Bali, a tiny spot on the map between The Indian Ocean and The Pacific Ocean – one of the approx. 14.000 islands that make The Indonesian Islands. But still Bali is something special. Many visitors have called the island “The last paradise on earth”.After a few weeks holiday in Bali during winter 2000 we are inclined to think that they are right.
The island is not very big (as Zealand or Corsika), but it can still offer a great amount of adventure – irrespective of whether we are interested in culture or nature.
Situated in the ocean south of the equator Bali has a humid and warm climate. But still a person from Northern Europe doesn’t find it too warm. Daily temperatures from 25 – 35 degrees and warm nights of 15 – 20 degrees. Actually as a Danish summer at its best. The temperatures are nearly the same all year round. European Winter Months – from Dec. until March – are the rainy season in Bali, but don’t worry, the rain usually comes as heavy showers in the mornings and seldom lasts for long, and the sun again shines from a blue sky.
Statement from one of the first Balitur Guests
Bali's nature offers a tropical lushness. There are jungles that one should only venture into with an experienced guide. But do seize the opportunity if it arises. There are no wild and dangerous animals, but instead, overwhelming amounts of trees, bushes, and flowers whose names one might not know. However, some of the wild flowers can be recognized as some of the houseplants we see in Denmark.
In Bali, you'll also find sandy beaches for swimming, rugged coastal cliffs for snorkeling, and volcanoes that occasionally stir for trekking. There are plantation areas with various exotic fruits. But perhaps one of the most exciting experiences is to venture into some of the remote villages where the Balinese rarely see tourists.
There are vast areas of rice terraces where one can explore independently. Balancing along the narrow ridges that separate the terraces, one can observe rice cultivation in all its stages.
Rice matures from planting to harvest in just three months, allowing for 3 - 4 harvests per year. Within the same area, you can see people plowing the mud with oxen before planting in some of the terraces, while in others, they are transplanting the young rice seedlings or weeding out the weeds between larger plants.
Harvesting is done manually, and threshing is often done with a flail, as was done in Denmark a couple of hundred years ago. In some places, however, "progress" has introduced small motorized threshing machines that can be carried into the marshy rice fields. Practical, but not nearly as romantic. On the other hand, you can see tiny huts near many of the rice terraces - not much larger than doghouses. Here, a person stays overnight during the harvest season to immediately chase away the hordes of small birds that eat the ripe rice at dawn.
