A Surfing Safari – Your Bali Holiday

Anyone heading off on a Bali holiday is greeted by this island paradise with open arms. Bali is well renowned for her beautiful beaches, exciting non-stop nightlife and the wonderfully warm locals. But at anytime of the year, the hotels in Bali are filled with the most enthusiastic of all guests - the die hard (or try hard!) surfers.

Bali is often the first and last stop off on any Indonesian surfing safari, but it is also destination in its own right. Many of the hotels in Bali are only a stone’s throw away from wide sandy beaches and easily accessible surf breaks of every size and difficulty. The year round swell off the deep southern oceans of the Antarctic, means that Bali has a non stop supply of surf. The swell flattens out once it reaches the reefs and creates the perfect conditions for a true surfing Nirvana. There are around twenty top class breaks around the island to choose from, and surfers of all ages and experience are generously catered for by Mother Nature! A Bali holiday between April and October offers the best conditions for surfing, although unfortunately everyone else is heading there between these times too, and it can become quite busy on the line-up at some of the more popular breaks.

BEGINNER’S BREAKS

Unlike the rest of Indonesia which is heavily reefed, Bali has a lot of smaller breaks more suited to the beginner or intermediate. Kuta is probably Bali’s most famous beach and there’s a great surf tradition of ‘anything goes’! The sandy bottom and waist deep water means that anyone from six to ninety six can get out on their board and give it a try. Whether it’s hanging ten, toes on the nose or total wipe-out – you can ride the fun waves at Kuta without fear of shredding any body parts on an exposed reef! There are lots of surf schools and board hire
shops, so if you have never surfed before – Kuta is the perfect place to start!

A lot of the hotels in Bali are close to the easy riding Kuta and Legian beach surf areas, and when the sun goes down you can come straight out of the break, and head for a cocktail! You can outdo each other with tales of gnarly waves and killer surf, and then party on with the legendary Kuta nightlife. For the budding grommets and Gidgets, it’s only a few steps from bed where they can dream Bali holiday surfing adventure!

SERIOUS SURFING

Veteran surfers will be heading over to the pounding breaks at Padang Padang or Uluwatu on their Bali holiday. Padang Padang has an awesome ‘killer’ wave and this world class spot should only be attempted by the most experienced surfer! It is one of the most dangerous waves in Bali to face up to, as the coral reef is almost entirely exposed. But even if you can only dream of conquering the wave, it’s still worth coming along to watch the brave make their assault.

Uluwatu with its famous entry cave is probably the busiest of all the surf breaks in Bali. You clamber down the dramatic cliffs and through the cave which leads out onto the beach. The waves at Uluwatu are fast and long, and the view from the break is breathtaking – but in the monsoon season the waves here can reach a terrifying fifteen feet so this location is definitely not for the feint hearted! As well as a constant swell at Uluwatu there is also a constant crowd – so be warned, if you do chance your luck against the giant waves, you’ll have an audience!

The island’s popularity as a surfing destination has increased so much, the hotels in Bali and the more popular beaches are heaving in high season. But the hidden beauty of this tiny surfing Mecca is that if you’ve got a bit of time, and a slightly adventurous streak, you just might find yourself surfing a break on a deserted beach with only the fish to see you fall!

By Claire Bryant

Source : http://www.selectarticle.net/articles/42443/1/A-Surfing-Safari--Your-Bali-Holiday/Page1.html>

The Colours of Bali

Bali holidays are full of colour. Bali is a visually stimulating island of traditional costumes, brightly painted canoes and sailing boats on the shore, craft markets, and decorated dragons in the temples. In this article we explore the vibrant colours you can experience during your stay at the hotels in Bali.

Red Bali

Red is for chillis. Sambals are Balinese relishes made from red chilli, which are served with coconut rice. The food you’ll enjoy on Bali holidays is a regional take on Indonesian cuisine, with simple and tasty dishes like fried rice (nasi goreng) or fried chicken, Indonesian style.

Look out for the rosy glaze of Balinese roast pork during your meals. Called Babi Guling, this is probably the most popular dish of the Balinese people. It is prepared with chilli, coriander, garlic and lime leaves or lemon grass, and it’s spit-roasted until the meat is tender. Sometimes in Bali, pork is steamed in banana leaves; in either recipe and you are likely to see the see the pork presented on the table as a whole, shiny red pig.


Green Bali

Bali is a lush green island of rich forests and tropical gardens. In the forests around Ubud you can spot the playful monkeys, and there are elephants on the island too. One green haven often visited on Bali holidays are the waterfalls at Gitgit. Here, you can see clear water falling between the trees, hammering down from a height of forty metres as you float in the deep plunge pool below. Taman Burung is another attraction;
the gardens are home to hundreds of bird species, including the rare and endangered Mynah bird. There are also magnificent colours to see at the Bali butterfly park, the largest butterfly sanctuary in Asia.

But you won’t have to travel far from your sun lounger to appreciate the verdant natural character of the island because the hotels in Bali have sophisticated, tropical and well-tended gardens, many with lively with hot pink and purple blossoms.

Yellow Bali

As well as the hot equatorial sun and the golden sandy beaches, yellow is the shade of the intricate decorative costumes worn by Bali’s dancers during graceful oriental performances of fan and butterfly dances.

The island has a number of diverse traditional performances: some are graceful ceremonial dances; others tell stories with masked characters representing mythical demons. Some shows are slapstick and comical, where the characters interact with the audience. You can enjoy dance shows daily on Bali holidays, and the town of Ubud is especially famous for this.

Blue Bali

The colour that brings most pleasure on Bali holidays is the beautiful blue of the ocean. Looking out from the beach, the clear water takes on a bright turquoise colour under the clear blue skies. Exploring the ocean will introduce you to an array of tropical fish with the variety of colours of a rainbow. You can take PADI Scuba diving courses in the warm ocean waters, made available by hotels in Bali such as the Legian Beach Hotel or The Oberoi Bali.

All these colours combine to make a Bali holiday a vivid and rich experience.

By : Peter Vasilou

Source : http://www.selectarticle.net/articles/48399/1/The-Colours-of-Bali/Page1.html

The Best of Bali’s Wildlife

With its lush vegetation and tropical climate it’s no wonder that Bali is a popular destination for wildlife and exotic animals. If you want to explore the flora and fauna surrounding you on a Bali holiday, then these destinations are the best places to visit:


Bali Butterfly Park

On a Bali holiday take a visit to the largest butterfly park in Asia for a guaranteed glimpse of the rare bird-wing butterflies. The park is set in intricately landscaped gardens and offers a rare sighting of species which are endemic to Indonesia. The adjoining centre provides resources on the importance of butterfly conservation and what you can do to help conserve the insect upon returning home from your Bali tour holiday. Whether you’re passionate about butterfly conservation, or just love butterflies, make sure you end your visit with a trip to the gift shop, which is stocked full of amazing souvenirs.

Elephant Safari

The Elephant Safari Park is located thirty minutes away from the town of Ubud, which features many visitor resorts and Bali hotels for easy access. Featuring 27 endangered Sumatran elephants, the park is known to be the biggest of its kind and is designed to not only give visitors a close encounter of these mammoth beasts, but also to educate them on the role of the elephant. Visitors will enjoy taking an elephant safari through the landscaped botanical gardens and natural forest and, when they aren’t ferrying visitors around on their Bali tour holidays, the elephants can also be found engaged in many different pursuits, from painting to posing for visitor
photographs. As well as the famous Elephant Safari, the park also houses a comprehensive Elephant Museum, which is home to the only mammoth skeleton in the Southern hemisphere.

Taman Burung Bali

Whilst on your Bali holidays, you may want to take a visit to the Taman Burung Bali. These tropical gardens are home to the largest bird park in Bali, which houses over 1000 birds. Of all these birds, the most enigmatic is the Bali Mynah, which is considered by many to be the rarest bird in the world. The source of its imminent extinction is the illegal pet trade, and Taman Burung Bali not only aims to campaign against this, but also to help preserve the species in captivity.

Ubud Monkey Forest

Located near to the Bali hotels of Ubud, the Monkey Forest is a popular destination with tourists on their Bali holidays. It is home to a plethora of wild monkeys, which can’t be petted, but which you’ll find are perfectly tame enough to steal your packed lunch or bananas. Whilst the Ubud Monkey Forest is significantly smaller than the one at Sangeh, the monkeys here are easily much more entertaining.

Bullock Racing

Bullock racing is a popular sport in Bali and if you’re attending your Bali holidays during the racing seasons of July and October then be sure to attend a race. The bulls are decked out with silk banners, painted horn, and bells, and each given a wooden chariot to pull. As they career along the road at 50km/hr you may even catch the charioteers pulling the bulls tails in order to make them run faster. These ancient races are unlike anything which you’ll ever see again, and if you get the opportunity, they simply must be experienced on your Bali holidays.

By : Claire Bryant
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Weekend Getaway to Gunung Rinjani, Lombok Indonesia

By : S_C_Ong

Indonesia is located in the Ring of Fire and Gunung Rinjani at 3,726 m is the 2nd highest volcanic peak in Indonesia.

Gunung Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia, on the island of Lombok. The most recent eruption was in 1996. According to the locals, fortunately, no one was hurt. People who were fishing at the crater managed to escape unscathed. All the fishes in the crater died.

Gunung Rinjani is surrounded by fields growing rice, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cinnamon, and vanilla. The locals lived a very simple and quiet life and the fields are lush and green growing on fertile soils of the island. Gunung Rinjani is well-known for its spectacular crater lake as well as the small cone in the center of the caldera, which looks like a "crater within a crater". The arduous trek is rewarded with a choice of swimming in the crater or in pools of hot springs that can be found near the crater.

The climb to the summit is most scenic but can be a heart-stopping experience. The trek to the summit is covered with volcanic ashes. You end up sliding 3 steps backwards with every step that you take. Hence not many get to catch sunrise. The trek to the summit is exposed and you are at the mercy of the winds. Coupled with the treachery of the volcanic ashes, there have been a few who had fallen victims to nature.

But the view at the top is almost breathtaking. The a crater within the crater lake, greenery from the surrounding forest, and the clear blue sea from the distance, put together a picturesque view. On clear days, you can even see the Gunung Agong from Bali Island.

To the natives, the volcano is revered as a sacred place and abode of deities. The crater lake is the destination of thousand of pilgrims who place offerings in the water and bathe away disease in the hot springs. Not sure whether the area and the people will be able to stand the test of time, amidst the expanding tourism from Bali.

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Around Lombok on a Motorbike

By : Peter Vasilou

Ever felt like just getting away from it all? Heading off to a tropical island, climbing on a motorbike and setting off with the wind in your hair? Imagine -nothing between you and the landscape but the open road. Well, we've found the perfect place and it's not as far off the beaten track as you might imagine. A visit to the Indonesian island of Lombok is an enchanting diversion from its faster-paced big sister, Bali. Holidays to Lombok will show you a different side to Indonesia. The landscape is just as beautiful; the people are just as gentle; and the beaches are just as inviting. But there's something just a little bit special about Lombok...

Separated from Bali by the Lombok Strait, the island is easily reached by boat in a few hours, or, if you're in a hurry, by plane. Perilously close to perfection, Lombok is relatively unspoilt in terms of tourism. The people of Lombok still live a traditional way of life and are a little quieter and more restrained than their neighbours in Bali. Holidays in Lombok will engage you in a lifestyle that has remained largely unchanged for centuries. Not here the busy nightlife and shopping scene; Lombok is suited to those looking for a more organic holiday, enjoying simpler, nature-based activities.

Everything on Lombok moves on island time, and a wonderful way to move along with it is to rent a motorbike and set off with the freedom to choose where to go and where to stop. Even if you haven't got long in Indonesia, a perfect idea is to combine a two or three day trip over to Lombok with your Bali holiday. Once you've arrived, all that's left to do is get on your bike, feel the breeze - and ride! Here are a few spots you won't want to miss on your way.

Kuta Beach

Not to be confused with the Kuta Beach you'll visit on your Bali holiday, Lombok's version is also great for surfing, but even more renowned for its wonderful diving opportunities. With long white expanses of beach stretching on for miles and craggy cliffs rebuffing the turquoise shallows; the romantic landscape of Kuta will set the scene for the rest of your journey.

Desert Point - Bankgo Bankgo

About a three hour ride from Kuta around the rugged peninsula to the South West tip of Lombok, Desert Point is a surfer's Nirvana. Magic happens as the reef, the surf and the wind meet to create what has been described as the world's best wave. Surfing here has none of the frenzy you will encounter on a surfing holiday in Bali, but this break is definitely for the pros only. It has been said that some hardened surfers have given up their sport after riding the wave at Desert Point, as they know they can never again match the experience.

Senggigi


Heading up the western side of the island, the ride along the Senggigi Coast is nothing short of spectacular. Long stretches of road are flanked by the open sea on one side and views across rolling hills to the majestic volcanic Mount Rinjani on the other. Stop off and scramble down to a sheltered cove for your picnic lunch and a quick dip in the warm ocean.

Mount Rinjani

Lombok's piece de resistance, and undoubtedly one of the most impressive landmarks in Indonesia, Mount Rinajni is an awesome sight. Even from a distance you can see the many waterfalls which scar her slopes and form natural irrigation channels to the cropland below. It can be appreciated from its base, but if you wish to tackle the ascent, set aside some extra time for the three day trek.

The Gilli Islands

While you'll have to leave your bike behind for a trip across to these idyllic islands, the journey won't take too long. Famed for their dazzling white beaches, these three jewels studded in a turquoise sea are surrounded by a coral reef teeming with marine activity. Life on these islands is typically slow-paced, and they are the closest thing to a deserted island you can find without being shipwrecked!

Peter Vasiliou is a Bali holidays, specialist for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering Bali holidays as well as holidays to other destinations in the Far East; the Indian Ocean, Cuba and the Caribbean, Egypt, Southern Africa, Italy & the Mediterranean, Canada, Australia and the Pacific. key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.

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Lombok Island is an Undiscovered Paradise

by : Darren_W_Chow

Do you need a vacation? Or do you need time to relax and unwind? You don't want to go where there are millions of other tourists there which will spoil your time off from work. One place that you may not have heard of is Lombok Island. It is an undiscovered island paradise in Indonesia which may be the answer to your dreams.

What type of vacation are you looking for? Do you want to simply relax and do nothing? Or perhaps you want a vacation filled with plenty of activities that have intriguing sights and sounds. Or maybe you want to have an exotic adventure filled with nightlife and shopping. Any one of these and many others can be attained at Lombok Island.

This island is located east of Bali and is the owner of magnificent white sand beaches, a tropical climate and friendly people. Mount Rinjani National Park is also located here which has the third largest volcano in Indonesia with a measurement of 3726 meters. The best time to plan your trip is from the months of May to October. The peak season during the months of July and August so you will want to plan your trip early and make sure you have reservations!

There are many activities to do on the island of Lombok. You can do rock climbing, scuba diving, trekking, biking, sailing, snorkeling, bamboo rafting, surfing, fishing, boating, paragliding, parasailing, and even golfing. If you can name it you can do it here. You can trek on the mountain or on a natural trail. Most trips are usually done with an average of 15 to 20 people and accompanied by a local guide. You can even go camping and view some of the natural animals and vegetation.

The major city of Senggigi holds plenty of local nightlight filled with many dining establishments and dining restaurants. You will be sure to find something that will want to remind you of your visit and other unique items to take back as gifts. You will find exotic foods that will provide you with experiences unlike any other.

You can also take a small trek or tour to view the local plant life. There are also wetlands that you can view and enjoy. While there you might see a komodo or other natural animal life on the island. This is your chance to see animals in their natural habitat that you would normally see in a zoo.

When you visit Lombok Island you might not get a chance to see everything. You might be so overwhelmed by all the activities and adventures that happen here. You might decide not to do anything at all but simply meditate, relax, and get pampered. That can be done here as well. Whatever your vacation ideal is you can have it when you come to Lombok Island. It is a tranquil place with unheard of beauty and lulling waters that soothe your senses. The colors are so vibrant they appear to have been painted by an artist. You will not want to leave.

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