August 13, 2025
After a rich and emotional writing class this morning and some time to rest, we set out to visit one of my favorite sites in eastern Bali, a place I never get tired of: Tirta Ganga, a magnificent water palace built in 1946 by the last Raja of Karangasem.
Tirta Ganga is a 40 minute drive from our hotel, but today it took a lot longer. The streets were teeming with people and we were in stop and go traffic for miles. The road was jammed with motorbikes. Students and families and little kids lined the streets. Uniformed police directed traffic, and people were creating offerings and making food along the road. Little kids waved at us and smiled.
It was hard to figure out what it was we were seeing. I wasn’t sure if it was a parade, a cremation or a party. The driver of our road didn’t have enough English to answer our curious questions about what we were seeing, and none of us had enough Indonesian. Whatever was going on, everyone seemed to be showing up for this special event. Everyone was excited, happy to be out together on the street to watch….well, something. We just couldn’t tell what it was. It kind of reminded me of the cremation I’d witnessed last week in Sidemen, but I just couldn’t tell.
I wanted to just jump out of the van to be part of it, whatever it was that was going on all around us, filling the streets, but I was the leader of a trip now, not a solo traveler. I was responsible for a group now. We had an agenda and a destination. I couldn’t just stop and do whatever I wanted. So we slowly drove on.
It wasn’t until we came up to these women in uniform that it got a bit clearer what was happening. No, it wasn’t another cremation. This was a part of the competition leading up to Independence Day, August 17.
Eventually, after creeping along as a snail’s pace, we turned onto another road, leading to our destination. Soon after I saw the first road marker for Tirta Ganga, I spotted this sign, which made me laugh.
We were going to a tourist object! Or maybe we were the tourist objects?
I always love the awe that hits a group when they walk through the arched entryway of Tirta Ganga. I believe this was my tenth trip to the water palace and I love it every time.
This aquatic masterpiece was designed as both a royal retreat and a sacred space dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The name itself, meaning “water of the Ganges,” reflects the deep spiritual significance attributed to this site, where natural spring water was believed to possess the same purifying properties as India’s most sacred river.
The construction at Tirta Ganga blends classical Hindu-Javanese architecture with distinctly Balinese artistic elements. The raja, who was known for his progressive vision and cultural patronage, designed the complex as a series of tiered pools, ornate fountains, and stepping stone pathways that seem to float above the crystalline waters. Traditional Balinese stone carvings depicting mythological creatures and deities adorn every corner, while strategically placed pavilions provide spaces for meditation and royal ceremonies.
This next statue always gives me a laugh. In her lecture on how to behave respectfully as a tourist in Bali, Judy told us that the most offensive thing you can do in Bali is point your feet at a Balinese person. The Balinese consider the bottom of the feet to be the lowest or dirtiest part of the body.
But at Tirta Ganga, there’s this statue of a demon “giving everyone the foot.” It’s like giving someone the finger, and maybe worse.
My favorite part of Tirta Ganga is the huge fresh water swimming pool. I couldn’t wait to get in it with my new friends. There is something about the fresh water. Everyone said it was the most refreshing pool they’d ever been in.
After my swim, I just wandered around taking pictures. Since the last time I was here, I’ve gotten more serious about my photography. And there was such great visual inspiration everywhere I looked.
While we waited for our dinners to be prepared at the restaurant that overlooks the grounds, I had time to catch a few quiet minutes with Joanie on one of my favorite benches. I’m so glad she made it. It was nice to catch up on the last couple of days.
There was one place in Tirta Ganga that I’d never seen before. A new pavilion opened this year. A circular stair leads to a viewing platform from which you can look down on the rice fields surrounding the palace.
It always gets dark in Bali by 6:15 pm—it’s so close to the equator. As darkness fell, we savored a feast and good conversation in the open air restaurant. Paul even pulled out the little notebook I gifted my students and did his writing class homework.
By the time we’d finished dessert, it was dark, and as we walked out, we got to experience the magic of Tirta Ganga at night.
Surya caught this final shot of Tirta Ganga at night. What a magical place!
