People & volcano

We visit Mount Agung volcano. It is an active stratovolcano and, at 3,142 m, the highest point on Bali. When Agung erupted in 1963, more than 1,100 people died. The volcano is revered as the seat of the gods and regarded as the centre of the world. Gods visiting Mount Agung are housed in the Besakih mother temple. The sacred temple lies almost 1,000 m above sea level at the foot of the volcano and is the next stop on the tour. Over an area of three square kilometres you can admire this seat of the gods, made up of 23 separate temples with more than 200 shrines. The first temples of this complex were built as early as the 9th century. It is the most important Hindu sanctuary on the island and the “mother temple” of all Balinese temples. The temple is freely accessible to worshippers, but visitors can only admire the complex from outside or along a signposted circular path. Ceremonies and festivals are held at this temple very often.

We do not want to keep real Balinese life from you, which is why we next drive to my home village. My family lives here in a small house in idyllic surroundings. You get a genuine insight into Balinese everyday life and way of living, with its customs. A picturesque country road leads down to the town of Semarapura (formerly called Klungkung). At a market away from tourism, you will see fruit, vegetables, spices, clothing, household goods and even animals being sold. The last visit takes you to a palace built at the end of the 17th century and largely destroyed during the Dutch conquest in 1908. Today you can still see the remains of the palace known as the Kertha Gosa Pavilion, once the supreme court of justice. Within the palace grounds there is also a floating pavilion. Legal cases that could not be resolved elsewhere came here. Three Brahmin priests presided over the court and became known for their harsh and inhuman verdicts. Here you can see the ceiling paintings depicting the punishments intended for adulterers, thieves and murderers.

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