Pemuteran Bay offers alternative Bali experience

Pariama Hutasoit, Contributor, Pemuteran, West Bali

If you get bored with the hustle and bustle of Kuta or Sanur beaches in the southern part of Bali, simply pay a visit to the pristine and quiet Pemuteran beach in the wild west of the island, about 130 kilometers north of Denpasar.

There, you'll not find a line of cafes, discos, karaoke bars and other entertainment facilities. There will be no disturbances from street vendors.

"Pemuteran is a stress-free place where people can stroll the white sand or dive in the beautiful underwater realm," said I Gusti Prana, owner of Taman Sari Bali Cottages.

Many domestic and foreign visitors come to Pemuteran, mainly for spiritual purposes. "They often practice yoga and meditation here because Pemuteran is far away from the busy city life," he added.

In the coming week, Bapak Merta Ada (one of Bali's famous meditation gurus) will visit Pemuteran with his followers, Gusti Prana said.

The atmosphere of the Pemuteran area is indeed serene and magical. The area is surrounded by a number of major Hindu temples such as Pura Pulaki and Pura Melanting.

Located between a rocky mountain and the sea, Pemuteran is believed by the Hindu people to possess a lethal spiritual power called Nyegara Gunung.

"These tremendous natural forces have given a religious atmosphere to this place," said Gusti Prana.

Pemuteran consists of five hamlets with a population of no more than 2450 families, most of them devout Hindus.

Only a few hotels and cottages are available in the area. Perarem (a compromise between businessmen, local authorities, residents and religious leaders) strictly regulates the development of tourist facilities.

"Pemuteran should remain a traditional village rather than becoming a tourist center," explained Jro Mangku Putu Suyasa, head of Desa Adat, the customary village of Pemuteran. The restrictions are mainly aimed at preventing investors from constructing an excessive number of buildings and tourist facilities that will in turn disturb the rural conditions and ecosystem, as has happened in other parts of Bali.

"We prohibit investors from building cafes outside the existing hotels to avoid noise," Jro Mangku said.

Despite these strict regulations, holidaymakers will not be too disappointed. There are some very nice and well-equipped hotels like Pondok Sari, Reef Seen Aquatic and boutique hotels like Matahari Beach Resort.

Pemuteran has actually been part of Bali's tourist map since the early l980s because the location is famous for its marine and underwater attractions.

A number of dive operators including Dive Center, Archipelago Dive, Yos Dive Shop and David Dive have been operating in the area for the last few years.

Professional and amateur divers will be delighted by a visit to underwater sites such as Napoleon Reef, Close Encounter, Pura Tembok (Wall Temple), Kebun Bantu and Kebun Chris. There are hundreds of marine species and many types of reef.

The sea turtle conservation work carried out by environment lover Chris Brown at Reef Seen Aquatic is worth a look.

Don't miss the new coral reef conservation project in front of the Taman Sari Bali Cottages.

"The marine biodiversity in Pemuteran Bay is as rich as other sites in Bali," commented Arso, a marine biologist.

What's more interesting is the conservation technology applied here to conserve the damaged coral reef. "This conservation project has been fully supported by investors and the local community with the help of experts. This is quite amazing," said Arso, a member of the board of directors for the Bahtera Nusantara Foundation, an NGO that focuses on the coastline and marine life.

Pemuteran is quite far from the tourist centers of Denpasar, Kuta and Nusa Dua but this should not discourage you from visiting the place. On the way to Pemuteran, there are numerous exciting and beautiful places to pass by.

Bedugul resort in Tabanan and Singaraja with its Lovina beaches are among the interesting places to visit before you arrive at Pemuteran. It takes only four hours from Denpasar.

If your wallet is thick enough, you can rent a light aircraft and land at Lt. Col Wisnu airstrip, which is only 2 kilometers from Pemuteran.