Bali is known as the island of the gods for a reason and there are some truly amazing temples to visit while you are there. In fact, visiting these is probably one of the best things you can do to learn more about the culture.
This is because of their uniqueness and the fact you can learn more about how this special Indonesian island came to be the way it is.
4 Special Bali Palaces To Add To Your Itinerary Today
1# Taman Tirta Gangga Palace
Entrance Fee: 50,000 IDR (Adults), 15,000 IDR (Children)
Swimming Fee: 20,000 IDR
Opening Times: 8AM – 6PM
Tirta Gangga is a-one-of-a-kind water temple east of Bali in the region of Karangasem District.
It is a great place to stop off if you are traveling to Amed because it is only 30 minutes from the small sleepy town. If you are traveling from Canggu or Seminyak, you can expect it to take around 2 hours and 30 minutes by bike or car.
This unique water temple was built in 1948 by Raja Karangasem, Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem.
It was originally designed to be made as a bathing place for the king and his family and only they could enter. However, the temple eventually became accessible to the public.
Interestingly enough, it was almost destroyed at one point because of an eruption from mount agung which is nearby to it. For this reason, parts of it had to be rebuilt so it could be opened once again.
The first thing you see when you enter Tirta Gangga is a path directly in the middle with water on either side. You can then either choose to go directly down the middle; left which will lead you to the larger pool where you can rent a boat or right where you can walk across the pond with the stepping stones.
Tourists find the stepping stones particularly enjoyable because of the koi fish which often follow your footsteps to the other side.
This makes it a very photogenic spot so you might want to get your camera out!
Walking down the middle of the path will lead to a bridge at the end that you can walk over. You will stumble across various fascinating statues which offer a visual dive into the history of Balinese culture.
If you want to avoid the temple being overly packed with tourists, it is best to visit early in the morning when it first opens.
Recommended combined tour: Bali: Besakih Temple & Lempuyang Temple Gates of Heaven Tour
List of Facilities:
- Public Pool
- Public Toilet
- Parking Area
- ATM
- Souvenir Shop
- Restaurant
- Hotel
Tip: For lunch we recommend the Bukit Gangga restaurant which is located just outside the palace of Tirta Gangga. They are quite famed for their fresh fish dishes.
2# Taman Sukasada Ujung Palace
Entrance Fee: 75,000 IDR (Adults), 50,000 IDR (Children)
Opening Times: 7AM – 7PM
Taman Ujung is also located in the region of Karangasem District and is close to Tirta Gangga with it being a 20-minute drive between them by bike or car. This makes it perfect for a temple run and it is worth seeing both of them because they are so close together.
This special water temple was built in 1901 and was the first of its kind to have ever been built in Bali. It was then redesigned by Dutch, Balinese and Chinese architects 8 years later as requested by the king.
When entering Taman Ujung, the first thing you will see are the three lakes which are distinctly separate from each other. The first lake features the bale gille at the center of it which you can go inside of.
Once entering the gille, there are photographs and written notes from the royal family giving you great insight into the royal history of Bali.
The second lake of the temple features the kolam dirah pool. Interestingly enough, if anyone was caught suspicious of using black magic, they would be sent to this pool and be drowned.
Sounds kind of spooky right! Well, nevertheless it definitely adds to the exciting history of this special water temple.
The third lake features the bale begong which is an open space pavilion that was used for entertaining the king’s guests.
Taman Ujung is an experience which is best to be taken in as a whole. The exciting and colorful combination of European and Asian architecture adds to its beauty along with the views on the southeast area.
List of Facilities:
- Public Pool
- Public Toilet
- Parking Area
- Souvenir Shop
- Restaurant
- Hotel
3# Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung Ubud)
Entrance Fee: Free
Dancing Show Fee (Optional): 100,000 IDR
Opening Times: 8AM – 7PM
Ubud Palace is directly in the center of Ubud which is easy to get there if you are already staying in the area. It is a 5-minute walk from Ubud market.
If you wish to learn about the history of the Ubudian people and Bali in general, this temple is an absolute must-visit.
It is free to enter because authorities want to promote Balinese culture and tourism and they see it as disrespectful for the community to charge tourists a price to visit.
Built in the early 19th century, Ubud palace was designed with the help of many artists at the time which explains why it captures the culture so well. You can see this through every aspect of its design through the statue carvings and the traditional orange color of the bricks outside.
Once inside, you will notice a common theme of monkey statues as you walk around. This is because monkeys are seen as having high spiritual significance in Bali and there is an entire forest dedicated to them in Ubud.
The palace is not that big and you could see most of it in less than 20 minutes. Nevertheless, you can learn a lot about the culture just from one visit and it is a staple attraction for Bali tourists.
It is not only seen as incredibly significant among the Ubudian people, but many tourists have also fallen in love with this special temple.
The dance show starts at 7:30pm every night at the nearby Pura Taman Saraswati (Ubud Water Palace) and tickets are available during all opening hours outside the temple.
Ubud water palace (Pura Taman Saraswati) is very distinct and you will notice it as soon as you walk past it from the lake with the lilly pads and the bridge going directly through the center.
List of Facilities:
- Public Toilet
- Parking Area
- Food and drink stands
- Restaurant
Recommended tour: Ubud: Private Evening Tour with Legong Dance Performance
4# Taman Ayun Palace
Entrance Fee: 30,000 IDR
Opening Times: 9AM – 5PM
Taman Ayun temple is located in Mengwi village in the Mengwi subdistrict and is around a 35-minute drive by scooter from Canggu and a 40-minute drive from Ubud.
It is one of three UNESCO world heritage sites in Bali making it unique compared to all other tourist attractions.
It was built in the 17th century by the king at the time known as Sakti Blambangan.
The purpose of it being made was for it to serve as a main place of worship for the Mengwi people so they didn’t have to travel outside of their area.
This temple consists of a main area which is specifically for worship, paths around the side for viewing and an area at the back.
The pagoda style meru towers are very attractive among tourists in addition to the beautiful trees and natural scenery around the temple grounds.
Don’t be afraid to take a walk around the back where you will see more nature and get some great instagram photos.
List of Facilities:
- Public Toilet
- Parking Area
- Food and drink stands
- Restaurant
Conclusion
So there you have it!
These are four temples that are a great addition to your Bali itinerary. As always with visiting temples in Bali, dress as modestly as possible and try to cover your shoulders and knees.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned as much as you can about these unique and famous temples.
Remember to stay tuned for more amazing tourist attractions that you need to visit!
