Nusa Dua & The South of Bali

Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located just at the south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, the beach is cluttered with seafood restaurants and some of the finest luxury hotels in the world. Tourism in Jimbaran has increased rapidly that has boosted local economy, but it suffered by the 2005 Bali bombings where the bomb exploded in one of the restaurants in Jimbaran.

Jimbaran lies on the 'neck' of the southern peninsula in Bali and is widely known for the fresh seafood kiosks that are scattered along the beach. Diners select the live seafood that they wish to eat, and it is immediately prepared, generally grilled over a fire of coconut husks rather than charcoal. More recently, Jimbaran has become a popular location for foreigners to build villas.

Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana, or Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) is a private cultural park on the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of the island of Bali in Indonesia. Bukit is a limestone plateau with Uluwatu to the west and Nusa Dua to the eastern.

It is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu, and his mount, Garuda, the mythical bird who is his companion.

Currently, the statue of Vishnu is 23 m high, although the original plan was for a 146 meter gold plated Vishnu riding Garuda on top of an 11 storey entertainment complex. The idea was not without controversy, and religious authorities on the island complained that its massive size might disrupt the spiritual balance of the island, and that its commercial nature was inappropriate.

From the fishing communities of Jimbaran to the seaweed farmers of Geger, Nusa Dua and South Bali have a lot to offer the visitor.

A drive up the main road to Pecatu will take you to GWK Cultural Park where a large but incomplete statue of the god Vishnu stares out into the distance. Here you can see the island of Bali spread before you and watch the planes land beneath, you can wander the vast quarries and marvel at the geology of the sandstone or work out the mystery behind the undeveloped and empty marble floored shopping mall.

Here you will find dedicated spas, fitness, wellness, supportive treatments, first class products and exemplary service. From its inception the Nusa Dua development had one aim in mid: to provide the best of International standards in accomodations and service to Bali. Highly trained staff spend time overseas and return to their companis in Nusa Dua bringing fresh ideas and methods with them. Never losing sight of the essence of Bali they combine the two essentials and create innovative spa environments for their guests and visitors to Nusa Dua.

Over in Jimbaran Bay the Four Seasons nestles the coastline. Here you will receive only the very best in service and treatments, as well as being able to experinece the luxury of gentle beach side living in this tropical paradise.

Nusa Dua is an enclave community of established five star hotels surrounded by a natural headland at Geger and the pretty local village of Nusa Dua that runs along jalan Pratima.

To the east of Nusa Dua lies Tanjung Benoa, a strip of land that reaches out along the shoreline into the harbour waters of Benoa. Much of this land is abutted by mangrove and the beaches of Tanjung Benoa and the result of consistent reclamation. The Nusa Dua enclave was created in the 1970's and despite the many modern accomodations and renovations it still maintains its charm as a discreet and beatifully landscaped vacation destination.

Over the hill of The Bukit, to the west lies the natural bay of Jimbaran Bay. This used to be a small fishing village, but during the early eighties small warungs began spring up on the beach to cater to the first major influx on tourism. Grilled fish, sweet corn, and the Balinese sweet-sour fruit salad called rujak could be bought for a few cents. Sitting on the sand, watching the sunset as evening planes arrived at the small airport was a popular pasttime in those early days. Much of the romance can still be captured in the evening of Jimbaran. Mariachi style troubadours now serenade and the warungs are big business but the sunset and the fishing boats are just the same.