1. Bali is an all year round destination. While it is outside of the hurricane belts, its tropical climate does include a wet season from January to April. However, the wet season is NOT a reason NOT to come. The rain falls often at night, but even if it is during the day, it comes mostly in the form of a three hour dramatic downpour that only seems to have one purpose: to announce the clearest skies possible, the most beautiful sunny spells and a symphony of blooming flowers.
2. The Bali hotel infrastructure offers an abundance of some of the very best accommodation one can find on the planet. Ranging from splendid villas, on the cutting edge of resort architecture, with open style living, plunge pools and lush gardens to surprisingly pleasant budget accommodation for backpackers. Always at an extremely reasonable cost and high value for money. The island caters to the full spectre of the tourism trade from conference organisers to adventure operators.
3. On Bali "service with a smile" is not merely a slogan. It is a deeply ingrained attitude. Serving is an honour but never servile. In the hotels the personnel to room ratio is one of the highest in the world. There are no real language barriers and communication is always easy. There are few places in the world where it is so easy and cheap to be really pampered. The Balinese Spa culture is legendary.
4. The Balinese way of life, inseparable from its strong beliefs and traditions, NEVER fails to make a holiday into an experience. There is no purer form of the Hindu religion than the one that was carefully nurtured by the Balinese for over a thousand years. Without fail, the Balinese continue to perform their religious duties like they have always done, in spite of all the visitors around them. There is no greater goal in life than to achieve a state of perfect harmony. Religion has spawned a great tradition of art and architecture.
5. Bali offers stunning landscapes and dramatic panoramas that never fail to impress. A range of majestic volcanoes stretch along the northern part of the island and the West Bali National Park that covers most of the western part is pure tropical rainforest. The southern lowlands are covered by hundreds of thousands of ricefields that are served by one of the most elaborate and advanced irrigation systems in the world, which makes it possible to grow two or more rice crops a year.
6. In order to experience this natural beauty to its fullest, Bali offers a range of outdoor activities that include ricefield and jungle trekking, and whitewater rafting.
7. Bali is an island. Its southern shores face the Indian Ocean and the swells that are carried for thousands of miles bring some of the best surfing waves outside of Hawaii. There is world class diving in the coastal reefs off the north coast and the marine life is of a magnificent variety. There are some beautiful sailing vessels based in the Benoa marina, both traditional and modern craft and they offer both daycruises and longer trips.
8. Bali is a shopper's paradise. No one ever goes home without a variety of Balinese arts and crafts. Hardwood classic furniture and lifestyle shopping have become cottage industries. Small galleries and art shops offer paintings at reasonable prices. Many fashion designers have made Bali their home and Bali styles are 'on the crest of the wave', never a season behind.
9. Bali has become a culinary destination in its own right. Nowadays a very cosmopolitan clientele makes its way (and frequent detours) to the Seminyak area near the Oberoi where one can now find a selection of restaurants that can compete with the very best in the world. The seafood stalls on Jimbaran beach are equally famous.
10. Bali is a great hub for some further island hopping. One can take a two day trip into East Java and climb Mount Ijen. One can book a four day cruise to some small uninhabited islands scattered across the Lombok Straits. One can go beachcombing on one of the deserted beaches in the south of Lombok, take a traditional schooner to Sumbawa and Komodo, or follow Captain Cook's course across the Savu Sea. Lots of places to be discovered beyond Bali...
