THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 369

Tista, the road parallels the Pulukan River and soon passes through the middle of an enorm-
ous sacred fig tree at Bunut Bolong , a famous local sight but not worth a special trip. About
10km south of the tree, you arrive at Pekutatan on the main Tabanan-Gilimanuk road, 2km
east of Medewi Beach .
Pupuan to Antosari (via Sanda and Belimbing)
The easterly branch of the road from Pupuan drops through glorious scenery, affording
moutainscapes of Gunung Batukaru to the east. On the way, you'll pass dozens of coffee
plantations , many protected by spindly-looking dadap (“coral”) trees - dead leaves fall to
act as fertilizer for the coffee plants, while the roots prevent soil erosion. Cacao is also a big
crop here, as are cloves , which you may see drying on mats.
In the village of Sanda , about 30km from Seririt, one former coffee plantation has been
turned into a small, charmingly colonial-style hotel and restaurant (see Sanda Boutique Vil-
las ) . Some 11km further south, you roll through the village of Belimbing in a pretty valley,
then continue on to reach the Denpasar-Gilimanuk highway at Antosari , 16km west of Taba-
nan.
ACCOMMODATION: THE ANTOSARI ROAD
Sanda Boutique Villas Sanda village 0828 372 0055, sandavillas.com . A quiet coun-
tryside pause en route south, this has eight stylish sunny bungalows, all with a/c, and a
restaurant serving Indonesian standards like beef rendang and ikan pepes (Rp50,000) on a
former coffee plantation. As appealing as the saltwater infinity poo l with views across the
countryside is the fact that evenings at 761m elevation are cooler. $85
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