Bali Paradise Driver

About 18 km north of Denpasar , It was once the temple of the royal family of Mengwi,  the old kingdom  which was eradicated and split in two by Badung and Tabanan in 1885, descendants of the royal family still maintain the temple making it an important clan temple.

Beautiful temple set on the land which is surrounded by a  moat , it’s owns beautiful building with multi tiered towers stand up above the greenery surrounding the temple grounds, mysterious and exotic.   According to papyrus chronicle of Mengwi  ( Lontar babad Mengwi )  the temple was built in the year 1634 M when king I Gusti Agung Putu ruled the kingdom  and it is named Taman Ayun coming from the word Taman meaning  garden and Ayun from the root word of Hyun meaning to fulfill desire  that’s  mean the temple built in the garden which can fulfill the desire .

There are some 50 buildings and shrines within the temple complex ,the gedong paibon is dedicated for the ancestral soul of the royal family ,the other shrines represent the major temple in Bali  so the people of Mengwi could celebrate the main ceremony of those temple here temple Besakih for instance is represent by the tallest multi tiered shrine.

A bout 48 km north of Denpasar  one of most beautiful part of Bali,approximately   1.231 m above sea level ,the temperature is cool visit it for outstanding beauty of landscape .the lake has 3,4 km2   wide and 22 meter depth .

Ulun Danu temple ( lake side temple ) is popular subject for picture postcard and it is beautiful in real life too , it appears to float out over the lake . contemplate the views of the green hill and the cloud covered mountains surrounding the lake or you can walk around the edge . a huge banyan tree shade the entrance  to the temple and there lovely garden all around it. The temple was built in the year 1633 M having been founded by the king of Mengwi  I Gusti Agung Putu.

Fruit and Flower market ,  Candi Kuning located a couple minutes from the lake is full of luscious fruits and masses of flowers that are not seen much elsewhere in Bali Botanical garden ,located at the south of the market stretches over 130 hectares of hillside ,including densely forested area on the lower slope of mount Pohon to the west.
The gardens contain 668 different  species of tree and 459 species of orchid , the trees labeled with latin name it is great place for walking and for picnicking.

Its splendid position make this temple one of the best temple to visit .the picturesque temple perched on little rocky island, the temple is surrounded by water on high tide. a beautiful view especially on sunset time. The rock where the temple was built known as Gili Beo meaning bird rock.

The temple is associated with Javanese Hindu Priest Danghyang Niraratha who arrived in Bali at Pulaki on the north coast and went on to spread his teaching round Bali, Founding some of the island’s most scenically site as he went. He went eastwards along the coast to follow the mysterious light.

The radiance emanated from a fresh water spring which is still to be found on the sands beneath the temple Danghyang Nirartha settled to meditate and preach the people as he gathered disciples, the local holy man Ki Bendesa Beraban became angry at the desertion of his own followers and demanded that Danghyang Nirartha leave.

Danghyang Nirartha than use his meditate power to move the rock on which he sat in to the sea, hence the name Tanah Lot ( Tengah Lot ) meaning land in the middle of the sea, He also transformed his scarf into snakes to guard his refuge ,some time later Ki Bendesa Beraban became converted to Danghyang  Nirartha teaching .

The largest collection of Baliana in the world is located on the east side of Taman Puputan on Jl. Mayor Wishnu just south of the tourist office. The Bali Museum was established in 1910 by the conquering Dutch, who sought to collect and preserve artifacts they felt were disappearing overseas or succumbing to the elements. In 1917, an eruption of Gunung Batur and subsequent earthquakes destroyed hundreds of Denpasar’s buildings, including the museum. Rebuilt in 1925, it was used as a storehouse for artifacts and temporary exhibits until 1932, when it was established as an ethnographic museum. The German painter Walter Spies helped assemble many of its original treasures from private collections and donations.

The grand, well-kept complex consists of a series of attractive, grassy courtyards containing all the archetypes of Balinese architecture—bale agung, candi bentar, kulkul. The main structure, with its many pillars, is built in the manner of Puri Kanginan in the eastern regency of Karangasem. Standing next to it is a reproduction of Singaraja Palace on the north coast. With rich ornamentation both inside and out, the museum’s architecture combines the two principal edifices of Bali, the temple (pura) and the palace (puri).

The museum’s four buildings contain a splendid collection of Balinese art—Neolithic stone implements, a hoard of Buddhist clay seals excavated near Pejeng, Balinese folk crafts, carved and painted woodwork, cricket-fighting cages, dance costumes, textiles, masks, weaving looms and fabrics, agricultural tools, musical instruments, furniture, scale models of ceremonial events, ethnographic exhibits. The first pavilion is a two-story building containing high-quality, early traditional, Kamasan-style paintings; classical Balinese calendars; modern Batuan and Ubud-style paintings; and work of the Academic and Young Artists (or Naive) schools. Another pavilion displays carved media—wood, stone, clay, and bone—including sculpted windows, doors, pillars, ceiling beams, friezes, old guardian figures, demons, and specimens of Bali’s extraordinarily earthy and vigorous folk art. The building, dedicated to prehistoric artifacts, displays Bronze Age implements, including the famous Gilimanuk bronze spearhead, the largest ever discovered in Southeast Asia. Also see ritual objects, priestly accoutrements, and a veranda lined with old stone statues. One building is devoted entirely to masks, weapons, and costumes of the performing arts, including rare barong pig masks and primitive dance masks from remote villages. There’s also an incredible display of topeng.

Also called Taman Werdi Budaya, the Art Center is on Jl. Nusa Indah in Abiankapas, a Suburb of Denpasar in the direction of Sanur, only a 15-minute walks east of Kereneng station. Set in a restful garden with lotus ponds amid richly carved baroque Balinese buildings, the Taman Werdi Budaya houses exhibits of modern painting, masks, and woodcarving. Both Balinese and Indonesian artists are featured. You’ll find a car park, museum, and small, fixed-price handicraft shops.

Visitors can view dance and music rehearsals in two open-air amphitheaters with modern lighting. Dances are also regularly staged for the public, including works incorporating modern Balinese choreography. In the kecak performance, staged each night 1830-1930 (Rp5000), traditional flickering oil lamps are still used. Eerie and powerful.

The Art Center also hosts a summer art festival each year from mid-June to mid-July, with competitions for costumes, dance, drama, sendratari performances, music, woodcarving, metalworking, and food. Every year is different, with each of Bali’s regencies sending its best teams. Also see art events, crafts exhibits, and an extravagant production of the Ramayana Ballet. If it’s the high season, be sure to book your hotel in advance. These entertaining and exciting cultural shows draw tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.

The Balinese Art Development Center Program, Jl. Bayusuta (in the Art Center), is open 0800-1700 daily except Monday. This tertiary-level institute offers work on the undergraduate through master’s degree levels. Besides staging dances, plays, and pop concerts, it houses permanent exhibits offering handicrafts, paintings, carvings, and silver. Student discounts available.