Bali with its surrounding islands is a province of Indonesia an has a population of over 4.2 million people. About 85 per cent follow Balinese Hinduism while about 12 per cent are Muslim. This makes Bali unique in Indonesia and the friendliness of the people, magnificent beaches and value for money make this place a magnet for tourist from around the world, particularly its close neighbour Australia.
My visit to Bali is just the start of a 6-week look around Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan, with a brief visit to Singapore. The day started with a 2-hour flight delay from Brisbane airport. I’m flying Jetstar, which is fairly unremarkable but I am excited about the plane I will be flying in. It’s the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It is a very sophisticated new advancement in aeronautical engineering. Carbon fibre has replaced the metal skin making the wings and fuselage more wind resistant and tougher, and the plane lighter. the toughened fuselage allows the windows to be bigger for added passenger entertainment. I love to gawk out the window as much as possible. The Dreamliner has improved engines making it quitter and more fuel efficient, and popular with airlines around the world.
The flight was long. You pay for everything on a Jetstar flight so I avoided the expense of inflight entertainments. The flight takes just over five hours and had us landing in Bali around 2.30, well past the scheduled arrival but still plenty of time to get to the hotel and have a look around. Clearly we weren’t the only plane to arrive! the international terminal was packed and the line through customs, after the line through the visa on arrival counters, went for nearly 90 minutes. People weren’t too concerned though. The atmosphere was cordial. Maybe Bali does that to people. As soon as you arrive your stresses and concerns just melt away. Nigel accompanied me on the journey towards the customs counters. He is a film maker from New Zealand and is visiting friends here that he met 16 years ago. They were meeting him at the airport. Hannah was there too. She is 16 years of age from Sydney and she has come to Bali to surf. She has her own boards. Her uncle has a house here on a quiet stretch of beach. Her mother flew in a few days ago and will meet Hanah at the airport. The separate flights were deliberate ‘because we would just fight the whole way’. After customs, a brief farewell at the luggage caraselle and they were off. Now there is a line through the luggage X-ray. Everything goes through as it should but the guy reading the monitor is texting on his phone as our luggage is technologically exposed. Oh well! The taxi drive was then a slog to get to the hotel. All good, I’m here now. Off to the beach. I’ve missed this sunset but I get balinised in the post sunset glow and a few beers.
My hotel is located in a very tourist-heavy part of Bali called Seminyak. Its just up the beach from the renowned Kuta Beach and with Legian, make up the most popular part of Bali. These beaches are huge. Several hundred metres of sand separate the buildings from the rolling surf, and stretch for as far as the eye can see. Imagine this amazing space full of people having fun, playing sport, relaxing at the many bars and listening to live music. Balinese and tourists alike are taking advantage. It is a very comfortable and contented atmosphere on these beaches and the setting sun adds a glow. This happens every day, 365 days of the year. What an amazing place.
angusmccoll 
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