Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
1km north of Candikuning centre • Tickets daily 9am-7pm • Rp30,000, children Rp15,000, parking Rp5000 •
0368 203 3050,
ulundanuberatanbali.com
Lake Danau and its goddess are worshipped in
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
. Beautifully sited,
it's a major tourist attraction, with car parks, malls and restaurants. Yet, despite the appear-
ance of commercialization, the temple is also highly revered in Bali; especially at weekends,
you'll see villagers dressed in their best to deliver offerings. Built in 1633 by the raja of
Mengwi on a promontory on the western shore, it's dedicated to Dewi Danu, source of water
and hence of fertility for the island and the Balinese. Shrines are dotted about the lake's shore
and on islets - an impressive sight in front of the steep mountain slopes behind. Closest to
the shore, the eleven-roofed
meru
is dedicated to Wisnu and Dewi Danu. There's no public
access to the shrines but, crowds and clouds permitting, they still look fabulous from the
shoreline. For a different perspective, you could always rent a
pedalo
from the nearby office
and paddle round the other side of the temple-islands or, if you really must, join a speedboat
ride.
Danau Buyan
Car park Rp5000, although it's not always staffed
Danau Bratan may receive all the fame, but it's not the only crater lake here. In
Pancasari
,
4.5km north of Candikuning, at a small bemo terminal - it's busiest in the morning and is the
junction for travel to Munduk - a turn-off tracks to
Danau Buyan
through allotments and
gardens. More pothole than tarmac, the lane peters out at the lake's southern shore; a tranquil
spot after the hubbub around Bratan with little here except a ticket booth for a car park and
a few fishermen in dugout canoes. It's a lovely place to simply relax - or you could embark
from here on a good 4km track around the lake's shore and over a saddle to reach Danau
Tamblingan.
Danau Tamblingan
Rp6000, plus Rp3000 parking if booth is manned
Danau Tamblingan
is the smallest and most atmospheric of Bedugul's three lakes, once
contiguous with Danau Buyan to the east (before a landslide in 1818), now separated by
a forested shoulder of land.
Trekking
between the two lakes is a popular activity, best ar-
ranged through your accommodation though guides will often ask, around at the ticket office
in the car park above the lake. In truth, it's hard to get lost en route to Buyan since it's just
a matter of keeping the lakes on your left-hand side. The path around the western shore is
also renowned for
birdwatching
- sightings of babblers, woodpeckers, ground thrushes and
malkohas are possible.
On the shore,
Pura Gubug
has eleven-, nine- and five-roofed
meru
and is dedicated to Dewi
Danu, the goddess of the lake. Several other temples overlook the shoreline, including the
