Bali - The island of the thousand temples

Indonesia is a chain of islands not far from the continental Asia on the border of two great oceans - Pacific and Indian. Officially Indonesian archipelago consists of 13677 islands. Six main islands are Calimantan, Sumatra, Sulavesi, Java, Borneo and Bali. The latter has become the theme for the present article.
Bali is the oasis of Hinduism in Muslim Indonesia. The population counts about three millions. Bali is also the most developed island in the whole archipelago and the most popular Indonesian travel destination. It the place of white sand beaches, a paradise for surfers and divers.
The story of the island began in 991 AD. In the end of XIX - beginning XX centuries Bali was conquered by the Dutch, but they saved Hinduism here and didn't let missionaries to popularize Christianity.
Now Bali is a very popular resort - Kuta, Sanur, Nusa-Dua, Jimbaran are among the best beaches of Bali. Bali boasts a highly developed infrastructure of tourism. Hotels are very comfortable, and bars, night clubs and restaurants never let you be bored.
Those who are not exited of lying on the beach are offered some excursions - rafting, trips to the jungles, helicopter trips and numerous cruises.
The best season for tour to Bali is warm and dry period from April to October. The rest of the year is too wet to feel comfortable. July-September is the time when the most of the Europeans come to Bali, so if you prefer less overcrowded periods choose April, May or June for your visit. The other reason for choosing April-June is the price - the more tourists, the higher the prices.
Bali is called "the island of the thousand temples" and each one of this thousand is worth visiting.
Amlapura once was a capital of the ancient kingdom. In 1927 the project of the restoration of its temples was begun. All the temples are situated too close to the volcano, and thus were often damaged. In 2004 one the most impressive temples - Batur was restored. Its most remarkable features are spacious and beautiful courtyards. The narrow roads are covered with black gravel.
The capital of Bali is the city of Denpasar, and it is also the centre of the trade and commerce. The largest market Kambasari is situated near the bank of Badanga River. There you can buy fruits, vegetables, meat, clothes, souvenirs - everything. It is the authentic Indonesian market where the locals also buy goods.