Bali's wide variety of attractions, the physical beauty of the island, and the year-round pleasant climate make Bali a place regarded by many visitors as the "Ultimate Island."

:: Geography
The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it is not a problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go exploring and return to your hotel or villa in the evening

:: Climate
Expect pleasant temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas

:: Population
Bali's population has grown to over 3 million people, the majority of which are Hindus. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia who seek work in Bali.

:: Economy
The southern part of Bali is where most jobs are to be found, either in the hotel and tourist industry, the textile and garment industry, and in many small scale and home industries producing handicrafts and souvenirs. Textiles, garments, and handicrafts have become the backbone of Bali's economy providing 300,000 jobs, and exports have been increasing by around 15% per year to over US$400 million. Textiles and garments contribute about 45%, and wood products including statues, furniture and other handicrafts 22% to the province's total income from exports. Silver work is ranked third (4.65%) with 5,000 workers employed.

:: Sightseeing
Bali's natural attractions include miles of sandy beaches (many are well-known amongst surfers), picturesque rice terraces, towering active volcanoes over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) high, fast flowing rivers, deep ravines, pristine crater lakes, sacred caves, and lush tropical forests full of exotic wildlife.

The island's rich cultural heritage is visible everywhere - in over 20,000 temples and palaces, in many colorful festivals and ceremonies, in drama, music, and dance.

:: Balinese dance
Most Balinese dance performances are held in the evenings, however, you can also see some Barong Dance performances in the morning.

In the Indonesian shadow puppet play, Wayang Kulit, beautifully painted and gilded leather puppets are used although only the shadows are visible to the audience.

The stories come from the spirit world and are full of symbolism and myth. A highly skilled puppeteer controls hundreds of puppets, speaks with a different voice for each character, and controls the musicians.

:: Shopping
You can go shopping for fine art and handicrafts such as antique and semi-antique furniture, all kinds of paintings, delicately crafted gold and silver jewelry, wood and stone carvings, masks, woven and dyed fabrics, etc in many shops in the Kuta/Legian area, in Sanur, in various handicraft villages and the Sukawati market on the way to Ubud.

:: Food & drink
The centerpiece of any Indonesian meal is steamed or boiled rice. Accompanying dishes include various preparations of chicken, duck, beef, mutton, all kinds of seafood and vegetables, either steamed, boiled, braised, stir or deep fried, roasted or grilled over coconut husks. Other ingredients used to give Indonesian food its unique flavours are chillies, coconut, peanuts, garlic, ginger, saffron, basil, cardamon, lemon grass, lime, nutmeg, pepper, shallots, soy sauce, tamarind, turmeric and several kinds of shrimp paste.

Most foreigners like the local BINTANG beer. Many restaurants and pubs also serve BINTANG "draft." Other locally produced beers are ANKER, CARLSBERG, SAN MIGUEL, and BALI HAI beer. You can also find well-known brands imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and even China (Tsing Tao).

:: Nightlife
Nightlife in Bali starts late, which means around midnight. Many visitors wonder where crowds of expats suddenly come from around 1:00 in the morning. The inplaces often become crowded after midnight. Everybody looking for some action and fun in the evening goes to "Kuta" which nowadays means the area extending about 4 miles or 7 kilometers north from the original village of Kuta and includes Legian, Seminyak and Basangkasa. Located here are most of the better entertainment places.