Did you know that Bali Province is technically home to six islands? While the main island, Bali, is the star of the show, there are in fact five more islands.
If you’re a regular reader of The Bali Sun or a frequent visitor to Bali, you may already be familiar with the islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. You may even have heard of up-and-coming Serangan Island, but have you heard of Menjangan Island?
Here at The Bali Sun, we think that Menjangan Island is Bali’s best-kept secret. We love a night out in Seminyak as much as the next person.
We even love a little bit of hustle and bustle in Canggu, and we certainly love cafe hopping with the Ubud crowd. What we love even more, though, is to completely retreat, switch off from the outside world, and connect with Balinese culture and the natural world. For us, Menjangan Island and the West Bali National Park are the places to do just that.
Menjangan Island sits 10km off the northwest shore of Bali. It is a tiny island that is part of the West Bali National Park Conservation Area.
The island gets its name from the Javanese word for deer, which is Menjangan, and the area is home to a healthy population of the Java Deer.
In fact, one of the highlights of a visit to Menjangan Island and West Bali National Park is to see the herds of wild deer swimming from Menjangan Island to Bali each spring.
It is not possible to stay overnight on Menjangan Island, but tourists can certainly make the most of a day on the island, from sunrise to sunset.
Many tourists visiting West Bali National Park and the surrounding area will return to Menjangan Island multiple times during their trip, to dry off after a snorkel or dive, to visit the Menjangan Temple, which houses a majestic statue of Lord Ganesha, or to visit the mangroves.
Though it is not possible to stay overnight on Menjangan Island, thankfully, there are plenty of incredible accommodation options in and around West Bali National Park.
NusaBay Menjangan by WHM is the only luxury accommodation provider situated inside the national park itself. For tourists who really want the full immersion, this is the place to stay.
Guests stay in their choice of beachfront cottages and village, and have access to the secluded shoreline of Kotal Beach as well as a private pool.
Stays start from USD 100 and include activities such as snorkelling and dive trips, guided walks in the national park, and even trips to see the wild pods of dolphins resident in the waters of Northwest Bali.
This part of Bali certainly invites holidaymakers to seriously slow down and retreat. Travelers who want to combine remote island adventures with a space to reset should consider a stay at The Menjangan by LifestyleRetreats.
This 4-star stay offers 5-star service for a surprisingly affordable nightly rate. Guests can stay just a stone’s throw from West Bali National Park for as little as USD 85 per night, with the choice of staying at beach villas, Javanese-style joglo villas, and luxury suites. Set within a 382-hectare property, there is simply nothing else like this in all of Bali.
One thing guests always notice during their stay at The Menjangan is the birdsong.
West Bali National Park is a stronghold for Bali’s birdlife and is even home to the critically endangered Bali Starling. Lucky twitchers may even catch a glimpse of one of these incredibly rare and incredibly beautiful birds, the highlight of any off-path adventure in Bali without a doubt!
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