Government and Districts

Bali is one of the 26 provinces of Indonesia. Within Bali there are eight kabupatens or districts, which under the Dutch were known as regencies. These are Badung, Gianyar, Bangli, Klungkung, Karangasem, Buleleng, Jembrana, Tabanan. There are now nine districts since the addition of Kotamadya Denpasar. Each district is headed by a government official known as a bupati. The districts are further subdivided into subdistricts called Kecamatan which is headed by a camat, then come the perbekels, the head of a desa (village) and finally, an enormous number of banjars, the local divisions of a village.

Badung Regency

The regency of Badung extends in a narrow ribbon from the central uplands in the north of the island to the Nusa Dua Peninsula, also known as Bukit Badung, in the south. The Peninsula is strikingly different from the northern fertile volcanic plain, consisting of a slightly-raised limestone plateau surrounded by the sea. Kuta and Jimbaran are to the north and west of the peninsula, Sanur to the east, while the famous Nusa Dua resort area is on the eastern tip of the peninsula itself.

The local government became concerned about the "immortality" of the western hippie communes, which developed in Kuta. It was thus decided to isolate future tourist resorts. The development of Nusa Dua was therefore carefully planned. Today, while Kuta is still synonymous with sun, fun and youth, Nusa Dua - which was developed in the 1980's - is home to the five-star resorts.

Nusa Dua and nearby Tanjung Benoa are in a world of their own, where the idea of tourism insulated from the Balinese environment has been implemented. Some of the most famous hotels in Asia are to be found here, among them the Hilton, the Hyatt, and Club Med. Their neo-Balinese architecture (giant split gates, huge statues and halls) complements the beautiful natural surroundings of white sandy beaches, pristine water and the ubiquitous palm trees, to provide all the ingredients of a tropical paradise. Nusa Dua differs from the rest of the Bukit Peninsula. The beach at Nusa Dua is sheltered by coral reef, creating an ideal family beach, while Tanjung Benoa specializes in water sports.

Bukit Badung is famous among surfers for its long, white rollers. The best surfing is at Suluban, Labuhan Sait and Bingin. For hikers, there are paths running along much of the cliff, while the inland region has many prehistoric caves including Gua Selonding.
The tallest statue in the world, The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (145m), is built in an ancient quarry at the highest point on the Bukit. The famous Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple is an architectural marvel situated on a headland at the western tip of the plateau. According to local tradition, the first Uluwatu temple was built in the 11th century. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt into its current state.
The Bukit peninsula is connected to the rest of Bali by a narrow neck of land. Here, the Jimbaran bay area has one of the safest and most tranquil white beaches on the whole island. Jimbaran is renowned for the Barong (trance) dance. It also has Pura Ulun Siwi, a beautiful temple made of brick.
To the north of the Bukit peninsula is the popular beach resort of Kuta. Its claim to fame owes much to two things, its beach (originally Bali's best) and the sunset. The beach front is now host to star hotels, except for Legian and Seminyak, where much of the social scene is now centered. The main shops are located along Legian street.

Beach bungalows first opened in Kuta in the 1930's. But mass tourism did not start here until the late 1960's, when it became known as a hippie haven. Kuta soon boomed. The bamboo beach bungalows were turned into losmen, then into hotels. The hippies either left or struck it rich, and Kuta has become one of the most dynamic places in Indonesia, a place to encounter new ideas and lifestyles and a place to experience all manner of pleasures.
Another resort to the south of Kuta is Tuban. Originally part of Kuta, it now claims an independent status. To the west of Kuta are the new resorts of Peti Tenget (with its beautiful temple), Canggu and Seseh.

Further west is the little town of Mengwi, which has one of the grandest temples of the island, Taman Ayun. Until the end of the last century, Mengwi was one of the main island kingdoms, and this temple was built around 1740. Pura Taman Ayun is a water garden temple, symbolizing the cosmic union of sea and mountain. The architectural structure has three parts, duplicating the order of the cosmos - nista (impure/demonic); madia (middle/human); and utama (godly) - corresponding to the three successive courts. The most sacred (utama) is the inner court. The shrines are made and decorated in the finest traditions of Balinese carving.
To the north of Mengwi is the famous Monkey Forest at Sangeh, set in the heart of the only primary forest in southern Bali. This forest consists entirely of pala (nutmeg) trees. The monkeys living here are considered sacred, an association from the Ramayana epic, wherein Prince Rama allied himself with the monkey hero Hanoman to attack Alengka.