Bali Guide
West Bali
Sparsely populated, mountainous, and in places extremely rugged, west Bali stretches from the northwestern outskirts of Denpasar across 128km to Gilimanuk at the island's westernmost tip and encompasses the districts of Tabanan, Jembrana and western Buleleng. Once connected to East Java by a tract of land (now submerged beneath the Bali Strait), the region has always had a distinct Javanese character. When East Java's Hindu Majapahit elite fled to Bali in the sixteenth century, the Javanese priest Nirartha started his influential preaching tour of Bali from the west – leaving the region with a stunning trinity of clifftop temples at Tanah Lot, Rambut Siwi and Pulaki. More recently, west Bali's Muslim population has increased so much that in Jembrana, and especially the region to the west of Negara, mosques now seem to outnumber temples and a good percentage of the male population leaves the house wearing a small black peci.
Apart from making the obligatory visits to the big attractions just west of Denpasar – Pura Tanah Lot, Mengwi's Pura Taman Ayun and Sangeh Monkey Forest being the main draws – few tourists linger long in west Bali, choosing instead to rush through on their way to or from Java, via the ferry service at Gilimanuk. Yet the southwest coast holds some fine black-sand beaches, and some good surf at Lalang Linggah and Medewi, while the cream of Bali's coral reefs lie off the northwest coast around Pulau Menjangan (Deer Island), near the little beach haven of Pemuteran. Bali's only national park, Bali Barat National Park, is also here, home to the endangered Bali starling and many other bird species. The island's second highest peak, the sacred Gunung Batukaru, dominates many west Bali vistas and its southern slopes nourish the most fertile paddies in Bali.
Highlights
1 Tanah Lot Perched like a sea bird on a wave-lashed rock, this is Bali's most visited temple.
2 Subak Museum Fascinating insight into Bali's rice-farming culture.
3 Yeh Gangga beach A dramatic stretch of remote black-sand beach with just a couple of exceptional places to stay.
4 Gunung Batukaru Eco-chic accommodation on the slopes of Bali's second highest mountain.
5 Pulau Menjangan National-park island surrounded by crystal waters and spectacular, abundant shallow reefs.
6 Pemuteran Small, relaxed beach haven just outside Bali Barat National Park.