by Hosana Gloria

Created on: September 13, 2010

Bali is the beach-lover’s paradise. Heck, even if you are not a beach-lover, you have to love Bali. With its laid-back, chill-out atmosphere and a landscape brimming with culture, there is something for everyone there.

For those of you who love art, Bali with its paintings and sculpture all lined up on the streets, is a feast for the eyes. Paintings of Marilyn Monroe with her ubiquitous fan-blown white dress and Bob Marley, eyes closed in deep concentration, baring his soul through his music, are displayed prominently on street corners, begging for admiration and willing buyers. Sculptures of Buddha in various poses abound, resplendent in their tranquility and meditation. As Balinese are Hindu in majority, visit the temples that mark every main street, and be careful not to tread on the daily offering of flowers and sweets that they leave on the ground for their deities.

Shopping is a splendid affair. Every woman young or old, short or tall, skinny or laterally blessed looks marvelous in a sundress. It is almost imperative to walk around in one. Beads and knick-knacks finish the touristy look. The important thing is to haggle. Always counter-offer with half of what the shopkeeper says it cost. Go to the local markets, walk around, walk away if the price they quote you feel uncomfortable with, they will probably sigh with defeat and then accept your counter-offer. Especially in the mornings, the locals think it bad luck if they do not manage to sell their wares to the first few customers that come to their stalls, a failed morning sale would mean a portent of a dismal market day with very few things sold at the day’s end, so they may appear quite desperate to get you to buy. However if you feel harassed, just walk away. Another option is to shop in the shopping centers where prices have already been set and no negotiation is required, you simply pick the items you want and proceed to the check-out, hassle-free, but that would be something that you would be used to back home, so where is the fun in that?

If you are stressed out, heavy-laden and your mind is operating close to a shut-down state, the spas would be perfect. You could get a massage costing anything from US 10 dollars or a few hundred dollars depending on the service or the elite-ness of the spa. The spas also offer beauty treatments worthy of a queen, be it milk baths fitting of an Egyptian princess or aromatherapy where they lift all your cares away with intoxicating smells of different

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