Bali is home to the vast majority of Indonesia’s small Hindu minority and is the largest tourist destination in the Indonesian archipelago.  Renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather and metal working and music, Balinese tradition is strongly influenced by Indian, Chinese and particularly Hindu culture….

The first European contact with Bali was made by Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman who arrived in 1597. The Dutch were the main colonial power in the nineteenth century, however Dutch rule over Bali had came relatively late in the day  compared with Java and Maluku for example.   Bali therefore retained much of its own distinct character and local control.  Following Japan’s surrender in August 1945, the Dutch returned to Indonesia determined to reinstate their  colonial status. This was resisted by the Balinese and Bali was eventually included in the “Republic of the United States of Indonesia” when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence in 1949.

The 1950s and early 1960s saw conflict between the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI).  An attempted coup in Jakarta was put down by forces led by “strong man” General Suharto and the army became the dominant power as it instigated a ruthless anti-communist purge.  Many years of political upheaval followed, but by 2005, the military had pulled back from direct participation in government and a more or less stable democracy was established.

Bali  suffered considerably less than other Indonesian islands from Tsunami and earthquake damage and this has benefitted the main tourist locations of Legian, Seminyak, Sanur and the newer development of Nusa Dua. Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts as well as the “signature” percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan.  Balinese dances portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence.