Secret Bali spot Aussies are missing
I didn’t think I’d be putting roots down in Bali so soon – I’ve only been on the ground for two months of my one-year sabbatical, but here I am on my knees planting a rare sawo kecik tree.
Be sure to put this spot on your itinerary when you return to Bali. Picture: Penny Watson
My guide Abi tells me these endemic trees will typically bear fruit in seven to nine years thereby supplying the local fauna – squirrels, monkeys and dozens of bird species, with the fresh sweet-sour round red fruits. (It might also help keep the monkeys away from the cookie jars in the resort rooms).
The tree planting exercise – or Endemic Tree Planting Programme is one of the ongoing sustainability projects run by Plataran Menjangan Resort within West Bali National Park, in Bali’s northwest corner. This is Bali’s only national park, and one of the island’s few remaining forests, so it feels good to contribute a little piece of nature. Next to the tree, a little wooden sign with my name on it and an Australian flag nurtures the idea of returning over the years to monitor its progress.
Curiously, as I venture around the park during my stay, I see plenty of flags from around the globe but no other Aussie flags. When I query Abi on their absence, I’m surprised to hear that very few Aussies visit this beautiful corner of Bali.
A kayak trip to the hot springs. Picture: Penny Watson
For starters, the accommodation is exceptional. Plataran is a wonderfully comfortable eco-resort with traditional Balinese village-style villas that have quality linen, air-con and dreamy four poster king beds draped in mosquito nets. At neighboring The Menjangan resort, the beach-front villas have that rustic southeast Asian beach shack vibe but they’re also decked-out to suit discerning travelers. Both resorts have a swimming pool, spa, and great restaurants, and they often share guest activities and facilities.
When I mention the lack of Australians to Menjangan resort general manager Ingo Graf, he tells me a similar story – only two per cent of guests are Australians. I’m slightly perplexed – especially given our discussion is taking place on a deck jutting into the clear blue waters of a protected area of the Java Sea well-known for its coral, turtles and fish life. Mangroves – the park has 40 different species, frame a view across the water to Menjangan Island, which is closed due to Covid but is usually a drawcard for scuba divers. Beyond I can make out the muted grey volcano silhouettes of Java, only about 100km away and accessible by a ferry that crosses the horizon most mornings.
This pocket of Bali is an untapped paradise. Picture: Penny Watson
Ingo, who hails from Germany, puts it down to Australians having bigger national parks and better animals – “even your snakes are bigger and more venomous than ours,” he jokes. “It’s also not a surfing destination,” he says. “And Australians love surfing”.
But I’m not buying it. Only three hours by car from Denpasar, this place ticks the boxes for exactly the kind of adventure my Aussie mates would love. While my family and I have been here we’ve snorkeled off the jetty over coral reefs glimpsing pink-striped fish and mottled blue anemone. We have watched the wild antlered Java deer cooling themselves in the waters on the bay at sunrise. We’ve ridden horses along a nature trail and set eyes on the critically endangered Bali myna, an exotically beautiful bird with white plumage and bright blue eye mascara. By night, we’ve been treated to a traditional nasi kampung Pejarakan – a local feast of slow-cooked pork curry, mahi mahi fish grilled in banana leaves, and beef satay served with chili sambal.
Perhaps the most unexpected and intriguing activity was a kayak trip through the mangrove eco-system of Banjul Bay to Banyuwedang Temple and Hot Springs. The baths themselves were closed due to Covid, but we were able to shower like the locals do under spouts of 40-degree mineral waters said to cure ailments such as eczema and high blood pressure.
I’ll be back to check on my sawo kecik tree and probably to plant another Aussie flag as well.
This writer travelled courtesy of Wonderful Indonesia and Visit Indonesia Tourism Office, Australia.