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Whether you need to know local public holidays or highlights through the seasons, we hope you will find the facts gathered below useful tools for your travel planning. Please feel free to contact us if we can assist you further.

General information

One of more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia, Bali is beautiful almost beyond belief – offering hillsides lined with stepped rice paddies, soaring volcanoes, lush forests and beaches lapped by the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. It has close to 20,000 temples and countless palaces, a legacy of the eight ancient kingdoms that once ruled the island. In Bali’s central highlands, rice terraces and cascading water gardens share the jungle with ancient shrines and eye-catching heliconias.

Renowned for their spiritual approach to life, the Balinese number close to three million, most of whom are Hindu. Along with Java, Bali is famous for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, wood carving and music.

Please note that guests must have passports valid for a minimum of six months from the date of arrival for entry into Indonesia. Please check with your local Indonesian government representative for visa requirements.

Time zone

GMT +8 hours

Language(s) spoken

Although there are 583 languages and dialects spoken in the archipelago, Bahasa Indonesia is the national language of Bali. English is widely spoken in the tourist centres as well as some knowledge of other languages.

Electrical system

Local voltage is 220 to 240 volts AC. Adapters available; please request through the Concierge.

Shopping hours

Daily 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Working hours

Monday to Saturday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Banks and government offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday

Time and distance to city centre

Denpasar: 40 minutes/30 kilometres/19 miles

Time and distance to shopping

• Ubud: 15 minutes/7 kilometres/5 miles
• Sanur: 30 minutes/25 kilometres/15 miles
• Nusa Dua: 1 hour 20 minutes/65 kilometres/40 miles
• Denpasar: 40 minutes/30 kilometres/19 miles
• Jimbaran: 1 hour/55 kilometres/34 miles

View in–depth travel advice from Frommers.com

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Seasonal highlights

Bali celebrates all Hindu, Islamic, Christian and national holidays but the majority of Balinese follow a special version of Hinduism. The religious highlights of the island are unique.

Galungan is a holiday celebrated by all Balinese every 210 days, to commemorate the triumph of good over evil and to be thankful for prosperity. Celebrations include dances and offerings at temples. This colourful festival is followed by Kuningan day.

On Kuningan day, villagers dress in traditional clothes and carry offerings of fruits, flowers, leaves and food on their heads to the temples.

Nyepi is celebrated during either March or April, based on the lunar calendar. Nyepi is the Hindu New Year in Bali and ceremonies are organized in the community one day prior to drive out the evil spirits. There are firecrackers, drums and traditional music. There is also a parade, in which symbolic images of evildoers are burnt at midnight before the day of Silence. During Nyepi day no traffic is allowed on the roads and no lights or noise is allowed in the community. The Resort observes many of the rituals.

Other festivals include days to honour knowledge (Saraswati), metal implements (Pagerwesi) and the full moon (Purnama).