:: Bali Island Travel Guides ::
This
little tiny island of three million - the last stronghold of
ancient Hindu beliefs in Indonesia - is one of the smallest
yet most visited of Indonesia’s thousands of islands
- the jewel in the crown of Indonesian tourism.
Bali, however, does not give up its secrets easily and
for the most fascinating aspects of its distinctive
and magnificent civilisation the visitor must travel
beyond the developed southern districts.
This is not a daunting task as all the major points
of interest on this 90 kilometres long by 150 kilometres
wide island are accessible within just a few hour’s
journey from Kuta, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar or Ubud.
Most people along the tourist routes speak at least
some English and you can get by quite adequately without
any knowledge of Indonesian, though a few words or phrases
will both delight and surprise your hosts. If you spoke
a smattering of Balinese, it would flabbergast them
even more!
For
a quick introduction to the island, join one of
the many guided-tour groups offered as pre-and post-convention
extensions by Bali’s professional destination
management specialists. Two, three, even five-day tours
can take in all the highlights. If pressed for time,
even a one-day foray into Bali’s hinterlands can
put the visitor in touch with the real Bali.
Tours to the south emphasize the shoreline, beach life
and shopping; trips to the centre the classic historic
monuments and temples; trips to the north vault the
volcanic mountain range to the serene coast of northern
Bali; while trips to the east and west cover the more
isolated and natural parts of the island.
For students of history, the Bali Museum in Denpasar
houses a collection of historic and cultural objects
dating back to the Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Tours are also offered to archaeological remains and
ancient spiritual sites such as the mysterious 11th
century Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) in Gianyar,
the nearby 25-metre-long carvings of Yeh Pulu, the sacred
Bronze Age Moon of Pejeng and the 11th century rock-hewn
tombs of Gunung Kawi.
Never ending Festivals & Performances
Besides the myriad destinations available around the
island, there’s another reason that warrants an
escape from the tourist centres for those keen on discovering
traditional Bali: the nearly ceaseless celebrations.
A whole series of religious rites and festivals guide
the Balinese from birth to death and into the after
world.
These ceremonies can be
easily seen by simply driving down Bali’s inland roads,
parking your car and observing the local celebrations
from a respectful distance. Visitors are generally
welcome if properly attired in temple scarf and sarong.
With 1000 dance troupes on the island, dance is at the
very centre of Balinese life and will probably be the
most impressive spectacle visitors will see and remember.
With such musical names as Cupak, Kebyar, Janger,
there are over 200 kinds of dances, each a composite
of not just a dance but also drama, music, spoken poetry,
opera and song. Visitors won’t have any trouble
finding live performances or rehearsals.
Further a Field
The
natural flora of the island is another inimitable
attraction of Bali. Many plants that we lovingly cultivate
as pot plants in the West - poinsettias, dracaena, coleus
and begonias - grow in riotous profusion along Bali’s
roadsides. Twelve varieties of coconut palm and thirteen
species of bamboo exist on Bali.
For the avid botanist, the sprawling high altitude Eka
Karya Raya Botanical Gardens is dedicated to the study
of the mountain flora of eastern Indonesia. Located
in the Bedugul area, visiting this beautifully landscaped,
cool, green and inviting botanical gardens is much like
strolling through an expansive private country estate.
Bali is also home to 32 species of mammals and 300 species
of birds. Join one of the many bird walks offered in
the fertile backcountry lanes of Ubud. The best place
to experience the wild side of Bali is the famous Bali
Barat National Park in West Bali which contains habitats
ranging from rainforests to coral-fringed islands.
A two-hour 11-kilometre rafting trip down the spectacular
Ayung River gorge, through one of Bali’s last
original tropical forests, is a nature lover’s
delight. The Ayung is Bali’s longest river and
it flows year round. Though thrilling enough to be scary,
the well-supervised experience is definitely far from
life-threatening.
Bali is a safe and friendly destination for families.
Kids have room to run around and let loose as most hotels
have ample free space and frequently offer a children’s
activities centre or kid’s club. Gardens, a swimming
pool, a coconut grove and the beach are always nearby.
Bali’s
Volcanic Spine
No
trip to Bali is complete without a visit to its high
mountain climes. The cool, 1450-meter high village of Penelokan, 56 kilometres north of the capital, perches
on the rim of a gigantic caldera that looks out over
the sacred blackened smoking volcano of Mount Batur.
The views here are magnificent. Not only can you see
all the surrounding mountains but also mount Agung to
the east and sometimes even to the sea and beyond to
mount Rinjani on the neighbouring island of Lombok.
With its high, fresh climate, the area offers invigorating
walks, highland rainforests and sweeping panoramas.
It’s a three kilometre corkscrew descent down
to the crescent-shaped Lake Batur below. Along its shores
huddle eight villages inhabited by the Bali Aga, Bali’s
original settlers. A journey along the northwest shore
is through a strange moonlike landscape over rivers
of black lava and volcanic ash and rubble.
Guides of the area will offer their services to lead
you to the top of the smouldering volcano, rising 688
meters above the lake. Though strenuous, Batur is the
easiest volcano on Bali to climb. From the top climbers
can see the sun climbing slowly and lighting the whole
lake.
Bedugul: Bali’s Market Garden
The small f
iendly lakeside resort of Bedugul in the
middle of the central highlands is just an hour’s
drive north of Bali’s capital of Denpasar. Located
along the main road to Singaraja on Bali’s north
coast, surrounded by scenic terraced vegetable gardens,
the area has unsurpassed views, cool temperatures and
wonderful markets selling delicious citrus, passion
fruit and other exotic fruits.
Over 1200 metres above sea level, Bedugul has been a
popular weekend retreat since Dutch times, a welcome
change from the tropical humidity of the south. Placid
Lake Bratan fills the ancient crater of the long inactive
Mount Catur that towers above the lake. The layers of
mist, reflections of the mountain, the fleecy clouds
and peaceful Ulun Danu Temple lying in the lake’s
shallow waters, lend a mystical quality to the environs.
Hikes along the exquisitely cultivated lakeshore lead
up through steep, jungle-covered hills and pine forests.
From Catur’s summit, there are stupendous views
of Mount Batur to the east and the mountains of the
national park to the west.
From the pier in front of Hotel Bedugul boats of every
size and description - from small perahu (traditional
Outriggers) to powerboats - stand ready to take you
on tours of the lake. Another attraction of these central
highlands is hidden Lake Tamblingan, one of Bali’s
least known large bodies of water. At 1500 metres altitude,
framed by dramatic peaks, the miniscule lake is also
one of Bali’s highest. An important archaeological
site, remnants have been found here of a people who
lived on the lake’s shore 1000 years ago.
The Historic North
Two
main roads cross Bali’s central mountain range
leading to north Bali, an untouristed region of mountain
hikes, rustic farming villages, high waterfalls, steaming
hot springs, glistening black sand beaches, untouched
marine and forest reserves, traditional craftsmen and
dancers and temples decorated with baroque figures carved
from volcanic rock.
The region stretches from the foothills of Bali’s
central volcanoes to a secluded coastal plain against
which the calm warm waters of the Java Sea lazily lap.
Geographically isolated from the densely populated south,
the north has developed distinct cultural differences
in architecture, music and art. North Bali is the birthplace
of the famous Kebeyar style of gamelan and
dance, a genre now popular all over Bali.
Until the international airport opened at Tuban in 1962,
northern Bali had much greater contact with the outside
world than the south. Singaraja, the main city, has
a cosmopolitan air with many ethnic and religious minorities
living in harmony. A number of imposing European-style
residences still stand, reminders of Singaraja’s
former
grandeur as the Dutch colonial administrative centre
of Bali and all of Nusatenggara.
To t
he east - at Sangsit, Jagaraga, Bungkulan and Kubutambahan
- are found extravagant specimens of the north’s
flamboyant temple architecture, differing considerably
from the stiff classical lines carved of grey sandstone
on the temples of southern Bali. The soft pink paras
quarried here allow northern sculptors more exuberant
adornment and artistic license.
The
quiet, shady, hassle-free coastal resort of Yeh Sanih,
17 kilometres east of Singaraja, offers an idyllic beach
and an enclosed natural swimming pool of clear, fresh
water welling up from underground springs. A sleepy
paved road, lined with old gnarled trees, follows the
coast
eastward past sandy coves sheltering fishing jukung.
A short hike inland from Tejakula, 32 kilometres east
of Singaraja, is Les - the highest waterfall on Bali.
With uninterrupted views of the island’s highest
peak the whole way, the road eventually leads around
Bali’s dramatic northeast corner and then heads
south to Amlapura, capital of the eastern Karangasem
Regency and once the seat of the one of the richest
kingdoms of Bali. This is one of the few stretches of
road on the island where rural life has been largely
unaffected by tourism.
Diverse marine life and superb visibility can be experienced
by diving a sunken Liberty ship off Tulamben on the
northeast coast, or by taking fishing boats out to view
schools of dolphins frolicking in their feeding grounds
at Lovina (north Bali) or Candidasa (east Bali).
Lovina: Northern Retreat
The
north is perhaps best known for the Lovina Beach
area, a whole line of villages along a palm-fringed
shore that starts about six kilometres west of Singaraja.
Diving and swimming can be enjoyed in crystal clear
water off the unbroken eight-kilometres-long string
of black sand beaches while breathtaking sunsets involve
simply walking out on a café’s or restaurant’s
veranda.
The docile sea and shallow lagoons make this coast ideal
for families. Beginners and young snorkelers can safely
explore the specialized marine communities of plants
and animals in the inter-tidal zone. Pre-dawn dolphin-watching
is another popular activity when, for a few miraculous
moments, your motorized outrigger may be surrounded
by leaping, flipping, blowing dolphins.
Inland there are outstanding walks into the high country
for waterfalls and rolling vineyards. In Banjar, surrounded
by jungle and luxurious gardens, are hot sulphur pools
- the perfect setting for a day’s loafing and
soaking.
Rounding the corner of a road beyond the hot springs,
the gleaming orange tile roof of the storybook monastery,
Brahma Vihara Asrama, suddenly appears. The only Buddhist
ashram on Bali, inside are Sukothai-style gold leaf
Buddha images, a brightly painted stupa and exuberant
woodcarvings - a dazzling mix of Balinese Hindu and
Buddhist architectural elements.
Escape to Bali’s Wine Country
L
ovina also makes an excellent jumping off point for
the lakes and mountains of the island’s central
mountain range. Where else to enjoy Bali-made wine but
in the far reaches of northern Bali surrounded by verdant
wine country?
Kilometre upon kilometre of vineyards stretch along
the fertile coastal plain from Pulaki all the way to
Singaraja. Using the pergolas system popular
in Spain and Sicily, overhead trellises are held aloft
by small trees joined at the top by a wooden frame and
wire mesh.
Bali’s Wild Side
Occupying the island’s western end, the West Bali
National Park’s complex of habitats, including
high forests and magnificent coral-fringed islands,
is the untamed and unvisited side of Bali. The park’s
primordial beauty is the perfect complement to Bali’s
sun and sea, rice terrace and temple tourism.
In the waters off the northwest horn of Bali are the
marine reserves that have made this region a recreational
paradise. One of the island’s premier dive sites
is the sensational drop offs and coral reefs of Menjangan
Island, teeming with a giddy variety of fish.
The Mother Temple of Bali
With
mighty Mount Agung dominating the landscape, the
scenery of Bali’s eastern regency of Karangasem
is some of the most spectacular on the island. Far removed
from the bustle of the south, this is an area where
a number of archaic dance and musical forms are still
regularly performed and where the high Balinese language
is still in common use. It is Bali’s most traditional
and least visited district.
The main attraction of the area is Bali’s oldest,
largest and most impressive and austere temple complex
which sits one-third of the way up the slopes of Mount
Agung in East Karangasem. Besakih is the essence of
the island’s estimated 20,000 religious shrines,
a symbol of religious unity; it is the supreme “mother
temple” of Bali.
Looming up behind the complex, Mount Agung is considered
the “Navel of the World,” the geographical
and mystical centre of the universe.
As Olympus was to the ancient Greeks, so sacred is this
massive 3000-meter high volcano that the Balinese always
sleep with their heads towards the mountain. As many
as seventy rituals are held annually inside Besakih’s
temple complex.
Points East: Weaving Villages &
Seaports
In the f
oothills of Mount Agung, heading east to Amlapura
on a little used country road, the traveller comes to
Selat, Iseh and Rendang. As well as affording magnificent
views, these mountain villages incorporate a sturdy,
distinctive volcanic-stone architecture found nowhere
else on the island. Sideman is renowned all over Bali
for its endek (Balinese ikat) weaving and silk
songket fabrics interwoven with designs of
gold and silver thread.
Approaching from the south along the coast beyond Klungkung,
the traffic thins and the pace slows as the main road
finally meets Bali’s east coast. Undulating irrigated
rice fields give way to the sun’s blazing heat
on this arid stretch of road which passes fishing villages,
beachside salt processing factories, the old harbour
of Kusamba and the holy bat cave of Goa Lawah.
Deep inside, it is said, a mythical serpent lives, the
caretaker of the earth’s equilibrium.
A right hand turn takes the traveller to the small,
charmingly scruffy port of Padangbai, known for its
plentiful restaurants serving freshly caught seafood,
as well as the ferry transit point for the neighbouring
island of Lombok. The surrounding area offers varied
hiking, beaches for sunbathing, hidden coves and at
least three excellent dive spots just 15 minutes away
by native jukung.
Northwest o
f Amlapura is the fabled open-air water palace
of Tirtagangga, a former raja’s retreat and one
of the prettiest pool complexes on Bali. With its fountains,
bizarre statues, pleasant cool weather, quiet star-filled
nights and the constant sound of splashing water, it’s
a sublime experience to swim laps in big flower-strewn
spine-tingling reservoirs filled by freshwater mountain
streams.
Only a few kilometres inland from the tourist beach
resort of Candidasa is the walled village of Tenganan.
Inhabited by the aboriginal Bali Aga people, Tenganan
has long been a stronghold of unusual indigenous traditions
and customs that have been jealously guarded for centuries.
Removed from the Javano-Balinese regions of Bali, its
pre-Hindu architecture is simple yet very powerful.
Tenganan is the only locale in all of Indonesia that
still produces double-ikat woven textiles (kamben
gringsing). Strong, insect and heat resistant ata
baskets, as well as lontar palm leaf books upon which
intricate scenes from the Hindu epics have been superbly
etched, are also on sale here at very reasonable prices.
For marine life enthusiasts, snorkelling and diving
off the coast in and around the seductive seaside resort
of Candidasa, as well as in the vicinity of Amed north
of the regency capital Amlapura are outstanding. One
of the premier dive spots on the whole island of Bali
is off Tulamben in the northern corner of the regency.
Nusa Lembongan - Bali’s Offshore
Playground
Bali’s premier offshore
recreational destination
is a small low dry island inhabited by amiable seaweed
farmers, 25 kilometres from Bali’s eastern coast.
Ringed by palms and sugary sand beaches, Nusa Lembongan
offers excellent beachcombing, sunbathing, diving and
snorkelling in its immaculate shallow bays, channels
and coral reefs.
Immensely popular with families, couples and small groups
of friends, there is a wide variety of safe and well-organized
day and evening Bali-based cruises on vessels ranging
from high-speed ocean rafts to stately sailing ships.
Nusa Lembongan is definitely not a beach chair war kind
of place. Cruise operators share the same small bay
that is framed by high promontories with a row of rainbow-coloured
jukung at one end. Though the day can be spent
crammed with sporting and touring activities, most just
choose to sleep, relax, drift off with a book or perfect
their tan on a pristine arcing beach under the shade
of ketapang trees.
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
