I followed Wayan, the temple sweeper, down a crooked path. “Come this way,” he said, “I will show you a waterfall and a hidden temple”.
He led me along a jungle path with mossy overhangs towering above me and steamy, misty rice fields that dropped away below. As I negotiated the slippery, narrow path, Wayan explained, “These rice fields are very old. They are World Heritage-listed and protected. Since the 9th century, farmers have been cultivating these rice terraces using an irrigation method known as Subak. In our village, we have royal inscriptions on rocks from the old Balinese kingdom that mention the subak system of sharing water for rice growing, so we know it is very old.”
Meditation Caves
The path led to a hidden waterfall and a row of meditation caves. There was an undeniable feeling of power, and I felt a strong mystic vibe as I entered the meditation cave area, which housed ancient relics and the grand temple itself, dating back to the 11th century.
I met a coconut seller at the crossroads of this little path, and he gave us a nod of approval. He would spot us on the way out. He seemed totally content, sitting there on his lovely viewing platform, which was an extension of the rice fields, keeping company with his pile of fresh young coconuts.
Wayan told me that during the high season (July and August), up to 1,000 people visit Gunung Kawi every day; however, visitors rarely take this small path to the hidden waterfall and mystical caves. “Many local Balinese students come to this special place,” Wayan explained, “They come to pray to the goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning,” he continued. “Tonight will be very busy because it is a full moon. Many people will come”.
Wayan, the temple sweeper, has been sweeping for eleven years at Gunung Kawi Temple and was full of information, taking great pride in showing me the little shrines along the way and sharing his knowledge.
The path took us through the jungle to a series of open doorways, chiseled from the rock. The caves stood in a straight line, symbolically representing an open door. “A door to the other world,” Wayan said with a smile. One of the monuments contained a large shrine, which stands as a representation of King Anak Wungsu (1050 AD).
Jungle overhangs guide you along the small pathway to the caves and candi (temple). The waterfall, which is hidden in the jungle off to the right, is by the small bridge. Watch out for this. It is unmarked. You can bushwhack a short distance to reach the base of the falls. A delicate light spray douses everything in its path, including you and the surrounding fern beds. It is a very peaceful place to take a rest and contemplate nature under this very tall wall of water.
It is best to visit Gunung Kawi around 7:00 a.m. and avoid the crowds and throngs of tourists that start arriving in buses around 10:00 a.m. These tourists only have time to visit the main temple and do not get to explore the lesser-known side trails.
Towering Cliffs and Monuments
The main temple is a grand masterpiece of 10 candis, chiseled into the cliffs. A long staircase takes you from the main gate down to the Pakerisan River, cutting through a stunning jungle-clad, vine-hugging river gorge, and as you descend this steep staircase, you feel that you are really entering into the Valley of the Kings.
The towering cliffs of Gunung Kawi are a magnificent sight to behold. These candi towers rise seven metres (23 feet) into the sky, and Wayan explained they represent the King’s sons. King Anak Wungsu reigned over central and east Bali from around 1050 AD to about 1080 AD.
On the other side of the path, another series of candi stands majestically before you. It is believed they represent the king’s senior wives and are known as the “Queens’ Tombs”. The second set of Candi is not technically a tomb because they houses no human remains. They are symbols only. The inscriptions have worn away over time, so it is not entirely certain. Still, it is speculated that the senior queen and the lesser wives would have committed suttee by leaping into a funeral pyre, hence the magnificent stone edifice built in their honor.
Temple Walk
Very few people are aware that it is possible to walk from Gunung Kawi Temple to Tirta Empul Temple, another significant ancient temple in the Tampaksiring region. It is only two kilometers, but the walk takes 1-2 hours, and it’s only for the adventurous. It is not a groomed trail, and you need a guide to traverse through the jungle and rice terraces. Wayan very kindly offered to guide me, and I jumped at the chance, and this turned out to be the highlight of my day.
To access the trail, you pass a series of stone market stalls etched into the rock. Wayan explained that this was a bustling market a thousand years ago. In fact, market stalls lined the entire valley, following the holy Pakerisan River to the seat of regal power, Pejeng, which was once a kingdom.
The Trek
I followed Wayan through the thick jungle and left the calm haven of the stone market stalls. It was a bit of a scramble up a steep hill (with no cut trail) to reach a high plateau, which opened out onto a vast expanse of rice fields. I was hot and sweaty and put my balancing skills to the test doing the tightrope act, tiptoeing along raised ledges between the rice terraces, which are only a foot wide. The worst you can do is fall into the rice paddy, which I managed not to do on this occasion.
After a heave-ho and slugging up the steep bank, I perched myself on the edge of a rice terrace in a pool of sweat. Out of nowhere, a friendly rice farmer appeared, promptly took his cue, and shimmied up a nearby coconut tree and presented me with a fresh young coconut. With the ease of a dexterous machete-wielding all-rounder, he carved a perfect spout, and I drank straight from the coconut, no straw required.
In the distance, across the valley, Wayan pointed out a ceremony taking place. “See that long line of people dressed in white?” he said, pointing across the river gorge. “They are carrying a body, and later today, there will be a cremation. This is a very special cremation because the man who died is a holy human.”
This made me curious, “You mean like a priest?” I asked. “No. He is a holy human and very special. It’s a bit complicated to explain. Please come back later, you will be most welcome to attend. Our cremations are a joyous affair, not sad at all. We must give a good send-off to the spirit, and our cremations are celebrations, so the atmosphere will be very festive.”
The rest of the walk was easy, and we followed a skinny concrete subak irrigation path where we passed children splashing and cavorting in the stream. It seemed to be washing day, and I chatted with the local women as they chatted amongst themselves and beat clothes at the same time on the concrete slab, happily scrubbing away with a large stone.
Holy Water Spring Temple
Approaching Pura Tirta Empul, President Sukarno’s presidential palace came into view. Sitting on top of a perfectly manicured grassy hill, this stately palace is the Bali residence of Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno. His birthplace and resting place is in Blitar, Java. However, Sukarno’s mother was Balinese, and this palace was built in 1957. The palace sits high above the holy bathing pools of Tirta Empul and commands a fine view.
Tirta means holy water, and Tirta Empul translates to ‘big spring’. It is one of the most sacred places in Bali. An inscription is dated 960 Ad at Pura Sakenan Temple in the nearby village of Manuk Aya, and mentions the bathing pools.
At Tirta Empul, make sure you stop at the double (bathing) pool, which has been carved out of the rock around a well, and another long pool that is full of bright orange and white koi fish.
There is always a lot of activity at Tirta Empul, and every day, hundreds of visitors come. Most arrive via the huge car park area, not on foot, as I did.
On a full moon, a constant stream of people comes during the day to partake in a purification bathing ritual, a practice that has remained unchanged for over 1,000 years. The crowd includes many local pregnant women. It is essential for local Balinese women during pregnancy to participate in the purification ritual, which they believe offers significant benefits for both the mother and the baby. The water that pours from the fountains is considered pure, sacred water.
The pools are open to the public, and the local Balinese love to share this place with foreigners. “We Hindus are very flexible,” Wayan told me, “If you are Christian or Muslim or whatever religion, everyone is welcome to attend a bathing purification ritual at any Balinese temple. We are delighted to share our prayer rituals with you, and there is no need to bring offerings; that is our responsibility. When you join in, we just give you a nudge and show you what to do,” he said with a big, beaming smile.
Bathing
There are two pools at Tirta Empul for bathing, and all you need is a sarong and sash, which you can rent at the main gate if you need to. As you make your way to each of the 15 waterspouts, you will get an explanation of what each one represents, and you must pay attention because one of the spouts you have to avoid has to do with the deceased. When you climb into the second pool, another seven spouts greet you. These symbolically represent the seven chakras. Chakra is a Sanskrit word and means wheel or disk. In yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda, it refers to the energy wheels in the body.
As well as the pools, there are two beautiful pavilions located in the inner court, which are dedicated to the God Indra. There are more than 20 small shrines with intricately carved wooden doors decorated with reliefs. One of these is devoted to Dewi Sri, the rice goddess, one to the Lord of Majapahit, and one to Mt Batur.
The driver was waiting for me at the Tirta Empul car park with a puzzled look on his face. “In all my years of driving in Bali, I have never heard of anyone walking from Gunung Kawi to Tirta Empul,” he said. “How did you find your way through the jungle?” to which I replied, “You just need to meet a man with a broom and semua bisa diatur, everything can be arranged.”
Story by Stephanie Brookes
Published NowJakarta Magazine
Updated June 2025
If you wish to make an arrangement with Wayan, send an email to stephtravelwriter@gmail.com
Stephanie Brookes is the author of Indonesia’s Hidden Heritage: Cultural Journeys of Discovery. Her tales from Indonesia and beyond can be viewed on www.travelwriter.ws
