THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 308

Built on the summit of Gunung Penulisan (1745m), 5km north of Kintamani in the village
of Sukawana, Pura Puncak Penulisan is the highest temple on Bali and one of the most an-
cient; it is named in ninth-century inscriptions. There are 333 steps to the top temple, Pura
Panarajon , which is dedicated to Sanghyang Grinatha, a manifestation of Siwa and god of
the mountains. Up here, bale shelter ancient lingam and statues from the eleventh to thir-
teenth centuries. Needless to say, when the clouds clear the views are spectacular.
Danau Batur and around
Filling the ancient crater, silver-emerald Danau Batur is not just the largest lake in Bali (8km
by 3km), it is also one of the most impressive. As the home of Dewi Danu, the goddess of the
crater lake, Danau Batur is especially sacred to the Balinese - it is believed to feed springs in
other parts of the island. Several villages line the lake's shore, notably Kedisan , Buahan and
Toya Bungkah , which have tourist accommodation, and Songan , site of an important temple
and a footpath up the mountain. Nowadays, villagers survive on tourism and the simple things
the gods provide: vegetables which grow in the fertile soils along the shore, and fish.
Kedisan and Buahan
One of the first lakeside villages, KEDISAN lies among the chilli, tomato, onion and potato
plots at the bottom of the steep 3km road from Penelokan. The lakeside village is the de-
parture point for boats to Trunyan cemetery but puts casual walks up the mountain at some
distance unless you have your own transport.
Turning right at the T-junction in Kedisan brings you to the quietest and most attractive
part of the lake, especially around and beyond the village of BUAHAN , 2km from Kedisan,
where the eastern shore is lined with market gardens and fish-farming paraphernalia and of-
fers some of the finest lake views of Gunung Batur.
Trunyan
TRUNYAN is one of Bali's less edifying tourist destinations. It's one of the few remaining
Bali Aga communities, inhabited by descendants of the “original Balinese” who rejected the
Javanization of their island when the Majapahit invaded in 1343 and have maintained their
distinctive customs ever since. The most famous is the village custom of leaving its dead
to decompose in the open rather than cremating or burying them; cadavers are covered in
a blanket and protected from animals within a bamboo cage. Reports vary about how these
visits are received - some tourists report hassle and requests for donations, others a warm
welcome. Either way a visit to the village cemetery is a tourist trap masquerading as a cultur-
al experience and it's not cheap: access is by chartered boat from a jetty in Kedisan (20min;
8am-5pm; from Rp452,000/boat for two people or Rp513,000 for seven people), then expect
the same again for a guide. We recommend that you skip it.