Bali: your next stop in search of happiness
The Island of the Gods offers an incredibly beautiful and diverse landscape, unique and diverse culture and colorful festivals. Many have named Bali a paradise on Earth and a lot of travelers are visiting the country in hope to find happiness.
When you plan to travel to Bali there are certain things you need to remember before you pack the bags. The Indonesian island of Bali is blessed with temperatures varying between 20 and 30C year round. Between December and March it can be quite rainy and humid because of the west monsoon. But the days are mostly sunny and the showers only occur in late afternoon and evenings. Between June and September the humidity is low and a bit cooler in the evenings. Such a lovely climate makes Bali an excellent travel destination year round. However, July, August, Christmas and New Years are the busiest and most expensive periods, representing the peak tourist season. Australians visit Bali during the school holidays (April, late June and late September).
Planning the budget: flight and accommodation
Especially outside the peak season, finding a cheap flight to Bali is easy and there are numerous deals available. Flights from Sydney to Bali take at least 7 hours and depending on the airline start at about $499 (round trip). That surely is a good excuse to head to Bali. You can look at it as a way to mix things up while visiting Australia.
Just like in the case of flights, hotels in Bali are cheap outside the peak travel season. Even if you plan to visit Bali because of the beaches, it’s a good idea to look for a place located further from all the hustle and bustle. And try to avoid the high end hotels if you plan to save some money.
What to do in Bali
Most visitors come here for the incredible beaches. Because of the volcanic nature of the island, most beaches have black sand; if you are looking for white-sand beaches, head to the south part of the island. The north part of the island offers safe beaches for swimming.
Probably the best-known attractions of Bali are the Hindu temples. By law, each village is required to construct and maintain at least three temples. Wealthier villages always have more temples and they are absolutely beautiful decorated. The nine directional temples are located at strategic points across the island and are all worth a visit.
When you travel further from the beaches, Bali is lush and green. You’ll find rice paddies on the entire island and some of them form very beautiful terraces.
All of the mountains on the island are volcanoes. Mount Batur is quite active periodically produces a large bang and plumes of ashy smoke. It takes only 2 hours to climb it and is one of the most accessible volcanoes on the island. Mount Agung, located in East Bali, hasn’t erupted since 1963 and is harder to reach.