Welcome to the Island of Gods

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For sun, surf, delicious authentic food and tantalising cocktails, head down to Kuta Beach. Picture: Brenton Geach

Bali is a small island situated in the middle of Indonesia and often referred to as the “Island of Gods”. With its striking beaches, scrumptious cuisine, never-ending markets and eye-catching volcanos, tourists have a feast of breathtaking landscapes at their fingertips.

“With over 2.5 million tourists visiting its shores every year, Bali is a tourist paradise, and with Thai Airways fairs and promotions, you can get there from Bangkok in one quick, easy flight,” explains Thamanoon Kuprasert, general manager of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa for Thai Airways International (THAI).

For sun, surf, delicious authentic food and tantalising cocktails, head down to Kuta Beach. This is easily one of the most popular beaches in Bali for tourists to explore and is truly a surfer’s paradise. With its colossal waves and the volcano’s as your backdrop, it’s no wonder it’s always busy with foreigners.

Kuta Beach is also a great beach for diving as tourists get to see the most colourful and unusual underwater sea creatures. The diving facilities offer both beginners and advanced courses, and the Bali scuba transports you to and from your hotel, providing a light lunch and selection of drinks to choose from. It is recommended that there only be ten guests on board at a time, as it much safer to dive with a small group of people.

For those who like to keep their feet on terra firma, enter the Monkey Forest and meet the monkeys of Bali. The qualified tour guide will teach you how to act around these adventurous creatures, which are notorious for their mischievousness. The monkeys love peanuts, which tourists can buy from a food stall for about 30 cents. Try, stay calm and quiet at all times, because the monkeys will jump on you when they feel alarmed. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, as the trek through the forest is quite long.

The mountainous area of Kintamani is strikingly beautiful and is must-see for every tourist. Mount Batur is a small but very dynamic volcano with bubbling hot springs.

Shop till you drop at all the different markets Bali has to offer, such as Kuta Art Market. Picture: Brenton Geach

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This volcano has erupted 24 times since 1800. It was initially inside the huge crater, but is now on top of the ridge overlooking it. Mount Batur is 1,700 meters high and takes the average person two hours to climb.

Next to this beautiful volcano, tourists can cool off after the long hike and take a dip in the crescent-shaped lake Batur, which is the largest lake in Bali.

Shop till you drop at all the different markets Bali has to offer, such as Kuta Art Market. This market is very close to Kuta Beach and is great if you are looking for sarongs, clothes and jewellery. Tourists should perfect their bargaining talents, as some of the items on display can be quite expensive.

“If you prefer a less crowded market, then head down to Sanur Art Market, which is more relaxed and has different restaurants along the beach front for you to enjoy,” concludes Kuprasert.

Thai Airways travellers can purchase an air ticket for travelling to Thailand and Asia Pacific destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, China, Indo-China, Australia & New Zealand until September 30, 2012 with Thailand & Asia Pacific Delight Promotion. For more information, visit www.thaiair.co.za or phone (011) 268 2580.

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