In Reply to: Turtle Island? posted by jayz on Sunday, 8. January 2006 at 13:23 Bali Time:
Don't be put off by the negative comments below. Sakenan...or Turtle Island is well worth a day trip. Yes...there is a brief guantlet of aggressive sellers that you will encounter immediately upon arrival to the tiny island. Firm "no thank you's" and a steady stride will have you through them with no problem.
Chances are, with the exception of a few locals, you will be the only one's there..a welcome change of pace after a few days in South Bali. Deserted beaches littered with colorfull fishing prahus (sailing canoes) with ornately carved bow pieces surround the island. There is the Turtle Information Center and Breeding Facility mentioned in the other posts and it's worth a 1/2 hour or so to check out the animals but the real beauty lies in the peace and quiet. Otherwise...exploring the island on foot or just enjoying the peace & quiet of the empty beaches makes a visit to Sakenan a very worthwhile trip.
Pura Sakenan is the island's small temple and it is most beautiful and unique to Bali in that it is built completely from white coral rather than the usual brick & block normaly used for temple construction. If you are lucky enough the be in Bali at the time of the odalan for Pura Sakenan, there is a magical melasti, or procession, at low tide from the Bali harbor to Turtle Island (the procession usualy begins in Denpasar) for the celebrations...hundreds of Balinese, dressed in the finery, bearing colorful umbrellas, banners, offerings piled high atop heads as they wade thru the shallow waters separating Bali & Sakenan.