West Bali National Park

West Bali National Park

West Bali National Park (Taman National Bali Barat) is a nature conservation park at the most north-westerly point of Bali. Just off Gilimanuk port (ferry connection to Java Island), the park includes the whole of the Prapat Agung Peninsula, and large swathes of land around the towns of Gilimanuk, Cekik and Banyuwedang.The park is 190 square kilometres big, with a further 580 square kilometres of protected reserve in the highlands to the east; accounting in total for some ten percent of Bali’s total land area.

There are several long extinct volcanoes in the protected reserve area to the east, with Mount Patas (1,412 metres) and Mount Merbuk (1,388 metres) being the highest points.

The habitat is very varied with dry savanna, acacia, montane and rainforests in the higher centre, and pockets of dense mangrove forest. Around the Prapat Agung Peninsula there are long stretches of protected beach, offshore coral reef as well as a small offshore island called Menjangan, a popular diving site.

Flora and Fauna

The park is home for as much as 160 species of bird, including the near extinct, Bali’s only endemic vertebrate species, Bali Starling /Myna (Jalak Bali), also some protected floras like Sawo Kecik (Manilkara Kauki), Sono Keling (Dalbergia Latifolia), together with a variety of mammals like monkeys, muntjac deer (also knows as barking deer) etc.

Visiting the park

Only a small percentage of the total area of the park is open to visitors, and this rule must be respected. Permits and obligatory guides are available at the park headquarters at Cekik and the office at Labuhan Lalang.

How to get there

The park is very close to the Villa Arun Bali, which is in fact located at the perimeter of the park. Please consult Sumberkima Hill Retreat for further information.

West Bali National Park Map

Ijen Crater

Sulfur mining in Kawah Ijen - Indonesia - 20110608 (Wikipedia)

Ijen Crater

Ijen Volcano Crater in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, Indonesia, is one of the most attractive and dangerous places in the world. Mount Ijen is an active volcano, constantly spewing sulphur smoke clouds and incredibly fascinating blue fire. The crater contains a kilometer-wide turquoise-colored lake filled with highly acidic water; the world’s largest acid lake Kawah Ijen.

The lake is the site of a labour-intensive and extremely dangerous sulphur mining operation, in which sulphur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor by the many times unprotected miners.

How to get there

It’s not difficult to go to Ijen volcano from Villa Arun Bali. Please inform Sumberkima Hill Retreat for an arrangement to visit the site.

Should you go by yourself, then take the ferry to Java Island from Gilimanuk. It’s better to start climbing at night, so plan to spend a night nearby the volcano. Prepare about 2 hours drive to the foot of the volcano due to the road condition.

You will find beautiful mountain peaks of volcanic complex, fog and clouds shrouding slopes, scorched trees and dense vegetation of forests and fields on the way back to car/hotel.

What you need

  • Protective (breathing) mask. Acrid sulphur gas (sulphur dioxide) is very dangerous to health.
  • Hiking shoes
  • Torch/flash light
  • Water