Pura Luhur Tamba Waras

Tucked into the forest near Sangketan village, Pura Luhur Tamba Waras is a tranquil healing temple where visitors can join melukat, a Balinese water purification ritual guided by the temple priest.

Its name says it all: tamba means medicine. Local legend tells of a king who recovered from illness after praying here, and the temple has been linked with healing ever since. In the purification area, spring water pours from carved spouts – some shaped like naga serpents – where Balinese come to cleanse body and mind.

Highlights

• Melukat purification – step beneath the sacred spouts with guidance from the temple priest.
• A quieter temple – far fewer visitors than Bali's better-known water temples.
• Forest atmosphere – stone paths, moss and tall trees on the slopes of Mount Batukaru.

Good to know

• Wear a sarong and sash, and bring a change of clothes and a towel if you plan to join melukat.
• A small offering (canang sari) and a donation for the temple's upkeep are customary.
• Balinese often come on auspicious days such as full moon (Purnama) and new moon (Tilem), when it can be busy.

From Tegal Wangi Penebel: about 30 minutes by car.

Stay nearby: Tegal Wangi Penebel, our guest house among the rice fields of Penatahan.

Photo: Luh Gede Krismayanti / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)