Many people choose Bali, Indonesia when planning a vacation. Its diverse culture, indigenous cuisine and lush tropical surroundings provide a gorgeous backdrop for a time of relaxation and pleasure.
Bali's hot and sunny climate make it a popular destination for tourists. Being situated just south of the equator gives Bali a year-round season of summertime, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The monsoon months (October to April) bring about often unpredictable rain, but even then the days are mostly clear and sunny. Locals can been seen on the beach as early as 6:30am and they don't retire until twelve hours later, when the sun begins to set.
The Balinese are an interesting people. Their religious views are based on the Hindu caste system, in which there are distinct classes of people. At the bottom - and comprising most of the Balinese natives - are the peasants. Just above them is the warrior caste, then the king caste and finally the caste belonging to the holy men and priests. Even more fascinating is the fact that each different class of people has their own spoken dialect by which to identify themselves, as well as one general dialect, in order to avoid embarrassing situations in which one person isn't sure which caste another is from.
Amidst this rich cultural heritage is an abundance of entertainment, dining and shopping. The traditional Balinese dances are performed at various hotels and resorts to charm the guests. Food ranges from Japanese restaurants to native cuisine to Italian eateries. The Monkey Forest is popular with families, but watch out for the monkeys! They enjoy stealing little trinkets, and their claws can cause quite a bit of pain.
The money used in Bali is called the rupiah and is quite confusing to those not familiar with it. Notes range from denominations of 1,000 to 100,000, though their American dollar equivalent is quite low, with one US dollar being worth nearly 10,000 rupiah. Coins and smaller currency are rarely used. When change at a retail store or restaurant cannot be made with available currency, it is often paid for with candy and peanuts.
Be careful, though, when changing money in Bali. There are many predators eager to rip off an unsuspecting tourist who doesn't understand the money. By keeping a currency cheat sheet on hand you can make sure that a money changer isn't giving you less rupiah than your money is worth. Never give them your money until you have counted and recounted the rupiah, and never return the rupiah once you have made the exchange.
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