Featured Destination: Bali
Bali A spiritual journey through lush paddy fields, monkey temples and cliff top shrines Low Season: October - November, February - May By Claire French
Low Season Traveller
“Om swastiastu”. You’ll hear the Sanskrit greeting everywhere among the smiling Balinese. Offer this traditional hello and you’ll enjoy a reaction of genuine glee. Meaning something along the lines of “peace from God”, it’s very much in keeping with the spirit of Bali. This gem of the Indonesian archipelago is known as the island of the gods and it’s easy to see why. The emerald, green rice terraces, forested volcanic mountains and towering cliffs are almost painfully beautiful, dotted throughout with tiered pagodas, exquisite temples and hidden shrines reflecting a deep adherence to Hinduism entwined into the daily lives of the Balinese.
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People here are extremely conservative, and this becomes immediately apparent, especially outside the heavily touristed areas around Seminyak and Kuta, which are best avoided in your discovery of an authentic Bali. The biggest crowds congregate in the dry season May to September, and then again around the period December and January. The wet monsoon season lasts October through May and apart from the Christmas and New Year peak, can be considered low season. March to May and October to November are magical times to travel – costs are lower, crowds are fewer and as you watch raindrops dripping off the elephant ear palms and revel in the relief humidity, you will relax, whether you want to or not.
