Tyrone

Bali beckons, encompassing an astonishing array of landscapes, sights, and adventures. The island somehow effortlessly blends two worlds, each worthy of visit after visit. Come for the extraordinary clifftop hotels, celebrity chefs, incomparable crafts, and stunning beaches. But allow plenty of time to experience the islands intense Hindu spirituality, the vivid colors and pageantry of its countless festivals and rituals, and the graceful ease and friendliness of its people.

Fortunately, the island is fairly compact, and with a bit of planning and flexibility, you can easily experience all these aspects. Begin by avoiding the crowded tourist spots on the southern coastin particular, the frenzied commercialism of Kuta and the sanitized enclaves of Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay. To better glimpse the "genuine" Bali, we recommend that base yourself in one, two, or even all four of the regions described below, as time allows. We havent mentioned many of the more famous tourist attractions or hotels such as the Four Seasons or the Aman resorts; like the many guidebooks that list them, they neveror rarelychange. Instead, weve captured the most up-to-date recommendations on special hotels, great restaurants and nightspots, and things to see and do that will help ensure an enchanting trip to the Island of the Gods.

Much of Bali's charm is spontaneous, consisting of chance encounters, and many of its most enticing sites are off the well-trod tourist path. Although we ordinarily prefer to self-drive, unless youre traveling fairly short, straightforward distances during the day, the best option is to hire a car and driver through your hotel. This doesnt cost much more than a rental car, and has the added benefit of allowing you to enjoy the lush green landscape or ocean views without having to evade darting pedestrians and throngs of overloaded mopeds. In other instances, youll want to stroll, hire a bicycle, or even ride a horse as you take in the lush rice paddies, crumbling temples, and other sites. And bemosinformal minivans that you wave down and then negotiate a price with the driverare a great way to get up close and personal with average Balinese people, comparable to riding a chicken bus in Mexico or Guatemala. Many Balinese speak at least a smidgen of English, and those near the resort areas usually speak it quite well.

In each region, be sure to visit the rural villages, where the majority of Balinese live. There are some 20,000 temples in Bali; each village has at least three temples (or pura) around which revolve the religious ceremonies and festivals that accompany the Balinese through each stage of their lives and into the afterworld. Temple etiquette is relatively straightforward but is essential to follow (if youre unsure on the particulars, ask at your hotel). When entering a templeeven if no one else appears to be in the vicinitywear a waist sash, which can be rented at the larger, more-touristy temples, or barring that, wrap a large scarf or sarong around your waist. Also, at Hindu ceremonies, never walk in front of people who are praying, and never sit higher than the priest, the altar, or the offerings.

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Jeff Curley runs a travel advisory firm called "AsiaInsideTraveler.com". With over twenty years of international travel experience - in both leisure and for business settings - Jeff recognized a dearth of high quality and up-to-date Asian travel news and guidance. This led to the birth of AsiaInsideTraveler.com in early 2007. For more details, visit http://www.AsiaInsideTraveler.com