Jembrana Regency
For those traveling by land and ferry from Java to Bali, the regency of Jembrana is where the discovery of Bali begins. The distance between two islands is a mere 4 km. The ferry ports of Ketapang in Java and Gilimanuk in Bali, first opened in the 1970s, have been recently upgraded and can now handle the massive transportation needs between the two islands.
The fate of Bali has been intermingled with that of Java for centuries. It is said that Hinduism was first introduced to Bali in the 5th by a holy man Empu Markandeya, who lived originally on the slopes of Mount Raung, just across the strait. The Majapahit warriors are also thought to have attacked Bali through Jembrana. And in the 16th century, the great Hindu saint Dang Hyang Nirartha First landed in Purancak while fleeing from the court of Blambangan.
The area is heavily forrested, has long been considered a buffer zone between Java and Bali. With the integration of Bali within the Dutch colonial empire, it became increasingly subjected to Javanese and Madurese influences. The area is arguably the most ethnically heterogenous in Bali. Some villages are ethnically mixed, as the Madurese settled along the coast.
The Loloan area is populated by a Malay speaking population of Bugis descent. There are also many Balinese Christians, as part of Jembrana was made into a settlement area for Balinese who converted to Catholicism and Protestanism at the beginning of the century.
The nature scene is no less varied than its culture. Jembrana covers no less than 841 kmē, much of which is made up of an uninhabited mountain massif in the North. In the South, the coastline comprises 71 km of beach.
The sand is mostly of volcanic origin, hence black, but there are also beautiful white coral beaches especially in Medewi- and mangrove forest. Southern Jembrana has also some of the most beautiful rice terraces in the island. Roughly half of the territory of Jembrana, mostly in the mountain, is part of the West Bali National Park.
Mekepung and Perancak
Jembrana is best known for its Mekepung, a traditional buffalo race. The regency even calls itself “the land of the Mekepung”. The Mekepung was originally held as part of the harvest festivities. It uses the carts and buffaloes that were used until quite recently as a means of transportation and which originated in Java. The Mekepung consists of a race between two carts pulled by water buffaloes. The animals are colorfully decorated and they run a 2 km long course. Nowadays championship events are organized under the sponsorship of the local government, which uses the race as a promotional tool for tourism.
In Perancak the race can be arranged on order, and you can be your own jockey if you like. Perancak is where Sang Hyang Nirartha is said to have landed. There is a small temple of white stones to commemorate the event, On the nearby Perancak river, small jukung and sampan boat can still be seen quietly sailing up the river to Loloan, especially at high tide.
Loloan is a unique village in Bali. It is homogenously Moslem. Its inhabitants are Bugis sea-farers who settled there at the end of the 17th century to escape the victorious Dutch who had destroyed their kingdom in Goa, Celebes. Until the beginning of the century, the sampans of these Bugis were plying the archipelago as far as Singapore and the Philippines, and they sent their children to Mecca to study. Since the opening of the ferry port Gilimanuk, though, Loloan lost its role as a harbour and the local people are now an impoverished a lot. There is also a crocodile farm in Perancak as a remembrance to the now extinct Perancak crocodile.
Beside Mekepung, there is also a cow-race called magembeng. The name originates from the gembeng bell which the cows carry around their necks. As they walk, their slow balancing movement causes the gembeng to sound, and thus a special kind of music is being produced. The megembeng competition takes into account not so much the speed as the elegance and the beauty of the cows.
Bali Barat National Park, is situated in two regencies; Jembrana and Buleleng (Singaraja). The entrance to the Jembrana side of the park is located in Malaya, on the Denpasar-Gilimanuk main road, about 110 km from Denpasar. A visit to this place is advised to those looking for pristine tropical nature. The park is the last natural habitat for the endangered jalak putih (Leucopsar rotschildi) as only less than 50 heads are known to be left in its natural environtment.
Even though ornithologists can now breed the bird in captivity, the wild jalak putih that are found in the natural habitat are threatened by extinction because of poaching. The park also harbours ruminantias such as banteng (Bos sondaicus) or deer-like menjangan. The National Park covers a wide range of natural environment, from mangrove coastal forest to African-like savanah and rain forests.
To enter the National Park one should ask for permission from the National Park Office located next to the Denpasar -Gilimanuk main road in Cekik. The easiest way is through your travel agency. There are experienced guides in the office, for trekking, diving and snorkeling. One can also rent fishermen’s boat. The underwater panorama is particularly beautiful in Menjangan island, in the regency of Buleleng. Unfortunately, diving and snorkeling in the Jembrana side of the National Park is not recommended for beginners.
Gilimanuk is mainly known for its ferry port, but the beauty of its beach is hardly ever mentioned. It has a wide range of them: coral beach, white and black sand beaches and a mangrove forest. In some places, the beauty of its underwater corals wait for anyone to snorkel or to dive around. There are two small islands or rather sand bars: pulau Kalong (Bat island) and pulau Burung (Bird island).
Gilimanuk is also famous for its archeological excavations, which have unearthed many sarcophagi from the pre Hindu period. Beside the beach, there is a museum of archeology. Villages around Gilimanuk are a mixture of Balinese, Javanese, Madurese and Bugis architecture unique in Bali. No less beautiful are the boats of these various ethnic groups.
In Candikusuma there are two temples dedicated to the legendary Dang Hyang Nirartha. The temple of Indra Kusuma and Taman Sumur Bulus, The local people also tell a story of how two Dutch officers were attracted to the place in 1897 after seeing a light coming from the earth, followed by appearance of a keris. Candikusuma beach is famous for its beautiful black sand, and the gentle hills decorating the beach.
Uphill from Melaya are the two Christian communities of Palasari (Catholic) and Blimbingsari (Protestant), built at the beginning of the century as a settlement area .for Balinese who converted to Christianity. The villages are surrounded by hills and paddy fields. Their uniqueness, however, lies in their culture, with churches mixing Gothic and Balinese architectural elements.
Delodbrawah Beach is a black sand beach which was originally a swamp (brawah). It is even said that it was a favorite haunt of crocodiles. Believe or not, the beach’s sand is reputed to cure rheumatism. North of the beach, there is one of the best race grounds for the Mekepung, because it can be used even during the rainy season. It is located in Mendoyo, Negara.
The Temple of Rambut Siwi is a cliff top temple surrounded by a wide panorama of paddy field on one side and a breath taking view over the black sand beach on the other side. Stairs help people safely down to the beach. There are two caves overlooking the sea with a view over the fishermen’s boats and the hovering sea birds. The spot is a favorite hang-about of painters. The temple itself was built by Dang Hyang Nirartha, the legendary’ saint. According to the legend, he made a gift of his hair to the temple. Hence the name of Rambut Siwi; from “rambut”: hair and “siwi”: worship.
Medewi beach is a small resort situated midway between Gilimanuk and Denpasar, about 100 meters from the road. Its long waves 3 to 7 meters high make it a perfect place for surfing. Small black stones are scat tered on the black sand of the beach, giving an eery look at sunset. There are also few hotels in the medium class range.