The Water Palaces of Karangasem

The royal house of Karangasem built two water gardens in the first half of the twentieth century, and both survive on the eastern side of Bali. Tirta Gangga is the better known: tiered fountains, carp ponds crossed by round stepping stones, and terraced lawns climbing toward the hills, fed by a spring the family held sacred. Taman Ujung, closer to the coast, is grander and emptier, a set of European-influenced pavilions and bridges set in large still ponds with the sea on one side and Mount Agung behind. Both were wrecked by the eruption of Agung in 1963 and by later earthquakes, so much of what stands today has been rebuilt.

What you actually see

• The stepping stones - round stones set across the carp ponds at Tirta Gangga.
• The tiered fountain - the central water tower and its terraces.
• Taman Ujung's pavilions - colonnaded halls and bridges reflected in wide pools.
• The Agung view - the volcano rising behind the ponds on a clear morning.

When to go

April to October is the dry half of the year. Mornings are best at both, before the light goes flat and before the stepping-stone queue forms at Tirta Gangga. Agung is usually clear early and clouded by noon. Both sites are quiet on weekday mornings and busiest in the middle of the day, when trips arrive from the south.

Honest expectations

The stepping stones at Tirta Gangga have become a photo queue, complete with people waiting their turn and carp crowding for pellets sold at the gate. Taman Ujung is largely a reconstruction and can feel empty and hot, with little shade and almost no interpretation. East Bali is two hours from the main resort areas, so both usually mean a long day in a car.

Nearby

The diving coast at Amed and the walled village of Tenganan are within an hour; Mount Agung dominates the skyline inland.