Jembrana
Pemuteran
every boat
driver
A West Bali tour into the part of Bali nobody photographs
This West Bali tour heads into Jembrana, the regency at the far western end of the island, about two hours down the coast from Pemuteran. There are no rice terrace swings and no beach clubs here. There is a cocoa plantation, a turtle conservation project and a bay full of the most extravagantly painted fishing boats in Indonesia.
It is a slow day rather than a spectacular one, and it works best for people who have already done the reef and the waterfalls and want to see how this end of the island actually lives.
Cocoa plantation
The whole process, from the tree to the bean: planting, harvesting, fermentation and drying. It ends with tasting several chocolates and chocolate drinks, which is the part everyone remembers.
Turtle hatchling release
A conservation project where volunteers explain the breeding programme and you help release hatchlings into the sea. It runs in the morning and it is seasonal, so check before you plan a day around it.
Perancak fishing boats
Dozens of brightly painted wooden boats moored in the bay, with a sacred temple looking over them and seafood warungs along the shore.
The detail worth the drive
Every boat at Perancak carries a miniature shrine. A small mosque if the owner is Muslim, a small temple if the owner is Hindu. The same crews work the same boats regardless. Jembrana is where that mix is most visible in Bali.
The West Bali tour: three stops, two hours each way
A private car and driver from your hotel, down the west coast into Jembrana and back. The order depends on the turtle release, which is fixed to the morning.
The route
Day trip
- DriveAbout two hours from Pemuteran or Menjangan to Jembrana
- MorningTurtle hatchling release, when the season allows
- ThenPerancak bay, the boats, the temple and the warungs
- ThenCocoa plantation, the process and the tasting
- ReturnBack up the coast to your hotel
The turtle release happens in the morning, so it anchors the day. Outside hatching season the other two stops still make a good trip and we will say so honestly when you enquire.
Why Jembrana
Different Bali
- QuietAlmost no tourism infrastructure, which is the point
- WorkingA real fishing economy rather than a heritage display
- MixedHindu and Muslim communities side by side, visible on every boat
- Hands onYou taste the chocolate and you carry the hatchlings
Not to be confused with West Bali National Park, which is the conservation area closer to Pemuteran. That is a separate trip, covered on our national park page.
Before you book
Message us
- Turtle seasonAsk us whether hatchlings are releasing on your dates before you commit
- Start timeEarly, because the release is a morning activity and the drive is two hours
- Group sizeTell us how many people and we will size the vehicle
- Entrance and donationsThe cocoa plantation and the turtle project each charge or ask for a contribution. Check what is included
- LunchThe seafood warungs at Perancak are the obvious stop. Say if you want time for it
Message us with your dates and we will come back with a realistic itinerary, a duration and a rate. If you only want the driving, our private car service covers the same route.
Turtles hatch on their own schedule, not on yours
The one part of this West Bali tour you cannot schedule is the turtles. Nesting and hatching in Bali is seasonal, broadly across the dry season and into the shoulder months. Outside that window there are no hatchlings to release, however good the intention.
So ask us about your specific dates before you build a day around it. If the season is wrong we will tell you, and the cocoa plantation and Perancak still make a worthwhile trip on their own. We would rather set the expectation now than have you drive two hours for something that is not happening.
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Plantation and Perancak
Driving home
What to bring
- Sun protectionHat, sunscreen and water. The beach release and the boat harbour are both fully exposed.
- Modest clothingShoulders and knees covered near the Perancak temple, and it is respectful around the fishing community generally.
- CameraThe boats at Perancak are the photograph. Bright paint, carved prows and the shrines on the decks.
- CashFor the warungs, the plantation and a donation to the turtle project. Small notes.
- SandalsThe release happens at the water’s edge and your feet will get wet.
- An appetiteThere is chocolate tasting at one stop and seafood warungs at another.
The three stops, and what to look for
What the West Bali tour covers, and the details most people drive past. The boats at Perancak reward a slow look more than almost anything else in Bali.
Seen on your day
Nothing matches that search.
The three stops
3 places
Details to look for
8 to spot
Jembrana is the regency, not the national park. For the conservation area nearer Pemuteran, see West Bali National Park and our land adventures.
