Taman Ayun

Pura Taman Ayun was built in 1634 as the state temple of the Mengwi kingdom and rebuilt in the twentieth century, and its plan is what distinguishes it: the whole complex sits on a raised platform surrounded by a moat, so it reads as an island, entered over a bridge and through gates into a sequence of courts rising to the innermost, where a row of meru - pagoda towers with tiered thatched roofs, the number of tiers indicating the rank of the deity - stands in a line. Beyond devotion it had an administrative function: as a royal temple in the subak system, it stood at the head of a network of water temples coordinating irrigation across the Mengwi lands, which is why it is included in the UNESCO cultural landscape inscription of Bali's subak.

What you actually see

• A temple in a moat - the raised platform reading as an island, entered by bridge.
• A row of tiered meru - the pagoda towers in the innermost court.
• A royal water temple - its role at the head of the Mengwi subak network.
• A Balinese garden plan - the sequence of courts rising through the complex.

When to go

April to October; mornings are quietest. An hour or two.

Honest expectations

The innermost court is closed to visitors - it is viewed from the surrounding walkway. It is small and an hour covers it. Sarongs are required and rented at the gate.

Nearby

Tanah Lot is west; Bedugul and the lakes are north; Denpasar is south.