Central Mountains - Bali and Lombok - page 112

Eating
Food stalls at Candikuning's market offer
cheap eats. Also in this part of the market is
a very worthwhile T-shirt shop Smile For Life
run by widows of the 2002 Kuta bombings.
Roti Bedugal ( % 0815 5857 5355; snacks 5000Rp;
h 8am-6pm), Follow your nose to this place
in a far corner of the market which has a con-
tinuous stream of fragrant freshly baked treats
emerging all day. Nearby, you can feel like a
grand potentate at the 'Deluxe Western Toilets'
(5000Rp), the cleanest facility on the island.
Crackers ( % 08-1138 8697; snacks 5000Rp) Back from
Roti Bedugal, Crackers serves baked treats from
roti and has a long drinks list (possibly to drive
business to the toilets).
At the entrance to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
are several Padang warung (food stalls), and
there's a café with a view on the grounds.
Bedugul Lakeview (dishes 8000-20,000Rp) Between
the temple and the market, this place is big,
clean and fresh (and we're not talking about
the tasty chicken) and has a fine Indo menu.
Strawberry Stop ( % 21060; dishes 7000-20,000Rp;
h 8am-6pm) North of Candikuning, they make
good use of locally grown strawberries in
milk shakes, juices and a myriad of different
pancakes. Bananas sub when berries are out
of season (which might drive you to drink the
strawberry wine, 80,000Rp).
Cafe Teras Lempuna ( % 0362-29312; dishes 15,000-
40,000Rp) A welcome new addition to the dining
scene, this cafe is modern, with a good menu
ranging from burgers to Japanese. The coffees
and teas are just the thing on cool days. When
it's sunny, enjoy the inviting covered patio.
Getting There & Away
Danau Bratan is beside the main north-south
road, so it's easy to reach from South Bali or
Singaraja.
Although the main terminal is in Pancasari,
most minibuses and bemo will stop along the
road in Bedugul and Candikuning. There
are frequent connections from Denpasar's
Ubung terminal (15,000Rp) and Singaraja's
Sukasada terminal (15,000Rp). For Gunung
Batur, you have to connect through Singaraja
or hire transport.
PANCASARI

waters, and is actually built on small islands,
which means it is completely surrounded by
the lake. Both pilgrimages and ceremonies are
held here to ensure that there is a supply of
water for farmers all over Bali.
It is truly beautiful, with a classical Hindu
thatch-roofed meru (multi-roofed shrines)
reflected in the water and silhouetted against
the often cloudy mountain backdrop - one
of the most common photographic images of
Bali. A large banyan tree shades the entrance,
and you walk through manicured gardens and
past an impressive Buddhist stupa to reach
the lakeside.
An unfortunate aspect is the small animal
zoo, left of the main entrance, where tourists
are encouraged to be photographed alongside
snakes, bats and iguanas, all of which appear
to be kept in less than humane conditions.

DETOUR
At Bedugul, you can turn east and take a small and lovely road down the hillside into some lush
ravines cut by rivers. After about 6km you'll come to a T-junction, turn south and after about
2km you'll come to the pretty village of Pelaga . This area is known for its organic coffee and
cinnamon plantations. You'll both see and smell them.
Pelaga can also be reached by road from Penulisan at the northwestern edge of Gunung
Batur's crater. And from the south, there's a little-used and very rewarding road from Ubud, via
Sangeh and Petang.
It's best to do this with your own transport. With some directions, you could hike the 8km
from Bedugul to Pelaga.
To really appreciate Pelaga, consider a tour and homestay organised by JED ( Village Ecotour-
ism Network; % 0361-735320; www.jed.or.id; tours US$25-100) , the nonprofit group that organises rural
tourism (see p348).

Sights & Activities
BALI BOTANICAL GARDENS
This garden (Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali; % 21273; ad-
mission 3500Rp, car parking 1500Rp; h 7am-6pm) is a
showplace. Established in 1959 as a branch
of the national botanical gardens at Bogor,
near Jakarta, it covers more than 154 hectares
on the lower slopes of Gunung Pohen. The
garden boasts an extensive collection of trees
and flowers, including wild orchids. Some
plants are labelled with their botanical names,
and the booklet Six Self Guided Walks in the
Bali Botanical Gardens, sold at the ticket office
for 20,000Rp, is helpful. The gorgeous orchid
area is often locked to foil flower filchers; ask
that it be unlocked.
Within the park there's a new attraction
sure to delight anyone who wants to do more
than just walk around and look at pretty flow-
ers: the Bali Treetop Adventure Park (adult/child
US$18/11) lets you play like a bird - or a squir-
rel. Winches, ropes, nets and more let you
explore the forest well above the ground. And
it's not passive, you hoist, jump, balance and
otherwise circumnavigate the ark. Special pro-
grammes are geared to different ages.
Coming north from Bedugul, at a junction
conspicuously marked with a large, phallic
corncob sculpture, a small side road goes
600m west to the garden. Although normally
cool, shady, scenic and uncrowded, on Sunday
and public holidays it's very popular with
Balinese families.

Pacung Mountain Resort ( % 21038; r US$40-70; s )
This 39-room resort is built on a steep terraced
slope over-looking an exquisite valley carved
with rice fields and early morning views of
Gunung Batukau. Buffet lunch is 65,000Rp,
and à la carte is 20,000Rp to 80,000Rp
Pacung Indah ( % 21020; www.pacungbali.com; r
200,000-500,000Rp; s ) Across the street from
the Pacung Mountain Resort, this hotel has
views almost as good and the rooms are a
cut above the average - all include a private
courtyard. Treks are offered in the rich, em-
erald countryside.
Strawberry Hill (Bukit Stroberi; % 21265; dishes 10,000-
25,000Rp) Opposite the Taman Rekreasi turn-off,
this good restaurant has polished floorboards
and on a clear day you can see Kuta. The menu
includes burgers and soul-healing soto ayam
(chicken soup). There's a good bar.
Getting There & Away
Any minibus or bemo between South Bali and
Singaraja will stop at Bedugul on request (see
opposite for details).

WATER SPORTS
At the temple gardens, you can hire a four-
passenger speedboat with a driver (125,000Rp
per 30 minutes), a five-person boat with boat-
man (80,000Rp per 30 minutes), or, a two-person
pedal boat (35,000Rp per 30 minutes).
For an almost surreal experience, take a
quiet paddle across the lake and see Pura Ulun
Danu Bratan at sunrise - arrange it with a
boatman the night before.
Sleeping
Sari Artha Inn ( % 21011; r 60,000Rp) Although close
to the market and lacking views, this basic
place does have hot-water rooms.
Pondok Wisata Dahlia Indah ( % 21233; r 50,000Rp,
with hot water 80,000-125,000Rp) In the village along a
lane near the road to the botanical garden, this
is a decent budget option with 17 comfortable,
clean rooms.
Ashram Guest House ( % 21450; fax 21101; r 60,000-
175,000Rp) Overlooking the lake, Ashram has
a range of rooms. Prices start with shared
bathroom and no hot water, then increase
for a private bathroom, more still for hot
water (much welcome on a chilly, misty day)
and top price for everything, plus a view of
the lake.
Enjung Beji Resort ( % 21490; fax 21022; cottages
250,000-500,000Rp) Just north of the temple and
overlooking the lake, this 23-room place is a

CANDIKUNING
% 0368
Spread out along the western side of the lake,
Candikuning is the horticultural focus of
central Bali. Its daily market was once the
main supplier of vegetables, fruit and flowers
for the southern hotels, but now its patrons
are mostly tourists, with a smattering of lo-
cals shopping for herbs, spices and potted
plants. PURA ULUN DANU BRATAN