Bali is one of Indonesia's 14,000 islands. It is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with tourist-related industry making up 80% of the economy. Bali is known for its biodiversity, beaches, resort towns, Hindu temples, stylized architecture and highly developed arts including dance, music, sculpture and metal and wood work.

Balinese architecture is a centuries-old style which has components of Hindu traditions and ancient Javanese elements.

Due to quirks of history and settlement, Bali is the only Hindu region in the Islamic country of Indonesia. There are over 20,000 Dharma Hindu pura (temples) in Bali.
 

Elaborate monuments and statues with scenes from Hindu legends adorn streets, parks and commercial buildings. Gates mark the entrances from "one world to another."

The Balinese style has modern interpretations such as this facade for a jewellery store in Denpasar.

Motorcycle-laden roadways wind through the villages. Streets are lined with small specialty shops such as door carvers, silversmiths, or batik artists.
 

It was a pleasure to watch the Balinese people who brought grace and dignity to their everyday work.

Pura Geger temple at Nusa Dua sits on a hilltop overlooking Geger Beach and offers a panoramic view across the bay to Mount Agung.

The temples are open to visitors as long as they follow respectful etiquette by removing shoes, wearing sarongs and being mindful of body gestures and positions.
 

Balinese gamelin music has instrumentation with bamboo xylophones, flutes, bells, gongs, chimes, cymbals, drums and two-stringed fiddles.
 

Balinese dance is an ancient tradition that expresses stories through bodily gestures of hands, fingers, head and eyes.

We experienced an earthquake while we were in Bali. There was a frightening sensation of our building riding up and over waves.

While we were fine after the earthquake, we were more concerned about the many people who live in homes like this.
 

Large areas of Bali are covered with rice paddies where traditional harvesting techniques are still used.

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud is both a nature reserve and a temple complex, with 186 species of trees and 700 resident monkeys.

Nusa Dua and Kuta are the two main areas where beach resorts are concentrated, with others more remotely located at Jimbaran Bay and Seminyak.
 

Unfortunately, it was sad to see the amount of garbage and plastic waste washed up on the sand.

Puja Mandala is a landmark expressing religious tolerance with a Hindu temple, Catholic church, Buddhist temple, Muslim mosque and Protestant church standing side by side.
 

Attempts to attract tourists include the addition of bungee jumps and ziplines in the rainforest.

Figures carved from stone or wood represent Hindu deities, mythological characters from Mahabharata and Ramayana, or Buddhist and Christian symbols.

Canang sari are daily offerings of thanksgiving placed on shrines, in doorways or on the ground. They are artfully designed and incorporate precious objects such as these oreo cookies.