Bali…… An island that goes by many names – The Island of the Gods, The Center of Universe, The Last Paradise, The Morning of The World. One thing is for sure though, Bali is a truly beautiful tropical island inhabited bu a remarkably artistic people who have created a dynamic society with unique arts and ceremonies.
Bali is extraordinarily blessed by nature. Lying between a narrow band of the tropics where wet and dry seasons fall roughly into balance, providing both adequate rainfall and long periods of sunshine. This is the only area of Indonesia that remains “Hindu” today – retaining elements of the great fusion of indigenous and Indian cultures which took place over a thousand years ago. When Bali was finally colonised by the Dutch, at turn of the 20th century, the European invaders were so fascinated by what they found here that a concerted effort was made to preserve and foster the island’s traditional culture.
Moreover, Balinese society today remains strong and vital because it promotes family and communal values. It is a self strengthening system in which religion, customs and art combine with age-old child-rearing techniques and deeply-entrenched village institutions to produce an exceptionally well-integrated society. Feelings of alienation from parents and peers, so common now in the West, are rare in Bali.
Bali’s geography and ecology is dominated by a towering range of volcanic peaks that dominate the island. They have created its landforms, periodically regenerated its soils and helped to produce the dramatic downpours of tropical rain which recognized these geophysical facts of life and the island’s many volcanoes, lakes and springs are considered by them to be scared.
