Bangli

The regency of Bangli has some of the most superb scenery on the island of Bali. The mountains of Abang (2152 meters) and Batur (1717 meters) tower high over a mountainous territory and the deep Caldera Lake,  Danau Batur lies tranquilly below. A ridgetop road with stupendous views on either side passes through windswept mouton villages where dwell a mountain people who through centuries of struggle for survival in a climate of extremes have developed a distinctive nature: a spontaneous humour and fiery temperament which dominates the rough dialect of Balinese that they speak. The altitude of these upper slopes precludes rice farming, and two thirds of the region’s land is utilized in dryland farming: sweet potatoes, peanuts, vanilla, cloves, coffee, oranges, lemons and cabbages.             

The more gentle slopes surrounding Bangli, the major towns of the regency are lush in comparison to the mountainous areas, and the southern lands drop in a terraced staircase of ricefields towards the sea. The former capital of a kingdom that evolved during the fragmentation of the Gelgel dynasty, Bangli is a sleepy little town which comes to life every three days on market day, when the villagers from the surrounding area flock their wares and produce and a bustling thoroughfare develop on the eastern side of the town.  There are three major markets in the region that alternate on consecutive days, that of Bangli, Kayuambua, and Kintamani.

Ancient lontar and stone inscriptions dating back to the Century indicate that the earliest known kingdom in Bali. Nothing remains today of this distant past, and today’s village is a jumble of wooden houses with tin rooves that show little mark of the traditional Balinese architecture abounding in the rest of the island.

There is an ancient hilltop sanctury, Pura Tegeh Koripan, several kilometres past Kintamani on a winding road, thought to have once belonged to the Pejeng Kingdom. This is actually a series of temples, scattered at different levels on a steep stone staircase that often disappears into the swirling mountain mists, where a number of different village clans come to worship. At the upper level is a bare courtyard with a number of simple shelters containing ancient statues of Balinese Rajas, divinities and lingga stones. These statues have been traced back to a number of different periods, ranging between the 11^th and 15^th Centuries.

Gunung Batur has lain semi-dormant now for over ten years, the occasional wisp of smoke from its crater and the hot springs at its base the only indication of volcanic activity. The original village of Batur, at the base of this mountain, was covered by lava in 1927 during the last major eruption. Earlier eruptions had given ample warning, and the flow of molten rock even paused exactly at the temple gates at one stage, in what seemed like a miraculous deliveration by the gods. However, when disaster became obvious, there was still time for the villagers to remove the sacred temple icons and their few precious belongings high up on the ridge where the present village and its “transplanted” temple, Pura Ulun Danu, remain today.

The Town of Bangli

Once the capital of a kingdom descended from the early Gelgel Dynasty, Bangli is still the major administrative town of the regency. Here the air is fresh and cool compared to the lowlands of south Bali. There are two homestays, one a youth hostel, the other a converted part of the old palace. Bali’s main psychiatric hospital is situated on the road, which runs westward from the centre of town, on spacious grounds where it is not unusual to see patient’s busy gardening. At Banjar Pande there is a family of smiths who make silver and gold jewellery as well as the fine hand-beaten silver bowls that play a large part in offering presentation, and other religious paraphernalia.

Pura Kehen

The original state temple, Pura Kehen can be found on the northeastern boundary of the town. Ancient records prove this temple to have already been in use during the early 1200’s. Steep stairs lead to the major entrance door, which is topped by a huge demon’s face, Kala Makara, guardian of the temple. On either side of the steep flight of stairs are a line of towering stone statues on pedestals the heroic characters of the Wayang stories. The first and lower courtyard has a towering banyan tree, and the walls are set with inlays of antique Chinese porcelains that have been covered with moss and lichen over the centuries. In the upper courtyard is a towering eleven tiered Meru shrine and a Padmasana with thrones to the Hindu trinity.

Sasana Budaya

Just past Pura Kehen is a large cultural centre consisting of a number of pavilions in a beautifully landscaped garden, sometimes used for exhibitions of local crafts and performances by the local gamelan and dance groups. 

Bukit Damulih

As the road climbs northwards out of Bangli a little hill comes into view, known as Bukit Damulih. This is well worth climbing, as it has a picturesque little temple at the top with a stunning view over central Bali “ Damulih” means “don’t go home “, so be careful not to fall under magic spell of this place.    

Bamboo Forest

The road climbs up from Bangli passing thorough bamboo forest and dry upland terraces at the village of Kayu Ubi women make the finely woven bamboo baskets which are used all over the island for carrying goods and offerings on the head. Tangahan and Penataan, nearby, are also basket-making villages. Hats, lampshades and flower baskets are made in these little cottage industries.  

Panelokan

After climbing an extremely steep gradient the roads suddenly arrives at the top of the hill, where a wide vista of crater, mountain and lake take one completely by surprise. This is Penelokan, the lookout, where an entire panorama stretches out as far as the eyes can see, changing continually in colour and light with weather conditions. It is very often in the clouds, which roll across the entire caldera in a blanketing mist, then suddenly disappear, revealing a serene blue lake and the mountain of Batur in the midst of its giant crater where streams of black lava scar the landscape.

Another surprise to be prepared for can be the sudden appearance of local souvenir sellers, who enthusiastically vend their wares to all and sundry, shouting in their excitement and waving wooden carvings and shell necklaces through the bus windows. In an effort to tame these avid dollar seekers, who range from preschool age to mothers with babies, the local government is at present building additional parking and shopping amenities, and making efforts to teach the local people the merits of “soft-sell”. Humour is of the essence, and it helps to ask your guide a few words in the local dialect to cope with such situations. For those who have time to spend indulging in the view, there is simple homestay accommodation close by and fresh lake fish for sale at the local restaurants.

Toya Bungkah

A rollercoaster road leads down to the shores and around the western edge of Lake Batur, transversing the hardened lava to the Hot Springs of Toya Bungkah. Volcanic mineral springs seep into the lake, and a splash in the public bathing area is entirely medicinal. The more intrepid may wish to climb the mountain, a short hike of up to one and a half-hours and look down into the steaming crater. At the Hot Springs there are a number of small homestays as well as an Art Centre created by a well-known Indonesian novelist and philanthropist, Takdir Alisjahbana. A resident orchestra and dance troupe give regular performances of both traditional and modern Balinese dance in the evenings, and there are comfortable cottages for rent with all modern conveniences. This is a hideaway for travellers in search of culture and tranquility. The local villagers eke a living by planting vegetables in the stony volcanic soil at the lakeside and fishing the lake in their dugout canoes.

Trunyan

It is a short motor boat ride, or energetic paddle by canoe to the other side of the lake, where the village of Trunyan lies in total isolation on a narrow piece of land backed by razorback hills. Accessible from either Toya Bungkah or Kedisan, a village on the southern shore, this tiny village is an enclave of Bali Aga people, who retain a social code similar to that of pre-Hindu Bali. Cremation is unheard of here. The dead are simple laid out in a nearby ravine with a minimum of fuss and ceremony. Strange customs exclusive to this community are focused around the Pura Pancering Jagat, “Temple of the Navel of the World”, involving the reenactment of ancient legend regarding Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake. The village takes its name from the Taru Menyan tree, which gives out an incense like perfume, the very perfume, in fact, which lured Dewi from the heavens. The people of this village, having no rice fields to provide their staple diet, have since ancient times relied upon begging missions around the island to obtain their rice, and despite government efforts these habits still prevail. Observe and try to understand a way of life totally foreign to all western values. 

Batur

Pura Ulun Danu, the vast temple complex in the centre of the village of Batur, is one of the major temples of Bali. It has been under construction since it was moved out of the way of the lava flow during the 1926 eruption. Towering gateways lead into spacious courtyards laid with black volcanic gravel, connecting with further inner areas in a maze of pavilions and shrines that ends with row upon row of black palm fibre capped “meru” towers that stand out in stark outline against the backdrop of volcano.

Kintamani

The village of Batur has crept up the ridge to almost join Kintamani, the local market town. Market day here brings about a deluge of local produce from the surrounding hills: coffee beans, onions, cabbages, oranges and lemons in great piles. There was once a popular government rest house here, and in the 1930’s the K.P.M. Dutch Steamship Line took this over and used it as a stopover for passengers en route to south Bali from the port at Buleleng. The buildings still remain, rather dilapidated. Today there are a number of small hotels with simple facilities.

Penulisan

The road to Singaraja climbs up beyond Kintamani to its highest point at Penulisan, where ancient and modern stand side by side in striking contrast. A television receiver on the peak of one hill picks up programmes relayed from Jakarta. On the adjacent hill the shrines of one of Bali’s oldest temples, Pura Tegeh Koripan, act as a receiver of messages from the ancestors of a bygone age.