Bali Heaven Official Blog

West Bali National Park

It is the only national park in the island of Bali in Indonesia. Located in Bahasa Indonesia it is called Taman Nasional Bali Barat in the local language. It marks the most north westerly point of Bali. It is a haven for some diverse species of flora and fauna and many package tours are arranged to this park through the Negara Regency. The park was recognized as an area of imminence in the country in the year 1917. This was the time when it was deemed as a nature park by a council comprising of Bali rulers. However, it was not until 1941, when it was completely established as the Indonesian National Park.

Geography of the Park

The Park comprises of two areas. The official area of the park boundaries is only 190 square kilometers. However, an additional 580 square kilometers of area in the highlands on the east are also considered as a protected reserve making up an overall area of 770 square kilometers. This is equivalent to about 10% of the total land area of Bali. In the Northern side, the Bali national park includes a beach that is 1000 meters long along with reefs and islets. On the western side, it is marked by the seaport of Gilimanuk while the village of Goris marks its eastern end. The national park includes the whole Prapat Agung Peninsula and large pieces of land around the main towns of Cekik, Banyuwedang and Gilimanuk.

How to Reach?

The park is in the vicinity of many towns and can be reached by road from places like Singaraja and Gilimanuk. One can also use the ferries that ply from Ketapang, Java. Lovina on the north coast road, 90 minutes from the park and Pemuteran, 15 minutes away are two other entry points for the national park. One has to reach the park offices to arrange for guides and also obtain the permits. The two headquarters of the park are located in the village of Cekik and Labuan Lalang.

Attractions of the park

Most of the park area is protected and only a small part is actually open for exploration by the visitors. Exploration could be limited only to the marine life or could also follow hiking trails depending upon the individual interest. You can also arrange for boat trips around Gilimanuk bay and Menjangan island. The park consists of mangroves, savanna, montane and mixed monsoon forests and coral islands which make up its amazing diversity. The central area of the park is spotted with 4 volcanic mountains from as early as Pleistocene era. Gunung Patas, with 1412 meters has the highest elevation.

Tegal Blunder Trail

This is a good route for those who love watching birds. You can reach the Slumber Klampok checkpoint and also take the more strenuous Gunung Klatakan Trail to the south east if you are interested in going through the amazing rainforests.

Menjangan Island

This is uninhabited and is a great location for diving and snorkeling for those interested in marine life. The boats depart from the Terima bay (Teluk Terima) and the water here has the best visibility amongst all snorkeling sites in Bali.

There is no dearth of lovely coastal villages in Bali but Lovina is amongst the best of the lot. It was actually renamed by a Buleleng regency official keeping in mind the future tourism influx. On the North coast towards the West of Singaraja, there are 7 traditional villages that culminate into one in a 10 km stretch. These villages are Kalibukuk, Anturan, Temukus, Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Kaliasem and Banyualit with Kalibukuk considered as the town center of Lovina. Some of the beaches are made up of black sand but are safe for swimming with July and August being the crowded seasons.

Getting to Lovina

Lovina can be reached through shuttle buses which leave from Sanur, Ubud, Padang Bai and Candi Dasa. Although there are mini buses called bemos, travelling long distance could be painful. You will get buses from anywhere in Bali. There is transportation made available by “Perama”. By car, one takes 3 hours from Kuta, 2 hours from Ubud and slightly less from Sanur. One can take rest by breaking journey at Bedugul.

Villas of Lovina

There are some wonderful villas where you can relax and enjoy the amazing view around. Master Pool Villas with butler service and some lush gardens offer one a relaxing vista from hardwood verandahs and pavilions with amazing sea view. The ceilings of hardwood, bathrooms with bathtubs and open air showers are amongst the many amenities available for the visitors. Rare antiques, royal fabric, Bale pavilions and private swimming pools are all part of the amazing villas. You can enjoy the charming rural life of Lovina and its rice fields along with sophisticated bedrooms, living room etc inside the villas. Umah Raja Villa for example, is lavish with a cinema and DVD library to give you the best of both the worlds.

The lovely black sand beaches are great for a soothing promenade. One of the places worth visiting is the Brahma Vihara Arama, Dencarik. This is the largest Buddhist monastery of Bali. With a clearly Buddhist orange roof, the monastery is popular for its Balinese carvings too. It offers stupendous views all around and within there are many stupas and gold Buddhas with amazing ornamentation. The Banjar Hot Springs nearby is another spot that attracts a lot of tourists. It is a quiet and lovely place that offers tranquility and peace.

The Banjar Hot Springs, 10km west of Dencarik have mouths carved out of stone that gush out hot springs. With a cleansing environment, the waters at soothing temperatures are rich in sulfur and have a therapeutic effect. There are lockers and changing rooms to encourage a cozy bath in the spring.

Diving enthusiasts can head off to Menjangan Island, Tulamben and Amed on day trips. One can also enjoy a traditional massage in the many spas like Bali Samdahi and Agung’s Spa. One can enjoy Thai massage and Thai food reflexology here too. There are some outriggers in various colors that take one on fishing trips where one can enjoy dolphin sightings on an enjoyable ride.