Penglipuran

Penglipuran is a village in Bangli laid out on a single paved lane climbing a slope, with the family compounds ranged on either side and their angkul-angkul gates - the covered entrance gates of a Balinese house - built to the same form and height so the street reads as a repeated rhythm. The plan follows the Balinese tri mandala ordering, with the temple at the top of the slope, the houses in the middle and the cemetery at the bottom, and customary rules govern building, the bamboo forest that surrounds the village, and behaviour: motor vehicles are excluded from the lane and the village has been repeatedly cited in Indonesian and international listings as among the cleanest in the world. Residents live there and charge entry, which funds the upkeep and is the arrangement.

History

The village is believed to have been settled in the reign of I Dewa Gede Putu Tangkeban III, and almost all its people trace their origins to Bayung Gede, whose people, skilled in religious, customary and defence matters, were often called to the Bangli kingdom. The name may come from pengeling pura, "remembering the ancestral place", or from pelipur, "comfort" (Wikipedia, Penglipuran).

What to look for

• Identical gates up one lane - the angkul-angkul repeated along the whole street.
• Tri mandala ordering - temple above, houses in the middle, cemetery below.
• A bamboo forest - the protected grove around the village under customary rule.
• A vehicle-free street - motor traffic excluded from the central lane.

When to go

April to October; early morning before the coaches. Half a day.

Practical notes

It is heavily visited and the entry-fee arrangement makes it feel staged to some. People live in these houses - do not enter compounds uninvited. Midday brings coach groups.

Nearby

Bangli and Kintamani are north; Ubud is west.

Key facts