East Bali - Bali and Lombok - page 99

Mining stopped in 1991, and concrete sea
walls and groynes have limited the erosion
and now provide some sandy swimming
spots, but it's not your typical, tropical stretch
of golden-sand beach.
Still, the relaxed seaside ambience and
sweeping views from the hotels built right
on the water appeal to a more mature crowd of
visitors. Candidasa is a good base from which
to explore the interior of East Bali and the east
coast's famous diving and snorkelling sites.
Information
Foto Asri (

to see lots of fish, including some larger marine
life. Other features include an underwater
canyon, which can be dived in good condi-
tions, but is always potentially hazardous. The
currents here are strong and unpredictable,
the water is cold and visibility is variable - it's
recommended for experienced divers only.
Other dive sites are beside Gili Mimpang,
further east at Gili Biaha, and Nusa Penida.
A recommended and popular dive operator is
Dive Lite (

A HORSE WALKS INTO A TOWN…
There's a smelly legend about how the villagers of Tenganan came to acquire their land. The
story relates how Dalem Bedaulu lost a valuable horse. When the villagers of Tenganan found
the carcass, the king offered them a reward. They asked that they be given the land where the
horse was found - that is, the entire area where the dead horse could be smelled.
The king sent a man with a keen nose who set off with the village chief and walked an enor-
mous distance without ever managing to get away from the foul odour. Eventually accepting
that enough was enough, the official headed back to Bedaulu, scratching his head. Once out of
sight, the village chief pulled a large hunk of dead horse out from under his clothes.

41660; www.divelite.com; Jl Raya Candidasa;
2 dives US$60-95) , which dives Tulamben, Amed,
Nusa Penida/Lembongan and Menjangan. A
four-day PADI open water course is US$400.
Snorkelling tours are US$25.
Hotels and shops along the main road
rent snorkel sets for about 20,000Rp per day.
For the best snorkelling, take a boat to off-
shore sites or to Gili Mimpang (a one-hour
boat trip should cost about 100,000Rp for
up to three people).
On shore, you can catch up on your beauty
treatments at Dewi Spa (

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still played here, and girls dance an equally
ancient dance known as the Rejang. There are
other Bali Aga villages nearby, including Ten-
ganan Dauh Tenkad, 1.5km west off the Ten-
ganan road, with a charming old-fashioned
ambience, and several weaving workshops.
At Asak, southeast of Tenganan, another an-
cient instrument, the gamelan gambang, is
still played.

for sale are quite expensive (from about
600,000Rp). You'll see cheaper cloth for
sale but it usually comes from elsewhere
on Bali.
Many baskets from across the region, made
from ata palm, are on sale. Another local craft
is traditional Balinese calligraphy, with the
script inscribed onto lontar palm strips, in
the same way that the ancient lontar books
were created. Most of these books are Bal-
inese calendars or depictions of the Ramayana
(one of the great Hindu holy books). They
cost 150,000Rp to 300,000Rp, depending on
quality.

41098; Jl Raya Candidasa) sells grocer-
ies and sundries and has a postal agency. A
moneychanger and a bank are nearby but, in
something of a blow locally, the ATM has
gone (the closest ones are in Padangbai and
Amlapura). The police station is at the west end
of town; the post office the east.
There are a few not-very-fast internet op-
tions including the suitably amiable Happy's
Internet (

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41019; Jl Raya Candidasa; per min 500Rp) . FESTIVALS

Tenganan is full of unusual customs, festi-
vals and practices. At the month-long Usaba
Sambah Festival , which usually starts in May or
June, men fight with sticks wrapped in thorny
pandanus leaves. At this same festival, small,
hand-powered ferris wheels are brought out
and the village girls are ceremonially twirled
around.

41042; Jl Raya Candidasa;

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Nilwati ( 41272; Jl Raya Candidasa 45) has used 9am-7pm) . Waxing, steaming,

rubbing, manicuring and more are on offer.

massage from US$7;

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books.

Sights
Candidasa's temple, Pura Candidasa (admission by
donation) , is on the hillside across from the lagoon
at the eastern end of the village strip. It has twin
temples devoted to the male-female gods Shiva
and Hariti. The fishing village, just east of the
lagoon, has colourful prahu drawn up on what's
left of the beach. In the early morning you can
watch the boats coasting in after a night's fish-
ing. The owners canvass visitors for snorkelling
trips to the reef and the nearby islets.
Apart from the Bali Aga village of Tenganan
(see p225), there are several traditional vil-
lages inland from Candidasa and attractive
countryside for walking.
Ashram Gandhi Chandi (

Sleeping
Candidasa's main drag is well supplied with
seaside accommodation, as well as restaurants
and other tourist facilities. On the small roads
branching off Forest Rd east of the lagoon
several places are hidden among the palm
trees near the original fishing village. These
are nicely relaxed and often have a sliver of
beach. You might also consider some of the
places west of town; many are close.

GETTING THERE & AWAY
Tenganan is 4km up a side road just west of
Candidasa. At the turn-off where bemo stop,
motorcycle riders offer ojek (motorcycle that
carries pillion passengers) rides to the village
for about 5000Rp. A nice option is to take
an ojek up to Tenganan, and enjoy a shady
downhill walk back to the main road.
CANDIDASA
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Candidasa is a relaxed pause on the route east.
It has several noted hotels and some excellent
restaurants. However, it also has problems
stemming from decisions made three decades
ago that should serve as cautionary notes to
any undiscovered place that suddenly finds
itself on the map.
Until the 1970s, Candidasa was just a quiet
little fishing village, then beachside losmen
and restaurants sprang up and suddenly it was
the new beach place on Bali. As the facilities
developed, the beach eroded - unthinkingly,
offshore barrier-reef corals were harvested

TOURS
To really experience the ambience and culture
of the village, consider one of the tours offered
by JED ( Village Ecotourism Network;

0361-735320; www
.jed.or.id; tours US$25-50) . These highly regarded
tours include local guides who explain the
culture in detail and show how local goods
are produced. Tours include transport from
South Bali and Ubud.

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BUDGET
Rama Bungalows ( 41778; r 50,000-60,000Rp) On a

little road near the lagoon and ocean, the eight
rooms are in a two-storey stone structure with
temple design and bungalows. Upstairs rooms
have views of the lagoon.
Seaside Cottages (

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41108; Jl Raya Candi-
dasa) , a community by the lagoon, follows the
pacifist teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Guests
may stay for short or extended periods, but
are expected to participate in community life,
including waking early for daily yoga practice.
There are simple guest cottages by the ocean
and payment is by donation.

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SHOPPING
A magical cloth known as kamben gringsing is
woven here - a person wearing it is said to be
protected against black magic. Traditionally
this is made using the 'double ikat' technique,
in which both the warp and weft threads are
'resist dyed' before being woven. MBAs would
thrill to studying the integrated production
of the cloth: everything, from growing the

41629; www.bali-seafront
-bungalows.com; Jl Raya Candidasa; cottages 30,000-
230,000Rp;

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) The choice of rooms here is like
nasi campur - quite variable. Basic rooms
have cold water and fan. As you move up the
rate card you add hot water, air-con, open-air
garden bathrooms, kitchens and delightful
views. The Temple Café is a fun place.

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Activities