Music, dance, song, shadow theater, painting, wood carving, metalwork, architecture, stone sculpture, literature, plus friendship and conversation: Virtually every art form that civilizations have created finds its own uniquely and instantly recognizable Balinese expression on this small island in the vast Indonesian archipelago.

I first arrived in Bali in January 1973 knowing virtually nothing about the island or its culture. I left in December after living in a small bungalow at Puri Agung Peliatan for most of that year. Bali had changed my understanding of the world and of myself, and I knew I would be back often.

This web site reflects the knowledge gained from friends in Bali and my experiences there over almost 50 years. It is still very much a work in progress that changes almost daily.

• David Irons