Jimbaran
Jimbaran as an administrative entity forms a part of Kuta, and
encompasses the area just south of Bali's international airport.
Most of Jimbaran's 12,000 inhabitants live in a cluster of traditional
banjar neighborhoods at the narrowest part of the isthmus, but
the Jimbaran area also includes the sparsely populated northwestern
corner of the Bukit plateau.
Since the Nusa Dua highway leads visitors through the region along
the eastern mudflats and mangrove swamps, the area went almost
unnoticed by tourists until a few years ago. There were no hotels
or even home stays, no tourist restaurants, no art shops, few
artists, and hardly anyone who could speak English. All that is
changing rapidly, perhaps more rapidly than some of the local
residents would like. Jimbaran's fine beach has now led to the
construction of a number of luxury hotels along its edge, and
in a few years the area seems destined to become another major
resort rivaling Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua.
Jimbaran village is unique in that it borders two separate coasts
lying less than 2 km apart, each of which has a markedly different
geography. To the west is the broad expanse of Jimbaran Bay and
the Indian Ocean. To the east is a tidal mudflat enclosing the
shallow and sheltered Benoa Harbor. The ecosystems of the two
strands, and the occupations of villagers who five on them, differ
dramatically.
Salt making and lime production are the principal livelihoods
on the eastern side while fishing is the main industry of the
west The salt is made by sloshing seawater onto the flats, to
be dried by the sun. Villagers then rake up the salty dirt and
evaporate the solution over wood fires in shallow metal pans.
The abundance of coral fragments provide the raw materials for
the lime industry. (NOTE: You will have to ask directions if you
want to see salt and lime workings, these areas are only accessible
via a rabbit's warren of unpaved tracks.)
Jimbaran's lovely western beach is protected from larger waves
by a fragmented reef behind which lies shallow water, an ideal
anchorage for large fishing boats. However idyllic it may appear
during the dry season, the beach is often rather unpleasant from
about November through March when high waves assault the shore,
and the sand becomes littered with flotsam of every description.
Fishing is the principal activity all along the bay, not only
in Jimbaran itself, but also in the villages of Kedonganan and
Kelan to the north. Kedonganan's catch always surpasses that of
Jimbaran. The Kedonganan fishermen who are mostly Javanese use
large, motorized prahu made in Madura to catch enormous quantities
of sardines with huge purse seines. They depart in the late afternoon
and return just after dawn to sell their catch to wholesalers
waiting by the shore with trucks full of ice.
An early morning visit to witness the arrival of the fishing fleet
at Kedonganan is a heady experience. Head north from Jimbaran
towards the airport and take the first paved road to your left
(west) just beyond Jimbaran village's northern boundary. Bear
in mind, however, that fishing comes almost to a halt during the
rainy season.
In contrast to those in Kedonganan, almost all fishermen in Jimbaran
are local Balinese who use jukung (small outrigger boats) and
fish with gill nets or large round cast nets. 'Me gill nets are
set out in the bay in the late afternoon, and the catch is collected
early the next morning. During the fishing season there is lots
of interesting activity just after sunrise, well worth waking
early for. To get to the hub of the activity, follow the unpaved
road that leads to the beach from Jimbaran's main crossroads,
past Pura Ulun Siwi.
Jimbaran's market is located on the northeast corner of the main
crossroads in the village, just across the street from Pura Ulun
Siwi. It is the principal trading center for most of the Bukit,
as well as for the villages that lie to the north, between Jimbaran
and Kuta. There are no crafts sold specifically for tourists,
but there is a considerable variety of local products, including
baskets and mats produced by the weavers of villages such as Ungasan
and Pecatu. There is no special market day. Activity is greatest
early in the morning and almost ceases by noon. |
