The Floating Temple, Pura Ulun Danu Beratan in Balinese, is one of the iconic images of Bali. The temple sits on the western shore of Lake Beratan in the mountains near Bedugul, and its position in the lake can give the illusion of floating on the water. It takes a full day to get there as the temple is located around 57 km from Seminyak, making it ideal to combine with other attractions along the way.
The departure time is completely up to you, but I recommend heading off as early as possible because the roads leading to the temple can be quite busy by late morning. I’ve designed these itineraries to make the most of your time and tick off the different attractions in a logical order.
Remember, you can modify the destinations you want to visit on the day, so if there is somewhere you want to stay longer or skip an attraction in favour of another, my drivers are flexible and it’s entirely up to you.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
An incredibly beautiful area of verdant terraced rice paddies located in the shadow of Mount Batukaru. Running from the mountains to the coast, Jatiluwih Green Land as it is commonly known was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. Jati means ‘really’ and Luwih means ‘special’, and it’s easy to see why. There are a number of cafes with stunning views in the area, making it an excellent place to stop for a while.
Entrance Fee: Rp 40,000
Location: Jl Jatiluwih No No.Desa, Jatiluwih, Penebel
Opening Hours: Mo-Su 08:30-18:00
Ulun Danu Beratan
The Floating Temple, Pura Ulan Danu Beratan in Balinese, is one of the iconic images of Bali. The temple sits on the western shore of Lake Bratan in the mountains near Bedugul, and its position in the lake can give the illusion of floating on the water.
It takes a full day to get there as the temple is located around 57 km from Seminyak, making it ideal to combine with other attractions along the way.
Handarah Golf Course Gates
Stone gates are an important architectural tradition in Balinese culture. You will see them literally everywhere, from entrance ways to villages, temples and places of cultural significance.
At the entrance to Handarah Golf Course are the famous Handarah Gates. This is a photographer’s dream location with the lush mountains making a stunning backdrop behind the huge stone gates that are an excellent example of Balinese architecture.
Entrance Fee: Free
Location: Handarah Golf Course
Opening Hours: 24 hours
Bedugul Market (Pasar Candi Kuning)
The Candi Kuning Market referred to as ‘Pasar Bedugul’ by the locals is a great place to stop and stock up on snacks and drinks during a tour. It’s one of the main markets in the area for flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables – mangosteen, bananas, tamarillos, tangerines and strawberries – and an excellent place to buy a wide selection of spices.
Because of its location a few minutes from Pura Ulun Danu Beratan there are a large number of souvenir shops with a huge range of handicrafts.
A little way past Danu Beretan is Bedugul Market, which specialises in herbs, spices and vegetables grown in the highlands around Lake Beratan. I recommend making this a quick stop because it’s a long way back south and the traffic can get fierce later in the day when the tour buses leave Danu Beratan.
Secret Garden Village
Secret Garden Village is located roughly half-way between Ubud and Ulun Danu Beretan and makes an excellent stop while on tour from Southern Bali (Kuta, Canggu, Seminyak) on the way to the attractions in Bedugul (Handarah Gate, Floating Temple, Wanagiri Hidden Hills) and the more spectacular waterfalls in Northern Bali (Gitgit, Aling-Aling, Sekumpul).
It’s an educational-tourism operation with extensive grounds with curated rice fields, a wedding chapel, a boutique cosmetics factory and restaurant, but most importantly a cafe with excellent coffee, meals and snacks and is perfect for a toilet stop.
Entrance Fee: Free
Location: Jl. Raya Denpasar Bedugul km. 36, Tabanan
Opening Hours: 09:00 am – 20:00 pm Mon-Sun
Leke Leke Waterfall
Leke Leke Waterfall makes a great stop either to or from a tour to Danu Beretan and the other attractions in the Bedugul area. It is a pleasant 15-minute walk through the jungle on well-maintained tracks and bamboo bridges crossing the river. It’s also quite close to Secret Garden Village.
The best time for photography is between 12-1 pm when the sun is highest, as the waterfall is situated in a narrow gorge with high walls that block out a lot of the sunlight.
The owners have also installed a rope chair swing between two massive trees. They were asking IDR250.000 which is a bit excessive, and considering the variety and safety of the other established swing operations, I’d be inclined to give this one a miss.
Entry fee: IDR30.000
Location: Antapan, Baturiti, Tabanan
Open hours: Mon-Sun 7:00am – 5:00pm
Epic day…made our holiday!
What an outstanding day. Thank you Michael for putting this outstanding guide together and to Putu the Driver for a magic day. We got some amazing photos in the hills overlooking the lake (highly recommended) and LOVED the treetops advernture. The floating temple was always on our list but there is so much more to see. Go early like we did and get in front of the traffic - and make sure you have a great driver!! Epic day...made our holiday!
What’s Included
- Toyota Avanza/Xenia or similar 6-seater SUV w/ air-con.
- English speaking driver.
- Up to 10 hours of driving time.
- The driver waits at all attractions for you.
- Flexible itinerary – make changes during the day.
Not Included
- Entrance fees or event tickets.
- Meals and refreshments at own cost.
Pick- up & Drop-off
- We provide pick-up and drop-off to Canggu, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, Sanur, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, Ubud and Uluwatu.
- Drop-off may be different from pick-up as long as it’s within the above areas.
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I’m a technology entrepreneur and traveller and began Bali Holiday Secrets as a guide for friends and family who came to visit after I moved to Bali, and has grown to 80,000+ visitors a month.
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