Guiding the Spirit into its next life

Bali, one of the most beautiful and popular tropical islands in Indonesia, stands out in another way — its centuries-old tradition of lavish cremation ceremonies with tall pagoda towers, crafted animal coffins, music, dancing and the smell of burning incense.

The majestic island is home to more than 10,000 temples that many of us have seen only in movies, magazines and travel brochures. A small piece of tropical paradise only 95 miles wide, sitting in the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean, it is inhabited by Austronesian people who migrated from Taiwan to Southern Asia around 2000 B.C.

The only Hindu-majority area of Indonesia, 87% of the population adheres to Balinese Hinduism. The national language, widely spoken across the country, is Bahasa Indonesia. Its simplicity and popularity make it the most common local language in Bali, while English also is spoken on the island. There are three volcanoes in Bali’s lush mountains including Mount Agung, which rises 9,888 feet above.