West Bali National Park

Taman Nasional Bali Barat covers about a hundred and ninety square kilometres at the western end of Bali, including savanna, monsoon forest, mangrove and the sea around Menjangan island, and it is the last refuge of the Bali starling - a white bird with a blue eye mask, endemic to this island, which fell to a handful of wild individuals in the 2000s through trapping for the cage-bird trade and survives now only through captive breeding and releases inside the park and on Nusa Penida. Menjangan, an uninhabited island in the park, has a wall dive and clear shallow reef and is the best diving in Bali by general agreement. Deer swim between the island and the mainland, which is what menjangan means.

History

The park was established in 1941 over 740 km2 to protect the Bali tiger, the last of which had in fact already been killed. In 1985 it was reduced to 190.0289 km2, the excluded land becoming a protected reserve (Wikipedia, West Bali National Park).

What you'll find

• The Bali starling - the endemic bird brought back from near-extinction by breeding.
• Menjangan wall diving - the clearest and best reef diving in Bali.
• Savanna and monsoon forest - dry western Bali, unlike the south of the island.
• Swimming deer - the animals that gave Menjangan its name.

When to go

April to October. Two days.

What to expect

Starling sightings are managed and not casual - ask at the breeding centre. Menjangan needs a boat and park fees, and day-trip crowds arrive mid-morning. Trails need a guide.

Nearby

Pemuteran is east on the coast; Gilimanuk and the Java ferry are west.

Key facts