Where is Bali?

Located 8 degrees south of the equator in the midst of the 8,000 islands of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali measures approximately 140 km by 80 km and has an area of 5,620 square kilometers. Immediately east of Java, Bali is the first of the Sunda Islands. Its mountain range consists mostly of dormant and active volcanoes, with the highest, the active volcano Mount Gunung Agung, reaching 3,142 meters. Stretched to the south and north of these volcanoes, Bali's fertile agricultural lands produce abundant crops of rice.
The thinly populated West is the only non-cultivated area and includes Bali's National Park, a deeply forested area with many varieties of plants and birds. The eastern and northeastern slopes of Gunung Agung are arid, as is the extreme south of the island. The climate of most of the island is hot and humid, with an average temperature of 28 Celcius, but the higher altitudes can be quite cool. The rainy season lasts from October to March, and the humidity fluctuates between 75% and 80% depending on the season. Winds tend to blow from the West during the rainy season and from the East during the 'dry' season.

Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
Recent tragic events have scared away many of those who simply saw Bali as a place for cheap beer. While the Bintang is still tasty and plentiful, Bali's temples, ceremonies, beaches, mountains and passion for life are undiminished and more easily enjoyed than ever.