Bali. The most famous island in Indonesia; its spectacular mountain scenery, tropical beaches and the friendly Balinese people make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With thousands of tourists spending their holidays here every year, there is a lot that you’d probably know about the island. The famous surf spots, popular dive sites and the sacred temples are no secret, and yet there is so much more to discover.
So to tell you more about this wonderful place we have created a short list with things you probably didn’t know about Bali!
- The world’s most expensive coffee in the world comes from Bali. It is called Kopi Luwak and is not your typical coffee bean… They collect the beans from the digestion of a Civat Cat, which is a shy cat-like creature living in Asia. The Civat cat only eats the ripest and finest coffee cherries but doesn’t digest the bean.
- When thinking about the beaches in Bali you’d probably think of white beaches and clear blue sea. While there are some stunning beaches like that around the island, there are some with black sand instead! Take for example Lovina Beach, where the beach is covered in black sand that comes from the cooled lava of the Mt Agung volcano. Even though it’s not what you’d think of when dreaming about a tropical beach, it’s still worth a visit!
- At Blue Season Bali we all praise the beauty of this island, but did you know it was actually ranked second among the world’s Top Regions by the Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel 2010? Plus, in 2009 it was awarded World’s Best Island by Travel & Leisure Magazine! Not that that came as much of a surprise to us, of course…
- Due to the fact that Bali is a popular tourism destination for travellers all over the world, around 80% of its economy is related to tourism. From leisure activities to hotels and restaurants; tourism is the largest industry in terms of income.
- If you have followed our previous blogs, you probably already know everything about this holiday, but did you know that the Balinese New Year starts in silence? The first day of the new calendar is called Nyepi; and no one is allowed on the streets. Noise and light are to be kept at a minimum and these rules apply to everyone who is on the Island. Read more about this holiday in our previous blog.
- There are a lot of different languages and dialects spoken all over Indonesia, although Bahasa Indonesia is the country’s official language. Most Balinese residents speak 3 languages: Balinese, Indonesian and English (the last one mostly due to tourism).
- Balinese babies are carried everywhere the first few months of their lives, this is because they are not allowed to touch the ground. They are considered little angels, their connection to the spirits is kept in tacked by not touching the earth. When the time has come that they are allowed to touch the ground, a big ceremony is held.
- Another big ceremony is held when a Balinese reaches puberty; the tooth filing ceremony. This ceremony symbolises three things: a coming of age, the transition from animal to human and the control of the 6 human evils (desire, greed, anger, confusion, jealousy and being under the influence of strong)
- You will also find a lot of people called Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. Actually, most Balinese people are given one of these four names, male or female. It simply means ‘first born’, ‘second born’, ‘third born’ and ‘fourth born’. So, what do you call your fifth child, you may ask? Simply start over again and name him or her ‘Wayan’ again!
- Did you know that the Indonesian waters are home to around 3,000 species of fish? That’s double the amount of species found in the Great Barrier Reef!
So… What are you waiting for? Come and discover Bali and its fascinating culture, breath-taking landscape and incredible marine life by diving in Bali with Blue Season Bali!
Contact us here.
