Garuda Wisnu Kencana

The GWK statue stands on a limestone plateau in southern Bali, one hundred and twenty-one metres from base to the tip of Garuda's crown, which makes it among the tallest statues in the world; the figure is Vishnu mounted on Garuda, worked in copper and brass sheet over a steel frame by the sculptor Nyoman Nuarta. The project began in 1997, stalled repeatedly through the financial crisis and funding disputes, and was finally completed in 2018 - twenty-one years, with the head and torso standing separately on the site for much of that time, which many Balinese remember. The surrounding cultural park is built in a disused limestone quarry, with the cut faces left as monumental walls forming plazas and corridors, and it hosts performances, weddings and events.

What you actually see

• A 121-metre statue - Vishnu on Garuda in copper and brass over steel.
• Twenty-one years of building - begun 1997, finished 2018 after long stalls.
• A quarry as architecture - cut limestone faces forming plazas and corridors.
• A performance park - dance, events and viewing decks around the statue.

When to go

April to October; late afternoon for the light. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is a modern commercial attraction, not a temple, and priced accordingly with extra charges inside. It is exposed and very hot on the quarry plazas. Opinions on it in Bali are mixed.

Nearby

Uluwatu is south; Jimbaran and the airport are north.