Tirta Gangga sits in East Bali, about thirty minutes from Natya River Sidemen, and it is one of the more photogenic places on the island: ordered ponds, stone fountains and gardens laid out around sacred bathing pools.
The King of Karangasem built it in 1946. The name means water from the Ganges, a reference to purity in Balinese Hinduism, and the design mixes Balinese and Chinese architecture — carved stone, lotus ponds, and the stepping stones across the koi pools that everybody photographs.
There is more to do here than walk the gardens. The stepping stones are worth crossing rather than just shooting, and the bathing pools are open to visitors who want to join a traditional cleansing. Locals hold that the water carries purifying energy.
The drive from Sidemen runs through rice terraces, hills and village roads, and the palace combines well with Lempuyang Temple or Amed Beach in the same day. Go between eight and ten in the morning for the best light and the fewest people, or late in the afternoon when it cools. Entry is around IDR 50,000, with a small extra fee to bathe — bring a change of clothes if you plan to.
