Map of Badung | Kuta | Nusa Dua | Other Places of Interest

The District (Kabupaten) Badung is Bali's most densely populated region. It is located in the southernmost part of Bali where the city of Denpasar, the island's capital and bustling metropolis, thrives and where Bali's world famous beach resorts are the stars of the tourism industry. The area stretches from the central highlands in the north through an isthmus to the Nusa Dua Peninsula, also known as Bukit Badung.
The landscape of the peninsula consists of an elevated limestone plateau, which differs from that of the north, where rich volcanic soil nourishes the lush vegetation. Kuta and Jimbaran are situated in the north and west of the Peninsula respectively Sanur is in the east and the famous Nusa Dua Resort area is on the eastern tip of Peninsula.

Kuta

Kuta's claim to fame owes much to two things: its beach (originally Bali's best) and the simply magnificent sunset. Apart from surfing on its huge breakers and strolling for miles on the pearly white beach, shopping is a must with the wide variety and number of shops and street vendors selling rattan bags, batik shirts and a range of other interesting mementos. Street-side cafes are ideals for people watching while the numerous restaurants offer cuisine from around the world. Nightlife is vibrant; bars and discos are popular watering holes for revelers

Beach bungalow first opened in Kuta in the 1930's but mass tourism did not start here until the late 1960's. During this period kuta boomed, becoming known as a hippie haven. The bamboo beach home-stay were turned into losmen (a kind of BB) and then into hotels. The hippies either left or struck it rich and kuta became one of the most dynamic places in indonesia: a place to encounter new ideas and lifestyles and a place experience all kinds of pleasures.

Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa are Bali's other beach resort that boast swaying coconut trees and clear blue sea. They were built on the dry and infertile land in the 1970's. Some of the most famous hotels in Asia can be found here, among them the Hilton, the Grand Hyatt and Club Med. Their neo-Balinese architecture (giant split gates, huge statues and halls) complements the beautiful natural environment to provide all the colours of a tropical paradise.

Nusa Dua differs geologically from the rest of the Bukit Peninsula. In place of cliffs, sandy soil descends to along white beach stretching from Nusa Dua all the way to Tanjung Benoa harbor, five kilometers to the north. The beach at Nusa Dua is surrounded by coral reef, creating an ideal family beach, while Tanjung Benoa specializes in water sports.

The Jimbaran bay area has one of the safest and most tranquil white beaches on the whole island. Jimbaran is renowned for the Barong (trance) dance. It also has Pura Ulun Siwi, a beautiful temple made of redbrick.

Other Places of Interest

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.