Ubud & Around - Bali and Lombok - page 88

and his brothers Anak Wungsu and Marakata.
While Airlangga ruled eastern Java, Anak
Wungsu ruled Bali. The four monuments on
the western side are, by this theory, to Anak
Wungsu's chief concubines. Another theory
is that the whole complex is dedicated to
Anak Wungsu, his wives, concubines and, in
the case of the remote 10th candi, to a royal
minister.

A good lunch stop near the park, with
picturesque paddy-field views is Blue Yogi Cafe
(Map p201 ;

The temples around Batubulan are, nat-
urally, noted for their fine stonework. Just
200m to the east of the busy main road, Pura
Puseh (Map p201 ) is worth a visit for its unusual
decorations. The statues draw on ancient
Hindu and Buddhist iconography and Bal-
inese mythology; however, they are not old -
many are based on illustrations from books
on Javanese archaeology.
Batubulan is also a centre for making
'antiques', textiles and woodwork, and has
numerous craft and antique shops. Several
venues offer regular performances of tradi-
tional Barong (mythical lion-dog creature)
and Rangda (widow-witch who represents evil
in Balinese theatre and dance) dances, often
during the day, and commonly included in
tours from southern Bali.

creatures from Indonesia and Africa, as well
as turtles, crocodiles, a python and yet more
Komodo dragons.
Both places are popular with kids. You
can buy a combination ticket to both parks
(adult/child US$15/7.50). Allow at least two
hours for the bird park alone, which also has
a good restaurant.
Many tours stop at the parks, or you can
take a BatubulanUbud bemo, get off at the
junction at Tegaltamu, and follow the signs
north for about 600m. There is a large park-
ing lot.

8am-
5pm) . After lunch, walk things off with a stroll
among the rice.
A smaller road goes north through Keliki ,
where you'll find Alam Sari (

901368; dishes 15,000-40,000Rp;

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240308; www.alam

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) , a fine, small hotel in
a wonderfully isolated location. There are 12
luxurious yet rustic rooms, a pool and a great
view. The hotel is one of the few on the island
that treats its own wastewater.

sari.com; r from US$55;

as

TIRTA EMPUL
A well-signposted fork in the road north
of Tampaksiring leads to the popular holy
springs at Tirta Empul (Map

SOUTH OF UBUD
The road between South Bali and Ubud is
lined with places making and selling handi-
crafts. Many visitors shop along the route
as they head to Ubud, sometimes by the
busload, but much of the craftwork is actu-
ally done in small workshops and family
compounds on quiet back roads. You may
enjoy these places more after visiting Ubud,
where you'll see some of the best Balinese
arts and develop some appreciation of the
styles and themes.
For serious shopping and real flexibility
in exploring these villages, it's worth renting
or chartering your own transport, so you
can explore the back roads and carry your
purchases without any hassles. If you decide
to charter a vehicle, the driver may receive a
commission from any place you spend your
money - this can add 10% or more to the cost
of purchases. Also, a driver may steer you to
workshops or artisans that he favours, rather
than those of most interest to you.
From the Batubulan Bus/Bemo terminal (Map
p201 ; see p171 ) , bemo to Ubud stop at the craft
villages along the main road through Negari.
The following places are presented in the
order you'll encounter them on the way to
Ubud from the south.

p201 ; adult/child

Singapadu
Singapadu is largely uncommercial and pre-
serves a traditional appearance, with walled
family compounds and shady trees. The area
has a strong history of music and dance,
specifically the gong gede (large orchestra)
gamelan, the older, but smaller gong saron
gamelan and the Barong dance. Local artisans
specialise in producing masks for Topeng and
Barong dances.
Singapadu's dancers now perform mostly
at large venues in the tourist areas - there are
no regular public performances. There are
not many obvious places in the town to
buy locally produced crafts, as most of the
better products are sold directly to dance
troupes or quality art shops. Ask around to
find some of the workshops, but even at the
source, the best quality masks will still be
rather expensive. If you are relying on public
transport wait for a bemo at the junction at
Tegaltamu.

8am-6pm) , discovered in AD 962
and believed to have magical powers. The
springs bubble up into a large, crystal-clear
tank within the temple and gush out through
waterspouts into a bathing pool - they're the
main source of Sungai Pakerisan, the river that
rushes by Gunung Kawi only 1km or so away.
Next to the springs, Pura Tirta Empul is one of
Bali's most important temples.
You'll need a sarong or long pants, and
maybe a scarf. Come in the early morning or
late afternoon to avoid the tourist buses. You
can also use the clean, segregated and free
public baths in the grounds.

4100/2100Rp;

h

Bali Bird Park & Rimba Reptil Park
Just north of Tegaltama, the bird park (Map p201 ;
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299352; www.bali-bird-park.com; adult/child US$8/4;

8am-6pm) boasts more than 1000 birds from
over 250 different species, including rare cen-
drawasih ( birds of paradise) from Irian Jaya
and highly endangered Bali starlings (see On
a Wing and a Prayer, p282) - many of these
birds are housed in special walk-through
aviaries. In one of them you follow a walk
at tree-level - or what some with feathers
might say is bird-level. The two hectares of
landscaped gardens feature a fine collection
of tropical plants.
Next door, Rimba Reptil Park (

h

OTHER SITES
There are other groups of candi and monks'
cells in the area encompassed by the ancient
Pejeng kingdom, notably Pura Krobokan (Map
p201 ) and Goa Garba (Map p201 ) , but none so grand
as Gunung Kawi. Between Gunung Kawi and
Tirta Empul, Pura Mengening (Map p201 ) temple
has a freestanding candi, similar in design to
those at Gunung Kawi.
NORTH OF UBUD
Abused and abandoned logging elephants
from Sumatra have been given refuge on Bali
at the Elephant Safari Park (Map p201 ;

299344; adult/

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8am-6pm) has about 20 species of child US$8/4;

h

Celuk
Celuk is the silver and gold centre of Bali. The
bigger showrooms are on the main road, and
have marked prices that are quite high, al-
though negotiation is possible. The variety
and quality of the designs on display is not
as good as those in the shops of Ubud, and
the prices are no cheaper, except for com-
mercial buyers.
Hundreds of silversmiths and goldsmiths
work in their homes on the backstreets north
and east of the main road. Most of these
artisans are from pande families, members
of a sub-caste of blacksmiths whose knowl-

DETOUR
The usual road from Ubud to Batur is
through Tampaksiring, but there are other
lesser roads up the gentle mountain slope.
One of the most attractive goes north from
Peliatan, past Petulu and its birds (see
p181), and through Tegallalang and Ceking,
to bring you out on the crater rim between
Penelokan and Batur. It's a sealed road
all the way and you pass through wood-
carving towns like Jati and Pujung .
In Tegallalang you can pause at Cafe
Kampung (Map p201 ;

721480;

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Batubulan
The start of the road from South Bali is lined
with outlets for stone sculptures - stone carv-
ing is the main craft of Batubulan (moon-
stone), and workshops are found right along
the road to Tegaltamu, with another batch
further north around Silakarang. Batubu-
lan is the source of the stunning temple-gate

www.baliadventuretours.com; adult/child US$16/8; 9am-

5pm) . Located in the cool, wet highlands of
Taro (12km north of Ubud), the park is home
to almost 30 elephants. Besides a full com-
plement of exhibits about elephants, most
people will probably want to ride an elephant
(adult/child including admission US$68/47).
The park has received praise for its conserva-

h

901201; dishes 20,000-

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