Bali is an incredibly beautiful Indonesian island and has an interesting history. It is diverse in its population and has a thriving arts scene, which attracts many tourists each year. There are festivals throughout the year in which many residents participate and to which vacationers are drawn. Guests staying in one of the Bali Boutique hotels are often interested in visiting some of the island’s major landmarks and historical icons, as well as attending some of the amazing performance options. Some landmarks, such as the Bali Blast Monument are also extremely culturally significant. Others have incredible religious significance such as the The Mother Temple of Besakih in eastern Bali.

In 2002 Bali was the target of terrorist bombings that damaged much of the city and killed 202 people. It was the deadliest attack the island has known. Three bombs were detonated during the attack. One was in a backpack carried by a suicide bomber, one occurred outside the United States Consulate in Denpasar and was was detonated near popular nightclubs in Kuta. This horrific attack is remembered in an beautiful monument on Legion street. It is located on the former site of Paddy’s Pub, which was completely destroyed in the attack. The memorial was constructed from carved stone. A marble plague is set in it, which contains the names and nationalities of the each of the persons killed. The national flags of the victims flank the monument, which is illuminated at night.

The Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important of a series of Balinese Temples. It is the temple of Agama Hindu Dharma, and was nominated as a World Heritage Site in 1995, though at this time its vestment has not been completed. Mount Agung is a volcano in close proximity to the temple and a series of eruptions in 1963 came threatened great damage to it. The lava came within yards of the Mother Temple, though it was never touched or harmed. This was perceived by the Balinese people as miraculous and a protection from the gods, who wished to demonstrate their power with the eruptions, but not destroy a faithfully erected monument. The volcanic eruption was extremely damaging in other areas and killed approximately 1700 people.