Excursion to the East of Bali: Secret Places of Paradise on Earth.
We are going on an excursion to the East of Bali to visit beautiful water palaces, a traditional village, a chocolate factory, and real natural beaches where you can swim. And if you have enough energy, you can visit one of the most beautiful beaches in Bali. Simply leave a tour request!
The Bat Cave Temple and a beach with black sand
Pura Goa Lawah, or the Bat Cave Temple, is a temple built in the 11th century and highly revered in Bali.
“Goa” in translation means “cave,” and indeed, there is a cave in the temple that is surrounded by legends. They say that this cave is actually the far entrance to the main temple of the island, Pura Besakih. The temple cave is filled with bats, which are considered sacred animals in Bali. It is especially crowded in the Bat Cave Temple a few days before Nyepi, Galungan, and other major religious holidays, when the Melukat cleansing ceremony is held.
Opposite the temple is a beach with black volcanic sand, where you can take great photos against the backdrop of the ocean!
Traditional village of Tenganan
Before the Candidasa village, there is a turn from the sea inland. The road leads to Tenganan, a traditional village where the Bali Aga people live, who have preserved their uniqueness for many centuries. According to legend, the god Indra endowed the inhabitants of Tenganan with land and punished them to be the masters of the island in the absence of gods.
The village is located from south to north between rocks in accordance with Vedic knowledge of Vastu construction. It has four entrances from the sides of the world. We recommend taking a walk from the southern entrance to the northern one along the central street. Along the way, you can look into shops where you can find traditional double ikat (woven sarong), kris (ritual daggers), bags, and handicrafts made of ata wood (rattan).
Make sure to pass through the northern gate of the village, and after 50 meters, you will find yourself at the honey master Wayan’s place. There you can taste tea and mango honey, try local food, and purchase original rattan products. Simply leave a tour request!
Mount Hanuman and the Pura Gumang temple
The next unusual stop on the route is Mount Hanuman and the Pura Gumang temple, which stands on a hill 700 meters above sea level with views of the great Agung and the beaches of the east. The ascent to Mount Hanuman starts at the pass between Candidasa and Amlapura. Those who have traveled to the east of the island may have seen packs of wild monkeys in this area. Now, imagine that you have to climb a mountain where a few hundred wild monkeys live. At the top, a reward awaits you, if you are lucky, the Mount Agung in all its glory and the mysterious temple. Traditionally, there is no one on special altars in Bali’s temples; it is customary to offer offerings there. In the Gumang temple, on each altar, like in a chair, sits a wise man.
Charlie’s Chocolate Factory
The most popular Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, which became so due to its wonderful space, stands on the ocean shore among palm groves. Bamboo hobbit houses or someone else from the same fairy tale are standing there.
Eccentric American Charlie from California fell in love with Bali many years ago. Realizing that megacities no longer attract him, he rented land and built a small chocolate factory where he makes chocolate from natural cocoa beans and goji berries. And nearby, he built a soap factory where he makes soap from coconut oil and essential oils.
Of course, the American himself does not make soap with chocolate but enjoys surfing and other activities, while factory employees work. Simply leave a tour request!
The factory space is magical: a luxurious palm grove on the east coast of the island, a beach with black sand, interesting bamboo structures, a domestic goose named Agus ?, and of course, cool swings!
Tirta Gangga water palace
Tirta Gangga is a royal water palace – a labyrinth of pools and fountains, with a lush garden, stone carvings, and statues. The area of the water palace is approximately 1.3 hectares.
Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem was inspired by the natural sources and beauty of this place, and decided to create a recreational structure for the benefit of his people, to ensure that there would always be water for rice cultivation. In 1948, he began the project of the water palace. However, the construction and improvement of the water palace was interrupted by the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963. A series of eruptions and earthquakes occurred for several months, and lava and hot ash killed all vegetation in the palace. The foundation and many statues were damaged and destroyed. The precise plans of the palace were lost during the eruption of Mount Agung. The restoration of the water palace only began in 1990 and continues to this day. We recommend visiting the royal chambers (which can be rented for only $200 per day) and the royal restaurant on the palace grounds (delicious food and a beautiful view).
Beautiful beaches of the east
There are also two beaches on the east side of Bali that are considered the pearls of Bali. They are far from mass tourism and are natural beauties.
The Secret Beach
The Secret Beach (Bias Tugel) or the beach with white sand, Pantai Bias Tugel, is located behind the sea port in the village of Padang Bai.
To get to this beach, you need to walk through a small hill. The proximity to the large port on Bali doesn’t prevent the beach from being cozy, except on Indonesian weekends and holidays, when you can catch the beach almost empty. There is very little civilization here, with only a few local warungs, some of which have recently acquired toilets (it used to be a luxury on this beach) and sun loungers. Simply leave a tour request!
Virgin Beach or White Sand Beach
The Virgin Beach or White Sand Beach is located five kilometers from the town of Amlapura in the east of Bali island. The natural lagoon with white sand, created by nature grinding white corals into fine sand, is noteworthy, as all neighboring lagoons have black volcanic sand.
Virgin Beach is a sparsely populated beach where you can find your own warung, and ordering food and drinks usually comes with a toilet, shower, and sun lounger as a gift. The ocean here is very beautiful, and if the waves are small, you can swim or just lie on the waves.
To obtain detailed information Leave a tour request here! or contact our manager.
We are always happy to share the magic of Bali Island with positive people!
Sincerely, Bali Open Group, authors of the blog baliopen.org
