On this page
- In Brief
- Bedugul at a Glance
- Bedugul Is a Cool Highland Inside an Old Volcano
- Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Is the Temple on the Lake
- The Bali Botanic Garden Is the Largest in Indonesia
- Candikuning Market Sells What the Highland Farms Grow
- Two More Lakes Lie a Few Minutes West
- Bedugul or Munduk: See One, Sleep in the Other
- When to Go: Early in the Morning, on a Weekday
- How to Reach Bedugul: It Is on the Main Road North
- Practical Notes
- FAQ
- Sources
In Brief
Bedugul, Bali, is the highland area around Lake Beratan in Tabanan regency, in the centre of the island. It has three main sights: Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the Bali Botanic Garden and the Candikuning produce market. The lake lies at about 1,200 metres inside an ancient volcanic caldera, which it shares with Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan.
Most visitors stop for the temple photograph on the way over the mountains. Stay longer for the garden, the cold air and the ridge road west into Munduk. Come early in the morning, before the day-trip coaches and the afternoon cloud.
Bedugul at a Glance
- What it is: a cool highland of lakes, gardens and farms around Lake Beratan
- Where: Candikuning village, Baturiti district, Tabanan regency, on the main Denpasar to Singaraja road
- Altitude: the temple and lake lie at about 1,200 metres, so daytime air is cool and evenings are cold by Bali standards
- The icon: Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the lake temple to Dewi Danu, built in 1634 by the king of Mengwi
- Also here: the Bali Botanic Garden and the Candikuning fruit and flower market
- Next door: Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan, the Wanagiri ridge and the Munduk highlands
- Geology: an ancient volcanic caldera holding three separate lakes
- Best light: early morning, before the day-trip coaches and the afternoon cloud
Bedugul Is a Cool Highland Inside an Old Volcano
Bedugul lies in an ancient volcanic caldera in the middle of Bali.
The road from the south coast climbs into cloud on the way up, and the air turns about ten degrees cooler. Beaches give way to lakes, conifers and market gardens. Days are cool and evenings are cold by Bali standards, and locals up here wear jackets and beanies.
Bedugul is also the crossing point between the beaches and the north coast. Lake Beratan, at the centre of it, is one of the main irrigation sources for central Bali.
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Is the Temple on the Lake
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is a Hindu water temple to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake.
Danu is the Balinese word for lake. In Balinese understanding, the goddess rules water, lakes and rivers, and the temple sits at the head of the water that feeds central Bali's fields.
Built in 1634 by the King of Mengwi
Indonesia's tourism ministry dates the temple to 1634, when I Gusti Agung Putu, the king of Mengwi, built it. The founding is recorded in the Babad Mengwi chronicle. The temple's management counts it among Bali's nine Kahyangan Jagat temples.
Around the main shrine to Dewi Danu stand other shrines, among them a lingga shrine. A Buddhist stupa stands on the lawns. The full story is in the guide to Ulun Danu Beratan temple.
The Towers Appear to Float at High Water
When the water is high, the towers stand clear of the shore and appear to float. That is the photograph on the brochures, and the one on the 50,000-rupiah banknote issued in 2005.
Come early for it. The light is soft, the cloud has not yet closed in and the courtyards are quiet.
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan from across Lake Beratan. Photo: Alharomain354 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Dress for a Working Temple
Ulun Danu Beratan is a working temple, so ceremonial dress and ordinary temple manners apply. Temple etiquette in Bali covers what to wear and where you may and may not walk.
The deeper story of water, temples and rice is in the subak system explained.
The Bali Botanic Garden Is the Largest in Indonesia
The Bali Botanic Garden, Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali, climbs the hillside above Candikuning.
It was founded on 15 July 1959 and has grown to about 157.5 hectares. Bali's provincial tourism site ranks it the largest botanical garden in Indonesia.
BRIN, the national research agency, runs it as a scientific conservation area. Its job is ex-situ conservation of the tropical mountain plants of eastern Indonesia. It was first meant to specialise in conifers, the needle-leaved trees that give the hillside its alpine look.
For a visitor, that means a great deal of space and very little noise. Paths run through planted forest and themed collections, and Balinese families spread out on the grass at weekends. A walker can spend a happy half day here without repeating a path.
Bring the jacket, because the garden climbs higher than the lake. The Bali Botanic Garden guide has the detail.
Candikuning Market Sells What the Highland Farms Grow
The market at Candikuning is where the highland farms sell down the hill:
- strawberries
- passionfruit
- vanilla
- vegetables
- cut flowers
This altitude is Bali's market garden, and the produce is the reason to come. In season, fruit sellers here also carry snow fruit, the ice-cream bean that grows wild around the lake.
The front of the market is aimed at tourists, and the back is the real thing. Go early, walk past the first rank of stalls and bring small notes.
If you are after craft more than produce, where to shop in north Bali covers the weaving villages. It also covers the Singaraja markets on the far side of the mountain.
Two More Lakes Lie a Few Minutes West
Bedugul is one corner of the caldera. The ancient crater holds three lakes, and the other two lie a few minutes west along the rim.
Buyan and Tamblingan from the Wanagiri ridge, minutes west of Bedugul. Photo: Stefan Fussan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Buyan and Tamblingan are quieter and wilder than Beratan, with forest coming down to the water. Above them runs the Wanagiri viewpoint road.
Beyond that, the ridge drops into the Munduk highlands, which is where the waterfalls and the coffee are.
Bedugul or Munduk: See One, Sleep in the Other
Bedugul and Munduk are neighbours on the same mountain rim.
Bedugul has the sights. The temple, the garden and the market are all here, along with the day-trip traffic that comes with them. Munduk has the stillness, with waterfalls, coffee farms and walking.
Many travellers take Bedugul's highlights in a morning on the way over the mountains and sleep in Munduk.
When to Go: Early in the Morning, on a Weekday
Mornings win in Bedugul, because the weather turns fast at altitude. Sun at nine, cloud at eleven and rain in the afternoon is a normal day up here.
Weekends and national holidays bring domestic crowds to the temple and the garden. Weekdays are far quieter.
How to Reach Bedugul: It Is on the Main Road North
Bedugul is on the main Denpasar to Singaraja road, so most trips over the mountains pass through it.
If your base is already the north coast, Bedugul makes an easy highland day out of Lovina, climbing past Gitgit waterfall on the way up. The mountain road between the north coast and Bedugul is winding but well surfaced, and drivers on this route know it. Routes and options are in getting to north Bali.
A driver for the day can take in the Wanagiri viewpoint over the twin lakes and finish at Ulun Danu Beratan. Private drivers in north Bali explains how to hire one.
Practical Notes
- Layers: bring a jacket. Locals up here wear jackets and beanies.
- Entry: the temple and the garden each charge their own entry, collected at their own gates. Both sell tickets on their own sites, so check there instead of trusting a figure in a guide.
- Cash: still the safer bet at the market and the smaller stalls.
- Timing: mornings on a weekday, before the cloud and the crowds.
- Temple dress: ceremonial dress and ordinary temple manners at Ulun Danu Beratan.
FAQ
What is Bedugul known for?
Bedugul is known for Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the temple on Lake Beratan that appears on the 50,000-rupiah banknote. The Bali Botanic Garden, the largest in Indonesia, is here too, along with the Candikuning produce market and cool mountain air at around 1,200 metres.
Is Bedugul worth visiting?
Yes, at least for the temple and the garden, and more if you like highlands. It also breaks the drive between south Bali and the north coast at the right point, and it puts you within minutes of the twin lakes and Munduk.
How cold is Bedugul?
Cold by Bali standards, though mild in absolute terms. The lake is at about 1,200 metres and the garden is higher, so bring a light jacket for the evening. Locals up here wear more than that.
Which temple is on the lake in Bali?
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, on Lake Beratan at Bedugul, dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake. Its meru towers stand at the water's edge and appear to float when the lake is high.
How big is Lake Beratan?
Indonesia's tourism ministry calls it the second largest lake in Bali. It shares an ancient volcanic caldera with Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan, and it is a main source of irrigation water for central Bali.
Should I stay in Bedugul or Munduk?
See Bedugul's sights, sleep in Munduk. Bedugul concentrates the famous attractions and the coach traffic. Munduk, a short drive along the same ridge, has the waterfalls, the coffee country and the quiet guesthouses.
Sources
- Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Bedugul, for the 1634 founding, the worship of Dewi Danu and the shrines, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
- Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, Ulun Danu Beratan: Iconic Temple on Lake Beratan, for the goddess Danu, the banknote and the lake's size, read September 2026 (in English)
- DTW Ulun Danu Beratan (the temple's management), official site, for the altitude, the Babad Mengwi date, the Kahyangan Jagat status and the 2005 banknote, read September 2026 (in English)
- Kebun Raya (BRIN), Tentang Kami / About Us, for the garden's founding, its managing agency and its conservation role, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
- Bali Provincial Government, Love Bali, Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bedugul, for the garden's area and its rank as the largest in Indonesia, read September 2026 (in English)
- Wikipedia, Bali Botanic Garden, for the founding date and the original conifer focus, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, for the lake's role in irrigation, and Lake Tamblingan, for the caldera and its three lakes, read September 2026 (in English)
Bedugul is a stop on the road north for most visitors. If you are carrying on to the coast, Palm Living's villas are around Lovina, at the bottom of this mountain.
More of the highlands: Munduk, the twin lakes, and the coffee plantations above Munduk.
