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Even as development from south Bali creeps ever further west (via hot spots such as Canggu), Bali's true west, which is off the busy main road from Tabanan to Gilimanuk, remains infrequently visited. It's easy to find serenity amid its wild beaches, jungle and rice fields.
On the coast, surfers hit the breaks at Balian and Medewi. Some of Bali's most sacred sites are here, from the ever-thronged Pura Tanah Lot to the lily-pad-dappled beauty of Pura Taman Ayun and on to the wonderful isolation of Pura Rambut Siwi.
The tidy town of Tabanan is at the hub of Bali's Unesco-listed subak, the system of irrigation that ensures everybody gets a fair share of the water. On narrow back roads you can cruise beside rushing streams with bamboo arching overhead and fruit piling up below.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout West Bali.
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Don't miss one of the top temples on Bali, a serene place of enveloping calm. The huge royal water temple of Pura Taman Ayun, surrounded by a wide, elegant moat, was the main temple of the Mengwi kingdom, which survived until 1891, when it was conquered by the neighbouring kingdoms of Tabanan and Badung. The temple was built in 1634 and extensively renovated in 1937. It's a spacious place to wander around, away from crowds.
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Picturesquely situated on a clifftop overlooking a long, wide stretch of black-sand beach, this superb temple shaded by flowering frangipani trees is one of the important sea temples of west Bali. Like Pura Tanah Lot and Pura Luhur Ulu Watu, it was established in the 16th century by the priest Nirartha, who had a good eye for ocean scenery. Unlike Tanah Lot, it remains a peaceful and little-visited place: on non-ceremony days you'll just find a couple of lonely drink vendors.
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Set amid rice fields near the iconic temple of Tanah Lot, Joshua District is a creative complex – coffee shop, gallery, fashion concept store and a number of villas – made out of shipping containers. With the motto 'recycle or die', the community space promotes environmental awareness and sustainable lifestyles. Cash only.
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Pura Tanah Lot is a hugely popular tourist destination. It does have cultural significance to the Balinese, but this can be hard to discern amid the crowds, clamour and chaos – especially for the overhyped sunsets. It's the most visited and photographed temple in Bali; however, it has all the authenticity of a stage set – even the tower of rock that the temple sits upon is an artful reconstruction (the entire structure was crumbling) and more than one-third of the rock is artificial.
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Bali's role in Indonesia's independence struggle is commemorated at the Margarana, northwest of Marga village. Tourists seldom visit, but every Balinese schoolchild comes here at least once, and a ceremony is held annually on 20 November. In a large compound stands a 17m-high pillar, and nearby is a museum with a few photos, homemade weapons and other artefacts from the conflict (Ngurah Rai’s quoteworthy last letter includes the line: ‘Freedom or death!’). Other than weekday-morning school groups, the site is quiet.
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You'll find this museum within a large complex devoted to Tabanan's subak organisations. It has displays about the irrigation and cultivation of rice, and the intricate social systems that govern these. Staff will show you around; there is info on subak 's Unesco designation, an increasing number of placards in English and a good model showing the subak system in action. A new free booklet in English has a wealth of good content.
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Amid a growing number of villas, there is a dramatic outcrop of black lava rock jutting out into the pounding waves. Perched on top is the photogenic Pura Gede Luhur Batu Ngaus, which has all the classic elements of a Balinese temple and looks like a mini version of Tanah Lot, which is a further 3km northwest.
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Established in 1974, this off-the-beaten path museum documents the numerous Hindu rituals involved during a Balinese person’s life, starting from six months after conception to death. The museum is in the Taman Ayun Hindu temple complex, which dates to the 17th century.
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This part of Bali has been occupied for thousands of years. The Museum Manusia Purbakala Gilimanuk is centred on a family of skeletons, thought to be 4000 years old, which were found locally in 2004. The bare bones, as it were, museum is 500m east of the ferry port.