Travel to Teach: Volunteer on Bali, Indonesia

Selamat Datang di Bali – Welcome to Bali!

Travel to Teach are currently developing new volunteer programs on Bali, and our first volunteers arrived in March 2008. Well known as “the islands of gods” or “the island of thousand temples” Bali is the most famous Island on Indonesia. The daily life of the Balinese people is dedicated to the prevalent Hindu Dharma religion. Almost every day people celebrate with colorful religious ceremonies, with many individual ceremonies marking the life of Balinese people. In every village in Bali there are several temples and at least one small one in each home. Overall Bali has more than 20.000 temples.

On the streets old men sit proudly presenting their fighting roosters, women carry offerings on their head to the next temple, in front of stores lay little banana leaf baskets filled with offerings. All these happenings are accompanied by a constant smell of joss sticks and the sound of gamelan music. This celebrated religion in combination with the unique countryside and friendliness of the Balinese people gives Bali a special atmosphere and makes it an ideal place to volunteer.

Volunteer Life Bali Photo Gallery: Bali

More Bali Volunteer Life Images

Volunteer Programs on Bali

Travel to Teach's Bali volunteer programs are located in Medahan a small village just outide of the city of Gianyar, where we teach English in an elementary school and orphanage and also run restoration camps during the school holidays. Although close to many of Bali's most popular destinations Gianyar city feels far removed from tourist influence and provides an ideal location for volunteers to experience the real Bali.
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Bali /Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's largest Archipelago. It consists of five main islands and 30 minor island groups. Overall Indonesia consists of 17,508 islands; approximately 6,000 of them are populated. It stretches 5,150 km between the Australian and Asian continental mainland and divides the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located between Java (Main Island of Indonesia) in the West and Lombok in the East. A chain of volcanoes stretches from west to east and builds up the northern part of Bali. In central Bali there are lots of tropical forests, crater lakes, rivers, ravines and enormous rice terraces. The southern part is embossed by white sandy beaches at the coast of the Indian Ocean. The beaches in other parts of Bali are covered with grey and black volcanic sand.

Due to many issues like the terrorist attacks on Bali, the East Asian Financial Crisis and natural disasters in Indonesia, Bali has struggled to develop. Outside the tourist areas many people can hardly survive, schools are badly equipped and English skills are low. In order to obtain a good job within the tourism sector, English skills are required.

Around Bali Photo Gallery: Bali

More images from Bali

Bali Facts

General:The Hindu Majapahit Empire on eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. Bali became a region of Indonesia in 1949 after having been colonized by The Netherlands and Japan.
Located:Southeast Asia, Bali is located at the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian main island Java in the West and Lombok in the East.
Area:5,561 sq km
Population: 3.3 million
People: Balinese 89%, Javanese 7%, others 4%
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (official language), Balinese Religion: Hinduism 92 %, Muslim 6 %, Christianity 1.5 %, Buddhism 1%
Literacy: 6,2 % of the entire Indonesian population can’t write or read
Government:Presidential Republic
Currency: Rupiah (approx 12,000 Rupiah/ Euro)
Climate:Tropical climate with two seasons. The rainy season between December and March, brings high humidity and showers, usually days are sunny and the rain comes at night and passes quickly. The dry season is between June and September, the humidity is lower and rain is rarely. The temperature is constant during the year averaging between 25 to 33 degrees.
Economic Overview:The majority of Balinese peoples are farmers. The main agricultural product is rice. Tea, coffee, tobacco, cacao, soy beans, chilies, fruit, and vegetables are important export goods. The most valuable source of income is tourism. Every year over 4 million people travel to Bali. Many hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops are located in the southern part of Bali. Tourism has suffered significantly as a result of the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005.