Feel like royalty in Tirta Gangga
water palace...
The water palace Taman Tirta Gangga is located just north of Amlapura on the way from Candi Dasa to Amed Bali. The Raja of Amlapura, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut built the water palace in 1947 and used it as one of his many weekend retreats.
Other water palaces that were built by the same raja are located in Ujung and Jangutan. All three pools were built in a style of royalty. However over the years these pools have suffered tremendously from the impact of several earthquakes.
Tirta Gangga Water Palace near Amlapura
The only palace which has been renovated many times is Tirta Gangga and today it's the best preserved water palace in Bali. Tirtagangga means 'Water from the Ganges', referring to the river Ganges in India.
The water palace is also home to a holy water source which is located right under the huge banyan tree which is easy to recognise once you enter the premises.
The availability of a holy water source is probably the reason why the Raja Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut built his palace right on this spot.
Next to the banyan tree you'll find a small Balinese shrine where Balinese place offerings every day.
The garden and the pools of the water palace ar worth a visit. The garden is full with flowers and statues, of which some represent Balinese demons and even pigs. You have to walk on tiles to cross the water and admire the statues up close.
The best part of the water palace is that you can take a swim in one of the royal pools. In the back of the garden there's a big swimming pool and they have cabins where you can change.
We had a great time in the swimming pool, it was a really strange feeling to know that we were swimming in a pool which was used by royalty in the past.
A very refreshing swim with in the back the banyan
tree with holy water source
The turquoise pool and the dark statues around the pool make it all very ancient looking but also classy. The mountain water was freezing for the first few minutes, but it's still a terrific place to cool down in the heat of the day.
The best time to go is during the afternoons when the sun has heated these royal pools properly.
If you don't feel like swimming you can always head over to the Tirta Ayu Hotel within the grounds of the water palace and treat yourself to some refreshing drinks and enjoy the marvelous view.
