Gardens of Eden

Bali is so densely populated that there is very little natural forest left, especially at low altitudes. Small remnants of the original lowland forest can still be found in deep and isolated gorges, or in the West Bali National Park. Like elsewhere in Indonesia, it exhibits a bewildering mix of species, dominated by the massive trees of the Dipterocarp family.

Above 1, 200m, montane forests, with thick leaves and bold flushes of young red vegetation, present a different experience. Ferns become more common, as do epiphytes, including orchids, which grow on the branches of trees.

As altitude increases, trees become smaller. Higher still is the domain, densely coated with mosses and lichens. In the drier areas, deciduous forests, losing their leaves in dry season, offer an austere landscape reminiscent of Mediterranean areas - this is the monsoon forest , found especially in the National Park.

On the coastal areas, a few patches of mangrove forest can still be admired, especially in west Bali, near Tanjung Benoa in the south, or on the small island of Nusa Lembongan off the east coast. Yet the main riches of the coastal areas, in terms of flora and fauna, are the coral reefs. Nicknamed “the rainforest of the sea” for their incredible diversity, they are threatened today.

A Wealth of Fruits

A market tour is ideal to sample the local fruits. Besides the variety of bananas (biu), the hairy rambutan, the snakeskinned salak, the sweet mangosteen (manggis), and the stinking durian, hailed as queen and king of fruits, our eyes are caught by the chubby jackfruit (nangka) or the big pomelo (juruk ball). Try less well-known species such as the ceroring, a sweet-and-sour variety of langsat, the small berries of bignay (buni), or the white wani mango. Along the dry northern coast, mango and tamarind trees provide fruit, but are also a highly appreciated source of shade.