A temple on the water
Seemingly afloat on Lake Beratan.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anandajoti — CC BY-SA 4.0
A temple that seems to float on the waters of Lake Beratan, in the Bedugul mountains of central Bali at around twelve hundred metres, with its tiered shrines and many-layered roofs against green mountains and mist. It is one of Bali's most famous views, printed on the fifty-thousand-rupiah note. The temple is dedicated to the goddess of water in Balinese belief, because the lake feeds the irrigation of a wide area to the south, and smaller water temples belonging to irrigation societies are linked to it. Around it are neat gardens and lakeside paths, and boats can be hired to tour the lake. Entry is about one hundred thousand rupiah for foreign adults and about fifty thousand for children, and it is open from morning to evening. It is fairly cool here compared with the coast, so bring a light jacket. Bali's tourist levy is separate. Come in the morning, when the lake is still and the mist light, before the buses arrive. It is about two hours by car from the south, and visitors usually combine it with the Jatiluwih terraces and the northern waterfalls in one day.
Seemingly afloat on Lake Beratan.
Pictured on the 50,000-rupiah note.
Mist and cool air at about 1,200 metres.
Bedugul, on Lake Beratan in central Bali's mountains
The easiest is a day in the centre and north: Ulun Danu in the morning, then the Jatiluwih terraces, then a nearby waterfall. Leave early, as the mountain roads are slow.