Though not as famous as the other part of Bali, the west side of Bali has a lot of things you can’t find in other side of Bali. Last week, me and other 19 of my work colleagues decided to explore this side for two days and we can’t be happier during the journey.

We started from Denpasar, visited Bunut Bolong (Pekutatan), stopped at Pura Rambut Siwi, stayed at Gilimanuk, snorkled and get sunburned at Menjangan Island, slapped by Ayam Betutu of Men Tempeh, and went back to Denpasar.

Want more of the details, read on…

Day 01

14:30 (Denpasar)

Cost:
Rp 175,000 (rent one Toyota Avanza car)
Rp 150,000 (full tank of gasoline)

Yay.. It’s time to go! Three cars, 20 people, 19 insane psychos (I’m the only normal person), zero bug, and one destination, journey to the west.

16:20 (Bunut Bolong)

Cost:
Rp 0.0

If you think you can only find this kind of view in Sequoia Park, United States, think again.. Bali own one too and you can only find it here at Bunut Bolong.

Actually it’s not only a single tree, but consist of several banyan trees joined into a giant tree.

It’s 11 km from the main road going to Gilimanuk, and I believe it worth the trip.

17:42 (Pura Rambut Siwi)

Cost :
Rp 2,000 (Parking fee for a car)

Unfortunately we arrived sort of late at this Pura so we can only took few pictures and did not manage (or allowed to) enter the pura to take more pictures inside.

The Pura directly face the sea and you might get a wonderful shots here though the sand is kinda dark.

20:00 (Gilimanuk)

Cost :
Rp 70,000 (1 ayam betutu + 1 basket of rice at Warung Ayam Betutu Bu Lina)
Rp 65,000 – 75,000 (1 room at Hotel Lestari)

Finally, exhausted and hungry, we arrived at Gilimanuk, the most famous port city in Bali. We tried to have supper at the famous ‘Warung Men Tempeh’ that serves a very hot and spicy Ayam Betutu, unfortunately it was already closed.
But someone points us to the other warung that serves Ayam Betutu nearby (Warung Ayam Betutu Bu Lina), and we ate there.

On Gilimanuk, we stayed at Hotel Lestari, just beside the main road. The rate is friendly enough for us. The cheapest room start at Rp65,000 and Rp75,000 per night for 3-4 number of people in our case. Now, that’s a bargain..

Day 02

10:00 (Going to Menjangan Island, Labuhan Lalang)

Cost:
Rp 330,000 (1 boat to Menjangan Island)
Rp  75,000 (1 tour guide fee)
Rp  30,000 (1 set of snorkle and goggle)

After a good breakfast at the warung Mbak Nur nearby the hotel and several happy pictures, we are good to go to the Menjangan Island. So be prepare reindeers, we are going to getcha… Hohoho…

10:30 (Menjangan Island)

Here we are at the Menjangan Island. Unfortunately I got no underwater camera to take underwater pictures but just trust me, it worth to go there. Just find 9 of your friends to share the boat fare, and have your way to one of the best sixteen underwater location in Indonesia (I don’t made it up, check National Geographic Traveller vol.1 no.3 2009).

Sadly because we didn’t go explore the island, we didn’t see any of the Menjangan though people says there are 400 of them in the island. Maybe we’ll see you the other time Rudolf.

15:30 (Gilimanuk – Warung Men Tempeh)

Cost:
Rp 110,000 (1 ayam betutu + 1 basket of rice)

Back to Gilimanuk to tried the Warung Men Tempeh. Ok chicks, no more hiding this time, come to daddy…

16:30 (Going back to Denpasar)

After we settled our business with the six Ayam Betutu, we are ready to go back to Denpasar. And of course, we don’t forget to get some more happy pictures in front of Warung Men Tempeh.

20:00 (Arrived at Denpasar)

After three and a half hour of non-stop riding, we finally arrived at Denpasar.

So that’s all our adventure for two days exploring the west side of Bali. Passing through a giant tree at Bunut Bolong, seeing the beauty of Menjangan Island corals and fishes, and get kissed by several very hot chicks (a well cooked Ayam Betutu Men Tempeh) were really unique experiences you can only find at West Bali.

In the end, just like visa advertisement says….

Total cost per person in this journey: ~ Rp 230,000
Number of chicken executed for our meals: 12
Total happiness and fun: priceless

Ok, if you ever visit the company website of Bali Camp, you might have several questions in mind such as:
- Is this really an office?
- Where are the offices, I only see huts?
- I thought Bali is all beach, why it’s like all mountain and valley in the picture?
- Where in Bali is it located?

Unfortunately I cannot answer all the questions this time but the last one.

Bali Camp is located at the heart of the island of Bali. Specifically, it’s located in Desa Pacung, Kecamatan Baturiti, Kabupaten Tabanan, propinsi Bali.

How to get there?

From Denpasar take the main road going north to Singaraja, also known as the Jl. Raya Denpasar Singaraja. It takes more or less an hour from Denpasar to reach Baturiti, you will pass through many lush green rice fields and coconut trees as you leave the busy, fast moving life in Denpasar.

The beautiful office of Bali Camp is unseen from the main road so you have to pay attention to your left as you enter the Desa Pacung. As a guide, you are already near Bali Camp if you have encounter the Pacung Hotel and Restaurant (also known as Hotel Saranam). About 250m further you will see the Bali Camp office entrance as the Bali Camp sign written in a large stone welcomes you.

The mountainous area you see in the picture is located at a height of +876m with an everage temperature of 22 degrees centigrade. Cool enough to make anyone chill, especially in July and August, when temperature is at its lowest according to the locals.

A half hour ride further you will reach Bedugul with its famous Lake Beratan at +1401m.

If you have time to pass by, do so and you will understand why people awe when they come to the legendary Bali Camp office in Pacung.

Once again, the Bali Camp Pacung adresss is:

Jl. Raya Pacung No.32A
Baturiti, Tabanan
Bali 82191

Oh yeah, the huts and the hotel-like building are the offices..

Still want to get more stories about Bali Camp Pacung marvelous building? Of course, it’s one building that won’t be easily forgotten once you’ve step your foot there. Though it’s not a hotel nor any recreation building, it can surely competes with the top hotel and bungalows in Bali.

However, a big question remains so far, who actually designed the building?

Finally I got a link to Prasetyo Budi Santoso, one of the Interior Designer who worked the project in year 1998.

Well, if you are a fan of Bali Camp, or someone who is interested to know how on earth such an office do exist in this world, check Prasetyo’s blog and get the insight scoop of the Bali Camp Pacung building design story.

There’s a very interesting note on his post’s ending:

“What is this place?” our visitor asked.
“Is it a mountain retreat? Is it an artist’s colony? Is it a think-thank or is it a playground?”

We reply: “A corporation on the cutting edge.”

Well, decide yourself…

[above] Primary Meeting Room

[above] Reception Table Design (next time I’ll include the receptionist pictures as well… )

[ above] A cozy sofa at one of the living module (bungalow)

[above] A design of servery counter (honestly, I don’t know where is this one located..)

[above] A downward shot of one of the stairways in BC main building

“But… not all that look good at night can look as good at daylight.”

Yes and the opposite is also true, some sites of Bali Camp Pacung look far better under sunlight rather than under artificial lights and so I uploaded several photos of Bali Camp Pacung under the sunlight.

Bali Camp Pacung building is basically a mix of traditional Bali living, surrounded by lush green fields of rice fields and clear blue skies, and comfortable modern facilities, such as open theatres and swimming pool.

I have yet to know if there is any other software house office in Indonesia that matches the beauty of Bali Camp Pacung.

Once again, enjoy the pictures and for larger resolutions, check my flickr account.

Come to the Open Theatre for live performances..

while taking a deep breath of fresh air under the clear blue skies..

or enjoy the green scenery that surrounds the building..

while taking sun bath beside the swimming pool if you want.

As most of you have heard about the Bali Camp legends (if you haven’t, then you can listen now..), the Bali Camp office in Pacung, Baturiti, Bali is so much famous for its beauty. Splendidly designed to be unlike any other office, the legend holds true till now.

This was my chat with one of my best friend:

djito santoso: udah lihat fotonya?
my friend: kantor tuh??
my friend: anjeeeennnnggg
my friend: pantesan betah lu di kantor
my friend: emang nasiblu tuh ya ada aja hokynya

[english version]

djito santoso: have you seen the picture?
my friend: that’s an office??
my friend: daaaawwwgggg
my friend: that’s why you love to stay in office
my friend: you really always get lucky in your life huh

Honestly, I was one of the skeptics about the place when I haven’t arrived here.

“Its gorgeous? Really? Yeah.. yeah… Come on, it’s a software house, like how gorgeous can it be?” I said.

But I actually can’t believe what I saw the moment I stepped into the Bali Camp Pacung compound. “This is amazing!!!”

I tried to capture the beauty through wide photos, and although it helps but the experience of seeing the place yourself will never be replaced. However, enjoy the pictures, and believe the legend.

*For more pictures and higher resolutions, check out my flickr.

Welcome to Bali Camp Pacung!

please enter the lobby

we are at the open theather now

 look upward for a while..

and we arrive at my office, doesn’t it look pretty cozy…?

Just tried playing with the software Comic Life by plasq. It’s a really cool software to create comic effects of your pictures collection in just a few minutes. Really cool software, it’s a must for you who get bored with ordinary photos on your blog or social network websites.

Here I upload my first comic life result. It’s composed of three pictures when me and my work colleagues in Bali Camp went to Kuta last month.

It was not all sweet experience here though, chilling nights, ice water morning bath, great amount of hidden charges, and isolation far on top of the mountain are just some of the miseries we all experience here.

But when the time we went to Kuta beach, all of series of unfortunate events above are all forgotten.

This article is written to describe about the condition that we feel so far (three days far to be exact.. ;D) about our new work environment at the famous Balicamp. I try to be as objective as possible, though some subjectivities may still present.

Food

Bali is quite famous for its pork eating tradition, so you can easily find many small stores selling pork barbeque around.

Fortunately, for Moslems and Seventh-Day Adventist like me who don’t eat pork, finding the halal food seller is still pretty much easy.

Clothing

What type of clothing should you bring to Pacung? Well, for this month of July when the temperature here is at its lowest, you may want to bring a few jackets and thick blanket.

I’m not sure what is the temperature here, but I’m sure it can make most of the people to shiver during the night.

But you may want to bring some beach outfit as well since it’s Bali ya know!! Beautiful beaches are everywhere so a sunglasses, swimming suit, and beach sandals are surely in the must bring list.

Housing

Now this is one of the most shocking part for me. People at Jakarta always said that the housing cost here in Pacung will be surely a lot cheaper than the cost in Jakarta.

Well, that is partly true because most of us rent rooms for Rp350,000 a month. Looks cheaper right? Wait till you see the hidden charges.

Unlike in Jakarta, the room rental cost here does not include “wash and iron” so you are left on your own to solve the problem. If you don’t have the time, which very likely for all who work at Balicamp, then you may want to have the local to wash your clothes for Rp120,000 a month.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that even for that truly significant amount, you still need to provide the detergent and softener.

What else? How about an empty room for a start.
Most of the rented rooms here do not have any drawer or cabinet to store your clothes. So you will surely need to buy one for around another Rp 120,000.

Well, the list can go on and on..

Transportation

There is only one main road going to Denpasar and there is only one public transportation going there also. People says that the fare is about Rp15,000 one way, though I haven’t prove it myself.

Having motorcycle will help to get you around and to the nearest town though maybe not to Denpasar.

Renting a car with several friends maybe the best way to go to Denpasar and other cities. The rent cost is about Rp250,000 a day (24 hour) with no driver nor gas included.

Entertainment

This is really a subjective issue because different people like different kind of entertainment. The only entertainment facilities in Balicamp compound when this post is written is internet access, and… hmm, is there anything else fellas?

If you think sport as entertainment then probably you will get entertained in the swimming pool, and fitness center (which look like real fitness center if only there are anything more than three bare benches).

The nearest cinema is about 20 kms away, though you may change your mind once you get there.

If you want to experience Bali, then going to Denpasar and other major tourist spots are really the answers.

Closing Words

The Balicamp compound is indeed magnificently beautiful. It doesn’t look like an office even a bit, it’s more like a recreation cottage. So I believe you will get awe when you get into the famous Balicamp at Pacung.

However, what really surprised me is really the total cost of living here. It is not cheap at all, and in fact, it might get more expensive compared to living in BSD.

Although it is really not the responsibility of company to provide all the necessities of all employees, the company may help the employees to get better deals since most of the employees are new to the location.

In the end, working at Balicamp Pacung may not be perfect and has its own advantages and disadvantages as has been discussed above. There are a lot of homeworks for Balicamp to improve, and employees also should not expect too much from company.

So just enjoy the peacefulness and tranquility of Pacung on workdays, and travel around the Paradise Island on weekends… Yeah baby!!!