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