During the one-hour drive from Denpasar International Airport to the Nirwana Resort I was given a pretty good indication of what was to come over the next few days in Bali. Small roadside boutiques selling local crafts and colourful clothes, lush green paddy fields, volcanic mountains rising up in every direction and rocky beaches with crashing waves.

The Bali tourism industry has had a difficult time since the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005 but my driver, Sunshine, was upbeat about the future. “Bali is such a beautiful place to visit and although we have problems the experience is one that people are prepared to take a small risk for,” he told me. My hotel was brimming to the seams with tourists and conference goers who all clearly had not been deterred by the warnings of on going attacks.

I had arrived at what was supposed to be the start of the dry season, but it rained a lot during my four days there. However the mornings were all clear and taking walks along the rock-strewn coastline listening to the waves was a calming start to the day. Rain or not there are still plenty of opportunities to discover remote temples and various local craft makers. At the Popiler Batik Factory visitors have the chance to watch this ancient art in close detail, a tradition that is now recognised by UNESCO as an Indonesian cultural heritage. After a day browsing the craft centres and numerous temples I relaxed in a small cafè overlooking bright green rice fields that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The sanctuary of one of the up market Bali resorts provides a welcome escape from the hassles of city life and their attention to detail and experience in the tourism industry has rewarded them with many international prizes. After my four-day trip it was not hard to understand why the island has become such a legendary destination. The Island also offers good opportunities for backpackers on low budgets alike with cheap accommodation and simple but tasty food outlets. Getting to Bali from China however is expensive with most flights routing through Singapore and normally costing over 10,000RMB return.

Video: D J Clark

Click here to see more videos by D J Clark

_________________________________________________________________

About D J Clark

D J Clark has worked worldwide as a multimedia journalist for more than 20 years. In 2009 he completed a PhD at the University of Durham, UK, investigating visual journalism in the developing world. As well as working for China Daily he runs an MA course in Multimedia journalism at Beijing Foreign Studies University and is the Director of Visual Journalism at the Asia Center for Journalism in Manila, Philippines.