Tirta Gangga is a small village built on an altitude of about 500 meters, seven km northwest of Amlapura. Tirta Gangga means “water from the Ganges”, and the place is known for it’s “water palace” and beautiful surroundings.
In many people’s opinion this is among the most beautiful areas on Bali.
Bali, Karangasem, Tenganan. A traditional Bali Aga village. Tenganan is located on the fertile hills stretching up to Gunung Agung. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
When Majapahit conquered Bali in 1343 there were some Balinese who did not accept this change of rule, and therefore built their own villages in remote areas. The descendants of these people are today known as Bali Aga or Bali Mula, meaning “the original Balinese”. They still live in villages like Tenganan in East Bali or Trunyan at the shores of the Batur lake.
Many of the old traditions are still maintained, and it is still possible to see their unique ceremonies and dance performances. The Tenganan people are convinced they are descendants of the gods. Even if the Bali Aga people today are Hindus they still practice a religion which is partly a heritage from pre-Hindu times, with obvious Polynesian characteristics.
Bali, Klungkung, Goa Lawah. The bat cave. A Shiva temple with shrines guards the entrance. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
There is no doubt why Goa Lawah, the bat cave, has got this name. Thousands of noisy bats fill the air in and around the cave, with a sharp smell of bat droppings covering the ground in a thick layer.
It is also said that pythons live inside the cave, feeding on the bats. The entrance to the sacred cave is at the foot of a hill.
Nusa Tenggara, Lombok, Sade. Village life, Sasak style. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
A visit to a traditional Sasak village is a necessary part of your trip to Lombok. There are two villages like this a few kilometers north of Kuta, called Rembitan and Sade. Even if some of these traditional villages today may have become tourist traps a visit can be an interesting experience.
All the guides, souvenir sellers and donations to the village is something you will have to tolerate, this is an important income and maybe you help preserve a culture which otherwise would have disappeared?
Nusa Tenggara, North Lombok. View from northwest Lombok just south of the Gili islands. Gili Trawangan in the background to the right. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
North Lombok is dominated by the massive Gunung Rinjani volcano, and most of the villages here sits on the slopes of the mountain or along the narrow coastline. Many travelers come here on their way to the Gili islands or to climb Gunung Rinjani, and will therefore miss the rest of the beautiful landscape with waterfalls, the great view over the ocean and the mountain and the traditional villages.
The best view from Plawangan, Gunung Rinjani with Danau Segara Anak. The little mountain on the left is Gunung Baru Jari (2296-2376m) which erupted in 1994. Photo © Tina Rahmawati
Gunung Rinjani is one of the highest mountains in Indonesia with an altitude of 3.726 m. At the bottom of the crater there is a large lake called Segara Anakan, about 8 km long and 6 km wide. The lake is surrounded by steep walls and is located about 600 meter below the rim of the crater. Between the lake and Rinjani sits the new crater of Gunung Baru which is only a couple of hundred years old. Rinjani’s latest eruption took place in 1994, when the shape of the crater changed and ash was spread all over Lombok.
A -Hello Mister!- attack from these happy little salesmen on the Tanjung Aan beach, who in no way will take a no for a no
Driving far south on Lombok you will eventually reach the small village of Kuta, about 54 km south of Mataram. This is the only area on the south coast which has some tourism of any significance, but must not be compared to Kuta on Bali. This place is much more quiet with only a fraction of the tourists and facilities, but there are some plans to continue to develop the southern coast with some large luxury hotels.
Kuta is great as a base for exploration of the southern parts of Lombok, here you find traditional Sasak villages (like Sade), remote and beautiful beaches, mountains and cliffs.
Bali, Tabanan, Bratan. The Ulun Danu temple is beautifully situated at the banks of Lake Bratan. A woman brings offerings. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
The Danau Bratan lake is located inside the old caldera of the now extinct Gunung Catur volcano. The lovely area around the south and west side of the lake is known as Bedugul (see separate article).
Not far from here are the Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan lakes, two of the four large lakes on Bali, which can also be worth a visit. Bratan has an altitude of about 1.000 meters, the climate is quite comfortable, at nights you may even need some warm cloths.
Bali, Tabanan, Bedugul. Women on their way to the temple with offerings to the gods. In the temple the offerings will be blessed and then brought back home to be eaten. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Bedugul is the name of the area south and west of the Danau Bratan lake. Taking the road passing Bedugul is the fastest way to travel from the southern tourist areas to Singaraja and North Bali. From the south the road passes through some steep terrain before Bedugul, with a very scenic landscape. The Taman Rekreasi Bedugul (Bedugul recreation park) is on the south side of Danau Bratan, you cannot miss the entrance which is marked with a huge sign by the main road.
The high altitude makes Bedugul a nice and cool place to be, and during heavy rainfall it is rather cold compared to the lowlands.
Steep cliffs on the southern coast of Nusa Penida (from helicopter) (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Nusa Penida consist of three islands; the large Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The islands are under administration of the Klungkung district. A common way to travel here is by public boat from Sanur to Lembongan. You can also sail from Padangbai directly to Nusa Penida, which will bring you to Sampalan on the north coast. There are also regular cruiseboats leaving from for example Nusa Dua.
Nusa Penida is a relatively poor district, the lack of fresh water makes growing of rice impossible, and the layer of soil is quite thin.
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