Welcome to JEMBRANA REGENCY
With its strategic location at the south-western coast of Bali. Jembrana regency is the landing point for travelers by sea from the nearby island of Java. The porst of Gilimanuk in Jembrana and Ketapang in Java are linked by regular ferry services.
The ferry terminals in both parts were opened in the 1970's and they have been recently upgraded to cope with the high volume of traffic.
Home to many ethnic groups , Jembrana is multicultural. The Loloan area is mostly populated with the Malay - speaking descendants of the Bugis. As Jembrana was turned into a settlement for Catholic and Protestant converts at the beginning of the century , there is also a substantial number of Balinese Christians. And there are , of course , plenty of traditional Balinese communities , particularly in the rice-growing areas of the regency.
The topography of the regency is as varied as its cultures. The northern half of Jembrana consist of mountains, and forms part of West Bali National Park. In the south . there are 71 kilometers of beaches. Of volcanic origins , the sands on the coastline are black , but there are also some beautiful white coral beaches , especially at Medewi , and some mangrove forests. Southern Jembrana also has some of the most beautiful rice terraces on the island.

Mekepung and Perancak
Jembrana is best known for the Mekepung of traditional buffalo races. The regency even calls itself " the land of the Mekepung". The Mekepung is originally held as part of the harvest festivities. The carts and buffaloes were , until quite recently , still used for transportation. The Mekepung consist of a race between two carts pulled by water buffaloes. The colorfully decorated animals race on a two-kilometer course. These days , championship events are organize under the sponsorship of the local government , which uses the race to help promote tourism.
In Perancak , a race can be arranged to order. If you like , you can be your own jockey! There is a small temple of white stones to commemorate the landing of Sang Hyang Niratha. A crocodile farm commemorate rates the now extinct Perancak crocodile. There is also a zoo which displays crocodile , tigers , jalak putih , the phoenix bird of paradise and another animals.
At high tide on nearby Perancak river , small traditional jukung and sampan boats can be seen quietly sailing up the river toward Loloan , which is a unique Bali village. Inhabited by descendants of Bugis sea fares who settled at the end of the 17th century , Loloan is predominantly Muslin in many ways.
Besides the Mekepung race , there is a crow race called Megembeng. The name originates from the gembeng bells the crows carry around there necks. As they walk , the bell makes a sound that produces a special kind of music. The Megembeng competition is not so much about speed as about the elegance and the beauty of the crows.

West Bali National Park
West Bali National Park is situated in two regencies; Jembrana and Buleleng. The entrance on the Jembrana side of the part is a Melaya on the Denpasar - Gilimanuk road. Visit this place if you're looking for pristine tropical nature. The park is the last natural habitat of the endangered jalak putih - fewer that fifty are believed to be left in the wild , where they are threatened by poaching. The park is also home to banteng and the deer-like menjangan. The National Park contains a broad range of natural environments , from mangrove coastal forests to savanna and rain forests.
To enter the National Park one must first go to the park office in Cekik. Experienced guides in the office offer excursions fro trekking , diving and snorkeling (see "Buleleng" article). But diving and snorkeling on the Jembrana side of the National Park are not recommended for beginners.

Gilimanuk Bay
The beauty of Gilimanuk's beaches is rarely mentioned. There is a wide range of them: coral beaches , white and black sand beaches , and mangrove forest.
The beautiful of the underwater coral awaits anyone willing to dive in and go for a snorkel. There are two small island in the bay , which are barely more than sandbars - Pulau Kalong ( Bat Island) and Pulau Burung (Bird Island).
There is also museum containing pre-Hindu archeology. The villages around Gilimanuk contain a mixture of Balinese , Javanese , Madurese and Bugis architecture unique to Bali. No less beautiful are the various boats belonging to these ethnic groups.
Further south , at Candikusuma , there are two temple dedicate to legendary figure of Dang Hyang Nirtha - Indra Kusuma temple and Taman Sumur Bulus. Locals tell how in 1897 two Dutch officer were attracted to the place when they saw a light coming from the earth. It turned out to be a kris ( a supernatural dagger). Candikusuma beach is known for its beautiful black sand and the gentle hills permeating the beach.
Inland and Melaya are the parallel Christian communities of Palasari (Catholic) and Blimbingsari (Protestant) , built at the beginning of the century in a settlement area for Balinese who had converted to Christianity. Hills and paddy field surround the village. Their uniqueness , however . lies in the cultural cocktail present in the churches , which mix both Gothic and Balinese architectural style.
Delodbrawah beach is a black sand beach , which used to be a swamp (brawah), believed to be a favorite crocodile haunt. Believe it or not , the sand from this beach is said to cure rheumatism. To the north of the beach is Mendoyo in Negara. One of the best racing grounds for the Mekepung here is found here - it can even be used in the rainy season. Rambutsiwi temple is on a cliff top overlooking a breathtaking panorama of paddy field on one side and the black sandy beach on the other. Stairs allow people to get safely down on to beach. Two caves overlooking the sea , each with a view of the fisherman's boats and seabird hovering above. This spot is a favorite hangout for painter's. The temple itself was built by Dang Hyang Nirtha. According to the legend , he made a gift of this hair to the temple. Hence the name Rambut Siwi , which literally means 'Hair Worship'.
Medewi beach is a small resort in the southeast of Jembrana (about midway between Gilimanuk and Denpasar), just of the main road at Airsatang. Waves from three to seven meters in height make for perfect surfing. Small black stones are scattered over the black sandy beach , providing an unusual scene at sunset.