Bali: The secret side of the island

5 off-the-radar places, away from the crowds

Apr 09, 2023

Dear NE-One

Just before the sun’s rays first touch the earth in my West Bali garden, they create a magnificent scene. The air, you see, is so softly hazed with smoke from neighbourhood kitchens that sunlight is broken into radiant strands as it stretches down through palm trees and mango branches. A tall hedge of gardenia, banana, jasmine, bougainvillea and heliconia leaves blocks much of the light, and it becomes a kaleidoscopic riot of luminescent greens.

This piece of paradise is near the village of Pekutatan, among the trees of West Bali. It is a world apart from the usually busy tourist haunts of Kuta, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, Sanur and Ubud. Canggu, the trendy neighbourhood loved by surfers and digital nomads, is a two-hour drive away; the other popular destinations are further.

Away from rampant development (and the enclaves where foreign life-coaches gather and self-proclaimed wellness goddesses waft into vegan cafes – please, you must read this piece about that side of Bali), life in West Bali unfolds almost as it has for generations. Fishing boats are hoisted across the grey-sand beach by men who’ve known each other since birth. Crops are planted and harvested only after the appropriate Hindu ceremonies have been observed, and the daily offerings made to the gods and spirits are prepared by women who learned the intricate crafts and nuances from their grandmothers.

It is, I am certain, the most beautiful part of the island, and here are five unexpected sights that make West Bali so special:

1/ Pink buffaloes walking the beach

Every day Sudana, a rice farmer from Pekutatan (and also, my Balinese “uncle”), walks his buffaloes along the beach from near Puri Dajuma eco resort to a river, where they wallow after working in the fields. Sudana is one of Bali’s last farmers to use buffaloes – kerbau, they’re called – to plough his fields. Together with his son and nephew, Sudana offers visitors the chance to walk with the buffaloes (two of which are pink) and on into his beach-side rice paddies, where Sudana explains the traditions and processes of rice farming. It’s a wonderful insight into traditional life out here.

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2/ Mountain vistas at Bunut Bulong

There is a winding road that leads from Pekutatan up and up into the mountains of West Bali. The air cools noticeably as you climb – and as you reach Bunut Bulong, an old banyan tree that straddles the road (I wrote about it a few weeks ago, here), the view opens up onto folds of jungled mountain valleys that are often shrouded in mist. This link explains how to get there.

3/ Catholic cathedral surrounded by trees

It’s well known that Bali is a predominantly Hindu island – but tucked up against the mountains in the far west (so far west that you can see the volcanoes on Java), there are two Christian communities. The one, at Blimbingsari, is mostly Protestant while the other, at neighbouring village Palasari, is Catholic. It’s here at Palasari that the astounding Sacred Heart of Jesus church – does it qualify as a cathedral? I’m not sure – rises from among the trees. It’s a beautiful fusion of Balinese culture and the Catholic religion; the building itself is decorated with intricate stone carvings and stained-glass windows, and church-goers often wear pakaian adat, traditional Balinese temple attire, to important services.

4/ Wild, empty beaches

On the busy beaches from Sanur to Canggu, sunbeds and umbrellas are diligently rolled out onto raked stretches of sand, and cooler boxes of Bintang beers and branded coconuts are lugged in to keep tourists hydrated… but head further west and the busyness dissolves with the tides. The sweeping, unspoiled coastline of West Bali is wonderfully wild. Long may it remain this way.

5/ A fleet of vibrant fishing boats

In the river mouth at Perancak, near Negara, there is a fleet of about 150 striking fishing boats. Perahu selerek, they’re called – boats used for purse-sein fishing. The boats operate in pairs, and they are brightly painted in matching his-and-hers designs: the foremast of the slightly smaller boat, the female, will have an outrageously decorated “throne”. You’re most likely to see all of the boats gathered here in the early morning, when the boats come home from a night at sea.

Is there anything particular you love, or would like to know, about Bali? Please drop me a note in the comments.

See you next week.

Narina x

My other newsletters about Bali include:

The absolute basics – if you’re planning a trip to the island, start here
Places to go – from secret escapes to celebrated Insta spots
The intriguing mathematical labyrinth of Bali’s calendars
Where to find peace in Ubud, when you’re overwhelmed by the crowds
Notes from Bali, and how it became “home”
Recipes from Dewi, my friend and most fabulous chef

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