THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 233

ACCOMMODATION: ELEPHANT SAFARI PARK
Elephant Safari Park Lodge Elephant Safari Park, Taro 0361 898 8888, elephantsafar-
iparklodge.com . Elephant enthusiasts looking for an extended stay at the park can check in to
this luxurious hotel, which has elegant en suites with private verandas, and a restaurant, bar,
swimmi ng po ol and spa. Rates include the park entrance fee, and elephant rides and bathing
session. $297
Tampaksiring and around
The most easterly route from Ubud to the mountains takes you along the Bedulu-Penelokan
road, passing through Pejeng before reaching TAMPAKSIRING , 11km further on, a fairly
nondescript town that's the access point for nearby Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul .
Gunung Kawi
An easy walk north of the market in Tampaksiring; access is signed via Jl Bayubrata, which heads east off the
main road a few hundred metres north of the market • Daily 8am-5.30pm • Rp15,000, children Rp7500, plus
donation for sarong rental
Hewn from the rocky walls of the lush, enclosed valley of the sacred Pakrisan River, the
eleventh-century royal “tombs” at Gunung Kawi occupy a lovely spot and are a lot quieter
than most other archeological sites, not least because you have to descend 315 steps to reach
them.
The candi are huge reliefs, chiselled from the riverside cliff face to resemble temple facades.
Originally the surface would have been decorated with plaster carvings, but now all that's
left are the outlines of a single false door on each one. The most likely theory about these
“tombs”, is that they were erected as memorials to the eleventh-century king Anak Wungsu
and his queens. The four Queens' Tombs are thought to be for Anak Wungsu's minor con-
sorts, while the five Royal Tombs across the river probably honour the king and his four fa-
vourite wives. The slightly higher candi at the far left end is believed to be Anak Wungsu's.
As there are no signs of bones or ashes in the candi , it appears that they weren't actual tombs,
yet over the false door of each were found inscriptions (most of them unreadable) thought to
be names or titles.
The complex also contains an extensive cloister , which probably accommodated the tombs'
caretakers. On the way back to the steps you can branch off left through the fields to reach the
so-called Tenth Tomb , a five-minute walk away. Believed to have been erected in memory
of an important member of the royal household, this candi stands on its own, framed only by
rock-cut cloisters.
Tirta Empul
Signposted off the main Tampaksiring-Kintamani road, about 500m north of the turn-off to Gunung Kawi;
Daily 7am-6pm • Rp15,000, children Rp7500 • You should be able to charter a bemo in the market