Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FACT FILE
•
Bali
(almost 5800 square kilometres in size with a population of over 4.2 million)
and
Lombok
(just over 4700 square kilometres in size and with a population
around 3.2 million) make up two of the 33 provinces of the Republic of Indonesia,
an ethnically diverse democracy of around 247 million people.
• The Balinese traditionally celebrate their new year, known as
Nyepi
and generally
falling in March/April, with a day of silence and meditation. By contrast, the night
before features a deafening cacophony designed to scare away evil sprits.
• Every November/December, Muslim and Hindu communities on Lombok take
part in the
Perang Topat
, or
Ketupat War
, a ceremonial mock-battle at Pura
Lingsar featuring copious rice- and egg-throwing.
• The
Wallace Line
that runs through the 35km-wide Lombok Strait, which separ-
ates the two islands, was long thought to mark the boundary between the distribu-
tion of Asian and Australasian wildlife.
• Both Bali and Lombok are
volcanic
: a massive eruption on the latter in 1257 is be-
lieved to have triggered dramatic changes in global temperatures for several years.
BARONG DANCE, BATUBULAN
Where to go
Bali's best-known resort, the
Kuta-Legian-Seminyak
strip is an 8km sweep of golden sand
that has an international reputation as a hangout for weekending Australian surfers but also
increasingly appeals to other visitors who are drawn to its fashionable restaurants and chic de-
