Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TAMAN NASIONAL BALI BARAT
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Call it nature's symphony. Most visitors to
Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali Na-
tional Park) are struck by the mellifluous
sounds from myriad birds with a nice riff
from the rustling various trees.
Bali's only national park covers 19,000 hec-
tares of the western tip of Bali. An additional
55,000 hectares are protected in the national
park extension, as well as almost 7000 hectares
of coral reef and coastal waters. Together
this represents a significant commitment to
conservation on an island as densely popu-
lated as Bali.
It's a place where you can hike through
forests, enjoy the island's best diving and ex-
plore coastal mangroves.
Although you may imagine dense jungle,
most of the natural vegetation in the park is
not tropical rainforest, which requires rain
year-round, but coastal savannah, with de-
ciduous trees that become bare in the dry
season. The southern slopes receive more
regular rainfall, and so have more tropical
vegetation, while the coastal lowlands have
extensive mangroves.
There are more than 200 species of plant
growing in the park. Local fauna includes
black monkeys, leaf monkeys and macaques
(seen in the afternoon along the main road
near Sumber Kelompok); rusa, barking, sam-
bar, Java and mouse deer
(muncak);
and
some wild pigs, squirrels, buffaloes, iguanas,
pythons and green snakes. There were once
tigers, but the last confirmed sighting was
in 1937 - and that one was shot. The bird
life is prolific, with many of Bali's 300 spe-
cies found here, including the very rare Bali
starling.
Just getting off the road a bit on one of
the many trails (see opposite, transports you
into the heart of nature. One discordant note:
hikes in fuel prices mean that there are lots
of people selling firewood snatched from the
forest along the road.
Belimbingsari
was established as a Protestant
community, and now has the largest Protes-
tant church in Bali, although it doesn't reach
for the heavens the way the church does in
Palasari. Still, it's an amazing structure, with
features rendered in a distinctly Balinese style -
in place of a church bell there's a
kulkul
(hollow
tree-trunk warning drum) like those in a
Hindu temple. The entrance is through an
aling aling-
style (guard wall) gate, and the
attractive carved angels look very Balinese.
Go on Sunday to see inside.
For a near religious experience you might
consider staying at
Taman Wana Villas & Spa
(
You can arrange trekking guides and per-
mits at either place, however there are always a
few characters hanging around and determin-
ing who is an actual park official can be like
finding a Bali starling: difficult.
The main roads to Gilimanuk go through
the national park, but you don't have to pay
an entrance fee just to drive through. If you
want to stop and visit any of the sites within
the park, you must buy a ticket (2500Rp).
300,000Rp or 500,000Rp. Transport and food
are extra and all the prices are negotiable.
Early morning, say 6am, is the best time to
start - it's cooler and you're more likely to
see some wildlife.
Although you can try to customise your
hike, the guides are most familiar with the
four listed here. If once you're out you have
a good rapport with your guide, you might
consider getting creative.
Gunung Kelatakan (Mt Kelatakan)
From Sumber
Kelompok, go up the mountain (698m), then down to the
main road near Kelatakan village (six to seven hours). You
may be able to get permission from park headquarters to
stay overnight in the forest - if you don't have a tent, your
guide can make a shelter from branches and leaves which
will be an adventure in itself. Clear streams abound in the
dense woods.
Kelatakan
Starting at the village, climb to the microwave
tower, go down to Ambyasari and get transport back to
Cekik (four hours). This takes you through the forested
southern sector of the park. From the tower you get a feel
for what much of Bali looked like centuries ago.
Prapat Agung
From Sumber Kelompok, you can trek
around here, via the Bali Starling Pre-Release Centre and
Batu Lucin - but only from about June to September,
when the sensitive Bali starlings move further inland
(allow at least five hours). It's easier and quicker to access
the peninsula by chartered boat from Gilimanuk where you
will see the mangroves and drier savannah landscape.
Teluk Terima ( Terima Bay)
From a trail west of
Labuhan Lalang, hike around the mangroves here. Then
partially follow the Sungai Terima into the hills and
walk back down to the road along the steps at Makam
Jayaprana. You might see grey macaques, deer and black
monkeys (allow two to three hours).
Sights & Activities
By land, by boat or by water, the park awaits
exploration.
0365-40970; www.bali-tamanwana-villas.com; Palasari;
r from US$150;
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)
, a striking 2km-drive past
the Palasari church. This architecturally stun-
ning boutique resort has 27 rooms in unusual
round structures. Everything is very luxurious
and you really are away from it all. Views are
panoramic, get one of the rice fields.
These villages are north of the main road,
and the best way to see them is on a loop
with your own transport. About 17km from
Negara, look for signs for the Taman Wana
Villas. Follow these for 6.1km to Palasari.
From the west, look for a turn for Belimbing-
sari, some 20km southeast of Cekik. A good
road leads to the village. Between the two
towns, tackle the thicket of little but passable
lanes. You'll get lost but soon get set straight
by anyone you see.
CEKIK
At this junction one road continues west
to Gilimanuk and another heads northeast
towards Lovina. All buses and bemo to and
from Gilimanuk pass through Cekik.
Archaeological excavations
here during the
1960s yielded the oldest evidence of human
life in Bali. Finds include burial mounds with
funerary offerings, bronze jewellery, axes,
adzes and earthenware vessels from around
1000 BC, give or take a few centuries. Look
for some of this in the
Museum Situs Purbakala
Gilimanuk
( p283 ).
On the southern side of the junction, the
pagoda-like structure with a spiral stairway
around the outside is a
war memorial
. The me-
morial commemorates the landing of inde-
pendence forces in Bali to oppose the Dutch,
who were trying to reassert control of Indo-
TREKKING
All trekkers must be accompanied by an au-
thorised guide. It's best to arrive the day before
you want to trek, and make inquiries at the
park offices in Cekik or Labuhan Lalang.
The set rates for guides in the park depend
on the size of the group and the length of the
trek - with one or two people it's 150,000Rp
for one or two hours, 200,000Rp for three or
four hours, and 400,000Rp for five to seven
hours; with three to five people it's 250,000Rp,
as
TAMAN NASIONAL BALI
0
BARAT
5 km
0
3 miles
A
B
B A L I S E A
Taman Nasional
1
Bali Barat
Pulau
Menjangan
Pura Gili Kencana
Prapat Agung
Waka Shorea
Gunung
Lampu
BOAT TRIPS
The best way to explore the mangroves of
Teluk Gilimanuk or the west side of Prapat
Agung is by chartering a boat (maximum of
two people) for about 150,000Rp per boat per
hour. You can arrange this at either of the park
offices. A guide will cost another 150,000Rp.
This is the ideal way to see bird life, including
kingfishers, Javanese herons and, very, very
rarely, Bali starlings.
Prapat Agung
Merah
Mimpi Resort
(310m)
Menjangan
Waka
Teluk
Reception
Terima
Teluk
Gilimanuk
Bali Starling
Area
Labuhan Lalang
Pre-Release
Centre
2
To Pemuteran
Gilimanuk
(10km);
Makam
Sumber
Lovina
Port for
Kelompok
Jayaprana
(47km)
Ferries to
G Banyuwedang
Java
Gunung
(430m)
Kelatakan
(698m)
Cekik
Taman Nasional
Bali Barat
Headquarters
Taman Nasional
Information
The
park headquarters
(
Microwave
Bali Barat
Tower
7am-5pm)
at
Cekik displays a topographic model of the
park area, and has a little information about
plants and wildlife.
61060;
DIVING
Pulau Menjangan is Bali's best-known dive
area, with a dozen distinct dive sites. The
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h
Tirta Empul
Belimbingsari
Kelatakan
3
Villas
Wana
Taman
