The Tegal Bunder Trail: Bali Barat National Park

The Bali Barat National Park (Taman Nasional Bali Barat) has a few short hikes. In order to hike in the National Park, you must obtain a permit from the National Park HQ at Cekik, or the National Park office at Labuan Lalang. The price of the permit used to be 2,500rp a couple of years ago and may have risen, although its likely to be no more than a couple of dollars. You must hire a guide, rates are around 120,000rp for a 2 hour hike.

For me this takes away part of my interest in visiting a National Park, but that’s how they do it here. One of the hike is the Tegal Bunder Trail. This hike like many others in Bali, is most pleasant in the morning and take 1-2 hours. A Bali Starling Pre-Release Center is set up in the middle of thick forest. Access is via the village of Sumber Klampok followed by a 2 km walk.

Driving up from Cekik you will see local vegetation, including Sonokeling (Rosewood trees), Panggal Buaya (Crocodile trees). These type of trees are part of the Dry Monsoon Forest, that cover a large portion of the Bali Barat National Park. They can survive for long periods with little rain, and shed their leaves periodically.

Sumber Klampok is the location of a ranger station. The completion of the National Park has not been totally without problems. Locals in Sumber Klampok say the government did not tell them how things would work. They complain that local fisherman cannot access certain areas, and locals are not able to search for wood as they used to. There was also a rumour that a large resort would be built in the area. The government has offered a tranmigrasi option to Sulawesi, for the people in Sumber Klampok, but obviously this is never a happy situation. Villagers have refused to leave and currently there is no resort.

Getting to the Bali Barat National Park from Kuta: Driving time is around 4 hours.

Accommodation: Pondok Wisata Lestari and Hotel Sari guesthouses back in Gilimanuk are cheap. For a resort style option go to the Waka Shorea or Menjangan Jungle & Beach Resort , just east of Labuan Lalang. Both places are a bit spendy.