Muncan, a promising tourist spot in Bali

Tri Vivi Suryani, Contributor, Karang Asem, East Bali

Muncan might sound strange to many visitors coming to Bali who are more familiar with resort names like Kuta, Sanur, Bedugul or Kintamani.

Located some 70 km east of Denpasar, Muncan might become an alternative location for those wanting a different holiday site.

With hundreds of monkeys happily shrieking and playing in the trees, entering the village is like coming to a different world filled with lush foliage.

Muncan is home to 1,400 families, most of whom are farmers growing salak (snake fruit) and local artisans.

Relatively untouched by the outside world, Muncan is now being developed as Bali's rural tourist site, good for agro-tourism and water sports.

Its river, Telaga Waja, is comparable to Ayung river in Ubud, one of Bali's more affluent tourist attractions in the south.

Currently, a number of domestic and foreign visitors use the river for rafting.

For Muncan residents, Telaga Waja is a sacred river. The water of Telaga Waja is considered clean and holy and it has always been used for various religious ceremonies. Muncan people would be very careful when swimming or washing in that river. They dare not speak dirty words in the river area.

"There was a man who was possessed by evil spirits because he uttered ugly words," explained a villager.

Besides farming, a number of Muncan residents have tried getting into the arts world, lured by the village's perfect location, which is between the mother temple of Besakih and Mount Agung that are always crowded with tourists.

On the way to Besakih temple, visitors may stop first at Muncan village to buy snake fruit and other souvenirs.

Koman Astuti, owner of an art shop in the village, said that she and her husband started the business only two years ago.

"The business is quite promising," Komang said.

A number of villagers here, for instance, create reproductions of Asmat statues. Asmat is one of the indigenous tribes in Papua which produces extraordinary traditional art forms including paintings and statues.

"We receive the bulk of orders from antique shops in Denpasar, Kuta and Ubud," Komang added.

Asmat antiques have brought prosperity to local villagers. "I can finish a statue every day," said a worker.

But the Sept. 11 attack slowed down demand for the statues. "Visitors to Bali dropped significantly because of the attack. They were too afraid to fly to Bali," she explained.

Komang and other villagers, however, do not give up. They are now expanding their business by copying ethnic art from the neighboring island of Lombok.