The Heartland of Bali Tour

This excursion will lead you to the rural heartland of Bali which presents an altered landscape and a different history. Your first stop is Pura Taman Ayun, founded by the King of Mengwi in the 17th century. It has three ascending levels of spacious courtyards containing rows of shrines and pavilions and is surrounded by a wide moat. The next visit will be Lake Bratan, a crater lies serenely in the midst of an elongated valley which was formed centuries ago. 

A small temple called Pura Ulun Danu Bratan to honour Dewi Danau, goddess of the lake, can be seen on the lake shores. Stroll along Candi Kuning market, where local fruits, vegetable and flowers are sold. After lunch, the trip continues through breathtaking valleys of rice paddies near Jatiluwih, to visit Pura Luhur Batukau temple, in dense jungle near the peak of Gunung Batukau, Bali’s second highest mountain. The ancient temple complex has a number of separate sanctuaries joined by damp mountain paths, bubbling spring and a large rectangular lake with a shrine in its midst.