Welcome to Pura Ulun Danu Batur, one of the most beautiful temples in Bali – and hardly any tourists go there! You’ll find this temple in Kintamani. This village is mainly known for its location close to Mount Batur, an active volcano, and for the beautiful views over Lake Batur. So it makes sense that many (more active) travellers head to this area of Bali. We stayed 2 nights in Kintamani to do the Mount Batur hike. But what do you do after you’ve finished the hike? We decided to walk over to this beautiful temple.
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What makes Pura Ulun Danu Batur special?
Pura Ulun Danu Batur is not just any temple. It is a sanctuary for Dewi Danu, the goddess of water. And water is super important in Bali! Local people come here to pray and bring small offerings. They thank Dewi Danu for the water that keeps their rice fields fertile.
Pura Ulun Danu Batur is a sacred site with 9 Hindu temples, 285 shrines and several pavilions. You can easily spend an hour here.
The story of the temple is quite special. The temple you see today is not in its original location. The old temple was threatened by eruptions from the volcano, so it was moved to a safer spot higher up the mountain. Pretty clever, right?
Practical tips for your visit
On Bali this is not an unfamiliar list, but it’s handy to know in advance!
- Clothing: Wear appropriate clothing. A sarong is mandatory in the temple. Don’t have one? No worries, you can borrow one at the entrance.
- Best time to visit: It actually doesn’t matter much! This temple is not a well-known tourist attraction. We came here in the middle of the day and only saw a handful of tourists.
- Respect: Keep in mind that this is a sacred place for the local people. Behave respectfully and don’t talk too loudly. When we were there, a ritual was taking place. Let the locals do their thing – that way they’ll also be happy with you being there.
- Tickets: You buy your ticket opposite the entrance. They will probably call out to you as you walk past. Don’t let anyone pressure you into buying a sarong if you don’t have your own. It’s included with your ticket. A ticket costs 75,000 IDR, which is just under €5.
- Location: By now it’s probably clear that it’s in Kintamani. Even easier: just check Google Maps to see exactly where the temple is.
How to make your visit to Kintamani complete
You’ll find the highlights of Kintamani below. Prefer a complete overview? I wrote a separate blog about it: 6x things to do in Kintamani.
Mount Batur hike
Kintamani cannot be compared to Ubud, Kuta or any of the other well-known places. This is a small mountain village with one main road running through it. Most tourists visit this region for the Mount Batur hike. In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth it, although it is very touristy. You do the hike early in the morning to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. Afterwards, you’re back at your hotel before lunchtime. Plenty of time left to walk around Kintamani.
Dining or having drinks in Kintamani with a view of Mount Batur
Kintamani is a high-altitude village and has beautiful views of Mount Batur and the valley around it. You can imagine there are plenty of restaurants that make the most of this, with their terraces facing this direction. We spent quite a bit of time at Ritatkala Cafe. The cakes tasted more than fine there!
Where to stay in Kintamani
We treated ourselves to a bit of comfort at Pramana Zahill Kintamani. This is a larger hotel with a (simple) breakfast included. You can relax by the pool and the dinner is perfectly fine. They light fire pits and even had a singer performing when we were there.
Want to see more options in Kintamani? Check the hotels on Booking.com.
Enjoy your time in Kintamani and at Pura Ulun Danu Batur!
