In Reply to: Where else in Bali? posted by pegs on Friday, 10. October 2008 at 05:08 Bali Time:
- place left to go.
It is a different Bali out there and you could start at the Subak Museum in Tabanan town where you'll be amazed by the feats of the old water meisters and the way farmers could survive on their rice fields alone.
Beyond Tabanan you will turn left at Antosari and head down the face of the ranges to the long curved beach that runs right from Kuta (which is a l - o - n - g way away) to the Java ferry terminal at Gilinanuk. On the way you'll past several world renown surfing beaches and a variety of accommodation (now did I spell that right?) options from home-stays to surfer shacks and back-packers lodges to 5* resorts like Dajuma Cottages which is at least a 'must visit' place just to walk along the beach and see Captain I Gusti Ngurah Rai's concrete ship, loaded with his soldiers, resting just off the rocky shore and an old fishing village in a tiny bay just beyond. A bit further on there is a wonderful temple high up on a bluff looking right over that long beach, Purt Rambut Siwi. There are caves on the beach under that bluff and a holy fresh water spring. Up in the temple you can sit on a small bale and chill as the ocean breeze sighs through the trees. At Negara a bit further on you could visit the orphanage and/or go down to the coast and visit the Bugis fishing village. The Bugis are a different race of saefaring people and their fishing crafyt are decorated almost beyond belief. If you're there at the right time of the year you can visit the bull races also. Furthet on agai, on the right hand side of the road there are two separtae Christian villages, one Catholic and the other Protestant. The story of their origins is interesting. Just short of Gillimanuk there is an acchaeological site where very ancient artifacts reveal a Bali before Hinduhism and before Budhism also. So old that theyare linked to the time of the original Balinese and their Animist religions. Gillimanuk is the ferry port of course and it is amazing to see these ancient vessells run right up onto the shore in this very deep water port to discharge their cargoes of people (don't stand between an unloading ferry and the bus terminal because if you get caught up in the crush there's no telling where you might end up), cattle, chooks, buses and trucks loaded with brand new motor bikes. You might also see the local fishermen trawling nets to catch the local variety of sardines. They use snorkel divers to actually herd the fish into their nets. From Gillimanuk you'll go along the north coast past the grave of Jayaprana and hear the story of Bali's own Romeo and Juliet. Then there's Menjangan Island and the world class ledge diving or snorkeling, a National Park where you can go on a walking tour, several options for accommodation from no * to 6* with a private helicopter flight back south if that's what you want; or you can carry on via the north coast beaches, vinyards, spice plantations, tobacco crops and the facinating markets at Seririt where you can either turn right back to the divided lakes, Bedugul and on to the south or go straight ahead to languorous Lovina.
Not a bad choice really.