Karangasem, On the Wallace Line

Trekking in East Bali

Bali’s natural potential for tourism shows its magic in Desa Selat, a village located about 12 km to the southeast of Pura Besakih temple. It is 63 km east of Denpasar between an area of hills and a temple known as Pura Pasar Agung or ‘Grand Market Temple’. A rice field in the enclosure of the village enhances the beauty of the view of this rural district, situated on the slope of Mt. Gunung Agung. Neighboring Selat is Desa Sebudi in an area excellent for trekking..

Several villagers have responded to the demand for trekking in this area. Among the people of Selat, there is Yan De (39) of Puri Agung Selat who has been a trekking guide for five years and is credited by the inn management under the banner Puri Agung Inn. He is a D3 Diploma graduate of the Hotel Academy of Denpasar and has the necessary skills to guide lovers of mountain climbing and bike trekking through villages. Most of his clients are from Europe and from France in particular.
Yan De told Bali Travel News, he has left to trekkers to decide whether or not to make use of his service to guide them on the prerequisite that, if they do, they agree to the rate he proposes. They can enjoy the additional facilities of flashlight, transportation, and information on the terrain and trail. Guests can choose to go trekking without guide and volunteer assistance is always at their disposal as the local people are always ready to help visitors. Without a guide or a local’s assistance, trekkers would miss the way. Yan De has anticipated the possibility of a single trekker loosing his way and takes a note of the guest’s personality to help rescue a man trekking with just courage and without any guide.
Yan De added that trekking time depends on what the trekker wants, but on average a moderate trek would be 3 – 5 hours long. There is variety of trekking package prices, the tariff being lower for 1 – 2 trekkers compared to 4 – 5 people. The average tariff is Rp 300,000 for one trek in Desa Selat a price which reflects the positive attitude of the locals. (Wawan)