Bali and Lombok: The Rough Guide (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Despite the obvious attractions of the beach resorts, most visitors also venture inland to experience more traditional island life. On Bali, the once-tiny village of Ubud has become a hugely popular cultural centre, still charming but undeniably commercialized, where traditional dances are staged every night of the week and the streets are full of arts and crafts galleries. Tetebatu on Lombok occupies a similarly cool position in the foothills, although, like the island as a whole, it lacks the artistic heritage of Bali. In general, the villages on both islands are far more appealing than the towns, but Bali’s capital Denpasar, its former capital Singaraja, and Lombok’s Ampenan-Mataram-Cakranegara-Sweta conurbation are all worth a day-trip for their museums, markets and temples.
Bali’s other big draw is its proliferation of elegant Hindu temples, particularly the spectacular island temple of Tanah Lot and the extensive Besakih complex on the slopes of Gunung Agung. Temple festivals are also well worth attending: held throughout the island and at frequent intervals during the year, most are open to tourists.

Both islands hold a number of hiking possibilities, many of them up volcanoes. The best is undoubtedly the climb to the crater lake of Lombok’s Gunung Rinjani – one of the highest peaks in Indonesia – though the ascent to the summit of Bali’s Gunung Batur is less arduous and therefore more popular. Bali’s sole national park, Bali Barat, has relatively few interesting trails, but is a rewarding place for bird-watching, as is the area around Lake Bratan in the centre of the island. Even if you don’t want to go hiking, it’s worth considering a trip to the northern hills for the change of scenery and refreshing temperatures; the little village of Munduk makes a satisfying focus.

WHEN TO GO
Located firmly in the tropical zone, just eight degrees south of the equator, Bali and Lombok enjoy fairly constant year-round temperatures, averaging 27°C in the shade in the coastal areas and the hills around Ubud, and 22°C in the central volcanoes around Kintamani. Both islands are hit by an annual monsoon which brings rain, wind and a sometimes unbearable 97 percent humidity from October through to March.

The best time to visit is outside the monsoon season, from May to September, though monsoons are, like many other events in Indonesia, notoriously unpunctual, and you should be prepared to get rained on in Ubud at any time of year. However, the prospect of a daily rainstorm shouldn’t put you off: you’re far more likely to get an hour-long downpour than day-long drizzle. In addition, the landscape is at its most verdant during this time, and the rivers and waterfalls at their most dramatic; mountain-climbing, though, is both unrewarding and dangerous at this time of year. You should also be aware of the peak tourist seasons: resorts on both islands get packed out between mid-June and mid-September and again over the Christmas–New Year period, when prices rocket and rooms can be fully booked for days or weeks in advance. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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