Acknowledged
by many as Bali's finest beach resort area,
Jimbaran is an unspoilt fishing village, just
10 minutes from the airport and Kuta. In the
afternoon the sea breezes provide excellent
sailing conditions for the Hobie Cats and Lasers
which are available for hire along the beach.
In the late afternoon the beautiful sunsets
make Jimbaran a popular destination for beach
side weddings.
At
night, simple restaurants set up on the sands
of Jimbaran Bay, attract large crowds seeking
the inexpensive seafood on offer. Jimbaran has
attracted world renowned hotels, yet the beach
is surprisingly uncrowded. During your stay
you must also visit Uluwatu, just south of Jimbaran.
In
1970, Albert Falzon, a young Australian filmmaker,
came to Bali to make "a really beautiful,
positive film about the world." His movie,
The Morning of the Earth, made history, using
infrared camera and slow-motion to film impossible
surf tricks with "songs of freedom and
peace and waves" as the sole commentary.
Besides documenting the relation between surfers
and nature, the film revealed the 10-foot-high
barrels lining up along the Bukit Peninsula
against a dramatic background of cliffs and
caves. Soon, surfers started to leave the gentle
waves of Kuta for the challenging breaks of
the Bukit.
Even
if you're not a seasoned surfer, you'll enjoy
this dry land outcrop, raised 200 m above the
ocean. Guarding the top end of the peninsula,
the temple Uluwatu adds an aura of spirituality
to the heart-stopping cliffs. Covered with a
meager vegetation of bush, cacti, cassava, and
kapok trees, the Bukit becomes verdant only
from December to March. It is lined with white-sand
beaches, although it is difficult to swim at
most of them. Quite waters can be found in the
bay of Jimbaran or on Geger Beach. The peninsula
harbors the tourist enclave of Nusa Dua and
its flock of five-star hotels. Nature lovers
will prefer one of the few hidden gems presented
below, with fantastic ocean views where you
may spot a dolphin or a whale.
