Bali Protect Green Landscapes
Bali Protect Green Landscapes – Bali is urged to renew its commitment to protecting green landscapes and the island’s cultural heritage. The calls come from respected tourism professor Dr. I Wayan Suardana, SST.Par., M.Par., from Udayana University in Denpasar.
The lecturer is urgently calling for leaders to protect Bali’s forest and upstream landscapes as development in coastal regions booms.
Speaking to reporters, Dr. I Wayan Suardana, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at Udayana University, stated that the provincial government’s role in maintaining ecosystem balance and tourism needs is not functioning as well as it could. He noted that investor interests are dominating over the need to protect and conserve the natural landscape. Dr Suardana shared, “It’s truly unfortunate that Bali’s tourism sector is experiencing extraordinary degradation, driven by traffic jams, waste, and the exploitation of forests and lakes.”
He also criticized both the central and provincial governments for not working coherently to ensure the success of major projects and uphold the regulations in place to protect the environment. This, he feels, is leading to unregulated tourism development across the island, which threatens both the landscape and local community wellbeing.
Dr Suardana shared, “The synchronization is not clearly visible, and overlapping and waiting between the central and regional governments are the main factors that hinder evaluation and oversight, which should be carried out periodically.”
Dr Suardana called for the Bali Provincial Government to take firm action against those found to be violating building permits and business operation licenses. He explained, “If any individuals are involved, they must be cleared.
The government must be firm and impartial. Bali is small, and it must be well-preserved because its tourism potential lies solely in its uniqueness and natural balance.”
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In his observation, Dr Suardana feels that poor monitoring and supervision of permits and licenses have resulted in development and investment becoming unregulated. He noted, “Supervision isn’t working. Currently, the government only reacts when cases become public on social media.”
His calls are clear: “Bali doesn’t need to clear forests for tourism. True ecotourism utilizes forests without damaging the ecology. Ecotourism should protect forests, not exploit them.”
He wants to see the Bali Provincial Government seriously investing more time, effort, and resources into developing genuinely sustainable tourism initiatives and stricter conservation plans for green areas yet to be touched by tourism.
Dr Suardana concluded, “Tourism should support conservation activities, not use it as a tool for destruction.” Adding “Especially in terms of physical development and permits. The government must be bold and assertive to maintain Bali’s sustainability.”
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has already drafted legislation that will see a ban on the development of new tourism infrastructure in many areas of the island starting in 2026.
However, this policy is only drafted and not yet brought into effect, and does not cover the most popular areas for development, such as Badung Regency, home to resort areas such as Uluwatu, Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, and Kuta.
This was confirmed back in July 2025 when Governor Koster stated that the six regency leaders who had endorsed this step were from Tabanan, Jembrana, Buleleng, Bangli, Karangasem, and Klungkung.
Dr Suardana’s calls must be listened to if Bali is to be able to hit its targets of being a sustainable tourism destination and for leaders to keep their election promises. His warnings must also be heeded, even in more general terms, too.
Earlier this month, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism announced that it will be promoting three specific areas of travel focus to tourists moving forward. This is the promotion of gastronomy, wellness, and maritime tourism across Bali and across the country. All three of these key tourism focus areas rely upon a healthy and thriving set of ecosystems across Bali.
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Lovina and North Bali Tourism
North Bali is getting all the attention it deserves right now. For long, the northernmost coast of Bali has been overlooked by tourists, but all that is changing now.
For those who discovered this Bali gem years ago, this new level of attention has been a long time coming.
Lovina has been a beach resort for decades; however, hardly any tour operators and travel agents promoted this part of the island. It has taken those who have actively looked to get off the beaten track to find themselves in this stunning part of the island.
Now, as a concerted effort is underway to bring more tourists away from the resorts of the central south of the island to lesser-visited areas, Lovina Beach is the name on everybody’s lips.
The journey to Lovina can be seen as a blessing or a curse, and it’s highly advisable to see this 4-hour journey as a blessing.
Tourists planning their trips up to Lovina would be wise to ask their driver to plan the scenic route. By taking the scenic route through the central highlands of Bali, including the Bedugul region, visitors can stop off and explore some of the island’s most important cultural gems.
This includes Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Beratan Lake, the Bali Botanical Garden, and The Blooms Garden. For those traveling with kids, a stop off at Bali Farm House.
This is the perfect place for families to stretch their legs, breathe in some cool highland air, and break up the long journey. It’s a good spot for lunch, too. How often do any of us get to dine with farm animals at the picnic table?
Upon arrival in Lovina, nothing but a warm welcome awaits all who visit this part of the world. That is not to say that there is a less-than-warm welcome in other parts of the island, but there is something about life in North Bali that just hits different.
One of the most popular activities in North Bali is the sunrise boat trip to see whale dolphins. Picking the right provider for this tour is essential as the dolphins’ welfare is of the utmost importance.
In the past, some local fishermen and tour providers have conducted themselves in less than ethical ways, all with the mission of getting their tourists the best sighting of the dolphins, which has led to distressing encounters for both tourists and the wildlife.
Those who wish to see the dolphins must set their alarms super early, like 3.30 am, to be down on Lovina Beach, ready to head out on the water to be in position at first light, which is when the dolphins like to come out and play.
It’s Lovina’s incredible accommodation offering that has tourists returning year after year. These resorts and hotels are really a home away from home for loyal and returning guests.
The Lovina Bali Resort is the area’s most famous hotel and offers 21 villas, 68 suites, and 2 penthouses. Guests have access to two swimming pools, in addition to beachfront access, as well as a fitness studio, kids club, spa, sunset bar, and in-house restaurant.
For an affordable 4-star stay in Lovina, look no further than Hotel Puri Saron Baruna Beach Cottages. With low season rates as low as USD 24 per night, this place not only has guests returning but also extending their stays.
Located overlooking Lovina Beach, guests have easy access to all that Lovina has to offer, and yet they need not leave the premises if they don’t desire to do so. With every need catered to, this is a top spot in Lovina for tourists of every kind.
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Bali Theme Park In Emerging Tourism Hub
Despite being one of Bali’s biggest development projects, the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park Project, also referred to locally as Disneylandnya, has not hit headlines since 2023.
As the local government settles fully into this new term in office, all eyes are firmly set back on major development initiatives.
Bali’s Jembrana Regency is one of the least infrastructurally developed areas of the island. It is an area seldom visited by tourists, but over the next few years, all that could change. Jembrana will soon see the development of the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park. This massive new theme park development is a collaboration between Paramount Pictures (Paramount Global) and the Indonesian company PT Kios Ria Kreas (KIOS).
The theme park is set to operate much like Universal Studios Singapore, and will incorporate characters from the Paramount Pictures film universe, including Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kerthi Bali Semesta Park will also feature a sports academy, a golf course, and two hotels and apartments.
Speaking to reporters in 2023, following the signing of the project agreement in Los Angeles, Jembrana Regent at the time, Nengah Tamba, shared, “With funds of IDR 14 trillion, this theme park is expected to boost the tourism sector in Jembrana. So we really hope that everything goes according to plan.” Yet, since then, precious few more details about the project have been revealed.
The success of the project, which has also been referred to as the Universal Park & Gardens Bali, is dependent on the timely construction of the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road. The current Regent of Jembrana, Kembang Hartawan, has spoken to reporters about both projects and shared his vision for the future of the region.
Regent Hartawan told reporters of his vision to ensure that the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road is integrated with Jembrana’s local logistics potential, such as the special economic zone of the Pengambengan Nusantara Fisheries Port, the Gilimanuk Logistics Port.
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This is all in addition to the development of the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park. It has now been confirmed that the main park area is set to be built on over 57 hectares of land in Jembrana Regency, with the wider theme park complex set to be built on 1,200 hectares of land.
This confirms that the theme park will be the largest tourist park in Southeast Asia. Currently, the largest theme park in Southeast Asia is Sun World Ha Long Park in Vietnam, which spans approximately 214 hectares.
While Jembrana is considered an emerging tourism destination, and tourism plays such a pivotal role in Bali’s economy, the region plays an essential role in the big picture.
Jembrana Regency is the connection point for Bali to Java, and the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road is set to make it quicker, safer, and easier for both private and commercial traffic to travel between the areas.
Regent Hartawan told reporters, “We want this toll road construction to have a real direct impact on regional economic growth. We don’t want large vehicles to damage the national road on the east side due to unorganized traffic distribution.”
He is proposing that the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road connect directly to the Gilimanuk Cargo Terminal to help streamline traffic flow.
He feels that with this solution, the introduction of logistics trucks onto the Jagat Kerthi Toll Road will mean that the pressure on the Denpasar-Gilimanuk national road, which passes through Jembrana Regency, will be reduced.
It is also hoped that traffic accidents in the area will also decrease since this is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road.
The Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road will be 96.8 km when completed, and as its name suggests, it will run from Gilimanuk to Mengwi.
The route will cut the travel time from Denpasar to Gilimanuk to just two hours and provide a safe and efficient way for tourists to explore Jembrana Regency’s up-and-coming destinations, including Kerthi Bali Semesta Park
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