Eternal Bali

Bali is just one of thousands of islands in the Malay Archipelago. It is a tropical island in Indonesia, so picturesque and immaculate, it could almost be a painted backdrop. Its rice paddies tripping down a hillside like giant steps, volcanoes soaring up through the clouds, dense tropical jungle, long sandy beaches, warm blue water and a host of friendly people. The “South Pacific” indeed . . .

While Indonesia is basically an Islamic state, Bali retains its original Hindu beliefs. Six centuries ago, Indonesia was entirely a Hindu nation, but when the Islamic religion swept down through the islands, the Majapahits, the final great kingdom on the island of Java, retreated to Bali with the entire entourage of scholars, artists and intelligentsia.