Bali's Breathtaking Natural Beauty

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Information Center | Environment Bali's Breathtaking Natural Beauty It has become something of a cliché to remark upon the beauty of Bali. Of course, this has not stopped a steady stream of visitors to the island from weaving flowery words over its celebrated charms. Bali's stunning scenery has inspired such legendary descriptions as "the last paradise," "the island of the gods," and "the morning of the world." And Bali continues to play gracious host to hordes of awestruck guests, who return home with glossy photos and vivid descriptions attesting to the exotic allure of "the enchanted isle." Yet no matter how many times it has been said before, there is no denying the fact that the island of Bali is blessed with incomparable natural wealth. From shimmering seas and soft sand beaches to cool volcanic highlands covered with lush green rice fields and gaudy tropical foliage, the landscape offers picture perfect vistas at every turn. And for each traveller, no matter how well prepared beforehand with bright pictures and colorful words, Bali's beauty comes as a revelation. Bali's overwhelming environmental bounty is in part a fortunate result of its geography. Tucked in between hotter, more humid Java to the west and drier, more arid Lombok to the east, and encircled by the cool blue of the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea, the island sits just eight degrees south of the equator. This location endows it with a consistently mild tropical climate, fresh sea breezes, a relatively even range of variation in temperature and abundant rainfall.  Geologically, Bali is perched astride the meeting place of two continental plates, the Sunda plate and the Indian-Australian plate, whose frequent frictions are responsible for periodic outpourings of lava from the earth's molten core. Out of one such series of eruptions Bali itself was born some two to three million years ago. The rocky spine of volcanoes -- some of them still quite active -- that bisects the island continues to periodically remold the landscape and bring fertility to the fields in the form of rich volcanic soil and rainwater from the heavy clouds blanketing the high peaks. This underground activity also bubbles up in the volcanic hot springs that dot the island, places where the visitor can bathe in the warm mineral waters reputed to heal illness and certain to refresh the soul. The climate of Bali is gently tropical, with average temperatures ranging between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. Although travellers from cold northern lands may look upon Bali as the island of endless summer, there are actually two seasons, the "hot season" or musim panas, lasting roughtly from April to October, and the "rainy season," or musim hujan, from November to March. But don't let the names fool you. Temperatures during the rainy season are actually higher, reaching their peaks in December and January, although the heat during those months is frequently broken by the soft showers and torrential downpours that mark the monsoon. While rains are, of course, most frequent during the rainy season months, they can occur any time during the year. They rarely last long, however, and they are inevitably followed by the sweet smell of the land washed clean and the shimmering beauty of the foliage dripping with fresh color. For a place that has inspired so many volumes of poetic description and attracted such a long and illustrious list of guests to its shores, Bali is surprisingly small, stretching only 90 kilometers from north to south and 135 kilometers from west to east. But within this area -- approximately the size of the U.S. state of Delaware -- Bali hosts a stunning range of climactic contrasts and a diverse collection of plant and animal life.  The south is the face of Bali that most travellers see. This is Bali's "rice bowl," where the grain that provides the major portion of the Balinese diet and inspires a good part of its mythology and ritual activity grows in lush wet fields irrigated with the mountain water that flows down from the north through a complex series of channels. The southern shore is the postcard perfect picture of island paradise: dazzling white sand beaches and azure ocean flanked by towering coconut palms and filled with the fragrance of exotic flowers whose very names evoke the tropics: frangipane, hibiscus, gardenia, bougainvillea and red ginger. But the sultry south is not the only side of Bali.  Driving north toward Ubud, the terrain shifts to softly rolling hills overlooking rocky ravines, whose slopes are covered with lush tangles of vegetation. Here the mornings are misty and magical, while the cool nights arouse a perfect mood for witnessing the area's renowned traditional performances or simply indulging in a restorative evening of stargazing. Travelling further toward the mountains, the topography changes again, offering breathtaking views of dizzyingly high crags lined with steeply terraced rice fields, marvels of human engineering that amaze and inspire with their ingenuity. Here some of Bali's best produce is grown, including corn, onions, sweet potatoes, coffee and sparkling fresh strawberries. At these elevations, be sure to book a hotel room with a fireplace! The adventurous can climb even further toward the clouds by braving the ascent to the peaks of Mount Batur or Mount Agung. From this lofty perch close to the heavens, surrounded by the barren moonscape that marks the edge of the volcanic caldera, one can look down on Bali spread out below in postage stamp miniature.  The west of Bali is the most sparsely populated area of the island, traversed by few tourists. But those intrepid travellers who venture into its wild interior will find landscapes that remain almost unscarred by human habitation. Over fifty percent of the western regency of Jembrana is still forest, providing shelter to several rare species of birds and beasts, including the Bali Starling and the Javan Buffalo, as well as various deer, monkeys and even an occasional leopard. Wandering through this virgin forest is like taking a trip back in time before humans marked the earth with their presence. With only the rustle of the leaves and the song of the birds to distract you, it’s hard to imagine that the bright lights of Kuta are only a few hours away.  East Bali is another side of Bali few tourists are lucky enough to witness. But those who make the trek over the magnificent mountain passes and across the dry plains will arrive at the breathtaking black sand shores of some of Bali's best beaches, romantic hideaways where fishermen set out to sea in gaily colored wooden boats, braving the pounding surf with only the bright lights of the stars to guide them home. Here at the end of the road, past the reach of the electric and telephone wires, you can witness age old patterns of village life that remain virtually unaffected by the tide of Westernization sweeping the rest of the island. top