Neither as big nor as dramatic as the Batur region, the Bedugul and Lake Bratan area, directly to the west, nevertheless, has impressive mountains, beautiful lakes, quiet walks and attractive and important temples. There's no direct route between the two regions: Bedugul and Lake Bratan lie on a busy parallel road, 53km from Denpasar, and 30km from Singaraja, nestling in the lee of Gunung Catur, with the smaller, quieter Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan about 5km to the northwest. All the lakes have superbly situated shoreside temples and the area is dotted with attractive villages, while slightly further afield, the peaceful backroads to the west of Lake Tamblingan provide interesting excursions.

As you approach from the south, the main Denpasar - Mengwi - Singaraja road rises up the rim of an ancient volcanic crater at the market village of Bedugul, and descends through the villages of Candi Kuning and Pancasari, skirting the westeren shore of Lake Bratan. It then climbs again to the passout of the crater at Pucak, where it begins the steep descent to the northern plains. The entire area is frequently referred to as Bedugul or Bratan, but it's actually very spread out and it's sensible to know where you are aiming for.

In many ways, the area is a Balinese destination rather than one favoured by foreign tourists. Farmers come to Pura Ulun Danu on the shores of Lake Bratan to make offerings to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the crater lake, while lowland dwellers come to the Botanical Gardens in Bedugul for weekend picnics, and to the leisure park (Taman Rekreasi) on the shores of Lake Bratan, where a vast array of water sports are available.

Most tourists visit as part of a round trip including Lake Batur and the north coast, and relatively few of them stay overnight, although this is a pleasant area with a reasonable range of accomodation. Though the main road is well served by frequent north-south bemos and buses, the advantage if having your own transport is to be able to enjoy the glorious road that passes north of Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan before heading to the coast at Seririt via Munduk and Mayong.