Bali is a small island, with a dense population and a growing tourist industry. The amount of natural landscape is limited. If you would like to get away from the throngs of tourists in Bali, and see some of the more "local" attractions, pay a visit to West Bali National Park or Taman Nasional Bali Barat. The park is located in North Bali Island and takes up almost 10% of the island. There is a considerable variation in habitat. Here you can trek through lush jungles, savanna, and mangroves. You can try and spot the endangered jalak putih, also known as the Bali startling, of which only a few (some same as few as 12) live in the wild. Amazing snorkeling and diving is available in the coral reef off of the coast.
The park consists of around 50, 000 hectare of protected land and 7,000 hectare of coastal waters and coral reefs. A large portion of the park is for research and conservation, however, both long and short treks through the park are available. The hikes are not considered difficult, however you may need to crawl through scrub or follow deer trails at times. Occasionally the trail can be steep. You must pay for a permit and a guide to enter the park. Both are available at the park entrance. The guide will be invaluable at helping you spot and identify the diverse wildlife living in the park.
The park is no longer home to the Balinese tiger, (the last one was shot in 1937) however there are over 200 other species of animals that live here, including barking deer, leopards, macaques, pythons and wild boars. There are spiders that are as large as your hand, that will not harm you , and scorpions that can make you quite sick.
For the bird lover there are over 300 species of birds, including the previously mentioned Bali Startling. The Bali startling is endangered in the wild, although it breeds easily in captivity. Efforts are being made to release more into the wild, however, poachers are catching them almost as quickly as they can be released. Although attractive as caged birds, please do not be tempted to purchase them. You will be encouraging local poachers.
West Bali National Park also includes a wonderful coral reef. Diving and snorkeling trips to the uninhabited Menjangan Island can be arranged through any local dive shop. Sea life is abundant around Bali. Some of the species you may see while diving or snorkeling are puffer fish, blue sturgeon, parrot fish, yellow back fusiliers, damsel fish, puffer fish, unicorn fish, barracuda and silvery jacks. Other sea life include dolphins, whales, whale sharks and Hawksvile turtles. Coastal birds include brown boobies, terns, and lesser frigate birds.
Plan on spending a day in West Bali National Park. A good hike will take around five hours and you will want time to enjoy the streams and forests. Make sure you arrive early, or stay until dusk, because early morning and late afternoon are when the wildlife is most active.
But one thing was for certain. I knew I couldn't come to Llanberis without a journey on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. "Did you go on the mountain train?" they would ask.
"Er, no," I would reply rather meekly.
"Why ever not?" the inquisition would continue.
"Er, I was scared." I could hear the sniggering even now. The heights are not a problem provided the land slopes gently and there is no dramatic change in gradient. But I had seen the postcards, and boy did some of those drops look spectacular.
So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I approached the ticket booth. The advent of internet bookings has left the railway struggling to meet demand, especially during the busy tourist season.
Each journey to the top is made by just a single carriage pushed along either by the more romantic steam engine or a modern diesel. The distinctive smell of the steam engines is evident throughout the station and can become a little overbearing at times. But there's no tiring of the traditional sounds of bells and whistles and the whoosh of the engines.
Ice at the summit of Mount Snowdon means a reduction in the return fare from ?20 down to ?14 as the train will only be going three-quarters of the way up. I purchased my ticket and waited anxiously for my carriage.
The journey began sedately enough with a gentle climb out of the station before the serious assault on Snowdon. As the ground fell away behind the carriage we began to make slow but steady progress.
The steep gradient meant we weren't travelling much faster than the ramblers away to the left who waved at us as they continued their assault on foot. Once we approached the three-quarter point the moment I had feared was upon me.
Without warning the ground through the left carriage window fell away, exposing a near 2,000 foot shear drop to the valley floor of Llanberis Pass. Cars were just visible snaking their way through the valley road. The last time I witnessed events from this height was through the window of an airplane.
Soon after the train came to a halt and we disembarked for half an hour of sightseeing before the decent back to the station. The views were magnificent but the difference in temperature at this altitude was remarkable. At ground level it was almost t-shirt weather but up here it was time for thermals.
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