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Another resort to the south of Kuta is Tuban.
Originally part of Kuta, it now claims an independent
status. To the west of Kuta are the new resorts
of Peti tenget (with its beautiful temple), Canggu
and Seseh. Most of the places of interest in the
northern.
Just outside Denpasar, on the road northwestwards
to Tabanan, is the village of Kapal, home to a
small earthenware industry. Kapal is better known
for the pura Sadha (sadha temple) with its multi-tiered
Prasadha shrine and Pura Puseh (Puseh temple)
that are home to many interesting Ramayana creations.
Further west in the little town of Mengwi lies
the Taman Ayun temple; built around 1740 AD it
is the grandest temple on the island. Until the
end of the 19th dentury, Mengwi was one of the
main island kingdoms. Pura Taman Ayun is a water
garden tempe, symbolizing the cosmic union of
segara gunung (sea and mountain). You can even
row in the moat in a ranted boat. The architectural
structure has three parts representing the order
of the cosmos: nista (impure/demonic); madia (midle/human);
and utama (godly) - corresponding to the three
successive courts. Most sacred (Utama) is the
inner court. The shrines are made and decorated
in the finest traditions of Balinese carving.
To the north of Mengwi is the famous Monkey Forest
at Sangeh, set in the heart of the only primary
forest in southern Bali. This forest consists
entirely of Pala (nutmeg) trees. The monkey living
here are considered sacred, an association from
the Ramayana epic, wherein prince Rama allied
himself with the monkey hero Hanoman to attack
Alengka. Some of the forest trees are also considered
sacred and are used to make masks of Barong. After
Sangeh the road heads northwards to Kintamani
past some beautiful scenery near Plaga.
During the dry season the scrub and bushes give
Bukit Badung a weird Mediterranean air. No rice
paddies are to be seen anywhere. The plateau rises
up to 200m above sea level, ringed to the south
and southwest by cliffs with small beaches. The
views offer the white sand and a breaker is best
at sunset. Bukit Badung is famous among surfers
for its long, white rollers. The best surfing
is at Suluban, Labuhan Sait and Bingi. For hikers
paths run along much of the cliff, while the inland
region has many prehistoric caves including Gua
Selonding.
The famous Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple is an architectural
marvel situated on a headland at the western tip
of the plateau. They say that the first Uluwatu
temple was built in the 11th century. In the 16th
century, it was rebuilt into its current state.
The temple has some of the most exquisite architecture
in Bali. The carvings made in the unusually hard
coral stone have withstood time well. The split
entrance gate is shaped as curved Garuda (eagle)
wings. Inside the temple the monstrous head of
Kala tops a second gate, with two statues of Gana
at its foot.
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