Tirta Empul & Ubud's Water Temples: Sacred Springs, Purification & Ancient Stone

The water has been rising here for more than a thousand years. It pushes up through the earth at Tirta Empul, cool and impossibly clear, filling the stone pools of a temple that was already ancient when Bali's history was first written down. In the bathing pavilions, Balinese Hindus stand in the current of the water, mouths moving in prayer, moving from spout to spout in a ritual of purification that connects them — without pause, without interruption — to every generation that has stood in this same water before them.

The sacred water temples of the Ubud region are among the most spiritually significant sites in Bali. They are also among the most visually extraordinary — carved from volcanic rock, draped in moss, set within forests and beside rivers that seem to have been arranged specifically to humble you.

Tirta Empul: The Holy Spring Temple

Tirta Empul, located in the village of Tampaksiring roughly 18 kilometres northeast of Ubud, is one of Bali's most important Hindu temples. Its name translates simply as 'holy water spring,' and the complex is built around a natural spring that believers hold to have been created by the god Indra. The spring feeds a series of rectangular bathing pools (petirtan) fitted with carved stone waterspouts, each of which is associated with specific prayers and intentions.

The melukat purification ritual performed here is one of the most significant in Balinese Hinduism. Worshippers — dressed in temple clothing, typically a white shirt and sarong — move through the pools in sequence, immersing themselves beneath each spout while reciting prayers or guided by a priest. The ritual is believed to cleanse spiritual impurities, lift curses, heal illness, and restore harmony between the individual and the divine order.

The temple complex also includes a large inner courtyard with shrines and a split gate (candi bentar) of extraordinary craftsmanship, as well as the spring pool itself, which is not used for bathing but is held especially sacred.

Visiting with respect: Non-Hindu visitors may join the purification pools if they approach with genuine reverence. Wear a sarong and sash (available to rent at the entrance), do not crowd worshippers in prayer, and avoid treating the ritual as a photo opportunity. Photography in the outer areas is generally permitted; in the bathing areas, read the room and prioritise discretion. Note that some spouts are reserved for devotional use only — follow the guidance of temple staff.

Gunung Kawi: Shrines Carved Into the Cliff

Some 2 kilometres from Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi presents one of the most dramatic sights in all of Bali: a series of enormous candi (shrine towers) carved directly into the face of a sheer volcanic rock cliff, rising to roughly seven metres each, standing in silent rows on both banks of the Pakerisan River gorge.

The complex dates to the eleventh century and is believed to have been built as a memorial to the Balinese king Anak Wungsu and members of his royal family. Reaching it requires descending nearly 300 steps through terraced rice paddies and banana palms, crossing the river on a footbridge, and entering through a gateway cut into the rock. The descent is worth every step.

The combination of scale, antiquity, and natural setting — the cliffs draped in ferns, the river rushing below, the paddies climbing away on either side — makes Gunung Kawi feel like a place discovered rather than visited. Come early and you may have the cliff face almost to yourself.

Practical notes: A sarong is required; the descent involves significant stair climbing — allow time and wear appropriate shoes. The return climb is steeper than it looks on the way down.

Goa Gajah: The Elephant Cave

Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), situated just east of Ubud on the road toward Gianyar, is one of Bali's oldest archaeological sites, dating to at least the ninth century. The cave itself is carved into a riverside cliff face and entered through the mouth of a kala demon face of extraordinary scale and detail — eyes wide, fangs bared, surrounded by a swirling mass of rock-carved vegetation and creatures.

Inside the cave — which is actually a small meditation chamber in a T-shape — are carved niches once used by Hindu and Buddhist ascetics for meditation. The atmosphere inside is close and cool, and the carvings visible in the rock walls reward patient looking.

Outside the cave entrance, a courtyard contains stone bathing pools fed by water-spouting widyadari (celestial nymphs) figures, rediscovered only in 1954. The site also includes a garden, a small Buddhist relief carved into a nearby rock face, and a stream-side path leading to additional meditation niches further into the gorge.

The cave's name is thought to derive not from actual elephants (there are none native to Bali) but possibly from a nearby inscription, or from the elephant-headed god Ganesha, whose image was found inside.

The Broader Water Temple Network

These three sites exist within a much larger network of water temples that spans the entire Ubud region and, by extension, much of Bali. Small spring temples (pura tirta) dot the landscape — beside irrigation channels, at river confluences, at the source of streams that feed the rice terraces. Many are not formally open to non-worshippers but can be observed respectfully from the path.

The subak irrigation system, with its basis in water-temple spirituality, connects Tirta Empul's sacred spring water — through channels and ritual — all the way to the paddies of Tegalalang.

Know Before You Go

• Dress code: Sarong and sash required at all three sites — available to rent or purchase at entrances.
• Tirta Empul participation: If you wish to participate in the bathing ritual, wear modest swimwear beneath your sarong. Some spouts are reserved for devoted worshippers; follow guidance on signage and from staff.
• Entrance fees: All three sites charge admission; fees support maintenance and the communities that care for them. Verify current rates on arrival.
• Timing: Early morning (before 9 a.m.) offers the best light and fewest crowds at all three sites. Gunung Kawi in morning mist is especially memorable.
• Combined visit: Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi are close enough to visit in a single morning by scooter or hired driver. Goa Gajah can anchor a separate afternoon, or be combined with the Ubud art villages on the road between.
• Physical access: Gunung Kawi involves significant stair climbing in both directions — approximately 300 steps down to the site. Not suitable for those with significant mobility difficulties.