| Bali island in Indonesia is renowned for its natural | | | | contains a lake that is a few miles long and over |
| beauty and as a fabulous tourist attraction. | | | | a mile wide. Mount Batur is actually a very active |
| However, the island is also known for its terrorist | | | | volcano and can erupt moment as it erupted with |
| attacks in recent years. Since then, the people of | | | | great frequency but the eruptions are less violent |
| Bali have recovered and the island is now a | | | | these days except in a giant eruption in 1917 |
| hotspot for tourists from all over the world once | | | | which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed |
| again, especially for its beach resorts and volcano | | | | hundreds of temples and villages. |
| helicopter tours. | | | | Hiking up Mount Batur in the wee small hours of |
| The island's ecology and geography are greatly | | | | the the morning has become something of a |
| influenced by the towering mountain range of | | | | "must do" thing for many tourists in Bali. You will |
| volcanoes that dominate the island. These | | | | need to bring along a sweater as it can get a little |
| majestic volcanoes created Bali's stunning | | | | chilly at the volcano summit. |
| mountainous landscape and they occasionally | | | | There is also a little coffee shop at the rim selling |
| regenerate its soils and help produce heavy rains | | | | drinks for thirsty hikers and many children and |
| that provide this resort island with precious fresh | | | | women in flip flops balancing buckets of soft |
| water. | | | | drinks on their heads scampering around trying to |
| The Balinese considered the island's many | | | | earn your tourist dollar. As the sun rises, you will |
| volcanoes, lakes and spring as sacred and treat | | | | get a picturesque view of Lombok and other |
| them with respect and awe. If you are a tourist | | | | surrounding islands. |
| traveling to Bali for your holiday vacation, you will | | | | One very interesting hike on Mt Batur is the climb |
| be awestruck with the sheer majesty of the | | | | down the inside of the crater from Penelokan to |
| volcanoes. These natural landscapes are major | | | | Kedisan. There are boats at Toya Bungkah Lake |
| tourist attractions and many tourist go sightseeing | | | | to take you across the lake to a village called |
| the volcanoes on helicopter tours so that they | | | | Trunyan. This village is notorious for its mortuary |
| can view the volcanoes in all its splendor and take | | | | traditions because instead of cremating or burying |
| awesome pictures. The island is still continually | | | | their deceased, the Trunyan villagers leave dead |
| being formed by volcanic activities. | | | | human bodies to decompose naturally in a |
| Bali is located over a major fault zone where the | | | | designated cemetery. |
| Indo-Australian plate collides with the Sunda plate. | | | | Although Bali is known for rice cultivation, its |
| In 1963, a violent eruption on Mount Agung killed | | | | volcanic soil is actually not well suited for such |
| thousands of people and utterly destroyed many | | | | activities. The soil is finely textured and well |
| rice fields and irrigation network. | | | | drained, so water soaks through the soil rapidly |
| The dramatic lava flows on the north eastern | | | | and thus precious water is wasted. The solution |
| faces of Mt Agung is the newest landforms, | | | | therefore lies in repeated and vigorous ploughing |
| showing what the island may look like in ancient | | | | which make the soil less permeable. |
| pre-historic time. It is a fascinating sightseeing | | | | So if you are visiting Bali for your holiday |
| experience, almost like a scene out of Jurassic | | | | vacations, do not miss out a sightseeing trip to |
| Park. | | | | view Bali's majestic volcanoes, better yet, take a |
| Perhaps, the most popular volcano for tourists to | | | | helicopter tour of this spectacular tourist |
| visit and go sightseeing is Mount Batur. This grand | | | | attraction. |
| old dame of a volcano sits in a giant caldera that | | | | |