Tabanan Regency Tourist Destination

Tabanan encompasses a broad range of landscapes from the lofty peaks in the north, including Mt Batukau and part of Mt Bratan ,with its dramatic volcanic lake, to the verdant rice plains in the south. Beautiful black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are now being developed for tourism, but apart from the famous seaside temple of Tanah Lot, this is not yet a touristed area.

Many rivers run north to south from the mountains to the sea. The roads follow their courses, with only a few running east to west. The main highway from Java passes through the gently-sloping southern part of Tabanan along the coast. This has turned Tabanan Town into a thriving commercial center.

Pura Tanah Lot

One of Bali's most important sea temples, Tanah Lot is built a top a huge rock which is surrounded by the sea. Built by one of the last priests to come to Bali from Java in the 16th century, its rituals include the paying of homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. About 20 km west of Denpasar on the main highway, one arrives at the town of Kediri. where a large sign at the main intersection announces a turn-off to the southwest to Pura Tanah Lot the famous seaside temple to the south.

Tanah means earth and Lot means south or sea (usually written Lod thus something like “Temple of the Easth the Sea” is intended. It is actually construct atop a large, jagged outcropping of rock just off the coast. It is accessible only during tide. The temple itself is quite modest Consisting of two shrines with tiered roofs (7 and 3), a few small buildings and two pavilions

Poisonous, black sea snakes live the rocks and in caves along the coast. They guard the temple, but give the site a reputation of being “dangerous.” Nevertheless many Balinese love to sit on the beach or on a bluff overlooking the temple in the late afternoon, watching the tides change and enjoying the silhouettes of the temple meru against the brilliant setting sun.

Like so many other temples in Bali, Tanah Lot is connected with the famous bhrahman priest, Danghyang Nirartha, who wandered from Java to Bali in the 16th century. Do one of his journeys he decided to sleep in this beautiful spot, and then afterwards advised the Balinese to erect a temple here. As mentioned above, this is one of the sad kahyangan or six most holy temples for all of Bali as well as for Tabanan district.
Pejaten Village

On the way back to the Kediri intersection, stop in at the village of Pejaten, famous for its pottery. These range from traditional roofing tiles, now painted in bright reds and greens, to replicas of glazed Chinese ceramics. The latter are the result of an initiative taken by Dutch potters during the 1980s. Already in the 1970s a Chinese painter from Tabanan, the late Kay It, introduced the production of terracotta tiles decorated with figures of gods, goddesses and wayang heroes in relief. These were mainly used for interior decoration of restaurants and shops in the tourist areas of South Bali.
Subak Museum

This is the Subak Museum, which contains tools and implements connected with ricefield irrigation and agriculture in Bali. It lies just outside of the town on the right-hand side of the main road to Denpasar.
Gedong Marya Theater

Bali’s most famous dancer, the late I Ketut Marya frequently written as Mario is also connected with Tabanan. He was born at the end of the 19th century and died 1968. Although he was actually born in Denpasar, he was raised in Tabanan under Anak Agung Ngurah Made Kaleran. In the late 1920s and 1930s, these dances were already well known to tourists. Walter Spies made superb photos of them for the book Dance and Drama in Bali which he produced with Beryl de Zoete in 1935-36. Marya was also a teacher of many dancers who would later become famous, in particular I Gusti Ngurah Raka from Batuan. He was a very strict mentor and only accepted the very best pupils. Although he taught them the same dances, he assigned each pupil slightly different movements, to enable him or her to have something characteristic. To remember this dancer and teacher who made Tabanan so famous, the Gedong Marya Theater was erected in Tabanan in 1974. Click here for more detail about Mario Bali's dancer maestro.
Krambitan Village

Several villages located to the southwest of Tabanan Town are especially rich in dance and art traditions. The village of Krambitan, in particular, is noted for its tektekan performances. This is in fact not a dance, but a procession of men with giant wooden cow bells with huge clappers around their necks and bamboo split drums.

They traditionally marched around the village during an epidemic or great drought to chase away the evil spirits and bring fertility to the area.
There are two palaces here, belonging to a branch of the Tabanan royal family. Since 1972, the Puri Anyar has been holding “Palace Nights” for tourists, with a tektekan group from nearby Panarukan and a performance of the dramatic calonarang trance play.

One can commission a private performance with dinner by candlelight within the palace precincts, and both palaces are also renting rooms to tourists.
In the nearby village of Tista, just one km to the west of Krambitan, special versions of the legong kraton dance, called legong kraton, are performed.

Two km south of Krambitan, the village of Panarukan has many good sculptors both brahmans and jaba (sudras) — working in wood as well as in soft volcanic paras stone. The village is also known for its tektekan, and for the painter Ajin Ida Putu Cegeg from tltt Griya Gede, who was a pioneer in the use of modern elements in his works.
Bedugul Lake

High in the central ranges of west Bali, a cool mountain retreat nestles in the crater of an extinct volcano. Here lies placid Lake Bratan, source of life-giving water for the springs, rivers and ricefields below. Verdant tropical rainforests blanket the hills, which at 1400 m above sea level provide temperatures several degrees lower than the plains (11° to 30° C).

Few tourists stop to explore Bedugul and Lake Bratan on journeys to and from the north coast. But this little hideaway is well known to long-term Bali residents for its delightful scenery, spectacular mountain walks and many other recreation opportunities.

The road to Bedugul leads west and north from Denpasar through Mengwi, taking an hour and a half to reach the top. As it winds up the mountain, magnificent views stretch back over the lowlands to the coast and across to the misty peaks of Bali’s volcanoes Agung, Abang and Batur to the east. To the west, deep gorges border tiers of jungle foliage below hazy peak of Mt. Batukaru.

Near the top of the hill the road suddeny branches to the right, sloping gently down and a striking new panorama is revealed sparkling blue waters backed by lush green hills. Cottages dot the hillside down to the shores of the lake, and a pier provides mooring for boats of all shapes and sizes.
Jatiluwih

There is a tiny road leading from Wongaya Gede across steep rice terraces to the village of Jatiluwih.The view of rice terraces is beautifully more than the one at Tegalalang in Ubud area. On the road south back to Tabanan, stop in to see the Pura Puseh in Penebel, which possesses an ancient lingga (phallus, symbol of Siwa) with a yoni pedestal in a pavilion west of the entrance tn the inner court. These are quite common in Java, but rare in Bali.
Pura Luhur

At the end of a steep road north of Meliling past Wongaya Gede, about halfway up the slopes of towering, 2278 meter-high Mt Batukau perches the Pura Luhur temple an unusual complex of shrines and a pool set amidst lush, tropical forests. The main enclosure lies at the northern end of the complex, with two smaller temples, Pura Dalem and pura panyaum. to the south. A man-made lake the east completes the “cosmic” design.

This was the state ancestral temple of the Tabanan court, and each of the shrines represents a different dynastic ancestor. Di Made, ruler of Gelgel between about 1665 and 1686, is represented by a shrine with a 7-tiered roof, and Cokorda Tabanan by one with a 3-tiered roof. All of the shrines are very modest, without much ornamentation, which gives a great feeling of unity to the complex.
Botanical Garden

In 1959, a large expanse of tropical rainforest in the foothills of Bukit Tapak was set aside by the government as the Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali a botanical garden covering an area of 129.2 hectares. This extensive park is a popular place for weekenders. but during the week it is a haven of peace and solitude. More than 650 tree species have been recorded in the park, and there are 459 different wild and propagated orchids. including some rare ones collected from the nearby forest.
Pura ulun Danu Bratan

On the western shore of the lake, dramatic Pura Ulun Danu Bratan projects into the water. This is the temple of the lake goddes who is much revered as a source of fertility. Built by the king of Mengwi in 1633. it consists of four compounds, the two outermost of which are completely surrounded by water.

When the three-tiered Siwaitic lingga petak was recently restored, the builders discovered a bubbling spring and a big white stone flanked by two red ones a phallic lingga representing the reproductive power of Siwa as the god of fertility. Towering above this, on a separate islet, is a single shrine of 11 roofs dedicated to Wisnu in his manifestation as the lake goddess Dewi Danu. who protects all living creatures.
Bali Handara Country Club

Some will find this the last word on Bali as a paradise. At the northern end of the Bedugul crater is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world, designed by famous golf architects Thompson, Wolveridge and Fream. This is the Bali Handara Country Club, an 18-hole masterpiece with lush green fairways and the fastest greens you likely find anywhere.

source : baliguides