Bali hotels collection

The Balinese do not say north or south but kaja, towards the mountain, and kelod, towards the sea; temples, houses, even the head of the bed are aligned accordingly. The mountain is Mount Agung, where Besakih rises in tiers of pagodas roofed in black palm fibre. Lower down, the priests of the water temples set the day each rice field is to be flooded, and the terraces of Jatiluwih keep to that calendar. Every morning, little baskets of coconut leaf filled with flowers are laid on the thresholds. For Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, the whole island falls silent, and even the airport closes.