Product Description

Experience and explore the "Island of the Gods"-naturally. Let The Natural Guide to Bali lead you from the busy beaches and tourist traps to exquisite rice paddies and pristine seashores. Discover the best of Bali's diving, surfing, sailing, hiking, and bird watching, or experience treks to mysterious temples, hidden waterfalls, and active volcanoes. Throughout it all, you will come to know the people of Bali as they work and play in their own villages.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1276460 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-09
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Written by a team of ecologists and anthropologists, including contributions by Balinese journalists, sociologists, and artists.

Anne Gouyon has been consulting for organizations like the World Bank, the Nature Conservancy, and the Rainforest Alliance since 1995. She has lived in Bali since 2001.

Customer Reviews

Not Just Another Guidebook of Bali
"Follow a duck between two rice fields and see where it leads you". That's one of the opening tips of the book.

Another tip says "do like Balinese: wake up early to catch the glorious mornings; nap during the afternoon heat".

This is not just another guidebook. It's not just pointing you the direction or tell us what is in a place. It is written by people who love Bali with aim to make you feel the same and why you should feel that way. To get the spirit of the places.

So the advice is not "you have to go there from here" but instead "use these tips to get started, then close our book and discover by yourself..." This is very refreshing in a time where many guidebooks are written by people with more interest with money than the place itself and surely know little of it, producing book with lack of character, provide little information and only me-too advice.

The Natural Guide also drives us to think beyond what we usually think as traveler; something we usually just pass, enjoy or take it for granted now have something, like how every tiny terrace gets its share of water?

After visiting Bali for many times I feel like I've just found it and get my spirit again to discover more, yet it advices me: "don't feel obliged to visit all the recommended temples, lakes and volcanoes"... at the same time I find many off the beaten track trips very exciting and give a very different experience.

Other thing unique about this book is its support to the environmental issues and local community. This is relevant because the island is posing increasing threat of its natural resources from growing population and tourist industry and on the other hand it has to preserve its charming character and tradition. Thus the hotel owners who work with locals to clean the beaches, dive masters who protect and rehabilitate the coral will be introduced to us in a hope to bring conscious, responsible travelers.

So just like what I said, this is not jus another guidebook. I highly recommend this book for you who want to have valuable experience of the island and make a difference.

Probably the Leading Guide to Bali
This book is not just another guide book. It's a guide book with a mission. The authors' intentions and commitments shine through clearly on every page. Their mission is the laudable one of responsible, ecologically aware tourism. The aim is to provide the tourist with rewarding experiences while at the same time benefiting local communities. It is the first of a new series and I think it will become a leader.

When I pick up a guide book, I test it by looking at what it says about the places I love and know well. So, I check what they have to say about Poppies in Kuta, Café Batujimbar in Sanur, and, I must admit, my own restaurant in Ubud, Murni's Warung, and my holiday accommodation, Villa Kunang-Kunang. If I agree, then it's a good book. It's a good book.

It's exceptionally easy to navigate your way round, everything nicely highlighted in colours and bold type. It's basically in six sections: the Introduction, South Bali, East Bali, North Bali, West Bali, and the Appendices. The four middle sections are broken down into Getting Around, Where to Stay, Where to Eat and What to Do and rated according to traveller-friendly, nature-friendly and community-friendly criteria. A system of coloured hearts makes it easy to check assessments at a glance. All price ranges are covered.

Each section has a series of essays by insiders, locals and ex-pats, who live in Bali. The essays are exceptionally informative, current and no holds barred. Many are shortened versions of articles that have appeared in Latitudes Magazine in the last three or four years. Without exception, they are interesting.

Jean Couteau's "An Introduction to Balinese Religion" will help you understand a little of what's going on. Otherwise most of what you see will be a complete mystery. In "Balinese painters: Where art thou, art?" Diana Darling tries to get us to educate our eyes to appreciate the good and bad in paintings in numerous art shops and galleries. In my own article, "A Dance for Every Day" I explain what the Balinese themselves like to see in traditional dance performances.

There are four 3D views of Bali and a number of road maps. Most places mentioned seem to be indicated on the road maps. Every page has two columns. Against each entry is a description of how to get to it (in Bali that is particularly helpful), current prices, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web site addresses, and an ecological comment or two.

Nearly every one of the 447 pages has one or two photographs by a wide range of photographers. They are a bit small. Size has been traded for quantity. The Appendices contain an excellent book list and where to obtain them and a description of relevant web sites, some of which promise to be fascinating.

Ann Gouyon, the editor, advises us: "Follow the butterfly or the old man with a smile. Open your eyes and hearts to make new encounters and unearth hidden treasures." We can have a great holiday in Bali with the help of this book, but it is a reminder, and we all need it, that we make a difference just by being there.

I thoroughly recommend this book.

Ni Wayan Murni
Ubud, Bali