About Bedugul

The name Bedugul is sometimes used to refer to the whole lakeside area, strictly speaking, Bedugul is just the first place you reach at the top of the hill when coming up from south Bali.

Neither as big nor as dramatic as the Batur region, the Lake Beratan area, sometimes just known as Bedugul, has impressive mountains, beautiful lakes, quiet walks and attractive temples. The area is very much an Indonesian destination: farmers make offerings to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the crater lake, at Pura Ulun Danu Beratan on the shores of Lake Beratan, while lowland dwellers come to the Bali Botanical Gardens in Candikuning for picnics, and to enjoy the water sports on offer at the Taman Rekreasi Bedugul (Bedugul Leisure Park) on the shores of Lake Beratan. The entire area is frequently referred to as Bedugul or Beratan, but it’s very spread out: Bedugul is, strictly speaking, the small area on the Shore of Lake Beratan occupied by the Taman Rekreasi.

Lake Beratan nestles in the lee of Mt Catur, on the main Denpasar-Mengwi-Singaraja road 53km north of Denpasar and 30km south of Singaraja; no direct route links it to Batur. Approaching from the south, the road rises from the tropical heat into cooler temperatures through a series of small villages. Pacung offers accommodation; just north of it, near the market in Baturiti, a road is signed to Senganan, which takes a picturesque route through Jatiluwih to the Batukau region. The main road completes another steep 8km north to the rim of an ancient volcanic crater at the market village of Candikuning from where it descends through the village of Pancasari, skirting the western shore of Lake Beratan. It then climbs again to the pass out of the crater at Wanagiri (known locally as Puncak), where it begins the steep descend to the northern plains. The smaller, quieter Buyan Lake and Tamblingan Lake lie about 6km northwest of Lake Beratan.

All the lakes have superbly situated shore side temples, and the area is dotted with attractive villages. Most tourists visit as part of a roundtrip including Batur Lake and the north coast; relatively few stay overnight, although there’s a reasonable range of accommodation. There are bus services to and from Denpasar (Ubung; 1hr 30min) and Singaraja (Sukasada; 1hr 30min); however, having your own transport means you can enjoy the glorious road that passes north of lake Buyan and Tamblingan before heading to the north coast via Munduk and Mayong, or explore the peaceful back roads to the west of Tamblingan Lake.

Spread Out along the western side of the lake, Candi Kuning is the horticultural focus of central Bali, its daily marked was once the main supplier of vegetables, fruit and flowers for the southern hotels, but now it mostly supplies herbs, spices and potted plants for tourist. There’s a Wartel beside the marked, and several moneychangers.

Any minibus or Bemo between south Bali and Singaraja will stop at Bedugul on request.

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