Bali’s Royal Water Palace ~ Taman Ujung Soekasada.

This is a companion blog post to Our Family and Bali’s Royal Family of Karangasem and focuses more on The Water Palace of Karangasem. To learn more about one of the Maryam's lineage and Bali's Royal Family of Karangasem just click here.

My wife is a princess. She is sweet, smart and beautiful. A lot of men say those things about their wives but in this case she is a real actual Princess. In her early years, she was raised by her Great-Grandmother, who was the daughter of the King. 

Bali’s Royal Water Palace~ Taman Ujung Soekasada in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia 

I Gusti Bagus Djelantik, The King of Karangasem's Water Palace

In our efforts to learn more about Maryam’s lineage, we have been visiting her family’s palaces. Our continued quest took us to The Karangasem Regency in East Bali, the seat of the kingdom. Here we visited Tumbu Village, home to Taman Ujung Soekasada, The Royal Water Palace of Karangasem.  

From the Old Bali archives. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedAbove is the Palace as it was in 1925.

Putu sits overlooking her family's Tama Ujung Water Palace

This was the residence of The Karangasem Royal Family. It was built by The King of Karangasem, I Gusti Bagus Djelantik who reigned in Karangasem from 1909 until 1945. The King lived here much of the year along with his wives and many children.

Taman Ujung Water Palace is perched on brilliant green hills, with sacred Mount Agung in the distance, and overlooking the ocean in the other direction.  The sprawling elegant complex is remarkably well maintained.

We are able to host weddings and very special events at The Water Palace. If you would like to discuss having your very special event at Taman Ujung, please contact us directly for details.

Many palaces we have visited in Indonesia can be disrespectfully strewn with litter. But, Tama Ujung is immaculate and the blooming flowers and various wildlife stand testament to the commitment to protect the memory, and continue the traditions, of the Royal Family.

Much of the palace was damaged in the eruption of Mount Agung Volcano in 1963. It was largely reconstructed via sponsorship of the World Bank along with Indonesia’s government.

Taman Ujung had also suffered some damage during World War II when the invading Japanese dismantled it’s iron bars for weaponry production. But today it can be visited in all its splendid glory just as it was for Maryam’s family many years ago.

It is one of many palaces and one of three water palaces built by the last raja of Karangasem.  It consists of various styles of architecture complete with pools, moats, canals, bridges, and fountains. 

The complex is a combination of Balinese and European architecture. My favorite architectural element is the endless hallway/bridge that was built with such precision; it offers perfect symmetry and one point perspective.

There are two of them actually and they lead to a rest house called “Bale Gili” which sits in the middle of the largest of three ponds within the complex. 

Entering Taman Ujung in Karangasem, Bali

While it is beautiful and offers a spectacular vista, most interesting for us was the access into the private rooms of the family. The original traditional beds and ornaments are still intact. On the walls hang many photographs of the family. We will be posting many of these amazing old photographs soon. To be notified and to join our free newsletter, just click here.

Putu stands on the infinity bridge in her family's Royal Palace in Karangasem, Bali

The majestic palace, along with hectares of manicured gardens, gazebos, and two huge ponds, also served as a place to welcome and to serve important visiting guests and Kings from countries worldwide. 

The Taman Ujung heritage site of the kingdom of Karangasem, offers views of Bali’s neighbor, Lombok and the of Lempuyang mountains. The Kingdom spread east to Lombok and ruled there as well. 

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Bali Photo of the Day ~ Cat Napping Dog

Todays photo of the day comes from The Bali Aga Village of Penglipuran.  Penglipuran is known for its main walkway that is lined with traditional houses that lead up to the village temple. Each home along the way features traditional elements, chief among them being the front gates.

Here we have a dog asleep on his watchdog duties.

Penglipuran Village, one of Bali's ancient civilizations.

A dog naps infront of a Bali Aga gateway in BaliFor more about Penglipuran click here and for more about The Bali Aga, please click here. If you would like to learn about and view photographs of one of The Bali Aga's rituals, click here for a photo essay on The Human Blood Sacrifice ritual of The Bali Aga of Tenganan.

Have a wonderful day!

Bali Photo of the Day ~ Surfing perfect barrels at Uluwatu

Perfect waves roll in almost daily at one of Bali's best surf breaks.

One of the most dependable surf spots in all of Indonesia, Uluwatu rarely dissapoints.

Uluwatu ~ Bali's most reliable and spectacular surf break

For more on Uluwatu and surfing in Bali check here.

Happy travels and hollow barrels...

Bali Photo of the Day ~ Hindu Priest Blesses Holy Daggers

Today's Bali photograph comes from a traditional dance performance.

Men gather with their kris (sacred dagger) to have it blessed by the Mangku (Hindu Priest).

A Hindu Priest in Bali blesses the holy daggers of the men

If you have a great photo of Bali or Indonesia and want to submit it the The Bali Photo of The Day, just send an email to photos@Balifornian.com.

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Bali Photo of the Day ~ Penglipuran Village - Balinese Traditional Village

Today's Bali photo of the day takes us to Bangli Regency about 45 kilometers from Denpasar. This is the location of Penglipuran Village, an indigenous Balinese Traditional Village that remains largely unchanged by the advent of electricity and modern living that has shaped much of modern Bali.

Penglipuran Village is well know for its row of traditional houses and gates which can be seen in the following photographs.

Penglipuran Village in Bali is home to well preserved traditional homes and village templePenglipuran is also known for its magestic temple and bamboo forest. Most villagers and farmers and cattlemen although these days many make a living from selling thier crafts and renting rooms to travelers. 

The entrance gate to Penglipuran's TemplePenglipuran is a great place to visit and if you have any questions, please just contact us.

Happy travels!