Bali

In the shadowed heart of Ubud stands Pura Dalem, a temple steeped in ancient power and shadowed secrets. One of the area’s most formidable sacred sites, it pulses at the centre of the local spiritual life, a place where worship, dark rituals and otherworldly performances unfold. Its moss clad stone carvings depict guardian spirits and fearsome deities, whispering of life, death and the unseen forces that linger at the edge of perception.

Not merely a relic of the ancient past, Pura Mengening has guided sacred rituals along the Pakerisan River for nearly a thousand years. This temple remains fully alive, carrying the weight of centuries of spiritual dedication while shaping the flow of water and energy. It endures as a functioning sanctuary where past and present converge. It's a living record of authentic continuity, where purpose moves as steadily as the river that sustains it.

Puri Langon is a privately owned royal compound located in central Ubud. It is the personal residence of Tjokorda Ngurah Suyadnya, better known as Cok Wah, a respected figure in the Ubud royal family. Though it remains a functioning private home, Puri Langon is open to the public free of charge, offering rare access to a lived-in royal space that continues to serve spiritual and cultural functions within the community.

At the base of a hidden ravine, Puncak Manik Mas Temple’s ancient shrines and ritual waters lie beside the solemn Setra Ganda Mayu burial ground. Legends of King Mayadenawa and the enduring rites of life and death linger here, casting a shadowed, unforgettable aura over this secluded and unknown temple.

Veiled in shadow and ritual power, Pura Dalem Puri Peliatan is one of Ubud’s most ominous sacred spaces, devoted to death, purification and realms beyond human life. A ceremonial heart for royal funerary rites, it is closely tied to Rangda, the Queen of Demons, whose fierce presence confronts dark forces. As a traditional Dalem temple, it functions as a liminal sanctuary where fire guide souls through the underworld.

This grand old palace sits peacefully in the heart of Ubud, its centuries old walls steeped in Balinese royal history. Built in the 17th century by the Sukawati dynasty, it was once a centre of power, ritual and sacred heirlooms. Towering gates and intricately carved stone guardians greet visitors, hinting at the palace’s rich cultural legacy, ancient ceremonies and the mysterious forces said to linger in its courtyards.

Air Terjun Suwat plunges 15 metres from jagged cliffs into a deep, clear pool of emerald waters. Mist drifts through the surrounding jungle while the steady roar of the falls blends with birdsong and the rustle of bamboo. The 7-metre-deep pool invites swimming or standing beneath the cascade to experience the full energy of the water, surrounded by lush vegetation and rugged cliffs that give the scene a sense of secluded intensity.

Ancient and long hidden beneath the earth, Pura Pegulingan is a temple of Buddhist and Hindu devotion that survived centuries untouched. Rediscovered in 1982, its stupa, relics and ancient statues reveal a sacred past. The temple stands as a testament to Bali’s layered history, where faith, art and ritual endure through the ages.

Honouring the Hindu belief in spiritual liberation and the release from samsara, the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth, Pura Moksa is a quietly significant temple that embodies the Balinese understanding of life, mortality and the journey of the soul. Unlike Ubud’s more prominent historic temples, it was established by the local community as a place for personal devotion and meditation, serving primarily as a contemplative sanctuary rather than a site for public ce

Formed from radiant white coral stone and watched over by guardian statues, Pura Agung Jagatnatha is crowned by a monumental Padmasana that binds earth to sky and radiates authority. Although modern in construction, the temple thrums with ritual energy, its courtyards unfolding like a maze of shadow and light, where incense hangs heavy in the air and each measured step carries a deliberate sense of purpose.

Rising like a shadow over the heart of Denpasar, the Bajra Sandhi Monument looms across Lapangan Puputan Square, a silent witness to centuries of courage and defiance. Its bell shaped crown hums with ritual authority, while its towering form traps grief, sacrifice and unyielding spirit in stone. Beneath its shadow, memory and valor endure.

In the moss veiled temples of Bali, Ganesha is far more than a familiar Hindu icon, he is a living force who moves between light and shadow. Though his roots lie in Indian Hinduism, Bali’s Ganesha (also known as Batara Gana) has taken on new dimensions, shaped by animist spirits, local rituals and the Balinese understanding of cosmic balance.

Rising from the heart of Ubud, Gunung Lebah Temple was founded in the 8th century by the Indian priest Rsi Markandeya as a sanctuary for meditation and spiritual retreat. Nestled at the confluence of the Wos and Pakerisan rivers, where their waters merge to form the sacred Campuhan, the site hums with serene energy, surrounded by forests rich with medicinal plants believed to heal both body and soul.

From an ancient river in India to a Goddess inspiring art, music and learning across Asia, Saraswati flows through history, myth and human creativity. Honoured in sacred texts, celebrated in Bali’s vibrant rituals and revered from Nepal to Japan, she embodies wisdom, inspiration and the eternal current of thought. Her presence reminds us that knowledge and creativity are never still, they ripple, dance and transform, shaping both the world and the mind.

Rising from over a thousand years of Balinese history, Pura Samuan Tiga is where three potent spiritual paths once converged, forging a rare harmony in the island’s sacred landscape. Its weathered stone carvings and ancient statues still endure, each surface etched with centuries of ritual, devotion and mystery. They carry the whispers of the gods and the weight of countless generations who came seeking balance, protection and power within its walls.

Set within a dramatic waterfall ravine, Pura Taman Pecampuhan Sala is a hidden jungle sanctuary where two rivers meet. The temple sits at a sacred crossroads between the physical and spiritual worlds, its waters carrying generations of ritual, devotion and purification. Believed to be centuries old, it has grown into a site of authentic spiritual cleansing. The temple’s quiet strength encourages introspection, offering a profound sense of connection to the island’s enduring s

Rising dramatically from the steep cliffs above the winding Wos River, Candi Tebing Jukut Paku is carved directly into the rock, its stone contours shaped to inspire devotion and quiet reflection. This 1000 year old cliffside sanctuary belongs to an ancient tradition of Balinese rock cut hermitages, offering seclusion for meditation and worship while immersing visitors in the rhythm and harmony of the natural world.

Occupying a quiet corner near Ubud, Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets is where traditional architecture and cultivated gardens frame an extraordinary realm of performance art and ancient storytelling. Faces carved from wood and leather emerge from the shadows, their expressions suspended between beauty and unease. These are not decorative objects but instruments of ritual and narrative, crafted to command attention, stir emotion and blur the boundary between the human and

Dedicated to Durga, the Goddess of Death, Pura Bukit Dharma Kutri is a 1000 year old Hindu temple steeped in mystery, legend and sacred power. Its terraced courtyards, carvings and ancient relics bear witness to centuries of devotion, while the epic tale of Durga slaying the buffalo demon immortalises the struggle between order and chaos. With its eerie atmosphere, historic significance and rich folklore, Bukit Dharma Kutri Temple stands as a timeless threshold between the li

Once buried in the rice fields of Pejeng, Kebo Edan Temple, a 13th-century National Cultural Site, rises as a shadowy Tantric sanctuary where grotesque, skull adorned guardians channel transformative death energy, while a divine standoff unfolds as the crazy bull Nandi confronts Shiva in his blood soaked Bhairawa form, radiating destruction, madness and ecstatic power.