The Pupuan Area
Down the western side of the mountains just north of Pupuan are a few coffee growing villages. Not many visitors here; the children will shy away from you at first. They are very generous and warm people and will show you around the plantation and processing plant and offer you kopi Bali. The village of Pupan, 25 km south of Seririt on a north-south road, is the location of a 100-meter-high water-fall called Blahmantung which is only worth seeing at the height of the rainy season. The road up to the falls is very precipitous and bumpy; see the sign Sabah Hulu 1,450 meters at the side of the road in the southernmost outskirts of Pupuan. Farther down the mountain, beginning about 10 km south of Pupuan, are some of the island's most spectacular rice terraces. These works of art make incredible viewing around sunset. Watch the insane truck drivers on this road.

Seririt
Twelve km west of Kalibukbuk, where the road turns south on the dramatic ride to Pekutatan via Pupuan (two hours, 90 km). Stay at Hotel Singasari on Jl. Gajah Mada, tel. (0362) 111, past the bridge in the west end of town. Rates from Rp5000 for a basic single to Rp20,000 for an air conditioned double. Check out shops and foodstalls just north of the bemo stop. A good starting point is Rumah Makan Sederhana on Jl. Surapati near the mosque. From Seririt, take a bemo toward Pupuan, get off at Mayong, about 10 km southeast. From Mayong head east toward Kayuputih; from there you can walk back to Banjar or continue on to Munduk. In Munduk, Pan Wicarna makes gong besar and complete gamelan sets in a simple foundry next to his house.
     From Munduk a track skirts the crater rim with superb views over Tamblingan and Buyan Lakes (a single lake before they were split by a landslide in 1818). This small but paved road finally joins the Singaraja-Denpasar road at a point approximately 20 km south of Singaraja and 10 km north of Lake Bratan, and is even passable in the rainy season. Another way to the south coast is to take the road south of Mayong to Pupuan, then through the mountains on a breathtaking road to Antosari, 16 km west of Tabanan on the Tabanan-Gilimanuk road.

Celukanbawang
Just off the main coastal road 40 km west of Singaraja, this port receives timber and cement from Kalimantan and Java; here you may catch Bugis schooners trading between Bali and Kalimantan. The port is also used by the oil company ARBN as a supply base for its offshore drilling explorations. In Celukanbawang stay, eat, drink, and watch movies at Drupadi Indah Hotel & Restaurant. Lodging costs Rp10,000 d, or Rp13,000 d for larger rooms with bigger beds. Mandi inside both classes of rooms. Another okay place to eat is Depot Muslim Abdullah in the village.

Tanjung Gondol
About 30 km west of Seririt, or 35 km east Gilimanuk, just before the poor fishing village of Gondol, are the solitary sands of Tanjung Gondol. With rows of jukung and surrounded by a coconut plantation, this part of the coast is idyllic and peaceful, with no tourists and no facilities but plenty of good swimming and snorkeling. Coming from the east, or four km before Pulaki, start looking for this peninsula with a small temple on top of a small hill. The best area for viewing the extremely rare Bali mynah (or Bali starling) is the guardpost at Teluk Kelor near Gerokgak on the north coast of the Prapat Agung Peninsula. About 45 mynahs inhabit this savannah area with patches of monsoon forests. Reach there by motorboat from Labuan Lalang village; on your way, refresh yourself with a dive around Menjangan Island.

Pulaki
Pura Agung Pulaki, a large, dramatic temple only 25 metes from the sea, is situated 30 km west of Seririt (48 km west of Singaraja) near the grape-growing village of Banyupoh. Cliffs tower behind the temple surrounded by jungle and overrun by hordes of aggressive simians. Considered sacred, the macaques are well-fed by locals but always eager for tourist handouts.
     This important temple commemorates the arrival of the Javanese saint-priest Nirantha to Bali in the early 16th century. It was completely restored with black stone gates and terraces in 1983 in a ceremony presided over by the governor of Bali and the bupati of Buleleng. Pedanda fanned out all over Java and Lombok to obtain holy water for use in the ceremony.
     Legend has it a great village exists here, invisible but for its temple. It is said that when Nirantha lived in Gelgel he was forced to hide his daughter lest she be abducted by the king. He finally brought her to this remote place, rendering it invisible to keep her safe. To this day, the people who occupy the invisible village are known as gamang and are said to wander the countryside.
     The parking lot is jammed with souvenir and food stalls. Also a handy stop for truck drivers headed to and from the ferry terminal at Gilimanuk. Time your arrival for the sunset at beautiful Pantai Gondol which offers clean white sand, coral reefs, and above-average snorkeling. There's a smaller, monkey-infested temple one-half km west of Pura Pulaki where a tunnel has been cut through large rocks hanging over the road.
     One km past Pulaki and 500 meters off the road is an air panas. A more famous hot springs, known for the medicinal qualities of its mineral waters, is at Banyuwedang (entrance Rp450 adults, Rp250 children). It's 900 meters off the highway just before the entrance to Bali Barat National Park.
     In a beautiful setting, only two km from Banyupoh at the end of a pretty country road, is Pura Melanting. Dedicated to the god of prosperity, this temple with its huge and ornately carved candi bentar is set impressively against a mountain. Zero tourists visit this site.

Water Sports
Australian dive master and PADI instructor Chris Brown operates an eco-friendly dive and snorkel operation here (Reef Seen, Desa Pemuteran, Gerogak, Singaraja 81115, tel. 0362-92339, e-mail: reefseen@denpasar.wasantara.net.id) 100 meters east of Pondok Sari: Rp70,000 for a dive, Rp115,000 for dives, Rp75,000 for night dives. Credit cards accepted. Brown caters to underwater videomakers and photographers, and also offers equipment rental, repair, and service. As a teacher, he's competent and patient. Several nights a week he screens a video of the superlative dive sites in Bali. The "tickets" he sells to snorkelers (Rp200) are basically a way of familiarizing people with the rules: respect the reef and the community, don't stand on it, don't feed the fish, no nudity. Chris also gives back to the village, holding Balinese dance classes for kids with performances of five different dances on Saturday nights. Delightful.
     Midday is high tide at Pemuteran. The Napoleon Reef is 1.5 km out; the soft coral like flowers blooming. There's a large shallow area with plenty of reef fish (damsel fish, silver fusiliers, blue dancers, snappers, etc.), as well as a dropoff with occasional manta rays. Modified dive prahu take you to the reef from the dive center. Great snorkeling too. Closer to the shore in front of Pondok Sari it's murkier and there's not as much fishlife as farther out, although you still see locals fishing near the beach.

Accommmodations and Food
One of Bali's nicest hotels is the 22-room Pondok Sari, Desa Pemuteran, Gerokgak, Singaraja, tel. (0362) 92623 or 288096, fax 286297. Five hundred meters from the main road, with clean and spacious bungalows set in a tropical garden. Simple but comfortable bamboo furniture, wardrobe and dresser, okay lighting, ceiling fans, mosquito nets, beautiful open-roofed mandi, verandas and chairs. Good room service, safety deposit box, guard at night, accepts credit cards. Rates: standard fan-cooled Rp75,000, deluxe a/c with garden view Rp105,000, deluxe a/c with ocean view Rp135,000, suites a/c with hot water Rp175,000. Breakfast not included here--a big negative.
     The food in the small, charming, open-air restaurant is overpriced but quite good and the portions large: try jaffles (Rp3500), banana pancakes (Rp2500), or a nightly special like beefsteak (Rp7500) or fish (Rp9500). Open 0700-2400. Fifteen percent service and tax charged for both rooms and meals. Transfers available upon request.
     The Pondok Sari stages a joget bumbu dance in the evenings either in the restaurant or near the temple. Dances are sometimes held simultaneously with a festive, crowded pasar malam featuring a gamelan ensemble. The hotel also rents snorkeling masks and fins for Rp5000 (three hours) and mountain bikes for Rp2000 per hour. Ask the manager about tours to Bali Barat National Park.
     The secluded, beachfront, eco-friendly Taman Sari Resort, 500 meters west of Pondok Sari, has 21 bungalows with ocean views, abundant gardens of indigenous plants, and plenty of quiet space for peaceful relaxation. Rates from Rp75,000 for fan rooms, Rp110,000-135,000 for deluxe a/c rooms, and Rp175,000 for suites with hot water. Walls not as paper-thin as Pondok Sari's. The open-air restaurant provides spectacular views of mountainous western Bali. Water sports, dokar rides, temple tours, sunset trips, and excursions to wild regions all offered. Bookings: tel (0362) 92623 or through Nagasari Tours in Sanur (tel. 0361-288096, fax 286297).
     One km east of Pondok Sari is three-star Matahari Beach Resort (tel. 0362-92312, fax 92313) with very nice bungalows (US$160-350 d, plus 21% tax and service) but a strangely lifeless atmosphere. Art lessons, diving, and tours offered.

Climate
The north coast of Bali is generally drier than the south, especially between May and November. The coast of Cape Prapat Agung is exposed to rainy season squalls, though the cape shelters Pulau Menjangan and Teluk Terima. At sea level, temperatures are high throughout the year. Hill temperatures inland vary according to elevation and tree cover.

Fauna
The park offers rusa deer, kancil, barking deer, long-tailed macaques, civets, monkeys, wild boars, and perhaps 30 or so banteng (Bos javanicus)—living ancestors of today's deer-like Balinese cattle. The park's profuse and beautiful birdlife includes the endangered Bali starling (popularly known as jalak bali) and sea and shore birds, the most conspicuous being brown boobies and lesser frigate birds. Two species of terns nest in large numbers on a sandy cay at the entrance of Teluk Lumpur ("Mud Bay"), while the boobies and frigates roost on Pulau Burung farther east.
     An extremely rare species, Bali's only remaining endemic creature, the Bali starling (jalak putih in Indonesian) averages 23 cm in length and features black wingtips and tail, silky white feathers, and brilliant blue rings around its eyes. Not to be confused with the black-winged starling which has black wings and tail. It lives in groups of two or three in the acacia scrub and dry monsoon forests on the north coast of Cape Prapat Agung. A very shy and easily agitated bird, the jalak putih can fetch as much as US$1500 in the pet market. Using birds from zoos on Java for breeding, conservationists hope to increase the small number of birds surviving in the wild. To see live specimens, visit the Bali Starling Recovery Project in Tegal Bunder or at Teluk Kelor, north of Batu Licin, to the east. Get a bemo (Rp500 each way) from Labuhan Lalang to Sumberklampok, then turn right and walk two km to the Recovery Project at Tegal Bunder. When you come to some buildings, turn right and walk another 200 meters to the aviary. Take off your shoes and socks, walk down a hall, and look through the tiny windows of the aviary. The birds live in the trees and are fed from big buckets of bugs. There are only nine birds and perhaps 50 more in the jungle. Entrance fee is Rp2000.
     Hawksbill turtles and 10-meter-long toothless whale sharks have been sighted along the reserve's north coast, and whales and dolphins migrate via Selat Bali between Java and Bali.
     More like a forest than a jungle, the park offers exceptional walking and first-class panoramas. Day trips can be arranged by the PHPA office in Labuhan Lalang. Part of the walk is cross-country with no trails. At times you have to crawl through undergrowth and use paths frequented by wild ox and deer. Birds are everywhere—incredible surround sound.
     An interesting walk is the 25-km-long track along the coast of Cape Prapat Agung (highest elev. 310 meters). This cape is cut off from the rest of the reserve by the main Singaraja-Gilimanuk road, as well as by settlements and coconut, teak, and eucalyptus plantations. Into this wilderness bring lots of water as it can get extremely hot. Make sure your guide is a good birdspotter (the park has 160 species) and bring binoculars.

Information and Permits
The best info on hiking and guides, a small exhibit, scale model of the park, and possibly even maps can be had from the park headquarters in Cekik, three km south of Gilimanuk at the junction of the road from Singaraja with the road from Denpasar. Dark green bemo from Denpasar's Ubung Station pass Cekik on their way to Gilimanuk. The park headquarters is open Mon.-Thurs. 0800-1400, Friday 0800-1100, and Saturday 0800-1200. The PHPA maintains a branch office at Labuhan Lalang (12 km east of Cekik) with a useful relief map of the park. Open 0800-1800.
     You must have a permit, and be accompanied by a guide (Rp15,000 per hike) to enter the reserve plus the cost of vehicles or boats. One day permits (Rp2500) and guides are available at the park headquarters in Cekik and the ranger station at Labuhan Lalang, as well as the Department of Forestry (PHPA) office in Denpasar (Jl. Suwung 40, Box 320). You don't need a permit to drive through the park from Singaraja to Gilimanuk road; get to Labuhan Lalang by public bemo from Lovina for Rp2800.
     The park entrance fee is Rp2500 per person per day, plus Rp2500 per vehicle per day. A guide costs Rp15,000—for all fees and guides, count on about Rp20,000 per day. A typical walk lasts five hours. Early or the late in the day is the best time to see wildlife. Dress like your guide: jeans and long sleeves for protection from thorns and snags. Take a lunch and sit quietly in the forest to hear the symphony.

Accommodations and Food
Undoubtedly, the best place to stay is Pondok Sari just before Pulaki to the east, or in Gilimanuk. There's a guesthouse (tel. 0365-40060) at park headquarters in Cekik (Jembrana), nice rooms, shared mandi, Rp10,000 per person. For a small charge you can spend the night in four guard posts on the Cape Prapat Agung peninsula—three on the west coast, one on the north. Facilities are very basic—beds, wood fire, and cooking pots. Bring all your own food and eating utensils. Yet another option is Pondok Wisata Lestari, a combination restaurant and losmen two km from Cekik on the way to Gilimanuk (Rp10,000 s, Rp15,000 d); food. There are also designated campgrounds east of Cekik. Be sure to let the rangers know you plan to stay overnight. For overnights, bring sleeping bag, mosquito net, all food and beverages. Camping equipment can be rented from the park forestry office at Labuhan Lalang.
     In the middle of the complex at Labuhan Lalang, between the Taman Nasional Bali Barat offices and the sea, are two open-air restaurants with Western-oriented menus. Very rustic: lots of mosquitoes, incredible humidity, no fans. Cold beer served out of ice chests. Lots of locals hang out on weekend dates. The cafes rent snorkeling equipment—Rp5000 for fins, mask, and snorkel, or Rp2500 for fins only.

Jayaprana's Gravesite
Near Labuhan Lalang is the sacred grave of the folk hero Jayaprana, the foster son of treacherous king Anak Agung Gde Murka. In the 17th century, the king sent Jayaprana to Teluk Terima under the pretext of investigating wrecked ships plundered by pirates. His real motive was to steal Jayaprana's wife Layon Sari. During this royal mission, Jayaprana was ambushed and killed by the king's minister. Hearing the news, Layon Sari stabbed herself to death. The king then went insane, ran amok, and was killed by his subjects.
     Jayaprana was finally given a proper cremation in 1949, an event accompanied by many strange, unexplained apparitions. The folk hero's grave (Rp1050 admission), with figures of the betrayed Brahman and his bride behind glass, is inside a temple after climbing 10 minutes up steep concrete steps from the south side of the road, one km west of Labuhan Lalang (12 km east of Cekik). About halfway up the stone stairway are splendid views of the old volcanoes of eastern Java, Gilimanuk Bay, and Pulau Menjangan.

The Marine Reserve
This unspoilt 6,600-hectare marine reserve includes the shores of the mountainous outcrop of land (Cape Prapat Agung) between Teluk Terima and Gilimanuk, and several bird islands in the bay near Gilimanuk, but is centered primarily on Pulau Menjangan and the excellent coral reefs surrounding it. Because it's a national park, both the number of boats and number of passengers visiting the island are controlled. A PHPA officer accompanies you on the boat; request one who speaks English.
     Coral reefs are also found off the mainland. In fact, just out in front of Labuhan Lalang, the drop-off (gradual) is just five meters from the shore. Since these waters are protected, the snorkeling is superb. Go early in the morning when the water is clearest. Just drift along the coral wall; unbelievable. This dive site is particularly suited for beginner and intermediate divers.
     It costs Rp60,000 for a four-hour snorkeling trip to Pulau Menjangan (maximum 10 people). In Labuhan Lalang you'll probably be able to find other tourists to share in the boat rental fees. Just hang out in the restaurant or parking lot until you gather enough people. For scuba diving, the boat costs the same (maximum six people with all their gear). Additional hours are Rp7500 extra. Prices are fixed, and one person costs the same as 10. From the jetty at Labuhan Lalang take one of the good-sized boats waiting for passengers. The passage takes about 30 minutes. You can rent snorkeling equipment from the PHPA office in Labuhan Lalang (Rp6000 per set), or hire in Lovina or Kuta before you go.
     The 175-hectare sanctuary island of Pulau Menjangan, off the northwest coast at the western entrance to Teluk Terima, received its name ("Deer Island") from the wild Java deer that graze on its open savannahs. One of Bali's premier scuba diving and snorkeling locales, these reefs are frequented by species of fish of every size, shape, and color.
     There's a great variety of underwater terrain, for the most part about two meters below the surface extending 100-150 meters offshore, with no dangerous currents or wind-generated waves to contend with. The soft coral walls around the island are almost vertical and extend to a depth of 35-60 meters. The unusually rugged surface of the reef is pockmarked with caves, grottoes, fissures, and hollows, and covered with giant gorgonians and barrel sponges. At 25-50 meters the visibility is crystal clear.
     The spectacular 120-meter dropoffs and caves off Pulau Menjangan's south side are only surpassed by the particularly fine species of coral off its northern shores. Menjangan's northwestern end is the site of an old shipwreck, called the Anker, near a small pier and PHPA guardpost about 75 meters from shore. The 25-meter-long wreck lies on a sandy slope from seven meters to 45 meters underwater. This is an excellent spot for a soft coral, caves, fish, and other reef life.
     There's a break in the wall on the east side; this is where all the boats come in. Boats land in the shallows, then after gearing up on the beach, divers start exploring along the edge of the underwater wall only one to five meters down. You'll find the fish are quite cheeky as the guides feed them regularly with leftover rice. Boats usually visit the same sites day after day; permanent mooring buoys are in place to prevent anchor damage to the coral. Guides allow sightseers to disembark so they can walk the short nature trail on the island and view the plantlife and wild deer; it starts near the jetty, leads east to a small shrine (15 minutes), and will take in all only about an hour. An onshore shelter for divers is on Pulau Menjangan's western end, but spending the night on the island isn't allowed. Much of the island is flat and very dry, the soil sandy with sparse vegetation, and some sections of the coast are fringed with mangroves. The only animals are a herd of barking deer, Java deer, the green-yellow mangrove white-eye, and few Bali starling.
     Everyone in these waters should beware of tiny stinging jellyfish. You could end up with welts all over your torso; jellyfish get stuck in one-piece bathing suits. Within an hour the painful welts are gone. Lemon juice helps.

Organized Tours
Tunas Indonesia, Jl. D. Tamblingan 107, tel. (0361) 288450, and the travel office in the Hotel Bali Beach in Sanur, tel. (0361) 288056, offer two-day, one-night "Walking Safari Tours" of the park for Rp315,000 per person for two people. Oceania, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 78, tel./fax (0361) 88652, in Kuta; Aquanaut, Jl. W.R. Supratman, Abiankapas Kaja, tel. (0361) 28562, fax 32872, in Denpasar; Spice Dive, tel. (0362) 41841, in Lovina; Barrakuda, tel./fax (0361) 33386, in Sanur; and Stingray, Puri Bali Homestay, tel./fax (0366) 35540, in Candidasa, are all popular dive companies with good equipment that offer marine tours to Pulau Menjangan and environs. They arrange everything—transportation, boat, PHPA permit—and arrive with filled tanks, weights, box lunch waiting in the van. The boat operators themselves also serve as experienced guides to marine attractions. These dive outfits organize tours to not only Pulau Menjangan but also to Pulau Lembongan, Tulamben.
     You can arrange one-day snorkeling/scuba diving excursions from the Kuta-Sanur-Denpasar area, but it's a long, hard day. Tours start at 0730, arrive 2.5 hours later, return at 1700, and cost an absolutely unbargainable Rp150,000-300,000. Since the roundtrip to Labuhan Lalang by van from Kuta takes at least six hours, eating up most of the day, it's better to spend the night near the park in Gilimanuk, Pemuteran, or Lovina. From the latter, Labuhan Lalang is Rp2800 by dark red public bemo. Dive tours operating out of Candidasa to Pulau Menjangan take even longer (five to six hours one way) and cost too much because of the distance.