Nusa Penida area of diving locations

Nusa Penida is an island southeast of Bali island, Indonesia.
Administratively, the island is a subdistrict of Klungkung regency. There are two small islands nearby: Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The Badung Strait separates the island and Bali. Diving sites Nusa Penida covers a wide area of diving locations. They are Penida Bay, Manta Point, Batu Meling, Batu Lumbung, Batu Abah,Toyapakeh and Malibu Point.

The flow through the Lombok Strait is, overall, south-tending, although the strength and direction of the tidal streams are influenced by the monsoon seasons. During the southeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends south; during the northeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends north. In the area of the strait north of Nusa Penida, the pattern is relatively simple, with a flow, at peaktide, of about three-and-one-half knots.

Tidal streams in Badung Strait are semi-diurnal, but the character of the stream is very complicated because its direction runs obliquely to the general south to north direction of Lombok Strait, and the channel has a curved shape.


Toyapakeh
Toyapakeh has a stretch of reefs, and in the southern part of the bay there is a similar area of rugged bommies, rich with color and fish. Big schools of fish, sea turtles, and occasionally Mola mola (sunfish) are highlight of Toyapakeh diving. Toyapakeh is special for its pillars of coral.


Malibu Point
Malibu Point is a diving site with gray reefs, reef white tips, silver-tips and numerous sharks. While Penida Bay is another anchorage, and the rocky islands have an interesting forms; something like an old resting elephant. The bay is vulnerable to swell, creating-up-and-down-currents. Then, Manta Point is a limestone rock off Pandan cafe. The swell is relatively strong.


Nusa Penida/Lembongan

Nusa Penida/Lembongan is a diving site with vast spread of coral reefs and good visibility. Big fishes are frequently observed at the area. Manta rays or sunfishes appear in the certain season. The site is also known of the very strong currents requiring divers some skills.


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Bukit Peninsula hosts such international hotels

The Bukit Peninsula is at the southern end of the island of Bali, Indonesia. It's tradtionally considered to be all the area south of Jimbaran beach. Unlike the bulk of the rest of the island, it features a dry, arid and stoney landscape. The Indonesian government has encouraged the development of the area — instead of more fertile land — for large upmarket tourist facilities.It is a popular destination for surfers. Bukit means 'hill' in Indonesian. This area has undergone large scale investment and growth during the early 2000s, partially owing to its proximity to the Ngurah Rai international airport (the only international one in Bali) and the stunning ocean views from its cliff tops. In 2006 a new golf course (Bali's 4th) started
construction. The bukit now hosts such international hotels.


Dreamland Beach

Dreamland Beach, Bali


Dreamland Beach is a beach located on the Bukit peninsula, on the island of Bali, Indonesia.The beach provides basic accommodation and cafes for surfers and day trippers. One of the most beautiful beaches on the island, it is also renowned for its dangerous shorebreak.It is the site of the failed Pectau Graha development, planned by Tommy Suharto.


Pura Luhur

The temple at Uluwatu Pura Luhur is a Balinese Sea Temple at Uluwatu on Bali. It was built in the 11th century.


Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua is a peninsula in the south of Bali. It is located 40 kilometres from Denpasar, the capital of Bali. Nusa Dua beach there are many tourist areas in this area that consists of lime-coral stone, such as Jimbaran Beach and Garuda Wisnu Kencana. Nusa Dua beach is a popular place for kitesurfing.


Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Garuda, King of Birds, and his mount


Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana, or Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) is a private cultural park on the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of the island of Bali in Indonesia. Bukit is a limestone plateau with Uluwatu to the west and Nusa Dua to the eastern


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Kuta Bali with its daily spectacular sunsets

Ready to surf the waves
of Kuta, Bali

Kuta is a town in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations.It is known internationally for its long sandy beach, varied accommodation, many restaurants and bars, and convenience to Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport.

Kuta is now the center of an extensive tourist-oriented urban area that merges into the neighboring towns. Legian, to the north, is the commercial hub of Kuta and the site of many restaurants and entertainment spots. Most of the area's big beachfront hotels are in the southern section of Tuban.

Legian and Seminyak are northern extensions of Kuta along Jl. Legian and Jl. Basangkasa. They are somewhat quieter suburbs with cottage-style accommodations, where many of the expat crowd live. Also to the north are Petitenget, Berawa, Canggu, and Seseh - new and quieter continuations of Kuta's beach. They are easy to reach through Abian Timbul or Denpasar and Kerobokan. Several large hotels are located in this area: the Oberoi Bali, Hard Rock Hotel Bali, the Intan Bali Village, the Legian in Petitenget, the Dewata Beach and the Bali Sani Suites in Berawa.

To the south, Kuta Beach extends beyond the airport into Jimbaran. The Balinese Provincial Government have taken the view that the preservation of the Balinese culture, natural resources and wildlife are of primary importance in the development of the island. To this end they have limited tourist development to the peninsula on the extreme southern aspect of the island; Kuta beach is on the western side of this peninsula and Sanur is on the east. To the north of the peninsula no new tourist development is supposedly permitted.


Ngurah Rai Airport

Ngurah Rai Airport, also known as Bali International Airport, is located in southern Bali, 13 km south of Denpasar. It is Indonesia's third-busiest international airport, after Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Surabaya's Juanda International Airport. The airport is located close to the extensive tourist developments of southern Bali; the resort center of Kuta is 2.5 km north of the airport.

Domestic Arrival and Departure Width: 9.039 m²
International Arrival and Departure Width: 28.630 m²
The parking area is 38.358 m².
The total terminal area is 265.60 Ha.
The Domestic Terminal is located in the old building, while the International Terminal is located in the L shaped terminal.
The airport has 17 gates: 3 in the Domestic Terminal, and 14 in the International Terminal.
The Domestic Terminal has 35 check in counters, and 2 baggage carousels.


Jimbaran

Restaurants on the beach near Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located just at the south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, the beach is cluttered with hotels from inexpensive homestays to five stars hotels. Tourism in Jimbaran has increased rapidly that has boosted local economy, but it suffered by the 2005 Bali bombings where the bomb exploded in one of the restaurants in Jimbaran.

Jimbaran lies on the 'neck' of the southern peninsula in Bali and is widely known for the fresh seafood kiosks that litter the beach. Diners select the seafood live that they wish to eat and it is prepared immediately. More recently, Jimbaran has become a popular location for foreigners to build villas.



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Bali Administrative Divisions

The province is divided into 8 regencies (kabupaten) and 1 city (kota):

Badung

Badung is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 418.52 km² and population of 358,311 (2004). Its regency seat is Mengwi.


Bangli

Bangli is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 520.81 km² and population of 197,210 (2004). Its regency seat is Bangli. Up till 1907, Bangli wasone of the nine kingdoms of
Bali. The capital has a famous Hindu temple, the PuraKehen, which dates from the 11th century. Bangli also has one nice village, lies surround a hill, Demulih. From the Demulih hill, we can see a vast majority of Bali, Island particularly on its Southern part - Kuta, Nusa Dua, Gianyar and apart of Klungkung.


Buleleng

Buleleng is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 1,365.88 km² and population of 577,644 (1999). Its regency seat is Singaraja.


Denpasar(City)

Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It is also the site of Ngurah Rai Airport, the main gateway to Bali. It has a population of 491,500 (2002). It is located at 8°39'S, 115°13'E. Area total 123.98 km² (47.9 sq mi) Time zone WITA (UTC+8)


Gianyar

Gianyar is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 368 km² and population of 416,728 (2003). Its regency seat is Gianyar.



Jembrana

Jembrana is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 841.8 km² and population of 220,000. Its regency seat is Negara.


Karangasem

Karangasem is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 839.54 km² and population of 369,320 (2002). Its regency seat is Amlapura. The Mother Temple of Besakih is located here.


Klungkung

Klungkung is the smallest regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 315 km² and population of 169,906 (2004). Its regency seat is Semarapura.
One can reach Klungkung easily from Gianyar via the highway. The regency is famous for its classic Balinese paintings which mostly depict the story of the epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana. These classical style paintings come from the frescos of the Balinese Palaces, and can also be found at Klungkung Palace in the downtown area.


Tabanan

Tabanan is a regency (kabupaten) of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 839.33 km² and population of 386,850 (2000). Its regency seat is Tabanan.



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Balinese People

The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java (eg. the Municipality of Banyuwangi).

Origins

The origins of the Balinese came from three periods: The first waves of immigrants came from Java and Kalimantan in the prehistoric times of the proto-Malay stock; the second wave of Balinese came slowly over the years from Java during the Hindu period; the third and final period came from Java, between the 15th and 16th centuries, at the time of the conversion of Islam in Java, aristocrats fled to Bali from the Javanese Majapahit Empire to escape Islamic conversion, reshaping the Balinese culture into a syncretic form of classical Javanese culture with many Balinese elements. The Balinese people generally got a large proportion of their
ancestry from there.


Culture

Balinese culture is perhaps most known for dance, drama and sculpture. The culture is noted for its use of the gamelan in music. The island is also known for its form of Wayang kulit or Shadow play/Shadow Puppet theatre. It also has several unique aspects related to their religions and traditions. Balinese culture is a mix of Balinese Hindu religion and Balinese custom.


Religion

The vast majority of the Balinese follow one religion - A Shivaite sect of Hinduism that is mixed with pre-Hindu mythologies. The Balinese from before the third wave of immigration, known as the Bali Aga, are mostly not followers of the Balinese Shivaite Hinduism, but their own animist traditions.


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Bali Demographics

Ogoh-ogoh Monsters


People

Total population: 3.0 million (2000 census)
Regions with significant populations Bali (Indonesia): 2.8 million
Language(s): Balinese, Sasak, Indonesian
Religion(s): Hindu
Related ethnic groups: Javanese, Sasak


Religion

Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (4.79%), Christianity (1.38%), and Buddhism (0.64%). These official statistical figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.

Immigrants from other parts of Indonesia have drastically changed the demographics in Bali. Although the majority of the population of
Bali adheres to Balinese Hinduism, recent years have brought an influx of people from other islands seeking to benefit from the tourist industry, export of local handicrafts and other factors, making Bali the most affluent island in the region. The bombings in Bali by Muslim militants and the numbers of wealthy Muslims from Jakarta with political connections buying prime real estate for development has started to create Hindu-Muslim tensions where none existed before.

The vast majority of the Balinese follow one religion - A Shivaite sect of Hinduism that is mixed with pre-Hindu mythologies. The Balinese from before the third wave of immigration, known as the Bali Aga, are mostly not followers of the Balinese Shivaite Hinduism, but their own animist traditions.


Language

Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in
Bali, and like most Indonesians, the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing.

English is a common third language (and the primary foreign language) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the large tourism industry. Staff working in Bali's tourist centres are often, by necessity, multilingual to some degree, speaking as many as 8 or 9 different languages to an often surprising level of competence.


Culture

Ogoh-ogoh monster at Kuta Bali is famous for many forms of art, including painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese gamelan music is highly developed and varied. The dances portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, and kecak (the monkey dance).

National education programs, mass media and tourism continue to change Balinese culture. Immigration from other parts of Indonesia, especially Java, is changing the ethnic composition of Bali's population.

The Hindu new year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. On the preceding day large, colorful sculptures of Ogoh-ogoh Monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system.


Environment And Wildlife

Bali has around 280 species of birds, including the critically endangered Bali Starling. The only endemic mammal of the island, the Bali tiger, became extinct in the 1930s. The Bali Barat National Park is a refuge for wildlife such as the pangolin, common muntjac,
chevrotain, leopard cat, black giant squirrel, macaque and leaf monkey.


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Bali Geography

Maps Of Bali


Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java and approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. East to west, the island isapproximately 153 km wide and 112 km north to south (95 by 69 miles, respectively), with a surface area of 5,632 km².

The highest point is Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 feet) high, an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains cover centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Mount Batur (1,717 m) is also still active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a catastrophic eruption — one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.

In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, drier in the dry season and overflowing during periods of heavy rain.

The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja, the former colonial capital of Bali, and the present provincial capital and largest city, Denpasar, near the southern coast. The town of
Ubud (north of Denpasar), with its art market, museums and galleries, is arguably the cultural center of Bali.

There are major coastal roads and roads that cross the island mainly north-south. Due to the mountainous terrain in the island's center, the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains. There are no railway lines.

The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the south east has both: the main beach and the secret beach have white sand and the south beach and the blue lagoon have much darker sand. Pasut Beach, near Ho River and Pura Segara, is a quiet beach 14 km southwest of Tabanan. The Ho River is navigable by small sampan. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot, this is
not yet a tourist area.

To the east, the Lombok Strait that separates Bali from Lombok marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of
Australasia that is known as the Wallace Line, for Alfred Russel Wallace, who first remarked upon the distinction between these two major biomes. When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age, Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to keep Lombok and the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated.


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Bali Is An Indonesian Island

Bali is an Indonesian island located at 8°25'23?S,
115°14'55?E Coordinates: 8°25'23?S, 115°14'55?E,
the western most ofthe Lesser Sunda Islands,
lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east.
It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital
at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is home to
the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts,
including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.



Capital: Denpasar

Governor: Dewa Made Beratha (2007)

Area: 5,632.86 km² (2,175 sq mi)

Population: 3,150,000 (2000)

Density: 559.2/km² (1,448.3/sq mi)

Ethnic groups: Balinese (89%), Javanese (7%), Baliaga (1%), Madurese (1%)

Religion: Hindu (93.18%), Muslim (4.79%), Christian (1.38%), Buddhist (0.64%)

Languages: Indonesian (official), Balinese

Time zone: UTC+8

Web site: http://www.bali.go.id/default_e.asp




Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 8 regencies (kabupaten) and 1 city (kota):
Badung
Bangli
Buleleng
Denpasar (city)
Gianyar
Jembrana
Karangasem
Klungkung
Tabanan


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