Bali – holiday on the island of gods

Exotic gamelan music echoes from a temple. Finely-dressed women carry on their heads baskets piled with offerings. Barong, a woolly and benevolent lion-like figure from Bali mythology, dances in the forecourt of the temple.

This is not some remote area in Bali – this is along a busy shopping street in Seminyak, Bali’s trendiest travel resort!

This is what a holiday is like on the island of the gods, as it is often called. The Hindu culture that Bali lives and breathes is felt everywhere. Sometimes it is subtle, but sometimes it hits you forcefully, in all its exoticism.

The magical atmosphere, combined with spectacular beaches, magnificent waves to surf on, and a heavenly leafy countryside has made Bali one of the best-loved holiday destinations.

And yet it has managed to keep its unique culture alive and authentic. That is the greatest miracle of the island of the gods.