the reliefs of Taman Ujung in Karangasem

Taman Ujung, or officially Taman Soekasada Ujung, is an architectural experiment completed in 1919 by King of Karangasem who blended European classic design and traditional Balinese esthetics. The complex is a water palace with pavilions and bridges built over large ponds .










It has suffered extensive damage during the eruption of Gunung Agung in 1963 and during the violent tremblor in 1970. While there are never-ending but unfulfilled plans of further reconstruction, there is enough glimpse of the artistic heights that this palace achieved. Amidst the ruins and the state of disrepair, the palace promontories still offer killer views of the Gunung Agung in the West and the Lombok Strait in the East.










Also notable are the extant bas reliefs in the surviving pavilions, terraces, fences and bridges which depicted characters derived from Hindu legends, most probably from Mahabharata.

the Cacing Diaries #39

at Tirta Gangga, the royal pools of Karangasem

Cacing is almost 1 year 4 months now and she now can walk confidently. Once she learned how a few weeks ago, she progressed fast as kids her age are wont to do. Soon enough she’d be running and we really would be on our wit’s end.


Cacing with my good friend Ketut at Tirta Gangga’s 11-tier fountain


Her eating habits are still that of a fickle hummingbird, nibbling here and there. Her curiosity always the gets the best of her so she’d try anything. What she likes she’ll savor. What she doesn’t she’ll spit out.


Cacing enjoying her walk with Dia on the bridge



bridges are perfect for practice walk


While she doesn’t have the command of oral communication yet –her speech, while seemingly not random, is still unintelligible – Cacing’s level of comprehension appears high. She loves running small errands, bringing a doll for her mom, or even a pen to me.


Mommy waving from one end of the Mahabharata pond



Mommy, posing on the stepping stones of Mahabharata pond


They say it is natural for kids her age to ape everyone around her. She has a liking to the broom and she got that from our housekeeper. She also likes to dust off furniture with any piece of cloth. At home, she likes to comb our hair, feed us with a drinking bottle, rub us lotion or even massage us with her hands.


Cacing and company posing at the bridge over Deman Island



Mommy’s turn to pose on her own


And did I mention that she sheds crocodile tears already? She’d pretend to get upset when she doesn’t get her way and engage us in a battle of wills. And when she’d realize that she has made a mistake and get us angry, she’d sit still and then approach and kiss us on the lips.


Cacing, finding the spring refreshingly cool



Cacing with Ketut at the Mahabharata pond


How can we get mad? In the battle of manipulations and persuasions, there is one clear winner. Need I to tell who?


my wife Dia leading the gang at Tirta Gangga

Tirta Gangga, the royal pools of Karangasem

The eastern part of Bali does not see much tourist traffic. Visitors who only have a limited time in the island normally would concentrate their sightseeing in southern or central Bali where cultural and recreational attractions are densely packed.


the Mahabharata pond of Tirta Gangga, Rejasa, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia



the South pond at the lower level of Tirta Gangga, Rejasa, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia


fountain at Demon island overlooking the South pond


I myself am guilty of this oversight and my forays in the Karangasem mostly were up to Besakih or Tengenan only. This April though, I decided to take my family in a different detour and went further up to the regency.


panorama of the Mahabharata pond’s stepping stones



Mahabharata pool statue closeup



a statue bearing her teeth at the Mahabharata pool


The three hour drive from Nusa Dua practically worked for us as our one year old daughter had the penchant of taking a nap inside a moving car. The destination I plotted was the royal fountains of Tirta Gangga.


Dia and Mommy hopping over the stepping stones


Literally meaning “holy water from Ganges”, Tirta Gangga is the summer garden of Bali’s last king of Karangasem. Spreading over a little more than one hectare in Rejasa some 5km south of Amlapura, it was built in 1947 by the rajah who as a budding architect, got inspired by his visit in the gardens of Versailles, France.


the bridge over the South pond, leading to the Demon island


Carved at the foot of Gunung Agung, the garden is laid out on 3 levels. One enters the lowest level first in the east. On the left is the South pond, the biggest pool. It is bisected by a longitundinal patch called Demon island which boasts of a series of flower-shapped fountains. On the right is the Mahabharata pond which is popular for its “floating” stepping stones that allow people to hop around the water. There are also several stone sculptures that depict characters of the Indian epic from which the pool got its name. In the middle level is what is mostly recognized as the architectural centerpiece of Tirta Gangga- a beautiful eleven-tiered fountain called Nawa Sanga which resembles a lotus and is Victorian in style. In the highest northern level lies the holy spring under the banyan tree, a royal swimming pool and two more ponds.


the Victorian lotus-style 11-tier Nawa Sanga fountain



the Demon island as seen from the bridge


Tirta Gangga by local folklore, is Bali’s Fountain of Youth. Legend says that if one bathes in these waters on full moon one will be blessed with youth and be cured from illnesses. Regardless of belief, these are the same waters that run through and irrigate the adjacent ricefields which Karangasem is famous for. Myth or not, the royal pools remains the source of life, forever flowing, forever refreshing.

the charms of Candi Dasa

My memories of Candi Dasa are all pleasurable. Back in 1992, the black beach was not as crowded as it is now but the district already has reached a critical number of restaurants, cafes and hotels that makes it the most developed tourist area in East Bali. We’d often be in Klungkung for work and Candi Dasa was a logical spot to get a decent meal. The cool breeze, the hot volcanic sand, the pure village vibes were unbeatable charms that beckon the weary traveler.

traditional boats by the beach of Candi Dasa


four craggy islets dot the coast of Candi Dasa, making for a surreal landscape




Candi Dasa was definitely my former boss’ favorite place to hangout and we only were too glad to oblige when we were invited to join him for a late lunch. While I never got the chance to stay there overnight, Candi Dasa is still a lure and will always be in the years to come.

public pavilions for those who’d like to spend some peaceful reverie



the beach of black volcanic sand