Tabanan strives to boost tourism and agriculture
Tabanan strives to boost tourism and agriculture
By I Ketut Suastika
TABANAN, Bali (Antara): Tabanan regency, 30 kilometers from
Denpasar, has long been famous for its beautiful landscape.
The regency plays a crucial role in Bali's agricultural and
tourism sectors, offering such attractions as Lake Bedugul, Tanah
Lot, the butterfly park in Wanasari village, the hot springs in
Penebel village and the Alas Kedaton monkey forest.
Tabanan is also Bali's rice bowl, with some of the most
fertile land on the island, including around Lake Bedugul and the
southern part of the Batukaru mountains.
Aware of its tremendous agricultural potential, the local
government, businesspeople and farmers are aggressively
developing agro-based industry.
In Belimbing village, domestic and foreign visitors can taste
various local fruits at an agro-tourist site. If they wish to
spend the night at the village, they can stay in an enchanting
cottage called Wisma Cempaka Belimbing.
The 10-room cottage blends traditional Balinese and modern
architectural styles and fits harmoniously with the rural
surroundings, adorned with layered paddy fields and mountains.
Visitors are also able to harvest fruit and other agricultural
products along with local farmers.
In Batuengsel village, Bedugul, PT Bali Payung Negri has
developed a similar tourist attraction.
To cater to the growing number of domestic and foreign
visitors, the Tabanan authorities have allowed local
businesspeople to build hotels, restaurants, art galleries and
other tourist facilities.
The regency's rich natural and cultural resources have
attracted large investors, like those behind the Bali Nirwana
Resort near the historical Tanah Lot.
Tanah Lot, one of the holiest sites for the Balinese, consists
of a number of shrines built on an outcropping of rocks just
offshore.
Bali Governor Dewa Beratha has encouraged the people of
Tabanan to develop prestigious tourist attractions and explore
local potentials.
"The regency should be able to attract visitors to its unique
and beautiful tourist sites. In return, the regency will gain
economic benefit to improve its welfare," the governor commented.
One Tabanan resident, Putu Gde Kerta Dyanaputra, 30, has just
established an international-scale tourist attraction on the
slopes of Batukaru mountain.
The young businessman also set up a restaurant and other
supporting facilities to welcome visitors to his newly
established ATV Ride, Cycling, Trekking and Land Rover Touring.
This new attraction give visitors the chance to explore the rural
life around Batukaru using three-wheeled vehicles.
"We offer a new facility to enable visitors to trek through
the village's farms and paddy fields in this pristine village of
Wangaya Gede," Putu said.
The attraction, officially opened in January this year,
required about Rp 4 billion in initial investment.
"We have to be creative in developing innovative attractions
to draw more visitors to the regency," Putu said.
He added that he was now working with hotels and travel
agencies in foreign countries to promote his attraction.
"In the near future, we will also develop a trekking tour to
give our guests the opportunity to learn more about Balinese
society and culture," he said.