THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 359

ganized dive trip from the north-coast resorts of Pemuteran or Lovina , although a group of
snorkellers could head to Labuan Lalang, the access port for Menjangan, and club together to
rent a boat. You can also source a guide here - a prerequisite of a visit as the island is part of
the national park.
Snorkelling boats anchor off Menjangan's southeastern corner and you could bring food for
a picnic on the beach there. There's little to see on the flat sandy island itself save for a large
shrine to the elephant god Ganesh; you could circle it in an hour or so if you're keen.
Pura Jayaprana
Roadside 1km west of Labuan Lalang • Daily dawn-dusk • Entry by donation; includes sash and sarong
A cultural sight while you're in the Bali Barat National Park area is Pura Jayaprana , which
lies to the west of Labuan Lalang. The temple itself is unimpressive, but its location at the top
of a long flight of steps is superb, with panoramas of the Pulau Menjangan and its aqua seas.
Pura Jayaprana enshrines the grave of an eponymous local seventeenth-century folk hero who
was murdered because the king wanted to marry his wife; the wife then committed suicide
rather than marry the king. The couple's grave is in the inner courtyard.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: BALI BARAT NATIONAL PARK
By bemo or bus All buses and bemos on the Ubung (Denpasar)-Gilimanuk and Singa-
raja-Gilimanuk routes go past the national park headquarters at Cekik (see Tourist informa-
tion ) , while those on the latter pass Labuan Lalang (for Pulau Menjangan).
By boat Pulau Menjangan is accessed from Labuan Lalang midway between Cekik and Pe-
muteran. Boats are rented through the national park office roughly from 7am to 2pm (visib-
ility is best in the morning); they hold up to ten people and prices should be Rp350,000 for
2-3hr, which includes 30min travel each way. On top of this you'll need to pay Rp75,000
for a national park guide (who you don't really need), Rp25,000/person park entry fee,
Rp60,000/person/hr national park snorkelling fee and Rp5000 for insurance. You can also
rent mask, fins and snorkel from the office for Rp50,000/set. All in - boat rental, guide, fees
and gear rental - expect to pay Rp800,000/two people/3hr.
INFORMATION AND GUIDES
Tourist information The national park headquarters (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; 0365 61060) is
in Cekik, beside the Denpasar-Gilimanuk-Singaraja T-junction, 3km south of Gilimanuk. A
second office is at Labuan Lalang (daily 8am-3pm), where boats depart for Pulau Menjan-
gan. It has little visitor information besides a topographical map of the park and modest dis-
plays on flora and fauna.
Guides and permits Anyone who enters Bali Barat National Park must be accompanied by a
park guide and have a permit (Rp25,000) - both can be arranged through the park headquar-
ters and at the Labuan Lalang jetty. Guides don't need to be booked in advance and all speak
English - we can recommend Putu Tattoo ( 0813 3859 8396).