Live the moment at Balian Beach

Balian Beach is located around the corner of Lalang Linggah (meaning 'The Wide Grassland') village on Bali's west coast.

Since centuries the village area is home to the cultivation of rice but slowly it has transformed itself with several Bali accommodations into a spot popular among surf fanatics.

You can still see many rice fields running down all the way to the beach and occasionally a couple of cows grazing lazily in the sun.

 

Balian beach on Bali's west coast

 

There are a couple of places where you can stay and they range from the steeper priced ones such as the Gajah Mina Beach Resort, the mid-ranged Pondok Pitaya, Shankari's Bali Retreat, Pondok Pisces, Kubu Balian Beach to the budget Ayu Homestay.

Just like other parts in Bali a couple of white two-story villas are being built, this time by Russian invaders and they don't do the Balian picture any good ;-(

 

Tom's garden cafe restaurant at Balian beach

 

For lunch and dinner there are some nice places where you can go to but so far they are all part of a hotel or homestay, there are no independent restaurants.

Our favorite place by far is Tom's Garden Cafe at Pondok Pisces but other popular restaurants can be found at Pondok Pitaya accommodation and at Ayu Homestay.

Surfers come here year around to catch some easy waves but the area is not suited for swimming due to the strong currents.

You can swim upstream on the Balian river but with more accommodation in the area providing swimming pools you'll have another choice.

The area around Lalang Linggah village is ideal for rice field trekking or even bicycling.
There's a great 4-kilometer trek which starts on the Tabanan-Gilimanuk highway between Lalang Linggah and Antap village.
Look for the white sign 'wates Desa Antap' and continue for 2km until you reach Pengererengan village.

Continue for 50 m and find the small path after the coconut grove on the right side. Keep on going until you reach Tireman village. From here you continue south back to the main road again. Here you can walk back to Balian or take one of the bemos (minibuses).

Balian beach is ideally located and you can walk for 30 miles on end, passing the black sands of Soka beach (see picture) where you can even find the Pura Luhur Srinjong temple with its bat cave (goa lawah in Balinese).

Another temple of interest is the Puri Rambut Siwi (meaning holy hair) temple near Yeh Embang village north of Lalang Linggah village.

Here the the Balinese claim that the priest Nirartha cut his hair here and left it in a shrine in 1546. 
From the temple you can have stunning views on the black volcanic sand and the ocean during sunset.

If you like to travel in Bali a bit more head for the scenic route from Balian to Medewi, Pekutatan, Tista to Pupuan.

On its way near the village of Pekutatan you will find a sign leading you to Tista village and not far from here you'll find the eye-catching bunut bolong (meaning 'hole in tree') banyan tree.