8Getting There & Away
The best way to visit Semarapura is with your own transport and as part of a circuit taking in other sites up the mountains and along the coast.
If you're lucky, a bemo from Denpasar (Batubulan terminal) may pass through Semarapura (13,000Rp) on the way to points further east. They can be hailed from near the Puputan Monument, but don't count on it.
Sidemen Road
%0366
Winding through one of Bali's most beautiful river valleys, the Sidemen road offers marvellous paddy-field scenery, a delightful rural character and extraordinary views of Gunung Agung (when the clouds permit). Each year the region becomes more popular as a verdant escape, where a walk in any direction is a communion with nature.
There are many walks through the rice and chilli fields and along streams in the multihued green valley. One involves a spectacular three-hour round-trip climb up to Pura Bukit Tageh, a small temple with big views. No matter where you stay, you'll be able to arrange guides for in-depth hiking (about 80,000Rp per hour), or just set out on your own exploration.
4Sleeping & Eating
Views throughout the area are sweeping, taking in both terraced green hills and Gunung Agung. It can get cool and misty at night. Most inns have cafes.
Near the centre of Sidemen, a small road heads west for 500m to a fork and a signpost that lists the names of many places to stay.
oKhrisna Home StayHOMESTAY$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0815 5832 1543; [email protected]; Jl Tebola; r incl breakfast 300,000Rp; W)
Why go to a market for fruit when you can sleep among it? This wonderful seven-room homestay is surrounded by all-organic trees and plants growing guava, bananas, passion fruit, papaya, oranges and more. Needless to say, breakfasts are excellent. The rooms are comfortable (with terraces) and the owners lovely.
Pondok Wisata Lihat SawahGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0852 0511 0916; www.lihatsawah.com; r incl breakfast 300,000-500,000Rp; Ws)
Translating as 'See the ricefields', this guesthouse lives up to its name: all 12 rooms have views of the surrounding rice fields, valley and mountain. All have hot water – nice after a morning hike – and the best have lovely wooden verandas. There are also three bungalows. The cafe has wi-fi and serves Thai and Indo dishes (mains from 15,000Rp). From near the centre of Sidemen, take the right fork in the road to reach this guesthouse.
oSamanvayaINN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0821 4710 3884; www.samanvaya-bali.com; r incl breakfast US$65-156; Ws)
An attractive boutique inn with sweeping views over the rice fields, all the way south to the ocean. The Brit owners are steadily expanding the complex: it has a stunning new bamboo yoga space, spa pavilion and restaurant. Bamboo bungalows are the pick, but units with thatched roofs and deep, wooden terraces are also nice. The landscaped garden, infinity pool and hot tub are a dream.
DarmadaGUESTHOUSE$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0853 3803 2100; www.darmadabali.com; r incl breakfast from 600,000Rp; Ws)
Beautifully set in a small river valley on spacious, lush grounds, this seven-room guesthouse has a large pool lined with tiles in gentle shades of green. Rooms have hammocks on the patio near the babbling waters, and there's a natural-water swimming pool. The small warung has food made with vegetables and fruit grown on the grounds.
Joglo d'UmaBALINESE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 1566 6456; mains from 45,000Rp; h11am-8pm; W)
This restaurant is a wonderful spot to sit back and take in stunning views of rice fields and verdant hills. Order a bottle of locally made crisp white wine, order a few Balinese dishes, and marvel at how good life is. It's just across from the Samanvaya inn.
AN UNHOLY EXPERIENCE
So intrusive are the scams and irritations faced by visitors to Pura Besakih that many wish they had skipped the complex altogether. What follows are some of the ploys you should be aware of before a visit.
Near the main parking area at the bottom of the hill is a 'guide' office, where guides hang around looking for visitors. Guides here may emphatically tell you that you need their services and quote a ridiculously high price of US$25 for a short visit. You don't need them: you may walk freely and independently among the temples, and no 'guide' can get you into a closed temple.
Other 'guides' may foist their services on you throughout your visit. There have been reports of people agreeing to a guide's services only to be hit with a huge fee at the end.
Once inside the complex, you may receive offers to 'come pray with me'. Visitors who seize on this chance to get into a forbidden temple can face demands of 100,000Rp or more.
Pura Besakih
Perched nearly 1000m up the side of Gunung Agung is Bali's most important temple, Pura Besakih. In fact, it is an extensive complex of 23 separate but related temples, with the largest and most important being Pura Penataran Agung. Unfortunately, many people find it a disappointing (and dispiriting) experience due to the avarice of various local characters.
1Sights
The largest and most important temple is Pura Penataran Agung. The other Besakih temples – all of which have individual significance and are often closed to visitors – are markedly less scenic. When it's mist-free, the view down to the coast is sublime.
Pura Penataran AgungHINDU TEMPLE
( GOOGLE MAP ; admission per person 15,000Rp, plus per vehicle 5000Rp)
Pura Penataran Agung, the most important temple in the Pura Basakih temple complex, is built on six levels, terraced up the slope, with the entrance approached from below, up a flight of steps. This entrance is an imposing candi bentar (split gateway), and beyond it, the even more impressive kori agung is the gateway to the second courtyard.
You will find that it's most enjoyable during one of the frequent festivals, when hundreds or even thousands of gorgeously dressed devotees turn up with beautifully arranged offerings. Note that tourists are not allowed inside this temple.
8Information
The temple's main ticket office ( GOOGLE MAP ) is 2km south of the complex on the road from Menanga and the south. Admission is 15,000/10,000Rp per adult/child plus sarong rental 10,000Rp and 5000Rp per vehicle. Pay no more than 50,000Rp for a guide.
About 200m past the ticket office, there is a fork in the road with a sign indicating Besakih to the right and Kintamani to the left. Go left, because going to the right puts you in the main parking area ( GOOGLE MAP ) at the bottom of a hill some 300m from the complex. Going past the road to Kintamani, where there is a west ticket office ( GOOGLE MAP ), puts you in the north parking area ( GOOGLE MAP ) only 50m from the complex, and away from scammers at the main entrance.
8Getting There & Away
The best way to visit is with your own transport; it's easily done as a day trip from Ubud or Sidemen, which allows you to explore the many gorgeous drives in the area.
Rendang to Amlapura Road
A fascinating road goes around the southern slopes of Gunung Agung from Rendang almost to Amlapura. It runs through some superb countryside, descending more or less gradually as it heads east.
Starting in the west, Rendang is an attractive town that is easily reached either by bemo from Semarapura or via a particularly pretty minor road from Bangli. About 4km along a winding road from Rendang is the old-fashioned village of Muncan with its quaint shingle roofs.
The road then passes through some of the most attractive rice country in Bali before reaching Selat, where you turn north to get to Pura Pasar Agung, a starting point for climbing Gunung Agung.
Further on is Duda, where the scenic Sidemen road branches southwest to Semarapura.
Continuing east, Sibetan is famous for growing salak, the delicious fruit with a curious ‘snakeskin’ covering, which you can buy between December and April. Salak are the spiky low palm trees you’ll see, and the fruit grows in clusters at the base of the trunks. Sibetan is also able to be visited as part of a recommended cultural tour with JED (Village Ecotourism Network; %0361-366 9
951; www.jed.or.id; day trips US$75, overnight stays US$125).
Gunung Agung
Bali's highest and most revered mountain, Gunung Agung is an imposing peak seen from most of south and east Bali, although it's often obscured by cloud and mist. Many sources say it's 3142m high, but some say it lost its summit in the 1963 eruption. The summit is an oval crater, about 700m across, with its highest point on the western edge above Besakih.
2Activities
It's best to climb during the dry season (April to September); July to September are the most reliable months. At other times the paths can be slippery and dangerous, and the views are clouded over (especially true in January and February). Climbing Gunung Agung is not permitted when major religious events are being held at Pura Besakih, which generally includes most of April.(Click here)
TIPS FOR CLIMBING GUNUNG AGUNG
Use a guide.
Respect your guide's pauses for prayers at shrines on the sacred mountain.
Get to the top before 8am − clouds that often obscure the view of Agung also obscure the view from Agung.
Take a strong torch (flashlight), extra batteries, plenty of water (2L per person), snack food, waterproof clothing and a warm jumper (sweater).
Wear strong shoes or boots and keep your toenails short: the trail is very steep and the descent is especially hard on your feet.
This is a hard climb; don't fool yourself.
Take frequent rests and don't be afraid to ask your guide to slow down.
Guides
Trips with guides on either of the routes up Gunung Agung generally include breakfast and other meals, but be sure to confirm all details in advance.
Most of the places to stay in the region, including those at Selat, along the Sidemen road and at Tirta Gangga, will recommend guides for Gunung Agung climbs. Expect to pay a negotiable 900,000Rp to 1,000,000Rp for one to four people for your climb.
Gung Bawa TrekkingTREKKING
(%0812 387 8168; www.gungbawatrekking.com)
Experienced and reliable trekking guide.
Ketut UriadaTREKKING
(%0812 364 6426; [email protected])
This knowledgeable guide can arrange transport for an extra fee. Look for his small sign on the road east of Muncan.
Wayan TegtegTREKKING
(%0813 3852 5677; [email protected])
A recommended guide who wins plaudits from hikers.
Routes
It's possible to climb Agung from various directions. The two most popular routes leave from the following places:
Pura Pasar Agung (on the southern slopes; about eight hours) This route involves the least walking, because Pura Pasar Agung (Agung Market Temple) is high on the southern slopes of the mountain (around 1500m) and can be reached by a good road north from Selat.
Pura Besakih (on the southwest side of the mountain; about 12 hours) This climb is much tougher than the already demanding southern approach and is only for the very physically fit. For the best chance of a clear view before the clouds close in you should start at midnight.
Either route can take you to the summit, although most people on the shorter route go just to the crater rim (2866m).
4Sleeping
Pondok Wisata Puri Agung InnGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0857 3857 4850; Jl Raya Selat; r incl breakfast 250,000-300,000Rp; W)
Located in relaxed Selat, convenient for climbs up Gunung Agung or rice-field walks, this attractive inn has comfortable budget rooms. Room 2 is the pick for both size and views of the rice fields. A pool was being built at the time of research.
Kusamba to Padangbai
A small road at the east end of the coast road from Sanur goes south to Kusamba, a fishing and salt-making village, where you’ll see lines of colourful fishing perahu (boats) lined up on the beach. The thatched roofs of salt-making huts can be seen along the beach.
1Sights
Pura Goa LawahCAVE
(Bat Cave Temple; GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Raya Goa Lawah; adult/child 6000/4000Rp, sarong 4000Rp, car park 1000Rp; h7am-6pm)
Three kilometres east of Kusamba, Pura Goa Lawah is one of nine directional temples in Bali. The cave in the cliff face is packed, crammed and jammed full of bats, and the complex is equally overcrowded with worshippers and tour groups. Ceremonies are regularly held here, hence it's a good spot to observe Balinese Hindu rituals; however, be sure to maintain a respectful distance and read any etiquette guidelines before entering.
Padangbai
%0363
There's a real traveller vibe about this little beach town. It attracts travellers for two mains reasons: for diving or to catch a ferry to the Gili Islands in Lombok. Either way it's an attractive place, sitting on a small bay with a nice little curve of sand. A compact seaside backpacker hub offers cheap places to stay and some fun cafes. For beachgoers, just around the bend there is the attractive Blue Lagoon Beach.
Padangbai
1Sights
1Blue Lagoon BeachD1
2Central MarketB2
3MosqueA3
4Pura DalemA2
5Pura SegaraB2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
6Geko DiveC2
7Water WorxC2
4Sleeping
8Bamboo ParadiseA4
9Bloo Lagoon VillageD1
10Fat BarracudaB3
11Topi InnC2
5Eating
Topi InnC2
7Shopping
12Ryan ShopB3
1Sights
Padangbai is interesting for a stroll. At the west end of town near the post office there's a small mosque ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Penataran Agung) and a temple, Pura Desa ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Pelabuhan). Towards the middle of town are two more temples, Pura Dalem ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Gang Segara II) and Pura Segara ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; off Jl Silayukti).
Central MarketMARKET
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Silayukti)
This market near the middle of town is home to numerous vendors and cafes.
Blue Lagoon BeachBEACH
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
On the far side of Padangbai's eastern headland is the small, light-sand Blue Lagoon Beach, an idyllic place with a couple of cafes and gentle, family-friendly surf.
2Activities
Diving & Snorkelling
Padangbai makes an excellent base for divers wanting to access Bali's best dive sites. Many local outfits offer diving trips to see mola mola (sunfish) and rays in Nusa Penida, go wreck-diving in Tulamben and then head on to Gili Tepekong and Gili Biaha. All dive prices are competitive, costing from US$65 for local dives in the area to US$110 for trips out to Nusa Penida.
Padangbai itself has good diving on its coral reefs, but the water can be a bit cold and visibility is not always ideal. The most popular local dives are Blue Lagoon and Teluk Jepun (Jepun Bay), both in Teluk Amuk, the bay just east of Padangbai. There's a good range of soft and hard corals and varied marine life, including sharks, turtles and wrasse, and a 40m wall at Blue Lagoon.
One of the best and most accessible walk-in snorkel sites sits off Blue Lagoon Beach. Note that it is subject to strong currents when the tide is out. Other sites such as Teluk Jepun can be reached by local boat; you can also check with dive operators to see if they have any room on their dive boats (the cost is around 350,000Rp). Snorkel sets cost about 30,000Rp per day to rent.
Local jukung (boats) offer snorkelling trips (bring your own gear) around Padangbai (90,000Rp per person per hour) and as far away as Nusa Lembongan (500,000Rp for two passengers).
Geko DiveDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0363-41516; https://gekodivebali.com; Jl Silayukti)
Set up by a friendly, experienced Aussie diver, Geko is the longest-established operator in town. Its base is just across from the beach, and has a sandy-floored cafe.
Water WorxDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0363-41220; www.waterworxbali.com; Jl Silayukti)
A well-regarded German-run dive operator offering trips to s
urrounding areas, plus PADI and SSI courses. Can also arrange dives for travellers with disabilities.
4Sleeping & Eating
Accommodation in Padangbai – like the town itself – is pretty laid-back. It's easy to wander around comparing rooms before choosing one; up the hill just above the port are many budget options.
Beach fare and backpacker staples are mostly what's on offer in Padangbai – lots of fresh seafood, Indonesian classics, pizza and, yes, banana pancakes.
Bamboo ParadiseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0822 6630 4330; www.bambooparadisebali.com; Jl Penataran Agung; dm incl breakfast with air-con 95,000Rp, r incl breakfast with fan/air-con from 200,000/300,000Rp; aW)
Away from the main strip, 200m up a gentle hill from the ferry port, this popular backpackers has the cheapest crash in town (in four-bed dorms). Regular rooms are comfortable and it has a nice large lounging area with hammocks and bean bags. The owners have recently opened Fat Barracuda ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Segara; dm/r 95,000/300,000Rp; W) overlooking the water, which is also popular.
Topi InnGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0363-41424; www.topiinn.nl; Jl Silayukti; dm/r from 60,000/150,000Rp; iW)
Sitting at the east end of the strip in a serene location, Topi has six charming but rudimentary cold-water rooms. Some share bathrooms, others are literally a mattress on the outdoor deck. There's a popular restaurant downstairs, plus various workshops on offer; find details on the website.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 51