The spring
Water bubbling through black sand.
Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Saranabhi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0
A water temple near the town of Tampaksiring north-east of Ubud, whose name means the spring that bursts from the ground. Clear fresh water flows from a natural spring into long stone pools lined with carved spouts; the Balinese consider the water holy and come to bathe beneath the spouts in a purification rite they call melukat. Visitors watch lines of people in the water passing under the spouts one after another, while the spring itself bubbles up through black sand in a clear pool. The complex has courtyards, traditional pavilions and a pond of colourful fish. On the neighbouring hill stands a presidential palace built by Indonesia's first president, Sukarno. Entry is about seventy-five thousand rupiah for foreign adults and less for children, including the required sarong. Visitors can watch from the edge without entering the water. Bali's tourist levy is separate. It gets crowded around midday, so come in the morning. It is close to the Tegallalang terraces, and visitors usually pair the two on one outing north of Ubud.
Water bubbling through black sand.
Rows of carved stone spouts.
On the neighbouring hill.
Tampaksiring, about 15 km north-east of Ubud
No, most visitors simply watch and walk round the complex. Bathing is a religious rite for the Balinese; if you would rather not, the view from the edge is enough.