Bangli Regency

The region of Bangli, up in the higher elevations of central-eastern Bali. embraces some of the island’s most spectacular scenery. This is a relatively remote region, with a population of only 188,000”” second lowest of Bali’s eight regencies after tiny Klungkung.

The overwhelming majority still derive a livelihood from agriculture, growing rice, corn, sweet potatoes, cassava and cabbages on non-irrigated fields, as well as coffee, tobacco, vanilla, citrus, passion fruit and cloves, much of it for export. Tourism is not well-developed here, with the notable exception of Kintamani and other towns up on the crater of Mt Batur, which on account of its breathtaking views has become one of the island’s major tourist stops.

Amongst the Balinese, Bangli is renowned for its black magic, or ”œknowledge of the left”� as the Balinese put it. This is difficult to verify, as practitioners keep their black arts a secret. More in evidence are the large number of successful trance healers, called balian. who follow the ”œknowledge of the right.”� Bangli’s healers have an island-wide reputation, and one will often see clients arriving from other areas of Bali, bearing offerings dressed in their ceremonial finery.

History

Bangli was also once a court center. The name comes from ”œbang giri”� which means ”œred forest”� or ”œmountain.”� It is said that the king of Klungkung told one of his three sons, Dewa Gede Den Bancingah, to go toward the northwest until he reached a red jarak forest. There he founded a new kingdom, between the Melangit River and Mt Batur on the site of present-day Bangli Town.

Later. Bangli was defeated by Karangasem and annexed for a time. Until the Dutch came, it was often involved in internecine wars with two neighboring kingdoms, vassals of Klungkung. After 1849, Bangli surrendered to the Dutch and its ruler became a regent.

Accommodation

There is no accommodation & restaurant that suitable for tourist in the town of Bangli mostly located in Kintamani area. You have the choice here of being down by the lake in Toya Bungkah or up on the rim of the crater in either Penelokan or Kintamani. Take a sweater, a blanket and sheet if you’re staying in a budget losmen.

On the Ridge
Lakeview Restaurant & Hotel Penelokan.
Phone/Fax 0366 51464. 17 rooms. A popular but basic place with a lovely view. Very good food at the restaurant. All rooms with private bath, hot water. Superior $30, deluxe $40. Overpriced, includes breakfast, but not 21% tax.

Miranda kintamani.
6 rooms. Small, older home stay, cheap, clean and friendly. A great place to take a break from hot lowland nights. $3. Private bath $5.50, including breakfast. The owner leads treks of Mt. Batur via the lesser-used northern route.

In the Caldera
Balai Seni Toya Bungkah Art Center.”�
Basic. Big gardens, a restaurant and a well-stocked library. This is also the location of the World Headquarters for the International Association for Art and Future. Founded by the famed Jakartan idealist and intellectual, Sutan Takdir Alisahbana Father of the Indonesian Language”�). $3””$5, including breakfast.

Jero Wijaya Lakeside Cottages
8 rooms. New homestay; the only one right on the lake. You can swim right there. More expensive rooms have hot water and TV and overlook the lake. They have an extensive trekking service to all points in Bali, including as Mt. Batur. Shuttle bus to Ubud and Kuta ($1””$3.25/person, depending on where you’re going). $1O””$25, including breakfast, but not 10% tax. 20% discount possible during the off season.

Nyoman Pangus
Phone 0366 51167. 8 rooms. A popular place and an attractive warung restaurant. $4””$5, including simple breakfast.

Puri Bening
Phone 0363 51234, 51235, fax: (0361) 730285. 32 rooms, 4 bungalows. Incongruous block of modern hotel rooms in the shadow of the volcano. Bungalows $15””$20 (no hot water), rooms $45””$SO (hot water). All include breakfast.

Surya Homestay Kedisan.
Phone 0363 51378. 22 bungalows on the hill. Spacious and clean rooms, Balinese-style decorations. Fanciest room has bathtub and TV. Free pick-up from Ubud, Gianyar, Bangli. They will pick-up from airport, Denpasar or Kuta for $8, rooms $6””$10 including breakfast and tax.

Segara Hotel & Restaurant.
Turn left before Kedisan coming from Penelokan. Phone 0363 51136, fax: 0363 51212. 40 rooms with private bathrooms. Pleasant open-air restaurant with a varied menu, minibus with English-speaking driver for rent. Best room has hot water and TV. $8””$20 including breakfast, but not 10% tax.

Under the Volcano I
Toya Bungkah. Phone 0363 51166. 12 clean, well-designed rooms with a good dining room. Excellent food. This is the area’s most service-minded establishment, run by Nyoman Mawa. who also has a tour service and a shop. $4””$5 (hot water). Under the Volcano II 14 rooms.
(If you want a hot shower, this is the best deal!).

Dining

The better places are attached to the hotels in Penelokan upon the caldera and down in Toya Bungkah by the hot springs. Penelokan has choices ranging from very simple and cheap places with good local food to big fancy restaurants which cater to tour groups from the expensive hotels on the coast.

The local lake fish is a tasty variety called be mujahir, available fried or grilled. It’s best fried crisp more of the fish is edible.
A good place for lunch (and one of the few on the rim open for evening meals) is the Lakeview. Prices here are moderate, but they are geared up for tour group buffet lunches.

The Batur Garden Restaurant has an interesting menu of Chinese and Indonesian dishes, as well as Western bar drinks. Friendly and reasonably priced Lunch only.
Gunawan Restaurant (Phone/fax: 0363 51404) is very popular with a great view on the edge of the crater. There are many other giant, palatial restaurants on the other side of the street, but most overlook South Bali. Buffet or menu. Great mujahir soup. Approx. Rp7,000 per entree; buffet $4.50, plus 21% tax.

Down in the crater at Toya Bungkah, most losmen have small restaurants (warung), and new eating places are springing up all the time. Our recommendation is Nyoman Mawa’s Under The Volcano. His lake fish with home made sambal matah is worth the trip to the mountains alone.

Bali Beachfront Resorts

Sanur Beachfront Resorts

Location : Sanur

Sanur today is a golden mile of Baliesque hotels that has attracted millions of paradise seeking globetrotters. And yet, within the very grounds of the 11story The Grand Bali Beach Hotel, a war-reparation gift from the Japanese, nestles the sacred and spikey temple of Ratu Ayu of Singgi, the much feared spirit consort of Sanur’s fabled Black Barong.

more Bali hotel area details