Discovering west Bali

It is not very often we hear west Bali being mentioned in a passionate conversation about amazing places on the island, but it certainly is not because of the lack of attraction in that area.

Passionate conversations about Bali held by tourists rarely involve the island’s western part, but this is hardly because of it lacking in charm.

Perhaps it is rather due to it being located more than a hundred kilometers away from the Ngurah Rai airport


Pemuteran

If you are basing yourself in the main tourist hub in south Bali, the ideal scenario will not likely involve going on a one-day trip to the west.

You would be far better off spending the night in the west, and Pemuteran area is our choice for that purpose.

It is home to a vast selection of hotels and resorts. Budget travelers can settle for rooms with fans and those seeking luxury can go for the beachside villas.

This sort of variety also applies for dining options, which range from the affordable to the fancy.

Pemuteran is located east of Gilimanuk, and west from Singaraja. The area has a sandy beach ideal for diving and snorkeling.

Local lodging businesses are involved in moves to reinvigorate the area’s underwater environment through commissioning artificial coral installments in various attractive shapes such as that of a goddess in the marine area near Pemuteran.

West Bali National Park

Despite the protected status, West Bali National Park is open for visitors that can engage in various activities there such as easy trekking and bird watching.

It is compulsory to enter the area with the company of a licensed guide. It is claimed that due to the area’s size, authorities allow 5-star resorts like The Menjangan to be built here in order to help in the area’s maintenance and patrolling.

The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare Bali Sterling bird, deer, macaques, leaf monkeys, squirrels, lizards and snakes.

Gilimanuk

The peninsula in Bali’s westernmost point is known to be an important connector between the island and Java, thanks to its big harbor.

This area is famous for its own style of ayam betutu (roasted chicken dish), which differs from the others in the island in its superiority in spiciness-hence signs in some eateries advertising that they are doing their ayam betutu dish ‘khas Gilimanuk’, or ‘Gilimanuk style’.

Plenty of betutu restaurants line the roadside, with notable ones including Warung Men Tempeh and Warung Bu Lina.

Gilimanuk is home to one of the island’s latest landmarks: the highest Buddha statue in Indonesia. This 25-meter structure at the Astapaka Monastery was recently inaugurated in June this year.

For a landscape to marvel at, head to the eastern coast of the peninsula where the secret bay of west Bali lies.

A vast grassy field on this rocky coast overlooks the narrow bay. Visible across the bay is the mangrove forest area of the National Park. It seems like the locals favorite late-afternoon chill-out spot.

Menjangan Island

The name of this small island off the shore of the West Bali National Park means ‘deer’. Rightfully so, because deer actually do roam here and they are hardly the shy type.

They can be seen going down the beach filled with boats and people to take a dip in the water during a hot day.

Menjangan Island can be covered by foot, from the southern to the northern pier, in less than half an hour.

There are seven Hindu temples in the island, each built to worship different deities – some are for the disciples of Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, and there is also a temple to worship the Guanyin Boddhisatva.

During particular times which the Hindu Balinese deemed to be the time for praying rituals, such as Galungan, the island is filled with pilgrims from all over Bali, journeying by boat to pray at the temples.

People can cross from the main land to Menjangan Island by using a chartered boat from the port in Labuhan Lalang and in Banyuwedang.

These ports are also the center for snorkeling and diving activities. There are plenty of spots around Menjangan Island with amazing underwater experiences.

When to go

Despite not being one of the top destinations for tourist in the island, west Bali does receive quite a number of visitors during high-season in July and August. During these months, the water can get really crowded.

So the best time to enjoy West Bali’s underwater scene would be right before and after the high-season, but not after October, when the wet season has already begun.

Exploring the forest during the dry season means a bigger chance to see the animals, but it is also a time when plants are withering and the green area would in fact more likely be a sea of brown hues. During the wet-season, the forest is lush green, but the animals would be hard to spot as they tend to sleep more.

What US$5 can buy

- Two portions of ayam betutu at Warung Bu Lina in Gilimanuk with the vegetable and peanut sides and two servings of tea.

- The renting of snorkel equipment at Pemuteran beach

- A ticket to cross to Java using the public ferry in Gilimanuk.