Gedung Marya
Named after I Ketut Mario, Bali's preeminent choreographer and dance
master of the 1920s and '30s who singlehandedly created the kebyar
and terompong, this building is in front of the Puri Tabanan. Dances
are staged here only in June during the art fair (pesta seni) and
for Independence Day celebrations on 17 August. During the fair you may
see the kebyar, arja, wayang kulit, and lomba-lomba festival.
Accommodations
There are few hotels in Tabanan. Since the selection is limited and
substandard, it's best to push through and stay outside the city in more
agreeable seaside accommodations at Yeh Gangga, Tibubiyu, or Balian Beach.
If you have to stay, on the east side of town is Hotel Sederhana,
Jl. Saha Dewa, tel. (0361) 811708, right across from the police station;
Rp8000 s, Rp12,000 d. Clean and quiet. Opposite the bupati office
is the trader's hotel Taruna Jaya, Jl. Dharma Wanasa 1, about the
same price as the Sederhana. If coming from Denpasar, turn left at the
Rumah Sakit, east of the bupati office.
Food
Eat bargain meals in the pasar senggol (open 1700-2400) east
of Gedung Marya. Also good, simple food at Terminal Pesiapan, Tabanan's
bus/bemo station. One of the best nasi padang restaurants
around is the Murah Meriah in the bus station. People from all over
Bali associate Tabanan with a spinachlike vegetable called gondo
(or sayur pelecing); try a dish in the pasar senggol. Tabanan
is also a good place to buy brem. In the nasi padang restaurant
Pura Bulia, Jl. Gajah Mada 45, a quite good nasi campur is
served. Reflecting Javanese influence, there's another Muslim restaurant
as well. Taliwang Bersaudara on Jl. Gatot Subroto specializes in
ayam goreng, ayam pangang, and other Sasak dishes. On the other
side of the road is the Indonesian restaurant Taman Senggulan, which
is famed for its baked fish. Toko Makanan Sedia, on the main street
Jl. Gajah Mada, is a small Chinese restaurant with tasty food.
Shopping
Tabanan is one of the best and cheapest places on Bali to shop for
everyday articles. The big market for the whole regency is in the middle
of Tabanan, selling even exotic items like avocados. This busy pasar
is neater and cleaner than most markets, and the sellers don't hassle you.
Shop here for clothes, shoes, krupuk, and household and electronic
goods. Also for sale are sarung, ceremonial clothes, and temple
umbrellas. Toko Swardana, Jl. Gajah Mada 41, tel. (0361) 811249,
has a beautiful collection of reasonably priced clocks, watches, alarm
clocks, perfume, and sunglasses. Check out the supermarket Nanushka
Utama Pusat Perbelanjaan, about three km before Tabanan on the way
from Kediri. About 1.5 km from Tabanan on the road to Kediri is Miranda
Fashion Clothing Store.
Services
The tourist information office is on Jl. Gunung Agung, tel.
(0361) 811602, on the east side of Gedung Marya; see Pak Ketut Suaba. Change
money at the BPD Bank, which accepts traveler's checks at fair rates,
on the main street Jl. Gajah Mada. For phone calls to Australia,
Europe, and the U.S., try the telephone and telegraph substation (Perumtel
Telekommunikasi) on Jl. Anggrek in a new Balinese-style building. Tabanan
has a big hospital—including an optometrist—on the main road coming
into town from Denpasar.
Getting There
From Denpasar, take a bemo from Ubung station (Rp800) or follow
the main highway west toward Negara through the villages of Sempidi, Lukluk,
and Kapac, arriving in Tabanan after 20 km. Or take a bemo from
Denpasar's Ubung station heading to Gilimanuk and get off in the town center.
Getting Away
The Tabanan bus station (Terminal Pesiapan) is on the west side of
town. From this terminal big Isuzu vans head for Mengwi, Rp500; Denpasar,
Rp800; Bedugul, Rp2000; Negara, Rp1750; and Gilimanuk, Rp2500. All bis
malam leave from Terminal Pesiapan; arrive one hour before departure.
A bus ticket office is in Warung Ani, Jl. Gajah Mada 128. If coming from
Gilimanuk, the office is before the row of shops on the left. Long-distance
bus ticket fares are Jakarta, Rp56,500 (departs 0700, 24 hours); Bandung,
Rp50,000 (0700); Bogor (0700); Surabaya, Rp21,000 (1900); Malang, Rp21,000
(1800); Yogyakarta, Rp38,000 (1530). Another bis malam office is
east of Bank Republic Indonesia.
Vicinity of Tabanan
Explore the paddies and villages around town. Almost any side road
out of Tabanan to the south eventually ends up at the sea, with a wide
sandy sloping beach and good surf. The Tabanan coast offers isolated coves
and rocky outcrops which provide shade and spectacular ocean views. The
black sand is known for its curative, therapeutic properties, and is said
to be particularly helpful for arthritis.
The Subak Museum is in Senggulan village
two km east of Tabanan and about four km west of the road junction to Kediri.
If you're on an Ubung-Tabanan-Gilimanuk bemo, get out when you see
the big sign on the road's north side advertising the Taman Senggulan Restaurant,
then cross the road and walk 350 meters up the hill. You'll see the small
sign for Mandala Mathika Subak. A single room houses exhibits on the history
and development of Bali's unique subak irrigation committees. This
is the only museum on Bali to focus on agriculture, displaying farming
implements for cutting, cleaning, and pounding rice; tools for leveling
land, ploughing, weeding, and digging water tunnels; various fish traps;
tweezers for catching eels; wooden nets used to catch dragonflies; a miniature
kitchen with utensils used for cooking rice; a scale model of a farming
kampung; and old-style structures. Open daily 0730-1830, closed
Sunday. By donation.
Marga
The Margarana Monument in Marga is 15 km northeast of Tabanan.
This memorial park honors a regiment of guerrilla fighters killed here
by a Dutch ground attack and aerial bombardment shortly after WW II. The
Dutch far outnumbered the Balinese, many of whom were armed only with sharpened
bamboo poles. The engagement was a shattering defeat for the Balinese resistance
movement, killing many of its original leaders. So many high caste cadre
lost their lives that the battle marked the beginning of much heavier participation
of lower-caste guerrillas. The aristocratic leader of this futile stand
was 29-year-old Lt. Col. I Gusti Ngurah Rai; Denpasar's airport is named
after him. The Battle of Marga was joined after the Indonesians refused
a Dutch demand for surrender. After a series of clashes in Tabanan, Rai's
platoon set out on a long march to Gunung Agung, seeking to draw attention
away from a landing on Jembrana of Republican troops from Java. The ploy
was discovered by the Dutch, who attacked and annhilated the Balinese force
at Marga on 20 November 1946 with the aid of a B-25 bomber. In all, 96
Balinese guerrillas were killed.
The Margarana ("Battle of Marga") monument
was built in 1954. In the middle is a 17-meter-tall, eight-roofed monument
shaped like a Javanese candi, designed to symbolize the unity of
the fallen revolutionaries in their fight for freedom.
A strange, eerie feeling permeates this place.
The memorial stones of 1,372 men and women, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians,
who died on Bali fighting Dutch forces lie in a cemetery here, including
11 Japanese soldiers who defected to the Indonesian side. Christian tombstones
bear the cross, Muslims the half moon, Balinese the swastika. The monument
is inscribed with the text of a famous letter Rai wrote to a Dutch officer,
pledging to give his life for the revolution.
Marga is not a regular tourist stop, there
will probably be few people here, but it is worth a visit. Every 20 November,
a Hero's Day Ceremony is held here with a reenactment of the "Long March."
Attended by pemuda, scouts, and soldiers, this eight-hour march
to Denpasar lasts from evening to the early morning. Visit the small museum
on the grounds (open 0800-1200) exhibiting uniforms, weapons, documents,
photos, battle plans, and remnants of the battle.
Kediri
Four km south of Tabanan in Kediri is the site of one of Bali's largest
cattle markets. Amid a din of human and animal sounds and pungent smells,
game cocks, potbellied swine, lumbering oxen, squealing geese, squawking
ducks, and soft golden-brown cattle are sold and traded. Other equally
animated and exciting cattle markets are held in Bringkit near Kapal and
Bebandem near Tirtagangga.
In Kediri's puri is a particularly
honored historical relic, the magic kris of the Javanese priest
Nirantha. Known as Jaramenara, this holy object was left with the village
headman as a token of Nirantha's gratitude just before the saint went off
to Ulu Watu and his final transcendence. Every Kuningan festival the kris
is removed and washed in a special ceremony.
All Ubung (Denpasar)-Gilimanuk bemo
pass through Kediri (Rp1000, 30 minutes). The town's bemo terminal
is at the junction where the road branches right for Tabanan and Gilimanuk
and left for Tanah Lot (12 km to the southwest).
Pejaten
Just four km southwest of Kediri (12 km south of Tabanan) is this small
and friendly pottery village of one-story thatch compounds squeezed between
two rivers, covering an area of 1.5 square km. Untouched by the modern
world, Pejatan has long been known as a center for hand-decorated, wheel-thrown
pottery and ceramic roof tiles. The red clay was traditionally mined on
village land until it began to run out in the early '80s. In 1985 the villagers
started experimenting with high temperature porcelain, and within a few
years Pejetan was turning out not only washbasins and pots but porcelain
dinner sets, elegant bowls, delicate animal figurines, and open lattice-work
filigree vases. High-fired porcelain is much less fragile than traditional
terra-cotta. Before long, the ceramic pieces were in high demand at Bali
hotels, restaurants, and shops.
Roof tile-making, however, remains the primary
economic activity of about 90% of the town's 4,000 inhabitants. Widely
used by the island's building trade, these dull red terra-cotta tiles with
reliefs of gods, goddesses, and wayang heroes are patterned after
a style first introduced by the painter Kay It. Check out the fanciful
ornaments, called jambangan, popularly used to decorate the apex
of thatched roofed houses. Pejaten's humorous, grotesque standing clay
figures—inspired by the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata—decorate
gardens and walls all over Bali. A big, jolly, clownish terra-cotta fat
man goes for Rp50,000, weighs about 15 kg, but is quite fragile since the
sculpture isn't high-fired. You'll also see huge 80-cm unglazed earthen
water jars for about the same price. Clay is imported from the Malang area
of East Java.
Smoke from dozens of coconut husk-fueled brick
kilns billows from the yards of the village kampung. Any ceramic
worker will lead you to one of dozens of workshops. There are only two
retail display rooms, open daily 0800-1800, about one-half km from one
another. At Tanteri Ceramic's, tel. (0361) 91897, work can be seen
in their showrooms in Pejaten and Candidasa and in the Griya Art Market
in Sanur. Tanteri's makes the best tiles. Pejaten's other showroom is Pejaten
Keramic (ask to see additional inventory in adjoining building). This
outfit has its works displayed in Ubud.
The best pieces are the glazed Chinese-style
ceramics with beautiful ornamentation. Look for unique animal shapes—fish,
lizards, frogs, turtles, monkeys—which climb out of sugar bowls, lidded
bowls, teapots, stopped perfume jars, soap dishes, ashtrays, cups, covered
clay glasses, and napkin holders. Colors are flat, pastel shades of gray-green
celadon, light blue, or ivory. Order a whole dinner set for six to 12 people,
made specifically to your design. As you browse in the showrooms, you realize
that prices aren't that cheap: Rp5000-10,000 for simple pieces, Rp45,000
and up for more involved work. And don't expect startling artistic merit—craftspeople
in Europe, Australia, and the States are just as original and charge about
the same price. These are more curios than art pieces. On hand are factory-produced
sure sellers which are duplicated over and over again. Look for the unusual.
Seven km north of Tanah Lot, Pejetan is easily
reached on a narrow, beautiful country road west of the main west-to-east
road. Just follow the signs. An even more scenic way is the nine-km back-country
road from Krambitan. Head east, cross over the bridge in the dip, then
turn right at the intersection to Pejetan via Seronggo (a popular fishing
spot), Curah, Sudirmara, Bedha (a large agricultural temple), then Pejetan.
Be ready to stop for festivals and ceremonies on the way. After Pejaten,
go six km southwest to Tanah Lot for the sunset.
To Tanah Lot
It's a six km walk (one hour, 20 minutes) southeast along the shore
to Tanah Lot. Leave early in the morning so you can cross the river at
low tide, then walk along the beach to a cliff where there's a small temple
complex that's even more beautiful than Tanah Lot. Descend to the beach
again, totally deserted for about one km. On the next cliff, after a few
small stores, turn left and follow the stone path to the end of the street,
then right, and follow the path parallel to the ocean. Cross a creek, climb
a hill, cross a river, and you arrive in Tanah Lot, missing the parking
lot, stores, restaurants, entrance fee, and donation. For more walks and
bicycle rides in the area, refer to Yeh Gangga Beach Bungalows' photo album
and information booklet.
Accommodations and Food
Tanah Lot has enough amenities—postal agent, telcom office, minimarts,
moneychanger, restaurants, accommodations—to make for a very comfortable
sojourn. During the day, escape from the tourist throngs clambering over
the temple by sightseeing elsewhere in Tabanan Regency, returning at night
to have the place to yourself, mingling with the small service population
of friendly Balinese delighted you came to the temple to stay a few days.
The closest accommodations to the temple is
Mutiara Tanah Lot, tel. (0361) 812939, fax 22672, with eight bungalows
facing the sea. Half with air conditioning (Rp92,000 s or d), the other
half have fans (Rp80,000 s or d). Price includes breakfast, tax, and service.
The restaurant presents a pricey tourist menu. A breezy, quiet, and meditative
place to stay. A big complex near the art market is Dewi Sinta Cottages,
Box 8, Tabanan 82171, tel. (0361) 812933, which charges Rp50,000 for deluxe,
air-conditioned family rooms. The seven non-air-conditioned standard rooms
for Rp32,000 are a better deal. Plain but undeniably quiet. Most rooms
have private baths, hot water, and shady veranda overlooking sawah.
Amenities include safe-deposit boxes, nice grounds, wantilan-style
convention hall, sometimes kecak performances at night. See the
assistant manager, I Ketut Sudiartana. The Tanah Lot Losmen (Rp10,000
s) is at the entrance of the village opposite the police post. Another
losmen, without a name, is located on the other side of the market;
only Rp10,000 s or d, bargained down from Rp25,000. The rooms are pedestrian
with Indonesian-style, floor-level toilets and no shower, but the place
faces the ocean and is incredibly clean. No meals available, but free tea
or coffee. On the main road coming into town on the left are a group of
drab little fan-cooled bungalows (Rp15,000-20,000) set back from the road
behind an art gallery; look for the sign that just says Losmen. There are
plenty of cheap, semitourist places to eat like Warung Made; cheapest
of all are the warung in the bemo station/parking lot. The
Dewi Sinta and Mutiara restaurants are more expensive but still
affordable.
New on the scene—some would call it an ugly
and irreverent blight on the scene—is the US$200 million, 121-hectare Bali
Nirwana Resort, tel. (0361) 5705021, fax 4705030. Complete with 156
five-star luxury Rp655,000 villas, championship golf course, thalassotherapy
spa, racquet sports center, and shopping complex. Basic units start at
Rp200,000.
Getting There and Away
The most scenic way to reach Tanah Lot is to walk at low tide six hours
(14 km one way) up and back from Kuta. Wear a bathing suit, as the rivermouths
along the way can be forded. Time your arrival for Tanah Lot's spectacular
sunset. You can also reach the temple by driving from Denpasar toward Tabanan
and Negara, then taking a left (southwest) at Kediri's stoplight down a
side road that leads after nine km to Tanah Lot's parking lot. Tanah Lot
is about an hour's drive and 31 km to the northwest of Denpasar.
Most of the travel agents in Bali's major
resorts include Tanah Lot as an almost de rigueur stop. Minibuses and bemo
depart Denpasar's Ubung Station for Kediri (Rp1000, 30 minutes), from where
you take bemo onward to Tanah Lot (Rp600, nine km, 30 minutes).
Bemo departures slow down in the afternoons, so if you want to arrive
by sunset you might have to consider alternate transport. When you're ready
to return to Denpasar or Kuta, don't wait too long after 1600 to get a
bemo back to Kediri so you can connect with another bemo
to Denpasar. Otherwise you might have to charter a ride on the back of
a motorbike, or walk. If you're staying overnight at Tanah Lot, be aware
there are no public bemo until 1100. Just start walking and someone
will pick you up, for a fee, of course. It takes about three hours to return
to Kuta by public transport.
Vicinity of Tanah Lot
Within walking distance is a serene beach to the west called Pantai
Nyanyi, with black sand, big waves, and beautiful views, especially
during the full moon. About 13 km from Tabanan. About an hour's walk away,
Kedungu and Yeh Gangga are nice beaches along a jagged coastline
northwest of Tanah Lot toward Negara.
Krambitan Village
Not by accident is the name Krambitan derived from the Sanskrit karawitan,
which means "art, music, and dance." This small, attractive village is
renowned for its classical literature, legong dancing, wayang-style
painting, stone- and woodcarving, and a tektekan orchestra believed
to have magical powers.
The painters of the village belong to a school
begun by Gusti Wayang Kopang and I Macong in the 1930s. The style is similar
to that of Kamasan except that the teeth and the costumes are depicted
differently. Ask the friendly villagers the way to the unique Luhur
Ulun Desa temple dating from the neolithic period.
Krambitan was the seat of a branch of one
of the old ruling triwangsa houses of Tabanan, the legendary court
of Arya Kenceng. The village still contains old-style residences, as well
as two treasure-filled 17th century gilded palaces, Puri Gede and Puri
Anyar, lovingly restored by the family of the puri. Cultural programs
and dinners have been presented here since 1967. Identical twin grandsons—Anak
Agung Ngurah Oka Silagunadha or "Pak Oka" and Anak Agung Rai Giri Gunadhi
or "Pak Rai"—of the late king preside over the palaces. The two princes
are the ninth generation of royalty to occupy the palace, with Pak Oka
designated as head of family because his birth preceded his brother's by
30 minutes. Inside the puri traditional dancing and arts are kept
very much alive. The puri also arranges special tourist events such
as traditional-style dinner parties accompanied by legong, tektekan,
and joged performances. Overnight guests are welcome in Puri Anyar,
gamelan lessons can be arranged, and you are invited to join the
village's lontar-reading or kite-flying clubs.
Puri Anyar
Inside the royal compound are peaceful gardens, pavilions with unusual
gold-plated carvings, and many charming traditional buildings filled with
well-preserved antiques and art objects. In perfect harmony with this setting,
Pak Oka maintains an unmistakable royal bearing. Ask him to show you his
"celebrity" corner in the family living quarters; on the wall are framed
photographs of Pak Oka with all the distinguished guests who've visited
the palace—King Hussein, Prince Bartiel of Sweden, Kurt Waldheim, Mick
Jagger, David Bowie, and that of a famous kabuki dancer.
The bale gong (concert hall) in front
of the puri houses art work, the royal orchestra, and an impressive
collection of musical instruments, kris, and sacred masks. On the
right as you enter the puri is a courtyard containing the family
shrines, embedded with Chinese and Dutch porcelain and tiles. One rare
blue Delft piece dates from the Napoleonic period; Bonaparte can be seen
on horseback.
Tektekan
Not actually a dance but a procession of men carrying bamboo split
drums and giant cowbells around their necks, this classical, very old orchestra
is played to exorcize malignant spirits when an epidemic, serious drought,
or pestilence befalls the village. The ceremony accompanies the Calon Arang,
a legend dating from the 10th century in Java. Puri Anyar's tektekan
is made of bamboo, whereas the typical Balinese kebyar gong is made
of bronze. This unique ensemble marches through the village only on the
day before the Balinese New Year, whenever an exorcism is required, on
certain auspicious days, or by special order of the raja when a tourist
bus arrives. The drama must be accompanied by blood sacrifices (a small
chicken or duck) at both the beginning and end.
Puri Night
Your inestimable host Pak Oka puts on monster banquets for as many
as 300 Dutch cruise passengers, or big groups of Italians, French, or Germans
who really lap it up. This magical evening begins with tektekan
dancers carrying enormous tick-tocking cowbells and lighted torches greeting
buses full of astonished European tourists. Behind the men are lines of
maidens performing a welcoming dance.
The guests are then invited into the second
open-air courtyard to seat themselves around the central cempaka
tree at candlelit tables with young coconut leaf settings. Delicious Indo-Chinese
food is brought in by a procession of servers. This buffet dinner (pay
extra for beer) is the ultimate dining experience for those who like Balinese
food served in the traditional manner. After dinner, the guests are invited
to dance the joged. What follows is one of the most mesmerizing
kris dances on the island, a version of the Calon Arang legend performed
to the beat of hypnotically tuned bamboo tubes. To drive away the demons,
some of the players become entranced, arm themselves with kris,
and attack Rangda. The last part of the dance can be so dangerous no one
is allowed to use a flash for fear of snapping the dancers out of their
deep state of trance. Half the village is there looking on.
Taking place about three times a month, this
special event is usually reserved for private parties only. With permission,
individuals may attend a large, already-booked Puri Night paying separately,
or commission a private performance with dinner. For more information,
contact Pak Oka at tel. (0361) 812774 or Mr. Ajus Erawan, Jl. Anyelir 23,
Denpasar, tel./fax (0361) 233774.
Accommodations
Treat yourself to an amazing stay in one of 12 rooms (including four
princely rooms) in the maze of Puri Anyar, a fully functioning Balinese
palace. The full-board tariff is Rp175,000 for a whole bungalow, or Rp46,000
for one room in a bungalow with garden mandi, hot water, fan, and
a big four-poster bed. One ornate, gold-leaf decorated bungalow is called
the royal pavilion and features a bathroom with a cascading waterfall.
Breakfast is included, lunch is Rp16,000, dinner Rp25,000. Pak Rai may
take you kite-flying on the beach with a packed lunch, or you can jog in
the countryside north and west of Krambitan. For bookings, contact Pak
Rai at his office at Jl. Surapati 7, tel. (0361) 812668. Book in advance
with a tour agent or through the tourist office in Denpasar. If they're
full, you can still attend a Puri Night.
Vicinity of Krambitan
One km to the west of Krambitan is Tista, a village renowned
for its unique version of the legong—legong leko, which is only
danced around Tabanan. In this social dance, two tiny leko dancers
wearing legong dress and headdresses are accompanied by the melodies
of the janger.
Unusual and slightly incongruous is Penyalin's,
a Chippendale furniture factory located close to where the road to Krambitan
leaves the main road to Gilimanuk. The showroom features tables, chairs
with velvet cushions, rolltop writing desks. The pieces are mostly carved
by hand, though there is some routing work; high prices.
Two km south of Krambitan is Panarukan,
a village known for its many fine wood and stone sculptors and a smaller
version of tektekan. Visit the studio of Panarukan's most famous
native son, the modern painter Ajin Ida Putu Cegeg. Only two km beyond
Panarukan is the wide and empty black-sand beach of Klatingdukuh,
offering fine views of the coast. Follow the road about nine km southwest
of Krambitan to wide, quiet, black-sand Pasut Beach with waves up
to three meters high. At the beach, turn southeast and walk 20 km to Tanah
Lot.
Tibubiyu
The ceremonies in the tidy traditional village of Tibubiyu, four km
beyond Krambitan, are almost unceasing. As in days of old, performances
take place right on the street. Tektekan dances can be arranged
for groups of eight or more. Tibubiyu consists of 300 families who grow
rice and vegetables. This village doesn't even have an eating warung,
only one small stall that sells cigarettes, salt, coffee, drinks, and batteries;
no newspapers or telephones. The market takes place daily at 0500.
BeeBees Restaurant and Bungalows is
undoubtedly one of the best traveler's hotels on Bali. Run by Australian
artist Barbara Miller and partner Dewa Made Suamba Negara, these six rustic
yet comfortable lumbung-style thatched bungalows with garden bathrooms
are set in an attractive compound. The tariff is Rp32,000 s, Rp40,000 d,
including a breakfast of coffee, fruit, and toast. Book directly through
BeeBees, Tibubiyu, Krambitan, Tabanan 82161; Denpasar fax (0361) 36021.
Bee Bee's open-air restaurant looks out over
a broad expanse of rice fields stretching to the sea. The menu offers most
Indonesian standard meals plus Western breakfasts. Its strength, though,
are the delicious Balinese entrees like tum and gundo. Try
the Village Combination (Rp2000), a vegetarian nasi campur. The
drink list includes small bottles of Balinese brem (Rp2000), ginger
tea (Rp800), and brandy coffee (Rp1000). Check the blackboard for three-course
daily specials (Rp8000), usually pork or chicken. Not a place for pub-crawlers;
this is the gentle side of Bali. Groups of painters attend painting workshops
here. There's always a cooling breeze, and in the evenings you often need
a jacket. A bucket of hot water is offered to guests at shower time. Ask
the Queen Bee to fetch Pak Guru Rasin, who gives superb traditional massages
(Rp5000). Laundry service available. Airport transfers arranged on request,
Rp40,000 for a chartered bemo, 46 km, 1.5 hours. The village bemo
driver often comes by BeeBees early in the morning to see if anyone wants
to go to Denpasar.
Getting Away: Take local bemo
on the main street of the village to Ubung Station in Denpasar (Rp2000)
or Tabanan (Rp1000). From Bee Bees, follow the path through rice fields
(10-minute walk) to the well-formed beach—fine, glistening, diamond dust
black sand, with really high surf and not a structure or vendor in sight.