SW Bali can be an easy and rewarding area to explore. Driving west from Kuta, you’ll pass through through the tourist / expat villages of Legian / Seminyak. These Kuta / Legian / Seminyak have become one sprawl, shops and restaurants lining the entire 2 mile route. Keep heading west and you’ll have a choice in Kerobokan between going through Canggu on the coast, or continuing through Sempidi / Kapal. For people used to the dense tourist areas, voyaging by yourself through these areas can seem like an exploration at first. I remember my first trip to Canggu in 2003, rolling hills, bright with green sawah was what I saw, as well as twisting local roads and Balinese people, hurrying to get home on their motorbikes.
From Denpasar 15 kms west is the town of Kapal, a shrine-making center of Bali. The ribbon development is wall to wall stone, wood and thatch (ijuk), used for the local people to decorate their family temples. West of Kapal the road branches north at a fork, leading to Bedugal in the mountains and Singaraja on the north coast.
Mengwi is the next town you’ll pass and has a 17th Century temple complex, Taman Ayun. Stopping at a collection of roadside warungs at that junction, you might treat yourself to plate of pork and rice, like I did last Sunday for 6,000rp. The other famous Monkey Forest at Sangeh (Bukit Sari) is accessed via a right turn from Mengwi passing through Abeansemal.
By staying on the main road heading west, you’ll pass through what looks like a typical larger Balinese town, complete with crossroad / roundabout and shops that won’t interest you. This is Kediri and you can hang a left and get to the famous temple at Tanah Lot, to the south. Keep going west and Tabanan will be the next place that stands out.
Close to Tabanan are 3 places of interest; the Subak museam, detailing the history of Bali’s important watercourse management system, Yeh Gangga Beach and the royal palace at Krambitan. Public transport serves all these places, but frankly why bother, either drive yourself or hire a car with driver. The highlight of this area for me is the rice-fields. By getting off of the main road, either north or south of the main road and just going for a cruise, you’ll see great stuff and meet great people, if you take the time to stop and say hello.
There is accommodation along the SW coast, starting with Canggu. Many ‘holiday rental villas’ are available, though not necessarily cheap. Further along the coast in Tanah Lot, Yeh Gangga and Pantai Pasut there is a limited choice of accommodation, but that could be ideal for people looking for a quieter time. These include:
Pondok Wisata Atiti Graha – located 500 meters from the entrance to Tanah Lot, surrounded by rice-fields, cold water / fan rooms for bargain price. (0361)812955
Bali Wisata Bungalows – located on the shore-front at Yeh Gangga. Salt water pool, cold water/ fan rooms for moderate price. (0361)261354
Bibi’s – located in the village of Tibubiyu, surrounded by rice fields, very quiet, cold water / fan rooms for low price.
The SW section of Bali is easily accessible for people with their own transport. From Kuta you can be exploring the coastal beaches or cruising through the narrow lanes among the rice-fields within an hour of leaving Kuta.
