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The Island of Gods Bali is one of the smallest island in Indonesian archipelago, with an area of 5,426 square kilometers (2,095 square mlis.). |
 | Lying 8 degrees south of the equator, it has the warm, humid climate of the tropics. Temperatures are usually in the eightties and rainfall is generous, particulary from November to February when the northeast monsoon brings in the season of heavy tropical rain, whilst the months between May and August are generally drier and less humid. |
The word Bali originated from the word wali which means offerings. According to archeologists the word wali was first seen on an old inscription of Blanjong, in village of Sanur, a name of beautiful white sandy beach in south Bali, dated the year 913 AD. Due to the time and phonetical changings then the word wali has come to be known as Bali. The jewel of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali has become a legend. Colour and complexity of its religion, the beauty of its people, tranquil richness of landscape are living expressions the rest of world's vision what tropical paradise should be. Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India called the island 'morning of the world', the graceful tribute to an island which still keeps innocence in spite the growing inroads modern commercial world. Indonesians call Bali Pulau Dewata, the Island of Gods, and recognise its claim to special fascination. Even when set beside the vigorous cultures of Indonesia's many other island, Bali's high level of artistic achievement in painting, music and dance and the unique traditions of its Bali-Hindu religion has always stood out. Artists and writers have come to look and stayed for a lifetime, caught in a spell which is too enticing to break. Seeing the tranquil, friendly faces of the Balinese which reflect an equally serene and warm landscape, it comes as a surprise that this island has had a turbulent history. War has played just as decisive a part in Bali's past as religion, with a thousand years of periodic upheavels recorded in the chronicles of the island. |
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| INDONESIA The land The People The Flora The Fauna The Food The Public Holidays The Major Tourist Areas |
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