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Splendiferous Journey in Tabanan

The Tabanan regency covers over 800 SQ. Kilometres through the centre of Bali and is widely regarded as the island’s green belt’. The regency’s administration sets high standards for Hotel and resort building and emphasis the importance of preserving the majority of the area’s rural environment. As such Tabanan has become a fulfilling destination for those with an eye for a rolling landscape of paddy fields, forested hillides, Lakes and the market gardens of Bedugul.

Tabanan is somewhat underrated as a tourist destination but besides its attractive rural aspects the regency has a lot of interesting historical sites that are well-worth visiting. There is a great deal to see and do within this interesting regency.

My trip to Tabanan began with a visit to Jatiluwih, here beautiful rice terraces unfold down the side of Mt. Batukaru on its coastal reaches. The fertile soil here along with good weather patterns is excellent for healthy rice crops and this is obvious to anyone who compares the crops here to

Tabanan_nextisland_tropicallife
Tabanan_nextisland_tropicallife

those in other parts of Bali. My next stop was nearby Alas Kedaton, a temple built on 1250 AD and stands in a rainforest that is home to thousands long-tailed macaque monkeys. Here the monkeys have made the temple a favourite meeting site where they interact freely with visitors. Tourists are advised to treat the monkeys with respect here.

Next stop was Margarana Park in Marga village. This peaceful green park is the place where a force of 96 Balinese led by I Gusti Ngurah Rai faced around 400 of Dutch colonial troops. The result was deadly for the Balinese who were outnumbered 4 to 1 by the Dutch but this battle marked the beginning of the end for Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia. Independence was declared in 1945 and by 1947 the republic of Indonesia was formed. To commemorate this telling event a monument was built on the grounds of Margarana Park. A moment’s silence is often observed here by visiting Indonesians.

Tabanan is the lush part of Bali and nowhere emphasises this more than Bedugul. Here lakes and forested hillsides surround the market garden area of Bali. Here the well tended Botanical Gardens reside and here also, set as though floating in Lake Bratan is Ulun Danu Bratan, one of Bali’s most important historical temples. This temple can be dated back to 500 BC. My last destination was of course the iconic and much photographed Tanah Lot Beach and Temple. The Pura (temple) sits just offshore on a rock formation and has become one of the most anticipated visiting sites of Bali, most especially during sunset.