• Selling Last and Love in Bali
• What to Do-Kuta and Seminyak
• The Hidden Life of South Bali
• The Struggle to Save Bali's Turtles
• Jimbaran-The Bukit
• What to Do-Impossible Surf at The Bukit
• Fair Trade in Bali
• Ubud
• A Dance for Every Day
• Balinese Painters
• Ubud-What to do
• A Word of Dance
• East Bali in a Nutshell
• The Hidden life of East Bali
• Klungkung
• Where to Stay-Padang Bay
• Where to Stay Candidasa
• First and Third World in Tenganan
• Amlapura-Tirtagangga
• Tirtagangga and Around
• Amed Beach
• Planning Your Trip: The Best of Bali
• South Bali in a Nutshell

 

Tirtagangga and Around

What to Do – Tirtagangga and Around

A Royal Bath in the Water Palace

Built in 1946 by the last raja of Karangasem -an archi­tect, philosopher and poet - the complex was totally destroyed by the eruption of Mt Agung in 1963, followed by looting and abandonment. Today, after several renovations, the baths offer a wonderful fresh dip ami­d enveloping greenery. The pools are holy (Tirtagangga means “The Waters of the Ganges ”), as their waters irrigate the rice fields of the whole region.

To enter the complex, you'll have to walk pass a crowd of persistent guides and cramped food stalls. Once in the gardens, the sight of the pools, the eleventiered fountain, the beautiful carvings, and the majestic banyan tree towering in the back is reviving. There are two pools open for swimming. While the smaller one its shallow, the bigger pool in the middle, with its clear and ­ cool water, is worth a few strokes. It is particularly inviting under the early morning light and mist.

Trekking around Tirtagangga

The fertile land and hilly villages around Tirtagangga offer an endless choice of walks, from one-hour walks in the rice fields to one-day treks into highland villages and forests. Good Karma restaurant and Genta Bali sell a hand-drawn map for trekking, useful in exploring nearby rice fields. For longer walks, go with a local guide, who can be hired through your hotel. The normal fee is Rp15-25,000/hour for one or two persons; add around Rp 10,000 for any additional participant. The ascent of Mt Agung can also be arranged from Tir - tagangga.

A Guided Tour of Budakeling

On the hills between Tirtagangga and Bebandem, ­ Budakeling is a community of farmers, artists and craftsmen - from dancers and painters to stone sculptors and engravers of Sanskrit lontar manuscripts. In its hamlets or ­ banjar , silversmiths, goldsmiths ( pande mas ), and black smiths ( pande besi ) carry on their ancient trades.

raja of Karangasem

young Javanese priest

breathtaking views over