Bali (Indonesia)

National TempleBali is so picturesque（图画般的美丽) that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop（背景幕）: rice paddies（稻田,水田）trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds and the forests are lush（苍翠繁茂的）and tropical.

But the postcard paradise gloss（这里指景象） has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves - who don't even have a word for paradise in their language - and it pays scant （极少的）regard to the economic reality of life on Bali, which is still recovering from Indonesia's economic crisis and the collapsing currency.

Just considering the weather, the cooler dry season from April to October is the best time to visit Bali. The rest of the year is more humid, more cloudy and has more rainstorms, but you can still enjoy a holiday.

Balinese festivals, holidays and special celebrations occur all the time, so don't worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events.

The following are the major attractions in Bali.

Kuta Bay
Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian, this area is a major resort for travelers, offering cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf（冲浪运动）, sunsets and riotous nightlife.

Denpasar
The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle（繁忙）and confusion one associates with （与……联想起来）the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic, noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish （欣赏，品味）, Denpasar still retains pleasant, tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali.

The Bali Museum consists of an attractive series of separate buildings, including examples of both palace and temple architecture. The exhibits themselves are not always well presented, but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile.

Local musicians perform

Ubud
Situated in the hills 20km (13mi) north of Denpasar, Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali. Extensive development in recent years has meant that Ubud has engulfed（吞没） a number of nearby villages, although these have retained their distinct identities.

In Ubud itself, the Puri Lukisan Museum displays fine examples of all schools of Balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. There are several other quality galleries such as Museum Neka, which features（以……为特色）work of some Western artists who have painted in Bali, and Agung Rai Gallery, a commercial operation which also houses a small, but important, permanent collection. Ubud is a good place to see Balinese dancing and hear Balinese music.