ALAS KEDATON

Alas Kedaton is a small forest with the width about 6-7ha located in the middle of the rice field in Tabanan regency, west part of Bali. The total size of this forest, temple and its supporter facility is about 12 ha. In this forest, there is a temple called Alas Kedaton Temple and owns the natural environments that is looked green with its fresh air and create the calm, quite and holy atmosphere. The monkeys in Alas Kedaton are very tame and free gallivanting in temple yard, so that the calm atmosphere is sometime solved by noise voice of the monkey, which are playing around and scrambling of food. The monkeys who dwell in this forest, there are jump up and down in temple wall, take a bath in moat or there is also hang out in few leaves representing impression view. The monkey like as custodian of temple, which are always ready to greet all visitor who are paying a visit to this place. Beside monkeys, in Kedaton forest also can be met the bats and some other animals. At least 24 types of grove plant have been identified in Alas Kedaton.

Alas Kedaton is located in Kukuh countryside, Marga Sub district, Tabanan Regency . The journey go to this place can be done easily by using motor vehicle follow the major roadway from Denpasar to Tabanan. On the way go to this tourist place, we will see the beautiful nature view where in front of us will meet the carpet of rice field and irrigation voice at the side of road to bear the impression/peaceful atmosphere. Alas Kedaton Temple have three yard that are external yard, middle and center yard. In the center and middle yard are encircled by wall and the outside yard is representing a open yard. The interesting point of this temple is the inside yard representing holy yard, its situation lower than the middle yard. This thing is different compare with the general temples in Bali that are more goes to inside the temple, the more higher the place will be. Beside of that another interesting point of this temple owns four entrances. 

The temple ceremony in alas Kedaton temple is carried out every 210 days a year. It is on Anggarakasih Medangsia (Balinese Hindu Calendar) or on every Tuesday where on that time the society do the worship or pray to request the safety and prosperity. The unique in this ceremony is do not use the fire and do not hence Penjor and also finished before the sunset or before the night is come.

In growth of handling of this tourist destination, Alas Kedaton has several become a training location about tourism nature, environmental handling and agro tourism. Alas Kedaton is many visited by the tourist from local and foreign countries which are generally a lot of paying a visit on August, December until January, while the local tourist generally pay a visit on holiday season and feast day of Ramadan (Moslem holiday) and this place is good to be visited in the day time. In front of Alas Kedaton temple there are quite a lot small shops selling the handicraft as souvenir, for example clothes, pants and other handicrafts. Others, there are some shops booth selling food and beverage, toilet and park area which is wide enough.

BEDUGUL

The name of this place derived from a legend about giant, Sindhu Srama, who in his travels took a rest at this place. There is Bratan Lake there, its waters covers the yars of temple at the west part of the lake. This temple, the temple of Ulun Danu, is dedicated to the goddess of water, Dewi Danu. To see this rich country visitors should take the winding road climbing up the hills which are full of flowers'of various colors.

Down below, past the lake, lies a small village of Candi Kuning, with its unique market where the farmers trade their product: sub-tropical flowers, orchids, wild fruits, boiled young sweet-corns, and sub-tropical vegetables. About 50 meters from this market a path leads up the slopes of hill to a 129 hectares botanical garden where the botanists planted all sort of trees from almost all over the world.

For visitors who want to play golf amongst the chirps and screams of wild animals there is golf course provided at the hilly village of Pancasari, 5 kilometers down the road from Bedugul towards Singaraja.

BATUKARU TEMPLE

PuranLuhur Batukaru, as well as Pura Besakih at Mount Agung and Pura Batur near the lake of Batur (Kintamani), is one of principle mountain sanctuaries in Bali. This temples, in relation with the sea temples of Sad Kahyangan, make up the six holy temples group. (Sad: Six)

When this temple was built is npt clear, but the locals said that it has been well known ever since the war was waged between Panji Sakti, the king of Buleleng kingdom, and the family of the king of Tabanan. In its inner court is set two candi shrines, the bigger is dedicated to Mahadewa deity and the smaller to Panji Sakti. This temple is located in a forest, where a lpt of orchids decorate the mossy trees, and the wild birds song and monkey's scream fill the foggy air.

Down the slopes of mount Batukaru (this name means "the mountain of coconut shell"), about 8 kilometers from this temple along the road to Tabanan, visitors can find a natural hot water spring used by the locals to bath. It is known as Air Panas, the hot-water spring.

TANAH LOT

A small sanctuary lies on a huge black rock offshore, with only a few meters square of courtyard, but it is one of most important temples in Bali for it has a link with a series of temples on the south coast of the island. The sharp rock, originally was black, day by day is shaken and carved by the waves, and after a long time it has become what one can see now, niched and holed, colorful with overgrow seaplants. The locals believe that there is a huge snake which dwells peacefuly in one of shrines.

Coming to Tanah Lot could become an unforgetable memory if one would like to wait until the sun slides slowly down behind the horizon, and the templw silhouette stand silently on its massive blackness.

SANGEH

Pura Bukit Sari or Pura Puncak Sari is the name of a temple in the village of Sangeh, located amongst a miniature forest of pohon pala (nitmeg trees) where live hundreds (nobody knows how many) of monkeys in their natural abode. People do know that the temple was built by the king of Mengwi during the 17th century, and then was restored in 1935, and in 1960, and the last restoration in 1973, but it is not clear how the monkeys come to be there and to be well established. The locals say that these animals are divided into several unceasing enmity groups.

Entering this location every visitor should be careful and keep his pockets and bags secured, otherwise the annoying pickpocketing animals undoubtedly will search them.

Another attraction in this village is the mumbul, the natural water spring, which is believed by the locals to be a holy spring. The mumbul is located not too far to the east of the village.

MARGARANA

Marga is the name of village where a big battle was fought between the Indonesia guerillas and Dutch Colonial forces during the Independence War, which battle is known as the Puputan Margarana. The war is over, remaining is only the memory and the Taman Makam Pahlawan, the military cemetery. Unlike thw ordinary cemetery where people buried the corpses, here they only buried the ashes of them for the corpses habe been cremated. There are rows of tombstones in the shape of small candis the Hindhu temples, which fill the cemetery yards.

TAMAN AYUN

Taman Yun, the beautiful garden, was built in 1634 by I Gusti Agung Anom, the then king of Mengwi, to become the central temple of the kingdom. This place of worship symbolically covers the existence of the Bhuana Alit, microcosmos, and Bhuana Agung, macrocosmos, and is still used to pray respect to the God in His manifestation as Shiva.

The Hindus believe that the world is sparated into three divisions, the higher world or the world of mountains, the middle world or the world of land and kingdoms, and the lower world or the world of seas or oceans. In this case the temple Taman Ayun, in its inner most courtyard, has nine multi-tiered roofed Merus (pagodas). Two of the four tiered roofed Merus are for the Lords of Mount Agung and Mount Batukaru, while the only one seven-tiered roofed Meru enthrones the Majapahit deity. The sorrounding pools are the symbol of oceans.