Bali Volcanoes Helicopter Tour

Bali island in Indonesia is renowned for its natural beauty and as a fabulous tourist attraction. However, the island is also known for its terrorist attacks in recent years. Since then, the people of Bali have recovered and the island is now a hotspot for tourists from all over the world once again, especially for its beach resorts and volcano helicopter tours.

The island's ecology and geography are greatly influenced by the towering mountain range of volcanoes that dominate the island. These majestic volcanoes created Bali's stunning mountainous landscape and they occasionally regenerate its soils and help produce heavy rains that provide this resort island with precious fresh water.

The Balinese considered the island's many volcanoes, lakes and spring as sacred and treat them with respect and awe. If you are a tourist traveling to Bali for your holiday vacation, you will be awestruck with the sheer majesty of the volcanoes. These natural landscapes are major tourist attractions and many tourist go sightseeing the volcanoes on helicopter tours so that they can view the volcanoes in all its splendor and take awesome pictures. The island is still continually being formed by volcanic activities.

Bali is located over a major fault zone where the Indo-Australian plate collides with the Sunda plate. In 1963, a violent eruption on Mount Agung killed thousands of people and utterly destroyed many rice fields and irrigation network.

The dramatic lava flows on the north eastern faces of Mt Agung is the newest landforms, showing what the island may look like in ancient pre-historic time. It is a fascinating sightseeing experience, almost like a scene out of Jurassic Park.

Perhaps, the most popular volcano for tourists to visit and go sightseeing is Mount Batur. This grand old dame of a volcano sits in a giant caldera that contains a lake that is a few miles long and over a mile wide. Mount Batur is actually a very active volcano and can erupt moment as it erupted with great frequency but the eruptions are less violent these days except in a giant eruption in 1917 which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of temples and villages.

Hiking up Mount Batur in the wee small hours of the the morning has become something of a "must do" thing for many tourists in Bali. You will need to bring along a sweater as it can get a little chilly at the volcano summit.

There is also a little coffee shop at the rim selling drinks for thirsty hikers and many children and women in flip flops balancing buckets of soft drinks on their heads scampering around trying to earn your tourist dollar. As the sun rises, you will get a picturesque view of Lombok and other surrounding islands.

One very interesting hike on Mt Batur is the climb down the inside of the crater from Penelokan to Kedisan. There are boats at Toya Bungkah Lake to take you across the lake to a village called Trunyan. This village is notorious for its mortuary traditions because instead of cremating or burying their deceased, the Trunyan villagers leave dead human bodies to decompose naturally in a designated cemetery.

Although Bali is known for rice cultivation, its volcanic soil is actually not well suited for such activities. The soil is finely textured and well drained, so water soaks through the soil rapidly and thus precious water is wasted. The solution therefore lies in repeated and vigorous ploughing which make the soil less permeable.

So if you are visiting Bali for your holiday vacations, do not miss out a sightseeing trip to view Bali's majestic volcanoes, better yet, take a helicopter tour of this spectacular tourist attraction.

Exclusive Boutique Style Bali Hotels

The basic idea is to combine the conveniences of a five-star resort with the cultural richness of a Balinese private home. A Bali hotel experience of a different kind.

Over the years this type of accommodation has increased vastly in popularity with travelers looking for something special and exclusive.

The difference between large hotel chains and boutique hotels is that they don't provide 100's of rooms but instead secluded luxury in small and intimate resorts.

A "home away from home" is a bit a stressed expression, but it describes quite accurately what you may find. A really private space in a total different location, thousands of miles away from home. You already could find that easily in many Bali hotels that are always different than big city hotels and even more so in boutique hotels.

All amenities are usually provided in these resorts to make you feel comfortable. Individual service with a personal touch makes all the difference, and a villa with an selection of things you don't want to miss like a sound system and satellite TV, several cozy in- and outdoor areas for relaxation, and refreshingly different styled bathrooms surely add to the ingredients to make you enjoy your stay.

Some icing on the cake may be a private Jacuzzi, plunge or swimming pool. What would be life in the tropics without it.

A resort in Ubud was ahead of its time and has been copied by newly built ones a several times since then. It's the Pita Maha, build by a member of the Royal family of Ubud in Bali. The concept of a river view resort with spa is taken from the Tjampuhan hotel and greatly refined through adding privacy by establishing a exclusive luxury villa concept. More about this resort later.

On the ocean side it was Four Seasons in Jimbaran who first successfully introduced the private villas concept within a hotel. Of course they also went to Ubud to build The Four Seasons Sayan. Overlooking the Ayung river it became too small for the demand already and new villas have been added.

The leading resorts in this field try to accomplish a secluded setting of each villa, permitting undisturbed outdoor life with outdoor dining areas. So life within nature can be experienced in Bali style. Some of the villas have outdoor bathrooms and private plunge pools as well.

Many known Bali hotels and resorts are renovating and redesigning themselves to follow this trend. Alam Kul Kul in Legian added boutique elements, The Villas in Seminyak are a good example to fully mature this concept, all villas have a private swimming pool and offer the privacy requested by clients.

In Jimbaran the Jimbaran Puri bali is a good beach side concept and must be booked early. The negative side of Boutique resorts is really the limited availability of rooms. It seems that because of the initially understated expectancy a few years back when the success of small high end resorts wasn't guaranteed, some of them are maybe build a bit too small.

Now the situation is very much different, travelers looking for that special place to spend a vacation, and are willing to pay for the extra luxury. The Ubud area is leading the way with resorts such as Kamandalu Resort, The Alila or the Natura Resort, one of the better and most convincing additions.

In the meanwhile we saw the opening of many new intimate small Bali hotels over the last few years, it seems a trend unbroken despite the slow down and recent recovery in the Bali tourism industry. Bali is once again the tropical dream location on a small island that currently attracts more individual travelers than mass group tours. Personally I am happy with this development and hope it will stay like this, as it supports space and tranquility for a personal experience in a location that 'is made' to be experienced this way.

Adventures in Bali

With it's tropical temperatures and lush landscape, the island of Bali is a wonderful place to get in touch with your adventurous side.



Start by taking a Sea Walk. SeaWalker Bali has a special diving system that lets you get a close up view of the Bali ocean life. You actually walk on the ocean floor, to a depth of 15 feet, without getting your hair wet! Unlike traditional SCUBA diving no certification is needed. Your tour will include pickup from your hotel, transport in an air conditioned coach or minivan, professional instruction, safety approved equipment, insurance, refreshments and lunch. All you need to bring is a towel, sunscreen, swimsuit, and money for a video of your sea walk. The cost is just US$69 and instruction is provided in both English and Japanese. During your 30 minute sea walk you can expect to be surrounded by a large variety of colorful fish and sea life.



From the depths of the ocean to the top of a pachyderm. Bali is home to the Elephant Safari Park. Over 20 rescued Sumatra elephants live and play at the park. Here visitors are encouraged to get up close and personal with the elephants. Elephant shows are offered throughout the day, during some the elephants even paint. At the Elephant Safari Park you can touch and feed the elephants. The park is also home to the Elephant museum which houses a wide variety of elephant exhibits and information, including the only mammoth skeleton in Southeast Asia. To top off your trip to the elephant park, take an elephant tour and explore the nearby jungle from the back of a majestic pachyderm. Enjoy the elephant park and know that you are helping save the endangered Indonesian elephants, as a portion of all proceeds goes to relocation and breeding programs for Indonesian elephants.



Now that you've tried the easy adventures, it is time to step it up a bit. There are some fabulous whitewater rafting in Bali. The river scenery is amazing. During your rafting trip you will travel through gorges where cliffs soar high above you. This is interspersed with lush primary rainforests and spectacular waterfalls. The spectacular scenery combined with exciting white water make for a Bali adventure you will not soon forget. Two of the more common rivers to raft on are the Ayung River and the Telaga Waja River. The Ayung River has over 28 class II and III rapids interspersed with calmer areas where you can view waterfalls, lush forests, and steep cliffs. The Telaga Waga River is more of a thrill ride with continuous rapids from start to finish. Experienced guides will make sure you have a fun and safe trip.



So when visiting Bali make sure you do more than just enjoy the beaches. I've touched on just a few of the adventures that can add a little spice and excitement to your trip. In addition to the the adventures mentioned here, Bali also offers bungee jumping, trekking to volcanoes, and mountain biking. So get out there and enjoy the natural beauty of Bali while adding some excitement to your trip.

Book Cheap Hotels in Bali & Explore the Diamond Shaped Island of Spectacular

Try something new this time. Choose Bali, which is an Indonesian island, as your holiday travel destination. And explore the diamond shaped island of spectacular volcanic mountains and lakes, enchanting rice terraces, ancient temples and palaces, surrounded by sparkling coral seas. To have a great spectacular view of this island, you must book hotels in advance.

If you are a budget traveler then you should definitely select discount Bali hotels for its rooms are well equipped with modern amenities and excellent facilities for visitors. The culturally rich city Bali has lot of attractive places to offer. Beaches are the prime attraction of this island. The main beaches of Bali include Kuta Beach, Sanur Beach and Tulamben. The best time to visit Bali is in between April to December.

Sailing, water sports, surfing, fishing and enthralling rides of water parks are the watery adventures of Bali Island. Apart from water adventures, you can also visit the settlement of Bayung Gede, an intact pre-Javanese village, and course the caldera rim road of the volcanic mountain, Gunung Batur.

Bali is influenced greatly by the Hindu Religion unlike other Muslim majority states of Indonesia. But the religions like Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are also prevalent there in minority basis. There are many temples in Bali. Among them, the Mother Temple of Besakih is the most significant Hindu temple.

The most widely spoken languages in Bali are Balinese and Indonesian, whereas English is spoken as third language. Another interesting area in Bali is its culture. Enriched with music, dance, art and various festivals make this island a perfect place to live in.

To sum up, Bali Island is an exact holiday spot for travelers around the world. And the travelers can also go for discount hotels if they don’t want to choose the grand luxury hotels. So, without wasting time, just book a hotel that offers you discount hotels rooms.

Five Tips for Booking Online Discount Hotels in Bali

Holiday destinations like Bali can make your holiday a memorable one. Bali is an Indonesian Island located in between the islands of Java and Lombok. The scenic beauty in the backdrops of natural ambiance like rice paddies, volcanic mountains, lush tropical forests, and fascinating beaches surround the city. If you want to explore the diversity of culture, natural beauty, and the Balinese society, then come to Bali.



In Bali, beach lovers will definitely enjoy the white sandy beaches and warm crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean. Apart from these there are many attractive colourful events that take place in Bali. So, to indulge yourself to its interesting happening events what you need is to fix a perfect hotel to stay. If you are looking for discount Bali hotel then undoubtedly you can find such cheap hotels which are pocket and budget friendly.



Before you select a discount hotels just keep in mind these below mentioned five tips for booking discount Bali hotels.



1. Make a search on the internet search engines by selecting a proper keyword relating booking discount Bali hotels online. A few best search engines must to mention here are Google.com, Yahoo.com, Ask.com, Altavista.com, Msn.com etc.

2. Get confirm about the relevancy and authenticity of the websites which display the search result of booking cheap Bali hotels. For that you can do some research works like domain age. Domain age is nothing but the lease period of that particular website. The trusted website always has a domain age of at least 2 years. If a website offers online booking then you must check whether it has secure SSL service or not. SSL gives you the authenticity and protects you from being victimised by internet frauds.



3. Then search the hotel map and see the location and availability. Location can be determined through encyclopedia or Google maps. You can also search by location and preferred language. For that, you can make changes in settings, every search engines has there own settings.



4. Some of the hotel booking sites promises many facilities and offers. Check them whether they are true or not by browsing the particular hotel website. Always compare the discount hotels rates as every hotel has their own discount offers. Also never forget to check the hotel reviews and facilities. Hotel reviews are very popular way to find out about the hotel and its adeptness’s.



5. Don’t be hurry in selecting discount hotels for you need a little research work because it is advisable to compare and contrast the rates of the hotels which are offering discountable rates. By doing these you can get the lowest discount rate hotels and on the same time reliable as well.



The aforementioned tips can be a useful advice for the travelers and definitely these five tips for booking discount Bali hotels can minimize the worries and hurries of a budget traveler.

Bali Beach Hotels- Dream Homes in the Lap of Nature

Blessed with natural bounteousness, Bali- a nature's paradise is dream destination for several romantic hearts. Bali beaches are excellent places to soak your body in the natural beauty and to indulge in the varied water sports activities. Stretch yourself along the sandy beaches or visit the century old temples and the shrines. Explore all these and a lot more during your stay in the Bali Beach Hotels.



There are several beaches in Bali that offer numerous accommodation options. The Sansur Beach, one of the most popular beaches is an excellent site to watch the sun rise. There are many luxurious resorts and hotels along the entire stretch of white sand. The Inna Grand Bali Beach is a renowned 5-star hotel. The Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel is a nice place to experience the traditional hospitality of the land. Some other resorts and hotels that are nestled in this area are La Taverna Bali Hotel, Mercure Resort Sanur Bali, theParigata Spa Villas and others. Situated under the cool shade of the palm trees, these hotels and resorts offer excellent range of facilities.



The bali Beach hotels of the Kuta and the Legian area are also excellent. The place offers you the excitement and the thrill that you may look forward during your holiday. All the hotels located in the Kuta beach cater to the needs and the taste of discerning guests. Spend your days and nights in the charming ambiance of the hotel. Located along the entire stretch there are a good number of accommodation options which include both luxurious resorts and moderately priced hotels. Indonesia is also famous for its traditional massages. There is an array of hotels which specialize in these massages.



Some of the best hotels of Bali Beaches are also located in Nusa Dua which has impressed travelers with its white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and lush greenery. It is of the top destinations of the world for surfers and water sport lovers which have transformed it into one of the most flourishing cities of the country. There are a few international hotels like Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort, Novotel Nusa Dua Bali Hotel & Residences, The Bale Nusa Dua Bali and others.



The beach of Legian is also popular among the tourists. There are several good value-for-money hotels in this region. To meet the needs of the travelers, especially the leisure ones, there are a number of hotels in the Soka and the Lovina beach.

Bali Travel Guide and Review - Part 1

Bali is a small volcanic island covering around 5000 square kilometers, just south of the equator. Central Bali is dominated by the island's major volcanic peaks, from which the land steadily descends all the way down to sea level on the northern and eastern coasts; the southern Bali peninsula is largely flat. There are four major volcanoes in Bali, the highest being Mt Agung at 3124m.

Agung erupted violently in 1963 and although many people died in the eruption it has since been a blessing to the Balinese in providing some of the richest soil in Indonesia. The next four highest mountains are no longer alive but the smaller Mt Batur (1717m) is one of the most active volcanoes in the region, puffing regular clouds of ash into the air.

Bali, being such a small island, has little space to create rivers of any notable size. Rather it is riddled with small creeks that are channeled into the intricate irrigation system that feeds Balinese rice paddies. Nevertheless, some major rivers do flow, namely the Sungai Pakrisan ("Kris River"), the Sungai Petanu ("Cursed River") and the Ayung, Bali's longest river.

Bali Introduction : The History

Many years ago Bali was divided into eight Hindu kingdoms. These small kingdoms were powerful but prone to fighting each other, which weakened their resistance to foreign invasion. As early as the sixth century, Javanese kings conquered parts of Bali although Balinese princes often continued to rule as puppets with Javanese sovereignty pulling their strings. Nevertheless power continued to bounce between various kingdoms of Bali and Java.

As links with Java strengthened, Javanese script, sculpture and temples began to appear on the island. Late in the tenth century, ties between the islands were solidified with the marital union of a Balinese Prince and a Javanese Princess. The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in the thirteenth century by vanquishing the semi-demonic king of Bali at the time, 'Dalem Bedulu', and attempting to eradicate the 'vile' Balinese princes and their 'barbaric' customs.

Ironically, the supreme Majapahit ruler gave a Balinese the position of 'King of Bali', a position that gained little respect from the majority of Balinese who continued to refuse to recognize Javanese sovereignty. The Majapahit presence in Bali turned out to be short and turbulent and during the ensuing centuries, much of the unique Balinese Hindu culture and traditions that we see in Bali today were created. This was possibly a result of a community determined to protect their individuality and not be overcome by imported Javanese culture.

Contact with the west began when a Dutch fleet stumbled across Bali in 1597 and felt they had found 'paradise'. Many of the crew refused to return home but stories of a magical place leaked back to their homeland. With Dutch royalty eager to establish relations, Dutch ships bearing gifts for the Balinese kings were dispatched. However, from a trading perspective, Bali had little to offer so the opportunity to develop international relations was restricted at first. Originally, its primary export was slaves but as the world slave trade was curtailed, the Balinese Kings turned to other commodities such as coconut oil, thereby putting Bali in a position to enter the world trading market.

Dutch interest in the Indonesian islands changed into the seventeenth century and the merchant ships gave way to war ships. The Dutch had overcome many Javanese kingdoms through ancient principles of divide and conquer and the same approach was taken in Bali. As the Balinese continued to resist, the Dutch became more and more aggressive.

Stories of their barbaric tactics were not received well in their homeland and protests led them to complete their invasion more tactfully. Surprisingly, once the Dutch secured control, they protected the island from outside influences and encouraged them to maintain much of their culture and traditions. Grateful of this as we are today, their reasons were not purely benevolent: they considered the Balinese controllable with their peaceful religion but were wary should that religion change to a more fundamental variety.

World War 2 brought a new era as Japanese armies took over from the Dutch. The Japanese presence in Bali was short lived and they left without a trace as they lost the war. The Dutch tried to return to the Indonesian islands, but their desperate attempts to regain power in the colony were condemned all over the world. Together with the rest of the Dutch East Indies archipelago, Bali was handed over to a new independent Indonesian government that emerged in 1949. Bali had finally lost its liberty and fell to its destiny of economic and political dependence on neighboring Java.

Bali Introduction : The Population

Bali is bursting, with an estimated population of over three million people. Through the controversial transmigration program, Balinese communities have developed in the outer regions of Indonesia such as Sumatra and Sulawesi, in order to relieve the islands' already stretched natural resources.

to be continued.....