Nature-loving tourists visiting Bali must add West Bali National Park to their travel itinerary.
The West Bali Natural Park is one of the last untouched wild landscapes in Bali and is home to an incredible array of flora and fauna, including ocean-swimming deer.
Mind-blowing footage that has been circulating online shows two feet swimming in the ocean in the waters around Menjangan Island in West Bali National Park.
The two deer can be seen confidently swimming across a channel of water, and though many feel that the boat in the video got a little too close for comfort, the deer appear to continue on their journey unfazed. This is not an uncommon journey for them, deer are regular reported to be seen swimming in the waters surrounding the national park.
Fun fact, ‘Menjangan’ literally means ‘deer’; the animals are also sometimes referred to as ‘rusa.’
Most people would associate seeing deer only in lush and green landscapes, such as meadows, grasslands, and forested areas.
Yet, in West Bali National Park, the deer often frequent the wooded areas, the mangrove forest, and the beaches too. It is not uncommon for guests staying within the West Bali National Park or the surrounding area to wake up to see deer walking outside their guesthouse window.
It’s a truly magical experience. Since the deer have no real predators on the island, and since there are so few tourist visits to the area, they are relatively calm around humans, provided they keep their distance and are quiet and respectful.
West Bali National Park is home to an amazing range of wild species, including the critically endangered Bali Starling, a beautiful white bird with a striking blue eye. The park is also home to monitor lizards, wild chickens, wild rabbits, and a breathtaking amount of marine biodiversity, including wild turtles.
Getting to West Bali National Park from central Bali is a lengthy but worthwhile drive. Taking 4 hours or so from Bali Airport, the journey transects many of the regions of Bali untouched by tourism, and as such, the journey makes for a road trip adventure in its own right. The alert native is to fly into Banyuwangi Airport in East Java catch the ferry across the Bali Strait to Gilimanuk, and arrange pick up from West Bali.
Staying within West Bali National Park is a real honor, though it is not possible to stay overnight on Menjangan Island. Under local law, only the 16 monks who reside at the temple on the island are permitted to stay there for more than 24 hours at a time.
Birding, diving, and snorkeling are the top activities for visitors to West Bali National Park, as well as simple relaxing and retreating. If you’re seeking total escape during your vacation in Bali, you couldn’t secure a more calm, relaxing, and remote location than West Bali National Park.
The area is home to an award-winning selection of hotels and resorts. In February 2024 The Plataran Menjangan Hotel celebrated a major win at the ASEAN Green Hotel Awards and will be seeking to do the same again this year.
The Plataran Menjangan Hotel was named in the top five best green hotels in ASEAN and was listed alongside multi-award winning hotels like NIHI Sumba and the stunning Capella in Bali’s Ubud.
The 5-star resort offers guests complete luxury and also an opportunity to connect with the natural world in a grounded and authentic way. The hotel is actively striving to reduce carbon emissions and is involved in major tree-planting programs in and around the national park.
Tourists planning a stay in West Bali National Park are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation in this nature retreat. In addition to the 5-star Plataran Menjangan Hotel, tourists must explore the option of staying at NusaBay Menjangan by WHM and the dreamy Mimpi Resort Menjangan.
All hotels and guesthouses in this area offer safari and snorkeling packages that can be arranged upon arrival and can be custom designed to suit each guest’s interests.
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