Travelers to Bali looking to get a bit off-the-beaten-path may want to take some time and explore Bali Barat (West Bali). Don’t worry about crowds here, as it’s the least populated and least visited part of the island. In the next two posts, we’ll learn all about West Bali and what you can see and do there.

About West Bali

West Bali is composed of three districts – Jembrana, Tabanan and Buleleng. It’s the area just to the west of Gunung Batukaru. This is the 2nd highest mountain in Bali, towering at 2,276 meters. There’s a range of rolling hills west of this huge volcano, and the surrounding area is some of the last remaining jungle in Bali. Much of the area is taken up by Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park) and is totally uninhabited. Thanks to the amount of rainfall this area receives, it’s home to some of the most fertile land in Bali and thus some incredibly beautiful rice fields.

The best way to see West Bali is with your own two wheels. You can easily rent a sepeda motor (motorbike) in any of the popular beach towns in the south and head out on a loop to explore this amazing side of the island.

Saya sangat suka naik sepeda motor di Bali.
I really like to ride a motorcycle in Bali.

There’s so much to see and do in West Bali that you could easily spend a week riding around taking it all in. We did a 3-night motorbike trip around West and North Bali before heading back south to Sanur. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

Hike to Waterfalls

There are several air terjun (waterfalls) that you can visit throughout West Bali. Some of them require you to park your bike on the side of the road and go on a short hike.

Ada banyak air terjun di sini.
There are many waterfalls here.

Just be warned that they aren’t always easy to find. On our West Bali road trip, we were certain we had the GPS coordinates of a waterfall. We ended up totally lost on some dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, my beginner-level Indonesian saved the day when I was able to explain what we were looking for to a couple of locals riding by.

As is usually the case in Indonesia, the people were super friendly and very eager to help. They were also impressed that a bule was out on their country road speaking sedikit-sedikit bahasa Indonesia. They even took us all the way to the trail for the waterfall so we didn’t get lost again! Should you make a similar trip, be ready with the phrase “Saya tersesat” (I’m lost).

After a 20-minute or so walk, we finally found the waterfall. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much water falling at all. That’s what we get for trying to find a waterfall at the end of dry season. We still took a swim in the little pond, although when we realized how many nyamuk (mosquitoes) were there we headed out.

Admire the Scenery

It doesn’t take long on a motorbike trip through West Bali for you to be completely surrounded by amazing scenery. You’ll find yourself shouting out “Bagus sekali!” (So awesome!) as you drive by terraced rice fields surrounded by palm trees.

There are plenty of viewpoints where you can pull over, stretch your legs, and pause for a cheeky selfie or two. In case you were wondering, selfie in Indonesian is selfie. They just borrowed the word from English. It’s not hard to smile in these pictures, as you’ll be loving the cool mountain air and stunning surroundings.

Drive Through a Tree

I’m not sure of many other places where you can drive your motorbike through a pohon (tree), but that’s definitely possible in West Bali. This tree is called Bunut Bolong (“tree with a whole in it”), which is a fitting name. There are roots on both side of the road, allowing motorists to drive right through it. There’s actually a legend that says married couples shouldn’t drive through it, though. Doing so will cause them to get separated. People take this so seriously that a new road was constructed next to it so people can choose not to pass through the tree.

Medewi

Many visitors to Bali know that the island is full of great places to berselancar (surf). Popular surfing spots include the beach town of Canggu and Uluwatu down on the Bukit peninsula. One low key spot with great surfing that few people know about is the tiny town of Medewi.

If you want to surf and see what Bali was like before mass tourism hit the island, this is the place to come. There’s a black sand beach here that’s a bit rocky. It’s not the spot to sunbathe or go swimming, but it’s nice for a walk or a surf. We enjoyed watching the surfers and local fishermen out in the water as we waited for the matahari terbenam (sunset) with some cold Bintangs.

Heading Northwest

You may know of Bali as a Hindu island, and that’s mostly true, but as you get closer to Java in West Bali most locals are Muslim. As you drive up the main road headed northwest, you’ll notice mosques starting to appear on the side of the road and may hear the call to prayer.

Masjid ini indah sekali.
This mosque is beautiful.

It’s actually very easy to travel from East Java to West Bali, as there’s a ferry running constantly that only takes about half an hour. There’s also a lot of traffic on the main road heading that way, and I mean a lot. Unless you’re an experienced motorbike rider, it’s best to avoid this trip and try to catch public transportation instead. Those comfortable with giant trucks whizzing by and a never-ending stream of local buses, cars, and motorbikes will be alright. Just be sure to exercise caution and yield to bigger vehicles.

 

There’s a lot more to see on our journey around West Bali, including the famous Makepung water buffalo races, the national park, and so much more.