Bali

Bali is situated off the eastern tip of Java, a two-hour flight southeast of Singapore. The island has a vibrant and elaborate culture that revolves around a complex set of Hindu mythologies. Scores of sacred holidays and festivals are celebrated each year with ritual and pageantry, and an astonishing wealth of creativity flourishes. Although areas of north and central Bali still display a ravishing landscape of sculptured rice terraces, the south of the island has changed greatly over the past two decades, especially around the capital city of Denpasar, where the traffic is frequently atrocious. Bali now receives around 6 million foreign visitors a year, 20 percent of whom are from China. The Indonesian government encourages tourist development on the southern Bukit Peninsula, which has many of the island’s best surfing beaches, as well as a terrain that is suitable for golf course construction. Despite the transformation of their island and their new-found wealth from tourism, the Balinese remain polite and gracious, with a unique gift for hospitality.