The carved entrance
A huge face you enter by its mouth.
DerGenaue Allrounder — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0
An archaeological site near Ubud dating from around the ninth to eleventh century, whose name means Elephant Cave, once a retreat for meditation and worship. Its entrance is its best-known feature: an opening in the rock carved as a huge face with wide eyes and gaping mouth, surrounded by reliefs of creatures and trees, so you step through the mouth into a narrow, dark passage. In front of the cave are ancient stone bathing pools uncovered in the twentieth century, fed by water from carved figures, and then steps lead down to a green valley with a stream, giant trees and the remains of stone carvings that fell from the cliff. The place is quiet and shady, pleasant to walk away from the crowds. Entry is about fifty thousand rupiah for foreign adults and about twenty-five thousand for children, including the required sarong. There are many steps to the site and down to the valley, so wear comfortable shoes. Bali's tourist levy is separate. It is minutes from Ubud, so it fits into an hour between the town's sights. The cave is small inside; the beauty lies in the carved entrance and the valley.
A huge face you enter by its mouth.
Uncovered stone bathing pools.
A stream and giant trees.
Bedulu, Gianyar, about 4 km east of Ubud
As a short stop near Ubud, yes: the carved entrance is striking and the valley quiet and lovely. But it is small, so do not expect a big cave.