Bali is part of Indonesia and Indonesia is the world’s largest Islamic nation and has the 3rd highest population of any nation after China and India.  However, Bali is Hindu and there are a lot of other religions on other Islands e.g. Christians in East Timur and northern Sulawesi.  Some of the main islands of Indonesia are Java, Sumartra, Borneo, Papau, Sulawesi and many many more smaller islands.  Somehow, the nation is united and I spoke to people from all of the islands mentioned and they all feel Indonesian as well as javanese, Sumartran etc.

The Balinese Hindus seem to have endless ceremonies (many more than I ever noticed in India) and are calm and peaceful.  They make offerings all around their homes and places of work a couple of times a day.  These comprise small baskets made of woven palm or bamboo leaves in which they place offerings to the Gods and burn incense sticks.  The offerings do seem funny to me, as they are generally a small bit of rice, with perhaps a sweet or candy bar and I often see cigarettes placed in the offering, just in case the Gods fancy a fag.

There are often ceremonies on the beach, which I think are for the dead, like a funeral.

A typical offering. No sweets or cigarettes in this one though.

Offering being made on the beach, but these are usually around the grounds of a house or business

Ceremony of some kind on the beach.

I stayed in a small guest house in a very local area and there is an open air room in which the locals were practising playing their instruments for a big ceremony.  I got to know them and have some great video of them all playing.  It sounds great.

Music practice