Ibah's location on the island of Bali
in the town of Ubud in the mountains of central Bali on the banks of
the Campuhan River Valley.
Ibah is located on the banks
of the Campuhan River in Ubud. It is within easy walking distance
of the main shopping area, museums, Palace, marketplace, galleries,
restaurants, and performances. Ubud's central location on Bali make
it an excellent location to explore the rest of the island of Bali.
Location
Bali is located eight degrees south of the equator
in the Malay archipelago in Indonesia. It lies between Java in the
West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa,
Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about
1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong
Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours.
Ubud is in the south-central foothills of the island approximately
45 minutes from the Denpasar Airport.
Climate
The daytime temperature averages between 80 o F
to 90 o F in the southern lowlands. In Bali however, it is quite humid
at about 75% so often times it feels much hotter. The mountains tend
to be significantly cooler at around 70 o F to 80 o F. At night the
mountains can get pretty chilly.
Bali’s tropical monsoon climate has two
distinct seasons: dry (between May to September) and wet (between October
to April). Monsoon refers to the wind, not the rain. However even in
the wet monsoon, in this tropical paradise it is still likely it
will be sunny for a good part of the day.
May, June and July are generally considered to
be the best time to travel to Bali in terms of the weather. However,
depending on whether the traveler is a surfer or explorer, preferences
may change. During the dry season, May to October, the western side
of the peninsula creates some of the world's best waves. The best advice
is to check the estimated weather during time of travel and pack accordingly.
Geography
The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square
kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers)
along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers)
from East to West. Because of this it's no problem to explore the island
on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return
to your hotel or villa in the evening.
Located only two kilometers east of Java, Bali's
climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour.
The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes,
between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to
east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast
flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile
vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white
sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or
black volcanic sand.
Flora
The wide variety of tropical plants is surprising.
You'll see huge banyan trees in villages and temple grounds, tamarind
trees in the North, clove trees in the highlands, acacia trees, flame
trees, and mangroves in the South. In Bali grow a dozen species of
coconut palms and even more varieties of bamboo.
And there are flowers, flowers everywhere. You'll
see (and smell the fragrance of) hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine,
and water lilies. Magnolia, frangipani, and a variety of orchids are
found in many front yards and gardens, along roads, and in temple grounds.
Flowers are also used as decorations in temples, on statues, as offerings
for the gods, and during prayers. Dancers wear blossoms in their crowns,
and even the flower behind the ear of your waitress seems natural in
Bali.
Fauna
Elephants and tigers don't exist any more in Bali
since early this century. Wildlife, however, includes various species
of monkeys, civets, barking deer and mouse deer, and 300 species of
birds including wild fowl, dollar birds, blue kingfishers, sea eagles,
sandpipers, white herons and egrets, cuckoos, wood swallows, sparrows,
and starlings. You can watch schools of dolphins near Lovina, Candi
Dasa, and Padangbai. Divers will see many colorful coral fish and small
reef fish, moray eels, and plankton eating whale sharks as well as
crustaceans, sponges, and colorful coral along the east coast and around
Menjangan Island near Gilimanuk.
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