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Although often overlooked by international tourists, Pura Taman Ayun (Taman Ayun Temple) is a significant temple in Balinese history and culture. It dates back to when Bali was split into nine kingdoms, with Taman Ayun serving as the family temple for the King of Mengwi.
On our quest to visit every major temple in Bali, we recently stopped by to check out Taman Ayun. In this guide, we’ll share our honest thoughts about whether it’s worth visiting.
Quick Review: Is Taman Ayun Worth Visiting?
Yes, Taman Ayun is a beautiful temple that is worth visiting, especially if you’re interested in Balinese history and architecture. Built by the King of Mengwi, the temple has long played a pivotal role in Bali's UNESCO-recognised irrigation system.
It's one of the bigger temple complexes we've visited in Bali. The inner courtyard is the most impressive area with its 10 towering pagodas. But there's plenty more to see, including gardens, the river, and a small museum and gallery. In total, we spent around 40 minutes exploring the temple.
There are no guides and only a little information in the temple itself, so we'd suggest reading up about it before you go. We’ve included some background information in this article as a starting point.
Although Taman Ayun isn’t well-known among international tourists, it is popular among local and domestic tourists, so it's not quite a hidden gem.
We'd recommend combining a visit to Taman Ayun temple with the Oogh Oogh Museum just around the corner. At the museum, you can see some amazing Oogh Oogh statues created for Bali's annual Nyepi celebrations.
Where To Park?
There's no parking directly at the temple. Scooters can be parked on the road in front of the temple while cars can park outside the Oogh Oogh Museum around the corner.
Here is a Google Maps pin for the temple entrance
Parking is 2,000 IDR for scooters and 5,000 IDR for cars.
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How Much Does it Cost?
Entry Price | |
|---|---|
Adults (foreigner) | 30,000 IDR |
Adults (domestic) | 15,000 IDR |
Payment is cash-only. There's one ATM on the same street as the temple but this charges for international withdrawals so make sure you have enough before you go.
What To Wear?
This is a temple so you should dress modestly. Wearing a sarong is essential to go inside, but these are provided at the entrance as part of the ticket price.
What To Expect
To reach the temple, cross over the bridge and follow the path through the Candi Bentar (the split gates found at the entrance to all Balinese temples).
The inner courtyard is where you’ll find the iconic pagodas known as Meru towers. This area is the most sacred part of the temple, so you can’t enter unless you’re praying. However, a path runs around the entire perimeter so you can still enjoy a good view from all sides.
There are 10 Meru towers in total, each with thatched roofs and intricate carvings.
Each tower is dedicated to a different god or ancestor. The more tiers a tower has, the more important they are. The smaller towers are dedicated to former kings of the Mengwi Kingdom, whereas the tallest towers (those with 11 tiers) are dedicated to the highest gods in Hinduism.
The courtyard is surrounded by a large lotus pond with flowers and green foliage, earning it the name Pura Taman Ayun, meaning "Beautiful Garden Temple".
After seeing the towers in the courtyard, you’ll join a woodland path that follows the moat around the temple towards the museum, which is spread across several small buildings near the exit.
The first building houses a small-scale model of the complex giving you a better understanding of the temple’s layout. The surrounding walls are adorned with old photographs of Ida Tjokorda Mengwi XII, the King of Mengwi until he died in 2001.
The second museum building has a selection of artworks depicting the temple in various styles.
In the final building, you’ll find a large cinema screen showing footage of ceremonies at the temple and an interview with those responsible for its upkeep. We recommend taking a seat and watching this as it's the best source of information about the temple.
The final area you’ll reach is a large pavilion (known as a wantilan) that's used by the local community for large gatherings and celebrations.
At the centre of the pavilion is a statue depicting a cockfighting scene. This activity has long been associated with Balinese Hinduism as the bloodshed from the losing cock is said to help drive away evil spirits.
Next to the pavilion is a small warung (local restaurant) where locals purchase food and snacks to enjoy in the communal space.
In total, we spent around 40 minutes exploring Taman Ayun temple.
More About the Temple
Pura Taman Ayun, which translates to "Beautiful Garden Temple," is a former royal temple complex in Mengwi.
It was built in the 17th century by King I Gusti Agung Putu of the Mengwi Kingdom. This was back when Bali was split into nine kingdoms.
He built it as a temple for his family to hold ceremonies and worship their ancestors. This is why many of the towers in the inner courtyard are dedicated to former kings.
The complex is in surprisingly good shape considering its age. It suffered damage from a major earthquake in 1917 but underwent renovations to restore it back to its original condition.
UNESCO Status
The temple is part of Bali’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, which recognises the island’s unique irrigation system called Subak.
Temples play an important role in managing this irrigation system as rice is seen as a gift from the gods.
When World Heritage Site status was confirmed in 2012, UNESCO specifically called out Taman Ayun Temple and Ulun Danu Batur Temple for their pivotal role in this system over the centuries.