A surfer watches for waves along Kuta Beach, one of the easier and most popular surf breaks in Bali, Indonesia.  

The daily trek on foot to and from the village market is a Balinese tradition.  

Rafters squeal with delight as they splash along the sacred Sungai Ayung, a river near Ubud, Bali. Class II and III rapids materialize here during the rainy season, October to March.  

Bali is renowned for its exotic flora. The island's tropical climate encourages lush plants of every size and shape, in an extravagant array of colors.  

Located within a grove of nutmeg trees in Sangeh, the Monkey Forest of Bukit Sari is filled with mischievous monkeys, many romping on a temple with a statue of Garuda, a mythical creature of Hindu and Buddhist mythology.  

The Jati Bar at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan overlooks a breathtaking valley filled with rice terraces that step down to the Ayung River.  

The spa experience in Bali typically starts with a massage, followed by a scrub, and ends with a long soak in a tub brimming with floating frangipani petals and accompanied by hot ginger tea.  

A common sight in Bali is the offerings placed each morning by the faithful, an homage to the spirits that live everywhere.  

The Balinese form of Hinduism involves ritual offerings made every morning. Whether in temples or at informal street corner shrines, offerings of food, flowers, and incense are made to the gods.  

Beyond the city of Denpasar and surrounding tourist areas, ceremonial processions seem to erupt out of nowhere in Bali. Vehicular traffic comes to a respectful halt as the procession makes its way to a nearby temple.  

Kuta Beach is home to Bali's major industry, tourism. Sun-lovers from around the world land here for inexpensive beachfront hotels, reliable surf conditions, massages on the sand, and bustling nightlife.  

With its abundant rain, tropical heat, and fertile volcanic soil, rice is the mainstay of Bali's agriculture, grown year-round in terraced paddy fields throughout the island.