Bedugul - A Beautiful Mountain-Lake Resort

Bedugul is the name of both a small city and a mountain-lake resort area. It is located in a high plateau at the center of the Island. Bedugul, a resort in Bratan Mountains, is famous for its golf course and also the amazing temple of Ulun Danu, which seems to have risen out of Bratan Lake 1,200 metres above sea level. Cool air and mists are natural for the place. Lush pine forests seem to create freshness in the air.

Bedugul is well-known for the quality of its fruit, vegetables, and flowers. And so it’s also known as a center of horticulture. Bedugul is located in cool damp mountain country, an excellent base for walking trips around the lakes and surrounding hills. In Bedugul visitors could fine 3 of Bali 4 lakes, Bratan, Buyan, and Tamblingan that provide everything from recreation to the water for springs, rivers and rice fields below. Bratan, the largest of the three is perfect place for water sports such as parasailing, motor boating, jet skiing, water skiing, canoeing, etc. Bedugul fertile soil also produced abundance of plants and trees, some of them formed rain forests with their exotic birds, monkeys, and other creatures.

Bedugul is located on the main north-south road between Singaraja and Denpasar, on Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia

Pura Tirta Empul, The Temple of Tampak Siring

Pura (literally ‘temple’) Tirta Empul is the temple of Tampak Siring, built around a sacred spring. Tampak Siring is an inscription dates the spring all the way back to 926AD; and there are fine carvings and Garudas on the courtyard buildings. The temple and its two bathing spots have been used by the Balinese for over a thousand years for good health and prosperity; as the spring water really does have the power to cure. Regular purification ceremonies also take place here.

On gorge of Pakerisan River could be found an archaeological complex. To reach the complex visitors must walked down on 315 stone steps. Before take a cross on the bridge at the bottom of the valley make a turn to the left to see the first stone monument. Another group of stone monument is located on the left side of the main temple across of the river. On the right of the main ensemble of temples is a cloister with five cells carved out of rock. The cloister inmates most likely were caretakers of the temple. There's a second hermitage near the main cloister, consisting of niches around a central courtyard, which might have served as sleeping quarters for visiting pilgrims. To get into this part of the temple visitors must take off their shoes. The monuments are hewn in relief on a solid rock hill. There are shaped like burial towers found all over Central and East Java.

However, there are many theories telling identity of the royal personages honored here. One very credible theory suggests the five temple in the main group were built for King Udayana, his Javanese queen Gunapriya, his concubine, his illustrious eldest son Airlangga who ruled over East Java, and his youngest son Anak Wungsu. Reigning over Bali from AD 1050 to 1077, Anak Wungsu is believed to have given up his kingdom to become a religious hermit.

A walk up north of the temple complex could be a short nice walking along the rice field and river stream. The path leads to a small waterfall after 800 meters away and about 1,5 kilometers to Mengening Temple.

Temple of Tampak Siring is located on Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia

Surfing near Spectacular Uluwatu Temple in Bali

The Pura Luhur (literally ‘high temples’ or ‘ascension temples’) Uluwatu is famous not only for its unique position, also boasts one of the oldest temples in Bali. This Uluwatu temple is a Bali's most spectacular temple located high on a cliff top at the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the waves of the Indian Ocean. Dedicated to the spirits of the sea, the famous Uluwatu temple is an architectural wonder in black coral rock, beautifully designed with spectacular views. This is a popular place to enjoy the sunset.

Uluwatu temple is one of Bali's directional temples and it guards Bali from evil spirits from the southwest, God of the elements and of cosmic force majeures, Bhatara Rudra. Empu Kuturan, a Javanese Hindu priest who built the tiered meru, founded the temple in the 10th century and a shrine here as well as at other key locations longs the Balinese coast. In the 15th Century the great pilgrim priest Dhang Hyang Dwijendra, who established the present form of Hindu-Dharma religion, chose Pura Uluwatu as his last earthly abode. According to local records, Dwijendra achieved ‘moksa’ while meditating at Uluwatu. The temple is regarded, by Brahman's island wide, as his holy tomb. Legend also tells us that Dwijendra was the architect of the beautiful temple, as well as many other major temples on Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. In the 17th century, Niratha, also from Java, came to Bali and built temples, adding to Uluwatu.

Uluwatu temple is located on the cliff top close to the famous surf break on the southwest of the Bukit peninsula. So Uluwatu Beach is also known for its surf and, in nearby hostelries, its full moon rage parties. It rages at the temple too but in an orderly way, thanks to the royal house of Puri Agung Jero Kuta, Denpasar, who are the temple's hereditary pangemong (custodians). Hundreds of nobles from this family, and many 'devotees' (pengayah) and village ‘pemangku’ priests from nearby hamlets, ensure that every seven months the festival is run efficiently, and most elegantly. The palace is proud of its ancestral role. It manages the awesome logistics with fitting dignity.

Being a popular surfing spot for the very experienced, Uluwatu offers a wonderful vantage point to view a spectacular sunset. Small restaurants perched on the cliff offer a comfortable spot to survey the vast Indian Ocean beyond and below the 100-meter-high cliffs with panorama on three sides.

Uluwatu lies in Badung Regency, southern of Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia.

Bali's Ancient Royal Temple - Pura Taman Ayun

Taman Ayun in Bali means' beautiful garden '. This complex of religious buildings, are in wide 4 hectares of land, surrounded by a pond or a trench. From a distance, the trench resembles 'ring of water,' and give the impression that the temple is located on the surface of the water. Around the temple, there are trees and flowers that add a wonderful atmosphere.

Pura Taman Ayun Temple complex consists of three parts. The first is the main building called 'Bale Pelik'. Building 'Bale Pelik' decorated by the sculptures, reliefs, and statue of God ‘Nawa Sanga,' which is very interesting. The second part is the open space used for various religious activities and stage arts. In this part visitors can enjoy the beautiful order of ‘Meru’, building with the level-multilevel roof as a typical of holy building in Bali. While the third part is a building that is for the god and goddess in Bali Hinduism.

Temple of Pura Taman Ayun built in 1634 in reign of first king of the Mengwi Kingdom, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Made Agung, whose title Ida Cokorda Sakti Belambangan. In this period Mengwi Kingdom is one of the strongest kingdom in Bali, which survived until the year 1891. This temple was built as a place of worship for royal family and the king followers.
Unlike with other Bali temples that oriented to the Mount Agung, Taman Ayun Temple oriented to the Mount Batukau.

Temple of Pura Taman Ayun lies in Badung Regency, about 18 km Northwest Denpasar, the capital of Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia.

Cangkuang Temple, Ancient Hinduism Temple

Cangkuang temple is a temple lies on a small island in the middle of a lake. Cangkuang is the only Hindu temple that ever found in West Java is the important discovery in the past. It has been built in the period of the first Sundanese Kingdom, Galuh Kingdom.

Near the temple, there are heritage graves from the Moslem follower Arif Muhammad, who is one of the Mataram Kingdom soldier from Central Java when attacking the Dutch Colonialist in Batavia (now Jakarta, capital of Republic of Indonesia), at the 17th Century. After the attacking, he refused to return and stayed in Cangkuang for teaching and disseminating Islam to the surrounding community, precisely in Kampung Pulo, where his hereditary stays until now. In Kampung Pulo, can be found the traditional village, which contains six houses in a row and face-to-face, three on the left and three on the right, plus one mosque, which stays only six families.

To go to Cangkuang area, traveler or visitor particularly foreigners took delman (a traditional land transportation with horse in the front). To reach Cangkuang temple, people in the edge of the lake, must use traditional transportation made from bamboo, but safe and comfortable, that is called ‘Rakit’ (raft).

Cangkuang Temple is 10 kilometers from Tarogong to the North in the direction to Bandung. Bandung is capital of West Java Province, Republic of Indonesia.

Goa Gajah – Bali's Hinduism Carved Cave

Goa Gajah is a cave with temple complex that was built for the first time around 11 century based on epigraph found in this site. The cave is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Those holes are also used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place.

The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is 'boma', a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as 'the God of knowledge'. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three 'linggas', that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons, and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India.

On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

The name Goa Gajah derived from 'Lawa Gajah', which is mentioned in the manuscripts that found in this site. Literally, ‘Goa Gajah’ means 'Elephant Cave”, although it doesn't mean there is any real elephant live or ever live here. Goa Gajah, a seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village's local temple.

Goa Gajah lies on Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia

Sacred Monkey Forest in Bali

The Monkey Forest Sanctuary is an attractive, lush, small, forested area that welcomes visitors all over the World. This verdant tropical vegetation is the house of three troops of long-tailed Balinese Macaques. The total numbers of monkeys are almost certainly increasing every year.

The Monkey Forest Sanctuary is locally known as the Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Situated within easy walking distance from the center of Ubud, Bali, visitors can see the moss-covered stone carvings and 140 to 200 monkeys, which is a completely new experience. Visitors possibly purchase bananas and peanuts at the doorway of Monkey Forest Sanctuary to feed the monkeys but it is safe to avoid feeding them, because they can become quite aggressive if they know the visitors have food. 'Monkey-handlers' can bring bunches of bananas to entice the monkeys.

Besides the monkeys, the forest is a house of three temples of the 14th century. While visiting at this sanctuary, visitors must see temples and the various interesting statues and fountains The largest temple is the Pura Dalem Agung, situated on the highest point of the forest. The second one is the Pura Prajapati, which is a cremation temple situated at the side of one of the two graveyards in the monkey forest. And the third one is the Holy Bathing Temple

The sacred monkey forest lies on Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia.