Bali is such a compact island that you can go in a few hours from sandy beaches of the south to the spectacular edge of an active volcano 1.500 meters above the sea level. The volcanic chain crosses it from West to East. The island is dominated by two tall woodpeckers and some lakes the greatest of which is Batur. Its volcanic ground is very fertile. The monsoons assure abundant rains from December to April, with whole months of sunshine which complete the paradisiacal view, covering its fields with a green mantle. The island's inhabitant have tried everything to take advantage of this natural blessing, so even the steepest shores have been turned into rice fields and terraced transforming the volcanic sland into immense gardens. The religious belief, the rites and the religious celebration, drive Bali's people from birth to death in a spiritual world . It is the religion that establishes the plant of a city, the sketch of a temple, the structure of a house, the distribution of the various responsibilities inside the community. Other Links: History of Bali Culture of Bali