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According to some senior tour guides who have been working in the industry for more than 2 decades some tourists from Europe and U.S.A regularly come to Bali, for more than 5 times since 1960s and every times they come they always repeat to see this tour package. It might be the real spirit of Balinese nature and culture are mixed here which can give various inspirations, probably from business of small handicrafts until 5 stars hotels or restaurants for those who saw this as an opportunity. This has been proved by the tremendous development of tourism facilities in Bali from 1980s to 1995. The writer believe very much that what is the value of this trip has been inseminating other area of Bali to be known in tourism industry. Below is described shortly how these 3 areas had been attracted people from immemorial times.

Kintamani and Batur Caldera. Kintamani are with it’s magnificent view of Batur caldera have been recorded on king’s charter’s as follows:

* Inscription dated 911 AD, mention about the king envoys to pray at Trunyan village, the local people were asked to serve the envoys to prepare the meals and facilities during this duty. The people requested to his majesty to be exempted from certain taxes
* Inscription dated 911 AD, the regulation of village member between Abang village and Trunyan village
* Three inscriptions found at Kintamani dated 967 AD mentions a lodging ( pesangrahan ) at Air Mih, licensed by the king Tabanendra Dhramadewa. Here is mentioned also the influx or might be traffic of priests ( bhiksu ) that came to that area and wanted to settle. It was regulated that the new comers must not exceeding 10 families
* Just around 1 km north to Kintamani have found various stone sculptures carved in 1011th century by master sculptor ” Mpu Bga”, dedicated to the king and ancestor’s spirits

It is a prove that Kintamani area is the oldest area to be recorded in history. It was probably due to it’s very inspiring natural scenery and magical view. One of famous Indonesian novelists Sultan Takdir Alisyahbana also built his lodging on the foot of Mt. Batur, where he produced many litteraire creations in the form of romance or novels.

Ubud and Surrounding
Ubud surrounding are consist of various villages in the past become the area of Ubud and Gianyar kingdoms.

Within this area, there are villages such as Mas, Celuk, Sumampan and Ubud itself hat have developing various art works. At the beginning it was a great possibility that the spirit of aesthetic born at Pejeng area, where various ancient arts were found. To mention a few are Goa Gajah, Yeh Pulu, and various stone carvings preserved at least in 5 temples within the village of Pejeng.
Due to the richness of Pejeng area with archaeological facts, the government of Indonesia under Cultural and Educational Affairs declared Pejeng as protected area and built a museum in the village to manage the heritages. The museum is called Archaeological Museum of Pejeng and is open for visitors to see their preservation plan and system.
In Pejeng area the extend of period between first historical fact dated 8th century until 11th century almost well recorded. A complete scene of Bali in the past between 11th century up to 1343 AD have the historical facts in the area. That is why most historians put an hypothesis that the capital city of ancient Bali must had been at around Pejeng village.
The beginning of Balinese wooden carving showing a continuation of style and characters of those Balinese ancient arts found in Pejeng. It was as great probable that this spirit of art have facilitated the receptance of people on Ubud area to other new elements of arts and adopted into their pattern. So it is not strange that the flows of new arts such as paintings, decors, and accessories become also their skill. Even later after the establishment of tourism that causing the relation between artists in Ubud areas with outside world benefiting the new designs internationally brought by their overseas partners to be produced in Bali. With the tourism business there arts it was such as it is fertilized and nurtured in many aspects which instigate the creative thinking of the artists. So that it is said Bali as a shopping paradise.

Tirta Empul
It is a myth described on a manuscript called Usana Bali says that a Balinese arrogant king named Maya Denawa did not believe in god, and objected the people to worship god. Later the punishment for the king came. The warior of Bhatara Indra arrived to attack Maya Denawa and put him away from the throne. But Maya Denawa used chemical weapons causing all the warriors of Bhatara Indra were poisoned to dead. Seeing this Bhatara Indra than planted his pole to the earth, and sprang water. This water was used to spray the dead warriors, and they alive back. So this water source until now is believed to be the source of life and prosperity. It is especially correct if we associate this water spring with the irrigation system around the area, as it gives hundreds of hectares of rice field from Tampaksiring until Pejeng areas.
Historically Tampak Siring with Tirta Empul temple is a continuation of Pejeng areas of archaeological sites, where along Petanu river that split the area of Gianyar and Bangli preserved a great number of ancient remains although it is a small stroke of chisel on the steep drop of the river up to the intricate rock carving such as Gunung Kawi temple, and Mangening stone shrine which are only less than 2 kms each others.
The inscription mentions the construction of Tirta Empul temple in 960 AD, when the king Chandrabhaya Singha Warmadewa ordered this which is already 1042 years ago. It seems that this place was not interesting for ancient king but the first Indonesian president Soekarno had built his presidential villas just at the west side of the temple. This villa has brought also the name of Tampaksiring become known world widely.

The present temple as a common temple of Bali, the layout is divided into 3 courtyards. At the middle courtyard is constructed and first courtyards were constructed:

Pool with 13 fountains, used as holy water for cremation or dead ceremony,

Pool with 8 fountains, used as water for symbolic cleaning ( spiritual purification ), when a person is sick it is believed he is infected by immaterial dirt.
Pool with 5 fountains for holy water used people from outside come to pray.

At the first courtyard is also a pool for public bathing place.
Total number of shrines are 30 nits currently, after later addition by local people who have the responsibility for the temple. The ceremony is performed every 210 days, and fixed date can be read in Balinese calendar.

There is an old stone sculpture being preserved at the last courtyard of the temple in the form of buffalo. The condition of the carving is badly damage, so it can not be observed in detail to fix the type. Buffalo in the pantheon of Hindu is considered as the mount of god Shiwa and this animal is called ” Nandi “

The establishment of Pura Taman Ayun is related to the development of Mengwi kingdom in 17th century. A manuscript describing the birth of Mengwi kingdom called ” Babad Mengwi ” gives a description that the founder of the kingdom I Gusti Ngurah Putu after succeeded in extending his emporium he built Ulun Danu temple on the bank of lake Beratan, than moved his palace from Balahayu to Mengwi and built Taman Ayun temple. The date of construction is expressed on a carved door with chronogram reads ” Sad Bhuta Yaksa Dewa ” means 1634 AD.

Temple Structure
As the common layout of temple in Bali, the area of 250 x 100 square meters is divided into 4 courtyards. On west side is the natural pool by constructing dam across the small river on the southern end of the temple area. The temple has been renovated in 1949 on the gates, split gates, walls and meeting hall, and pavilion called ” Bale Bengong” In 1972 all black fiber roofs were renewed, the last in 1976 was built the pavilion tower called ” Bale Kulkul ” and the roof of meeting hall was changed.

On the east side of the main complex there is a meru dedicated to the god of fertility, which is closely related with rice and irrigation, called : shrine of Ulun Suwi ” At one side of the east part is a shrine of the spirit warrior Pasek Buduk from Buduk village, a place around 10 kms from this temple site. The reason of the king building a worship to a spirit of Pasek Buduk, due to unending war between Mengwi and Buduk village area. Pasek was the resistant and strong defender and head of the village. Inspired by the bigger necessity to consolidate the kingdom Pasek wanted to subdue to the king by disclosing his physical weakness, and asked the king to build for his spirit a shrine in the temple, and appoint from 4 casts as the adoption of king children. The king agreed and adopted 40 children who then called the clan of ” Pasek Batu Bata”. It is mentioned that from the clan of Pasek Buduk and those adopted children had grown a strong garrison to support the glory of Mengwi kingdom. Mengwi is the second kingdom of Bali to control Blambangan regency ( now Banyuwangi in East Java ).

Total number of shrines and pavilions in the complex are 50 units. This shrines are not all dedicated to god or holy spirits but some are as ritual facilities, public hall, and decorations.

For Taman Ayun temple, the responsible principal is Mengwi palace assisted by the society in the area of current Mengwi Kecamatan administrative government. During the main ceremony people from outside Kecamatan Mengwi are usually coming for praying, especially those areas before under Mengwi kingdom.

Mengwi kingdom also built Puncak Mangu temple, a big temple behind the mount Mangu across the ridge of south lake Beratan, and Batukaru and Tanah Lot temple were supposed to have been built by Mengwi kingdom.

A seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village’s local temple. The cave it self is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is ‘boma’, a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Nowadays, those holes are used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as ‘the God of knowledge’. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three ‘linggas’, that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India. On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

Still an active volcano Mount Batur sits 1,500 meters above sea level and takes about an hour’s drive northeast of Denpasar. Smoking and rumbling takes place periodically at this mountain. Two eruptions occurred in 1917 and 1926 and more recently in 1994. A crater lake was formed about 30,000 years ago after a major eruption. Many vantage points offer spectacular views of the area. Hiking tours start at 3a and end at 6a when one reaches the summit to view a beautiful sunrise.

The Balinese consider Mount Agung to be the center of the world. All temples in Bali point towards Mount Agung. The Mother Temple of Besakih, with its uncountable steps, solemnly wait for the arrival of the gods and the goddesses, for when they step down from heaven, they come to Besakih by way of Mount Agung.

Jewel of West Bali, Pura Rambut Siwi is located between the villages of Yeh Embang and Yeh Sumbu, 78 Km west of Denpasar. Pura Rambut Siwi is an important legacy of the great priest Danghyang Nirartha, who came to Bali from Java during the decline the Majapahit Kingdom to fortify Balinese Hinduism against the spread of Islam occurring elsewhere in the archipelago. At the time of Danghyang Nirartha’s arrival in this temple in 1546, the ruler of this area , Gusti Ngurah Rangsasa, who obliged the great priest to pray in his temple. When the holy priest complied, the temple structures collapsed. Gusti Ngurah Rangsasa then fled and the community rebuilt the temple in honor of Danghyang Nirartha and his teachings. The name ‘Rambut Siwi‘ means “worship of the hair” since Danghyang Nirartha made a gift of his hair to this temple and since that time, the temple has been known as Pura Rambut Siwi.

he complex of Pura Rambut Siwi consists of three temple enclosures, which are Pura Luhur, Pura Penataran and Pura Melanting. The entrance of this temple is guarded by beautifully carved wild boar and dragon statue. The Pura Luhur where Danghyang Nirartha’s hair is kept is the first temple the visitors will encounter as they enter the temple complex. Pura Luhur is the largest and most important temple in this complex. A majestic candi bentar or split gate on the southern wall of the inner courtyard opens onto the cliff, offering dramatic views of the surf lapping below. Inside are shrines to Dewi Saraswati, the Goddes of learning and Dewi Sri, the rice Goddes.

Following a path to the east along the top of the cliff to a winding stone stairway that descends to Pura Penataran, the original temple where Danghyang Nirartha is believed to have prayed. Since 1993 this temple has became the site of permanent painting exhibition.

Following a path to the east along the top of the cliff to a winding stone stairway that descends to Pura Penataran, the original temple where Danghyang Nirartha is believed to have prayed. Since 1993 this temple has became the site of permanent painting exhibition.

Following a path to the west, the visitors will encounter a small shrine at the entrance to a cave in the cliff wall. This cave is inhabited by duwe (mystical animals or holy beast of the temple). A well at the mouth of the cave (goa tirta) is a source of holy water for the ceremony in this temple. The path leads to the stairway that ascends to the Pura Melanting. Pura Melanting dedicated to the Dewi Melanting, goddess of prosperity.

The royal Taman Ayun temple was built by one of the last priests to come to Bali from Java in the 16th century. The temple stands on the top of a huge rock, surrounded by the sea and is one of Bali’s most important sea temples. Tanah Lot pays homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. Ancient rituals pay homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. Poisonous sea snakes found in the caves at the base of the rocky island are believed to be guardians of the temple, standing Virgil against evil spirits and intruders. At the base of the rocky island are poisonous sea snakes believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. The best time to see Tanah Lot is in the late afternoon when the temple is in silhouette.

Tenganan is charming and has some very fascinating authentic traditional festival (ritual dances and gladiator) like Bali Aga of Tenganan often holds the battle between local youths. The people of Tenganan are skilled in the unique technique of weaving, called the ‘double ikat’, where the belief in the magical power of the fabric is essential in bringing out the beauty of the ikat cloth.

There are some versions of story telling us the history of Tenganan village. Some say that the word Tenganan was derived from the word “tengah” or “ngatengahang” which means, “move to the inner area”. This derivation of word was having a relation with the movement of the villagers from the seaside to a rural area, in which the position of this village is in the middle of hills, which are western hill (Kauh Hill) and eastern hill (Kangin Hill).
Another version reveals that the people of Tenganan came from Peneges village, located in Gianyar, precisely near Bedahulu. Based on the folklore, once upon a time Bedahulu King lost one of his horses. The people looked for it to the east and the horse was finally found dead by Ki Patih Tunjung Biru, the King’s right hand. For his loyalty, the King finally gave Ki Patih Tunjung Biru an authority to govern the land as far as the aroma of the carrion of the horse can be smelled. Ki Patih was an intelligent person, so he cut the carrion into pieces and spread it as far as he could. Thus he received a quite large area.

Visitors will feel comfortable when visiting this area, for some facilities are available here, like food stalls, good toilets, arts shops and a quite large parking area. If we wish to have meal in restaurants or to spend the night near this area, we can go to Candidasa, which is only 3 km from this village. To get to Tenganan, get a lift up from the main road by ojek; and have a pleasant walk back down to the main road contemplating the intricacies of the Bali Aga culture. There is no entrance fee to Tenganan but a small donation is requested as we enter the village.

The Bali Aga has a strange way of burial. Instead of cremating their corpses, the Bali Aga simply places them under this banyan tree. The odor is mysteriously masked by a special arboreal fragrance emitted by the banyan tree.

The village of Trunyan is squeezed tightly between the lake and the outer crater rim of Batur, an almighty volcano in Kintamani. This is a Bali Aga village, inhabited by descendants of the original Balinese, the people who predate the arrival of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom in the 16th century. It is famous for the Pura Pancering Jagat temple, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed inside. There is also a couple of traditional Bali Aga-style dwellings, and a large banyan tree, which is said to be more than 1,100 years old. At Kuban sub-village close to Trunyan is a mysterious cemetery that is separated by the lake and accessible only by boat, there is no path along the steep walls of the crater rim.

Unlike the Balinese people, Trunyan people do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A macabre collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas. The dead bodies don’t produce bad smells because of the perfumed scents from a huge Taru Menyan tree growing nearby. Taru means ‘tree’ and Menyan means ‘nice smell’. The name of Trunyan was also derived from these two words. The women from Trunyan are prohibited from going to the cemetery when a dead body is carried there. This follows the deeply rooted belief that if a woman comes to the cemetery while a corpse is being carried there, there will be a disaster in the village, for example a landslide or a volcanic eruption. Such events have been frequent in the village’s history, but whether women had anything to do with it is a matter of opinion.

A little off the main road in Tampaksiring is Mount Kawi with its group of large stone memorials cut into cliffs on either side of a picturesque river valley. It is believed to date from 11th century; one is of Bali’s most impressive sights. Tampak Siring artists produce marvelous bone and ivory carvings. Both sites open daily. By public transport from Ubud, catch a bemo north to Tampaksiring from the junction in Bedulu, which is southeast of Ubud.

An archaeological complex lies on gorge of Pakerisan River. To reach the complex visitors must walk about 600 meters from the parking area to the ticket counter than walked down on 315 stone steps. Before take a cross on the bridge at the bottom of the valley make a turn to the left to see the first stone monument. Another group of stone monument is located on the left side of the main temple across of the river.

The monuments are hewn in relief on a solid rock hill commonly called candi (temple). There are shaped like burial towers found all over Central and East Java. However, there are many theories telling identity of the royal personages honored here. One very credible theory suggests the five temple in the main group were built for King Udayana, his Javanese queen Gunapriya, his concubine, his illustrious eldest son Airlangga who ruled over East Java, and his youngest son Anak Wungsu. Reigning over Bali from AD 1050 to 1077, Anak Wungsu is believed to have given up his kingdom to become a religious hermit.

In the right of the main ensemble of temples is a cloister with five cells carved out of rock. The cloister inmates most likely were caretakers of the temple. There’s a second hermitage near the main cloister, consisting of niches around a central courtyard, which might have served as sleeping quarters for visiting pilgrims. To get into this part of the temple visitors must take of their shoes. A walk up north of the temple complex could be a short nice walking along the rice field and river stream. The path leads to a small waterfall after 800 meters away and about 1,5 kilometers to Mengening Temple.