RegionDetailed guide

West Bali

Bali, Indonesia

Photo: User:(WT-shared) Burmesedays User:(WT-shared) Peterfitzgerald,OpenStreetMap, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

West Bali is the least visited part of Bali, home to quiet nature and the gateway to Java.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By bus
Scheduled shuttle buses run from many of Bali's main visitor centres to Gilimanuk and these are widely advertised in towns such as Kuta, Lovina, Sanur and Ubud.
By boat
Ferries run from Ketapang ferry terminal, Banyuwangi, East Java to Gilimanuk every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.

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Getting around

This remote region of Bali lends itself to getting around by hire car or motorcycle. Cars for rent are not all common here so best to bring it in with you from one of the main tourist destinations.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Denpasar I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport

Kuta, Badung · International · DPS

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Cities

Gilimanuk

Gilimanuk is a port town in West Bali. It sits on a small peninsula at the far western tip of Bali, less than 3 km from East Java, from which it is separated by the Bali Strait.

Negara

Negara is a town in West Bali. The name Negara is also loosely applied to all of West Bali, more correctly known as Jembrana.

Medewi Beach

Medewi is a beach village in West Bali. This is a tiny village in one of the least visited areas of Bali.

Menjangan Island

West Bali National Park (Indonesian: Taman Nasional Bali Barat) is the only national park on the island of Bali.

Pemuteran

Pemuteran is a fishing village on the northern coast of West Bali. This fishing village has become very popular with visitors.

Read before you go to West Bali

Articles and travel topics about West Bali and Indonesia.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandThis is the least populated and least visited region of Bali. It is dominated by the West Bali National Park and a huge area of protected reserve, much of which is completely uninhabited.

Get inTwo major roads lead into West Bali, one on the north coast and one on the south coast.

Get aroundThis remote region of Bali lends itself to getting around by hire car or motorcycle. Cars for rent are not all common here so best to bring it in with you from one of the main tourist destinations.

SeeWest Bali National Park covers some 770 km² and is the dominant feature of this region. All visitors should check in and purchase permits (Rp25,000) at the main park office in the village of Cekik south of Gilimanuk.

DoTrekking and birdwatching in West Bali National Park are key activities in this region. You might, just might, even get to see a Bali Starling, one of the rarest birds in the world with just a handful left in the wild.

EatA key culinary speciality of this region is Ayam Betutu (hot and spicy chicken). Chicken is boiled in a broth of local spices for up to 3 hours and wood-smoked (Betutu means smoked).

DrinkThis is certainly not a region of Bali in which to expect any sort of bar culture. A beer on the beach is to be recommended though.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "West Bali" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: User:(WT-shared) Burmesedays User:(WT-shared) Peterfitzgerald,OpenStreetMap, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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