Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Brahmavihara Arama
Rarely closed • Donation includes sarong rental • 0362 92954 • Catch any westbound bemo to Dencarik,
where ojek wait to take you the last, steep 3km - driving head as for Air Panas Banjar hot springs and turn left
at the central crossroads in Banjar Tegha village
Bali's largest Buddhist monastery, the
Brahmavihara Arama
is 10km southwest of Lovina
in the hills outside Banjar Tegeha village, so is a good combination trip with the
hot springs
at Banjar
3km away. (Incidentally, if you ask for directions, bear in mind that locals know it
as the “Buddis tempel” rather than by its name.)
It's a serene spot after the hurly-burly of everyday Balinese life; primarily a place of medita-
tion, but one that welcomes casual visitors, and its shrines and prayer halls afford good views
to the coast. The centrepiece of the main temple is a Thai-style gold Buddha, but follow stairs
in the peaceful grounds and you'll also find a Nepalese-style
stupa
(dome-shaped shrine).
The most striking section is the (scaled-down) lava-stone replica of East Java's Borobodur
temple in serene frangipani gardens at the summit of the complex. It houses a mediation hall
with limestone reliefs of the life of the Buddha.
Air Panas Banjar hot springs
Daily 8am-6pm • Rp5000 • Coming from Kalibukbuk in Lovina, take the main road west for 8km, then follow
signs south for 2.5km to reach the springs - the springs are also 3km from the Brahmavihara Arama Buddhist
monastery, reached from the village crossroads
Of all the thermal springs in Bali, the traditional-style
hot springs
at
Air Panas Banjar
may be the most picturesque. Tiered over three pools and fed by water spouting from
naga
dragons' mouths, they sit enclosed in a dell of palm trees and tropical forest, 1.25km south
of the market in Banjar Tegeha. The water, however, is another matter. Silky soft and slightly
sulphurous, it is a rather murky green, but this doesn't stop the pools from being hugely pop-
ular with locals and tourists alike. Come in the morning to avoid the crowds; weekends are
especially busy. There are lockers (Rp4000), changing rooms and spa treatments, and a small
restaurant overlooking the pools. Bring your own swimwear and towel or delight the dozens
of stallholders that sell them on the approach lane.
