Central Mountains - Bali and Lombok - page 113

MUNDUK & AROUND
% 0362
The simple mountain village of Munduk may be
one of Bali's most interesting places right now.
It has a cool mountain ambience set among lush
hillsides covered with jungle, rice, fruit trees and
pretty much anything else that grows on the
island. Waterfalls tumble off the precipices by
the dozen. There are hikes and treks galore and
a number of really nice places to stay, from old
Dutch summer homes to retreats where you can
plunge full on into local culture. Many people
come for a day and stay for week.
Archaeological evidence suggests there was
a developed community in the Munduk re-
gion between the 10th and 14th centuries.
When the Dutch took control of North Bali
in the 1890s, they experimented with com-
mercial crops, establishing plantations for
coffee, vanilla, cloves and cocoa. Quite a few
Dutch buildings are still intact along the road
in Munduk and further west.
Sights & Activities
Heading to Munduk from Pancasari, the main
road climbs steeply up the rim of the old vol-
canic crater. It's worth stopping to enjoy the
views back over the valley and lakes - watch
out for monkey business from the simians on
the road. Turning right (east) at the top will
take you on a scenic descent to the coastal
town of Singaraja, via the Gitgit waterfalls
(p261). Taking a sharp left turn (west), you
follow a ridge-top road with Danau Buyan on
one side and a slope to the sea on the other;
coffee is a big crop in the area.
If you turn left at this junction, a trail leads
to near Danau Tamblingan, among forest and
market gardens. Turning right takes you along
beautiful winding roads to the main village
of Munduk. Watch for superb panoramas
of North Bali and the ocean and consider a
stop at Ngiring Ngewedang ( % 0828 365 146; dishes
15,000-40,000Rp; h 10am-4pm) , a coffee house 5km
east of Munduk that has views of the ocean.
You can buy coffee grown on the surrounding
slopes and staff are happy to show you the
coffee-production process.
About 2km east of Munduk look for signs
indicating parking for a 15m waterfall near
the road. This is the most accessible of many

bustling market and the main terminal for
public bemo.
Just south of Pancasari, you will see the
entrance to Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club
( % 22646; www.indo.com/hotels/balihandara; r from US$70) ,
a well-situated (there's plenty of water here
for the grass!), top-flight 18-hole golf course
which offers comfortable accommodation in
the sterile atmosphere of a 1970s resort, that
somehow seems like the villain's grand lair in
an old James Bond movie.
DANAU BUYAN &
DANAU TAMBLINGAN
Also northwest of Danau Bratan are two more
lakes, Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan -
neither has been heavily developed for tour-
ism, which is an advantage. There are several
tiny villages and abandoned temples along
the shores of both lakes, and although the
frequently swampy ground makes it unpleas-
ant in parts to explore, this is still a good place
for a walk.
Sights & Activities
Danau Buyan (admission 2000Rp, parking 1000Rp) has
parking right at the lake, a delightful 1.5km
drive off the main road. The entire area is
home to market gardens growing produce
such as strawberries.
A 4km hiking trail goes around the southern
side of Danau Buyan from the car park, then
over the saddle to Danau Tamblingan, and
on to Asan Munduk. It combines forest and
lake views.
Danau Tamblingan (adult/child 3000/1500Rp, parking
1000Rp) also has a parking lot at the end of the
road from the village of Asan Munduk. The
lake is a 400m walk and this is where you can
catch the trail to Danau Buyan. If you have a
driver, you could always walk this path in one
direction and be met at the other end. There
are usually a couple of guides hanging around
the car park (you don't need them for the lake
path) who will gladly take you up and around
Gunung Lesong (per 6hr 320,000Rp) .
Sleeping & Eating
Pondok Kesuma Wisata ( % 0817-472 8826; r 200,000Rp)
This cute little guesthouse featuring rooms
with hot water has a nice café (dishes 8000

treks to coffee plantations, rice paddies, water-
falls, villages, and around both Danau Tam-
blingan and Danau Buyan. You will be able to
arrange a guide through your lodgings.
Sleeping & Eating
There's a range of sleeping choices around
Munduk. Enjoy simple old Dutch houses in
the village or more naturalistic places in the
countryside. Your accommodation will have
a café, usually serving food from the region.
There's a couple of cute warung along the road
down to Seririt and North Bali.
Arya Utama (bungalow 100,000Rp) There are two
simple cold-water bungalows here in the mid-
dle of coffee trees. The big activity: sit on your
porch, gaze out and just listen. There's no food,
says the young couple who own it, 'just sleep'.
It's 2.8km east of Munduk.
Guru Ratna ( % 92182; r 100,000-200,000Rp) The
cheapest place in the village, it has five com-
fortable cold-water rooms in an old Dutch
house. The best rooms have some style and
nice porches.
Meme Surung & Mekel Ragi ( % 92811; r 200,000Rp)
These atmospheric old Dutch houses adjoin
each other in the village and are run by the
same owner. The former - Meme Surung -
has excellent views down the valleys.
Munduk Sari ( % 0361-297123; munduksari@yahoo
.com; s/d 300,000/400,000Rp) Five gleaming rooms
at this mainstream-feeling new place have the
classic views of the area and big tubs with hot
water. It's just east of the village.
Lumbung Bali Cottages ( % 92818; r from US$40)
About 800m east of Munduk, this place has
villas overlooking the lush local terrain. The
open-air bathrooms are as refreshing as the
porches are relaxing. Like all local places, there
is a wide range of hikes on offer here.
￿ Puri Lumbung Cottages ( % 92810; www
.purilumbung.com; cottage s/d US$67/75, cottage US$95-149;
i ) Founded by Nyoman Bagiarta to develop
sustainable tourism, this great hotel has bright
two-storey cottages with stunning views (units
three, eight, 10 and 11 have the best) right
down to the coast from their upstairs balco-
nies. Rice grows outside each unit. Dozens of
trekking options and courses, including dance
and cooking, are offered. The hotel's restau-
rant (dishes 15,000Rp to 30,000Rp), Warung

The hotel is on the right-hand side of the road
700m before Munduk from Bedugul.
Getting There & Away
Bemo leave Ubung terminal in Denpasar for
Munduk frequently (20,000Rp). Morning
bemo from Candikuning also stop in Munduk
(12,000Rp). If you're driving to or from the
north coast, a decent road west of Munduk
goes through a number of picturesque villages
to Mayong, then down to the sea at Seririt.

GUNUNG
BATUKAU AREA
Often over-looked - probably a good thing
given what the rapacious hordes have done to
Gunung Agung - Gunung Batukau is Bali's
second-highest mountain (2276m), the third
of Bali's three major mountains and the holy
peak of the island's western end.
You can climb its slippery slopes from one
of the island's most holy and most under-
rated temples, Pura Luhur Batukau, or just
revel in the ancient rice terrace greenery
around Jatiliuweh that could be a fantasy if
it wasn't real.
ORIENTATION
There are two main approaches to the Gunung
Batur area, the easiest is to go via Tabanan (see
p275) and take the Pura Luhur Batukau road
north 9km to a fork in the road. Take the
one on the left (towards the temple) and go
a further 5km to a junction near a school in
Wangayagede village. Here you can continue
straight to the temple or turn right (east) for
the rice fields of Jatiluwih.
The other way is to approach from the east.
On the main Denpasar-Singaraja road, look
for a small road to the west, just south of the
Pacung Mountain Resort (p250). Here you
follow a series of small, paved roads west until
you reach the Jatiluweh rice fields. You'll get
lost, but locals will quickly set you right and
the scenery is superb anyway.
SIGHTS & AC TIVITIES
Pura Luhur Batukau