated price by two or three times.
12. In the jungles of Bali you can find wild monkeys.
13. In Bali, Ubud is the city of yogis, Kuta is the city of party people.
14. In first place among tourists in Bali are Australians, second are Japanese and third are Chinese.
15. Parking a scooter or car near tourist spots and large shops usually costs 1,000-2,000 rupees.
16. The maximum bribe that should be paid to police officers for riding a scooter without a helmet and license is 50,000 rupees. Don’t give any more, even if they threaten you with a big fine and a police station.
17. Every second Balinese is called Wayan (regardless of gender).
18. Monitor lizards live on Komodo Island - they are also dinosaurs or dragons.
19. The maximum amount that can be withdrawn from an ATM in Indonesia is 3,000,000 rupees ($312).
20. Indonesia used to be a Dutch colony and this greatly affects the architecture of many cities.
21. In Indonesia, left-hand drive traffic, as in Thailand.
22. The maximum period of stay in Indonesia without leaving is 6 months (a social visa is required for this). After this period you need to go to neighboring country, do new visa and re-enter Indonesia.
23. Balinese people celebrate New Year in a very unusual way - in complete silence. For 24 hours, no one on the island leaves their house. All restaurants, offices, schools and shops are closed.
24. Accommodation prices in Bali in budget guesthouses range from 100,000 ($10) to 200,000 rupees ($20), when renting at long term(week, month) - cheaper. For example, we rented a whole one for only $450 a month.
25. Indonesia is full of tropical fruits: snake fruit, pineapples, strawberries, apples, bananas of different varieties, tangerines, papaya, mangosteens, rambutans, tree apple, durian, passion fruit, . All this can be found in almost any fruit market.

The island of Bali is home to surfing and diving, religious, environmental and beach tourism. Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations all over the world, but despite this, much of the life of the local population is not known to the general public. Interesting Facts about Bali will help you discover and learn something new and even useful. Bali is part of Islamic State Indonesia. Bali is located here on the world map.

Bali is Island of the Godswith a very varied landscape: hills and mountains, beautiful coasts And sandy beaches, curvy rice terraces and bare volcanic slopes. Surfing and diving, unique cuisine, a large number of cultural, historical and archaeological attractions - Bali has a lot to offer the tourist market, and the market really likes this offer. The island of Bali boasts big amount interesting places from a tourist point of view. A variety of excursions await you: sightseeing and thematic, exciting walks, yacht tours, and even cooking classes. Current prices for excursions in Bali, as well as a list of private Russian speaking guides can be found on the website of a special project for tourists “Experts.Tourister.Ru” - experts.tourister.ru.

• It is believed that the very first settlers in Bali emigrated from China in 2500 BC.
• It is noteworthy that in Indonesia, Islam is professed by more than 88% of the population, while on the island of Bali, which is part of this state, 83.5% of the population professes a special version of Hinduism. That is why pork dishes can only be tasted in Bali; in Indonesia, pork is not eaten, since this food is prohibited in Islam.
• Subak is an irrigation system rice fields in Bali, was developed over 1000 years ago. Considered an objectUNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Bali is just one of more than 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia.
• One of the most expensive types of coffee, Kopi Luwak, is produced in Bali.
• The Balinese believe that a newborn baby is the reincarnation of one of the family ancestors, and therefore the baby should not touch the ground until 3 months.
• The child, regardless of gender, is usually given one of these four names: Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. This can be translated as: born first, born second, and so on. If you have more than four children, you simply start over with Wayan. Descriptive nicknames help avoid confusion. This rule is true for the lowest caste. Yes, there are 4 castes in Bali, similar to those in India.
  
• Bali was the host of the competition Miss World 2013 . This was the first time that an International Beauty Pageant was held in Indonesia.
• The climate on the island is tropical and is divided into two seasons.The dry season lasts from April to October, and the rainy season from October to April. The best time The dry season is considered to be the best time to visit, which is also more crowded. For inspiration and peace, many people go during the rainy season, when tourist flow insignificant.
• The Balinese menu consists of white rice, pork, spicy vegetables and exotic fruits.
• One of the most sacred temples in Bali - Pura Ulu Watu, p. located high in the cliffs on the southwestern tip of the island.
  
• Seminyak is the center of luxury living in Bali. Hereyou will find boutiques, restaurants, cafes and fashion shows.
• Ubud is the artistic heart of Bali, the center of spiritual life.The streets are filled with galleries where artists of different generations do their work. The view here is indescribableto the rice terraces. Thisgreen landscape is often chosen as best place for yoga and meditation.

Located on the largest Malay archipelago, in Indonesia picturesque island Bali. The island is part of the group of small Sunda islands. The area of ​​Bali is 5780 m2, the population is 3,890,757 people. The island of Bali is one of the most visited tourist resorts. The island has everything for have a nice rest: picturesque landscapes, friendly people, beautiful beaches, ancient culture with beautiful temples, well-developed infrastructure.

Like all countries, the island of Bali has its own traditions, culture and mystery.

The island of Bali is washed by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The island has a peculiar topography, where there are mountains with volcanoes and lowlands.

There are four types of forest on the island: savanna, deciduous, mountain and evergreen.

The island of Bali is called "Pulau Kahyangan", which means "island of the gods".

The island was opened for recreation by hippies who lived for some time on the territory of Kuta. As a result of the “hippie pilgrimage,” the Indonesian government decided to develop the resort and trism. The World Bank and the UN contributed to the successful development and invested funds for the tourism development of Bali.

The architecture of the island is unusual; the houses of the indigenous inhabitants can very easily be confused with small temples. The Balinese are very religious and they decorate their homes with a large number of statues on a religious theme.

Oddly enough, Indonesian is one of the most popular languages ​​in the world; it is spoken by about 200 million people.

On Bali colloquial is divided into three levels, depending on caste, sublime, average, rude. Residents from a certain caste can only use the language to which they belong by status.

In Bali in the northeastern part there are two large volcano: Gunung Agung (3142 meters), Gunung Batur (1717 meters)

The island has a length of 80 kilometers.

Temperatures on the island can fluctuate. The temperature on the beach exceeds 30 degrees, and at the mountains or the foot of the volcano reaches 15 degrees.

Indonesia is a densely populated Muslim country, but on the island 90% of the inhabitants profess Hinduism. In Bali, gods such as Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, as well as the supreme god Sang Yang Widi Vasa are revered.

The locals are very religious, which explains the large number of temples on the island. According to some sources, there are about 11,000 of them. Some temples such as Uluwatu and Tanah Lot are architectural monuments.

Each house has its own small temple where the inhabitants perform their religious rituals.

The Balinese consider the house to be a living creature, the head is the family temple (the home temple must look at the Agung volcano), the hands are residential buildings, the legs are the barn, the kitchen.

Bali is a holiday island, 230 days a year are filled with festive processions, colorful events, and interesting customs. Residents living on the island have different nationalities and religions, so both Islamic, Hindu and Christian holidays are celebrated here.

One of the strangest traditions of the island is the teeth filing ceremony. The meaning of the tradition is to shorten the fangs, so that a person is deprived of resembling demonic entities and to pacify the six main sins in Bali: greed, lust, anger, jealousy, drunkenness, arrogance.

Most residents are not Muslim, but polygamy is still allowed. A man can take four women as wives, while the first one gives permission for the second, third and fourth wife. Currently, there is polygamy in Bali. But it is mainly common among upper caste Balinese.

In different parts of the island you can find statues dressed in black and white skirts and hats, as local residents believe in magical abilities and the ability to come to life at night.

Childlessness and impotence are grounds for divorce.

The Balinese love children, especially boys, they continue the family line, care for elderly parents, and inherit lands. Girls go to their husband's family and have no right to inherit anything from their family.

The most famous drink is the elite Kopi Luwak coffee. Method of preparation: the raw material is collected from the excrement of a civet animal that eats ripe coffee beans.

On the streets and the coast you can find many colorful umbrellas; they are called “tedung”, which means “protection” and each color has its own meaning; the indigenous people believe that umbrellas have a protective function. There are four sacred colors in Bali: red, green, white, yellow.

Bali is small island V Indian Ocean, country Indonesia. If you are planning to go there, then I suggest you read 20 interesting facts about Bali.

1. The area of ​​the island is 5780 km², its length is 150 km from east to west and 80 km from north to south.
2. There are only two big ones in Bali active volcano: Gunung Agung (3142 m.) and Gunung Batur (1717 m.) are located in the northeastern part of the island.
3. The largest eruption of Gunung Agung was recorded in 1963.
4. There are only two seasons on the island: dry (June-October) and wet (November-March), the greatest amount of precipitation falls in January-February.
5. Bali has a total population of 3,890,757 people (2010).
6. The majority of Balinese (83.5% of the population) profess a local version of Hinduism called Agama Hindu Dharma. 13.3% of the population are Muslims.
7. There are about 20 thousand temples in Bali.
8. Denpasar is the capital and The largest city islands. Kuta is a city of eternal parties. Ubud is the center of Balinese artistic and creative life.
9. The most common transport among the local population is a moped or scooter.
10. The bulk of today's Balinese are descendants of people from the Javanese Majapahit Empire, which collapsed under the pressure of Islam at the beginning of the 16th century. The indigenous inhabitants of the island are a people called "Bali Aga", which means "inhabitants of the Balinese mountains", although they themselves do not like this name and prefer to be called "Orang Bali Mula" ("original Balinese") or "Bali Turunan" ("Balinese") descended from heaven").
11. When a girl gets married, she moves into her husband's family house. She becomes a member of his family, helps his older relatives, takes care of his family temple and honors his ancestors.
12. A man can have up to four wives, however, he can take a second one only with the permission of the first, a third, with the permission of both first ones, etc. But the basic rule is that he must provide for them all equally.
13. In Bali there are only four names, the same for both boys and girls: Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut, which literally means “first”, “second”, etc. according to birth order.
14. There are 4 freshwater lakes on the island: Batur, Beratan, Buyan, Tamblingan.
15. Bali has 230 official holidays per year.
16. It’s 1940 in Bali now.
17. On the island there is a ceremony for filing teeth at the age of 16-18 years. This is done with the aim of pacifying the 7 most important vices in Bali in a person - lust, greed, anger, sadness, arrogance, jealousy and drunkenness.
18. The right hand is a sacred part of the body among the Balinese. For example, you can take and give an item only with your right hand
19. Volcano Agung (3142 meters) in Bali is considered the most sacred place on the island. All the temples of the island face in its direction and all Balinese sleep with their heads towards this volcano.
20. Balinese celebrate the New Year in complete silence (Nyeppi). For 24 hours, no one on the island leaves their house. All restaurants, offices, schools and shops are closed.

Hotel deals in Kuta

Read other articles on the island of Bali:

• Excursions to Bali - popular excursions to Bali, description and cost, reviews
• Lake Bratan and the main “water” temple of the island - Pura Ulun Danu
• Green Bowl beach - spot only for professional surfers
• An abandoned hotel in Bali and our visit to the hotel during a thunderstorm