Things to Do in Tanjung Benoa

Like the better-known—and busier—Tirta Gangga Water Palace, this east Bali palace is an atmospheric reminder of the power the kings of Karangasem once held when they ruled much of Lombok. Highlights of Puri Agung Karangasem include the tiered entry gate, vintage photos, and tranquil fish ponds. Descendants of the last raja still use the space.

Once you’ve made it to the sleepy town of Amlapura, Puri Agung Karangasem is easy to explore independently. There’s a small ticket charge, and staff provide English-language information sheets. If you’re very lucky, a member of the royal family may be available to assist. That said, you’ll likely get more out of the experience if you travel with a guide who can provide transportation, cultural context, and historical details. (In general, due to heavy traffic, winding roads, and language barriers, booking a private guide or joining an organized tour can help you get the most out of your entire Bali trip.) Some east Bali tours bundle Puri Agung Karangasem with other Karangasem regal highlights, particularly Tirta Gangga Water Palace.

Set in Amlapura, just off Bali’s main east coast road, Puri Agung Karangasem is reasonably quick to reach with a private car and driver. Local buses operate from Batubulan, north of Denpasar, and Singaraja. Perama runs shuttle buses from popular tourist destinations including Amed, Ubud, and south Bali to Tirta Gangga, approximately 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) north of Puri Agung Karangasem.

Puri Agung Karangasem is open from morning until late afternoon daily and is blissfully uncrowded throughout the year, so there isn’t a bad time to visit. If visiting during Bali’s wet season (roughly October until March), consider coming in the morning for a slightly better chance of beating the rain.

The last raja (king) of Karangasem, Gusti Bagus Djelantik (Jelantik) ruled under the title Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem until 1966. Besides having a dozen wives, he was a master builder, expressing abstract meditations in architectural form. He built three water palaces: the Tirta Gangga Water Gardens, the Ujung Water Gardens (destroyed in a volcanic eruption), and the Puri Agung Karangasem.

Singaraja is an old trading town and the former colonial administrative capital of the whole Lesser Sunda Islands. The economic growth of that particular region was mainly due to this old port and especially China had a big influence in Singaraja. The town had been trading with Chinese junk boats since the 10th century and these East Asian as well as colonial influences are still evident, not only in the local cuisine, but also in some of the buildings, such as the Chinese temples, wide and grand streets and the large gardens. Singaraja is to this day the economic center of Bali and you can still admire some of the old warehouses along the old harbor, which once housed the goods that made the town the main hub in the East Indies. 

The city is best explored on foot or by rickshaw, passing along Chinese shops and through quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods. Scattered throughout the city are lively bazaars, a couple temples and two mosques. An attraction of a special kind though is the Gedong Kirtya Lontar Museum, which offers diaries from colonial times, metal plates with royal decrees from the 14th century, Balinese calendars and a palm leaf library. The palm leaf collection includes ritual books and seals, as well as historical narratives, magical formulas and future predictions.

A rare patch of quiet in Bali’s busy capital, Denpasar, Puputan Square commemorates the site of a mass suicide that occurred in 1906. The king of Badung, facing overwhelming opposition from Dutch colonial forces, led his court in committing suicide by keris dagger. A statue of a Balinese family stands in honor of the lives lost.

There is no charge to visit Puputan Square, which is a popular destination for local workers on their lunch breaks and for families during evenings and weekends. Most people visit on a Denpasar city tour, with either a private driver or an organized group. The Puputan mass suicide is an important event in the history of both Denpasar and Bali as a whole, so history completists will not want to miss the square.

 

Puputan Square (Lapangan Puputan Badung) sits in the heart of Denpasar, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northeast of the airport. Choked roads, dangerous traffic, and confusing one-way systems make Denpasar a risky choice for self-driving. Unless your Indonesian is good enough to piece together bemo minibuses, hiring a private driver or joining a tour is a must to get around Denpasar.

 

The square is most lively during weekends, when it becomes a gathering place for Denpasar locals, who feast on satay and other street snacks from the stalls. Children often meet here to fly traditional kites. You can visit pretty much any time during the day on Saturday or Sunday, but sunset is particularly popular.

 

First published in 1937, Vicki Baum’s classic novel Love and Death in Bali tells the story of a simple man who survives the Puputan mass suicide. The book also  depicts life in Bali before the Dutch arrived. Baum visited Bali in 1935 and stayed in Ubud with the painter Walter Spies, who also figures in the book in thin disguise.

Just outside of Ubud within the Gianyar Distric lies an even smaller sub district with the poetic name Blahbatuh, where, watched over by the peak of the holy mountain Mount Agung, a giant’s head rests inside the temple Pura Gaduh. The big stone head, sometimes even mistaken for a giant baby, is actually the portrait of Kebo Iwa, a legendary minister to the last king of the Bedahulu Kingdom. Apparently, Kebo Iwa was quite fond of food and ate so much that first his parents went bankrupt trying to provide for him, and afterwards, even the whole combined effort of his village didn’t manage to feed him. Still, in thanks, he helped built wells and damns and protected the villagers from conquerors. In short, he was a hero – until the invading troops from Majapahit Empire had him buried alive. The temple is a reconstruction of a former shrine, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1917.  

In Blahbatuh you can also find the temple Pura Kutri with a beautiful statue depicting Durga, the six-armed goddess of death and destruction killing a demonic water buffalo and if that doesn’t already sound exciting enough for you, the region is also known for the great views over the many rice paddies as well as the Tegenungan waterfall, which can be reached from Kemenuh village. There is also a royal palace from the 16th century, where the king used to grow and keep his orchids and while the flowers are no more, the place is still worth a visit.

Occupying a swath of Bali's northwestern corner, West Bali National Park (Bali Barat National Park) is Bali's last true wilderness. Highlights include the reefs around Menjangan Island,  mangrove and tropical savanna landscapes, and wildlife the likes of monkeys, deer, macaques, and the white Bali starling"”the preservation of which was a main reason the park was created in 1941.

Independent guests to West Bali National Park must pay national park fees and use its chartered guide service. Boat trips are through the park's fixed-rate charter service. As the park is far from popular tourist destinations, many visit with a tour or with a prearranged private driver/guide. The park is near Gilimanuk, where ferries leave for Java, so some tours stop between Ijen Crater (Kawah Ijen) and other East Java attractions.

West Bali National Park is hard to reach by public transport. Pemuteran Shuttle runs a shuttle service from Ubud, Kuta, and Sanur to the resort town of Pemuteran, around 15 miles (25 kilometers) away. Public buses run from Denpasar's Ubung terminal to the port of Gilimanuk, around 6 miles (10 kilometers) away. If you speak some Indonesian, you can pick up a "bemo" minibus from Gilimanuk or Pemuteran.

The dry season (roughly May to October) is the best time to watch wildlife in the park, both from a comfort perspective and because the grounds are less overgrown with greenery, but the park is worth visiting year-round. If you're staying in Pemuteran or the resorts on the fringes of the park, aim to start wildlife watching around 6am when the animals are most active.

The West Bali National Park was once home to the Bali tiger"”but the last sighting was more than 80 years ago, and that one was shot. There is no leopard population, but there are leopard cats. Despite their leopard-like patterns, they are not much larger than a standard domestic cat.

Nestled at 700 meters above sea level between bamboo forests and coffee plantations, travelers can find one of Bali’s most traditional villages. Penglipuran is a Bali Aga town, whose inhabitants, contrary to the majority of the Balinese, aren’t Hindu but, instead, still practice their animistic faith. Accordingly, time has almost stood still in Penglipuran and even the village name itself roughly translates to “remembering ancestral lands.” In an attempt to conserve the village in its original state, Penglipuran has undergone a restoration program, the results of which are pristine streets and polished looking houses. It might look a bit too clean to be real, but the calm atmosphere and the long houses with their bamboo roofs are unique and the village manages to give a good insight into traditional Balinese life.

Along the central avenue Bale Agung, the village meeting house and the main temple form the most important buildings. While the smaller family temples are oriented towards Mount Agung to please the powerful god, the village in its entirety faces directly north towards Mount Batur, to not offend this holy mountain either and pay respect to both deities. Beyond the village lies the main source of income for the villagers: a 75-hectare bamboo forest. Each family gets to use exactly one hectare of woodland to make the delicate woven offering baskets – a trade for which Penglipuran is famous for across the country. Travelers can get a peek into these family businesses and homes and of course, purchase baskets as well. 

Bali’s Museum Gedung Arca, also known as Museum Arkeologi or the Pejeng Archaeological Museum, stands in the village of Pejeng, not far from Ubud. Established in the mid-20th century and renovated in 2016, the museum boasts an eclectic collection that covers archaeological finds from millennia of human occupation on Bali. 

At the small Museum Gedung Arca, on the outskirts of Ubud, entrance and tours are free. Guides lead visitors around the eclectic selection of Stone Age tools, Bronze Age relics, and mysterious sarcophagi. 

The museum is not a common stop on Bali tours. Those with a keen interest in prehistory or archaeology can arrange a visit with a private guide, perhaps combined with stops at historic temples such as Gunung Kawi, Tirta Empul, and Yeh Pulu.

Not far from the water temple of Tirta Empul and the rock-cut shrines (candi) of Gunung Kawi, the village of Pejeng sits on the Tampaksiring road, around 4 miles (6 kilometers) east of Ubud in central Bali. Most visitors use a private driver or driver/guide, as public transport is not an option. If you’re confident facing Indonesia’s spirited drivers, there is plenty of parking. 

The Museum Gedung Arca is closed weekends, so visiting during the week is a must. The museum is never busy, but if you’d like to take advantage of the free guide service, avoid lunchtime and Balinese festival days.

Indonesian archaeology is in its infancy, relatively speaking, yet researchers are unfolding rich layers of human occupation across the archipelago’s many thousands of islands. From Stone Age tools to Chinese ceramics and Bronze Age drums, Bali’s archaeology reveals a sophisticated web of trading and migration.

In 1963 this picturesque village was covered in a layer of ash after nearby Gunung Agung, an active volcano, exploded, making it impossible to cultivate the land. Luckily, locals discovered the Salak-palm and it’s prized “snake fruit” could grow our of this destroyed land and it has since become a specialty in this tiny village known for its eco tourism, clean air and laid back vibe. 

Travelers who make their way to Sibetan can explore stunning mountain views and wander the forested trails with the help of friendly locals who are eager to share their culture, customs and way of life with visitors, which means outsiders are welcome to bear witness to traditional ceremonies when they take place. Woman can cook and prepare meals with the local matrons, and anyone can learn to harvest the popular “snake fruit” in the vast open fields. 

While travelers flock to more celebrated Balinese peaks such as Mt. Batur and Mt. Agung (when volcanic activity permits), it’s likely you’ll have the wild and unspoiled slopes of Mt. Batukaru to yourself. Even if you don’t choose to summit this 7,467-foot-high (2,276-meter-high) peak, admire majestic views from Pura Luhur Batukaru temple below.

Most organized Mt. Batukaru tours either focus on the lower slopes and scenic foothills, view the peak from the pretty highland town of Bedugul, or visit the thatched shrines of Pura Luhur Batukaru temple. 

If you’d like to hike, your best option is to arrange a private guide, either online or on arrival at the Pura Batukaru temple office. Expect the guided trek to the summit and back to last a full day. An even more scenic route leads up from near Jatiluwih; you’ll need a private guide and driver to find it.

If you’re aiming to reach the summit of Mt. Batukaru, you can start from either Pura Luhur Batukaru temple or near Jatiluwih, famous for its scenic rice fields. Neither is accessible by public transport, so most travelers arrange a tour package that includes a guide and driver.

As with other Balinese volcanic peaks, Mt. Batukaru is best climbed during the dry season (roughly May to September). Leeches can be a particular trial during the wet season. Sunrise from the summit rewards the early morning start with views across to the volcanoes of East Java, the south and north coasts of Bali, and, if you’re lucky, Lombok’s Mt. Rinjani.

Bali’s most sacred mountain is its highest peak and most active volcano, Mt. Agung (Gunung Agung). Yet Mt. Batukaru, its second-highest peak, also plays an important role in local beliefs, and the route up from Pura Luhur Batukaru is lined with temples and pilgrims. For people seeking a quieter climb than the ever-popular Mt. Batur, though, rewards go beyond the spiritual.

Bali Provincial State Museum, or Negeri Propinsi Bali, is the oldest museum on the island, with more than 10,000 exhibits. Built in a traditional Balinese royal style, the museum is made up of several buildings and pavilions displaying a vast collection of prehistoric artefacts, ceremonial objects, traditional artworks and more.

The main building is home to such displays as ancient inscriptions, ceramics, porcelain statues, agricultural tools, ritual tools, and weapons. Its collection of prehistoric pieces, including stone and bronze implements, can be found downstairs, while upstairs there are a number of traditional items that are still in use on the island to this day.

The northern pavilion is built in the style of a Tabanan palace and is primarily devoted to the mythology and spirituality of the Balinese people, with various traditional dancing costumes and masks on display. The central pavilion, with its beautiful balcony in the style of a traditional royal façade, focuses on the religious aspects of Bali’s history and features ceremonial objects and clothing, while the southern pavilion houses a large collection of traditional textiles and woven pieces.

Pasar Badung (Badung Market) is Bali’s oldest and largest market, at the heart of the island’s capital, Denpasar. The 4-story structure burned down in 2016, and while a replacement is underway, most stallholders are housed in and around a converted supermarket. Besides being Bali’s number-one fruit and vegetable market, it’s great for street food.

There is no charge to visit Pasar Badung, and, as fruit and vegetable prices are checked daily by the government, haggling is not required. It’s fascinating and rewarding to stroll through the different sections, which sell everything from flowers and live animals to traditional herbal medicines.

Many visitors choose to visit Pasar Badung as part of a Bali food tour or street-food tour. Pasar Badung is an essential stop on Denpasar city tours and Denpasar shopping excursions.

Currently, the new Pasar Badung (Pasar Badung Baru) is on Jalan Cokroaminoto, in a converted Tiara supermarket. Denpasar traffic is even more challenging than the rest of Bali’s traffic, and collisions are a real possibility. Unless you’re a veteran of Southeast Asian roads, joining a tour or booking a private driver are firmly recommended. A purpose-built replacement market has been under construction since 2017.

Pasar Badung operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, with the exception of Nyepi (Balinese New Year). The best produce is available very early in the morning—before dawn—and in general the market is at its liveliest in the morning. There is also a vibrant street-food scene here throughout the day and into the night.

The overwhelming majority of visitors to Bali come and go without so much as setting foot in Denpasar, a vibrant, grimy, thoroughly Indonesian city that’s far from the tropical beaches seen on postcards. To get a taste of Denpasar life, and indeed life across the Indonesian archipelago, Pasar Badung is a great place to start.