BENOA PORT AND SERANGAN ISLAND
BENOA PORT
A short boat ride from Benoa village at the Tanjung Peninsula's northern
tip, or a relatively long trip by road around the cape via Jimbaran, takes
you to the other side of Benoa Harbor to Benoa Port on the southern coast
of Bali. For hundreds of years, reef-sheltered Labuhan Benoa was the entry
point from the sea for all of south Bali. The accummulation of alluvium
has long since rendered much of this natural harbor unnavigable, but a
long causeway was built by the Dutch after their 1906 invasion. At the
end are fuel tanks, a big wharf, dozens of moored vessels, warehouses,
a lighthouse, fisheries, charter-boats offices, and a Pelni office.
Reach Benoa from Denpasar's Tegal Station
by bemo for around Rp1000. A chartered bemo from Kuta will
run Rp9000-12,000. If traveling by car, 10 km from Denpasar and just south
of Pasanggaran on the main Kuta/Sanur road, turn right and travel down
a two-kilometer-long jetty (Jl. Pelabuhan) which stretches toward the northeast
corner of the Bukit Peninsula.
Large cargo ships, fishing boats, oil tankers,
cruise ships, private yachts, and intraisland kapal layar moor in
this wide and shallow bay. The port is also the location of the Bali International
Yacht Club, tel. (0361) 288391. If you'd like to crew on one of the visiting
overseas yachts, hire a jukung to take you around to the different
vessels; ask if there are any openings. Visiting oceangoing yachts usually
arrive at this anchorage in the high season. If you get on as crew, give
the captain your passport and he'll clear it with the harbormaster when
he gets the Sailing Permit (surat ijin belayar).
Catch the high-speed hydrofoil Mabua Express
to Lombok. With its twin hulls and high-tech design, this vessel will get
you to Lembar in West Lombok quickly, comfortably, safely, and reliably.
Enjoy stunning views while you luxuriate in a spacious air conditioned
lounge with TV, video, and refreshments. Departs Benoa at 0830, arrives
1030; departs Lembar 1300, arrives back in Benoa 1500. Book through your
travel agent, or call their offices directly, tel./fax (0361) 772370. The
fare from Bali to Lombok is about Rp40,000; return about Rp35,000.
For the names and addresses of all the chartered
yacht outfits operating fully equipped, luxury yachts out of this port
to the island of Nusa Penida 24 km offshore, see the "Getting Around" section
of the Introduction. These well-promoted companies will pick you up at
your hotel for an early morning departure, arriving in a quiet bay off
Nusa Lembongan two to two and a half hours later. These outings are especially
popular with surfers who are able to paddle in to—not out to—the reef breaks
off Nusa Lembongan. Late that afternoon you sail back to the mainland,
enjoying the sunset en route. The price, which includes transfers, meals,
and snorkeling gear is Rp161,000-173,000 per person (children half price).
SERANGAN ISLAND
Also known as Turtle Island or Pulau Sakenan, this dry, low-lying, 73-hectare,
three-kilometer-long island formed on the sandbar at the entrance to Labuhan
Benoa, only 250 meters off the southeast coast of Bali. The island's lovely,
palm-lined southern beach is visible from the village of Benoa at the northern
tip of the Tanjung Peninsula. At the northern end of Serangan are two villages,
Pojok and, just 500 meters to the south, Dukuh, connected by a bridge over
an inlet. Settled by Islamic Buginese from South Sulawesi, the villages
are home to a Muslim mosque and a cemetery. Islanders—both Muslim and Hindu—live
together harmoniously, selling shell artifacts to tourists, cultivating
turtles, and growing maize, corn, and peanuts. There's only one losmen
on the island, Homestay Santap Sari, located on the east coast near
the pura dalem. They have six neat rooms with terraces, Rp15,000-25,000.
Good warung serving seafood are found along the track leading to
Pura Sakenan.
Unfortunately, Serangan has become a bit of
a tourist trap. The island's main attraction seems to be a muddy pool inhabited
by greenback turtles (kura-kura), 50 meters east of the Pojok jetty.
Shops selling seashell and turtle-shell artifacts and cold drinks surround
the pond. Despite its population of only 2,500, you'll likely be hounded
by vendors, who try to sell you trays full of porcelain, Venus' combs,
and tawny bishop's miters, as well as highly polished turtle shells. The
latter you should buy only if you want to contribute to the extinction
of these giant reptiles, now the focus of a worldwide conservation effort.
Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)
are caught in the surrounding shallow coastal waters, or simply turned
on their backs when they come ashore at night to lay eggs. First kept alive
in bamboo pens, then fattened on seagrass or leaves, they're eventually
slaughtered at Pegok on the outskirts of Denpasar. The meat is then sold
to restaurants for turtle steaks and sate, or used as a vital ingredient
in the Balinese ceremonial specialty, lawar. There used to be a
balance between supply and demand on Bali, but now because of the voracious
Balinese market hundreds of these magnificent wild animals must be imported
from the eastern islands and Maluku. If you're fortunate, on a moonlit
night you can watch them lay eggs on Serangan's beach. Eggs are now imported
from West Java and buried in the sand so that tourists can see them hatch
here. There's also a turtle egg hatchery on the island.
Sights
One kilometer south of Dukuh is Serangan's slender Pura Sakenan,
a two-part sea temple, sacred to all south Bali. A feature of this seaside
pura is its peculiar, graceful bersayap-style winged candi
bentar. Inside is an obelisk to the rice goddesss, Dewi Sri. Legend
has it Pura Sakenan was founded by the 10th century wanderer-priest Mpu
Kuturan. It shares the same guardian statues and decorative designs as
its contemporary, Pura Uluwatu, on the Bukit, and was constructed with
the same material—hard coral stone. The more squarish Pura Susunan Wadonan
contains pyramid-shaped prasada—Javanese candi-style, stepped
shrines, but without the cella. The combination of candi
and prehistoric pre-Hindu stepped pyramid is seldom seen in Balinese temple
architecture.
Events
It's best to visit the island at festival time. Once every 210 days,
a Turtle Festival (Manis Kuningan) is held at the Pura Sakenan sea
temple in the north of the island, one of Bali's eight most sacred public
temples. For the two-day odalan festival, droves of people are ferried
or wade across the sandbars bearing offerings to the sea gods. At the same
time, towering giant puppets for the barong landung dance are carried
by canoe in a water procession. A big colorful fair takes place outside
the temple as throngs of people in all their finery stream in and out.
Getting There
The most common method is by motorized boat from Desa Suwung, about
1.5 km south of Sanur; you'll see the sign pointing to Serangan Island.
There are no regular bemo but you can just charter one, Rp5000,
from Sanur. Take a right turn off Jl. Bypass, then drive past shrimp farms
and mangroves to the estuary where motorized longboats wait for passengers.
The outrageous price is Rp25,000 (20 minutes); bargain the fare while waiting
for other passengers to arrive to split the cost. The boat then negotiates
the narrow and very shallow channel through the swamps. Once on the island,
get to Pura Sakenan from the north by walking south over the bridge to
the banjar of Dukuh. From Dukuh, follow the path that leads across the
cement causeway over the lagoon then through a coconut grove.
From Tanjung Benoa, plan on about 20 minutes
each way to cross the bay by prahu motor, and at least a half-day
on the island. The fishermen ask as much as Rp30,000 first price, but will
come down to Rp20,000. From Tanjung's tip, it's possible to walk across
the mud to Pulau Serangan when the tide is low. Also, inquire at the water-sport
centers in Tanjung, Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Kuta about day snorkeling excursions
to coral formations off Serangan's east coast; these cost about Rp45,000
for a three- or four-hour excursion, including transport and equipment.