What do you say for a peaceful place in Bali that has a beautiful marine life and huge conservation area? If you are a sea person and want to contribute to mangrove and coral reef conservation, then a place in Northwest Bali called Putri Menjangaan is for you.
Putri Menjangan is a new tourist attraction located in Pejarakan Village, Gerokgak, Buleleng. It takes four hours to get there by car from Denpasar. Though it’s a bit too long, the place is definitely worth exploring. Half way there, you will also see scenic view of North Bali coast. So make sure you stay awake!
Before entering Putri Menjangan, you will be welcomed by a huge dry area of salt pond, which sadly used to be a mangrove forest. Afterward, your plain trip of few-hectare salt pond will be paid off. You will start seeing lush mangrove plantations. You can explore the 12 kinds of mangroves by taking a walk on a bamboo boardwalk. If you consider yourself heavy or/and clumsy, though, I would not recommend this. This boardwalk is a bit old and not very sturdy. Next to this mangrove forest, there is a nice white-sand beach where you can relax and go snorkeling. It has lovely sight of coral reef and fish. There is also a statue of Putri Menjanan about 7 kilometers deep under the water.
This conservation area, that has been prepared for educational tourist attraction, didn’t exist out of the blue. A group of caring people incorporating in Nature Conservation Forum Putri Menjangan work their butts off to protect this area and retrieve the mangrove forest and sea life that long has been destroyed. This forum, that has more than 130 members, comprised of village leaders, civilians, police officers, farmers, fishers, and other local people from various backgrounds. Their work mainly focus on turning the salt pond into another area of mangrove plantations, nursing various kinds of mangroves, safeguarding the marine life, and educating people about the importance of mangroves.
If you want to make your trip more meaningful, then volunteer or give a little contribution for the forum will be a great option. They need a lot of help to this turn this place into an educational tourist attraction, which aims to conserve the area, educate people about conservation, and give local people economic prosperity. Your contribution can be in the form of joining their campaign to educate local people about the importance marine life and mangroves, adopting and planting a mangrove tree (the profit will go to the forum), helping the forum identify mangroves and underwater biota, or even simply just spreading the word. If you are questions about this forum, click this link below to contact them.
So are you looking for a place to enjoy rich marine life and give something back to the local community and nature? Pack your stuff and go check it out!