VICINITY OF KLUNGKUNG

At Bukit Jambul, eight km north of Klungkung and just north of Gembalan, the food in the restaurant is high-priced and low quality, but you can take in wide, unbroken, and breathtaking views of Klungkung Valley and Nusa Penida.

WEST OF KLUNGKUNG

Takmung
The highly revered temple of Pura Kentel Bumi ("The Temple of the Creation of the Earth") lies on the bend in the main road 10 km southwest of Klungkung, separated from the town by a wild, deep ravine. Takmung is the base for the priestly Resi Bhujangga sect that worships Lord Vishnu. North of Takmung is Aan, the home of high priest Pedanda Aan, who is often consulted each time it's necessary to determine the auspicious day to begin an important undertaking.

Tihingan
A gong kembar instrument-making factory near the village of Aan, Tihingan is an obligatory stop for lovers of gamelan. On the main road from Denpasar to Klungkung, take the turnoff at Salakan north to Tihingan (five km). You can also reach Tihingan from a road north of Sankanbuana, two km west of Klungkung (if coming from Klungkung, just keep straight ahead). The foundaries are on the right in the rice paddies; there's a sign out front.
     There are a number of gongmakers in this village, employing over 100 people. The best known is the small factory run by I Ketut Lunga Yasa, whose father is a master player and instrument maker. This is a very warm and approachable family. Here they make smaller instruments—gangsa, tawa-tawa, cengceng. Gongs are forged on Sundays by men stripped to the waist wielding hammers against anvils set around a roaring fire pit in the ground. The pieces are then filed and polished the rest of the week. A gender goes for around Rp350,000, large gongs cost Rp800,000, cengceng around Rp50,000. These are not tourist souvenirs but actual musical instruments used in orchestras. Several showrooms (open 0700-1500) are on the main street and the Tihingan smiths run a shop in Tohpati at the intersection of the Denpasar-Batubulan road and the Nusa Dua Highway.
     While in Tihingan drop by the Puri Penetaran Pande in the village center, consecrated by the local pande gong. There's a magnificent kulkul tower supported by Rangda columns. In front of the temple is a stone statue of Twalen, the lovable clown of the Mahabharata. Under the waringin tree is a statue of the goddess of winds, who supplies the air for the bellows of foundaries.
     Brickmaking is another cottage industry in the area (visit Penasan). Wander through the countryside and brickmakers will show you how bricks are formed in rectangular wooden molds, stacked to dry for seven days, then fit into a kiln and fired for a week using rice husks as fuel. Since the clay is dug out of the nearby topsoil, the brickmaker's factory looks like a house with a moat around it.

Museum Seni Lukis Klasik Bali
Near Tihingin, just beyond Takmung, the internationally acclaimed modern Balinese artist Nyoman Gunarsa has built this spacious three-story concrete museum (open daily except Monday 0900-1700, entrance Rp5000) devoted to 16th-19th century Balinese traditional paintings. Gunarsa has collected these rare classical paintings, many drawn on bark paper since 1982. The museum is also a center for dance, music, and the other fine arts of Bali, including embroidery, stone sculptures, carved doors, masks. Gunarsa's studio, itself within the building, is filled with old furniture, antique woodcarvings, impressionistic paintings, and traditional dance costumes. Born in 1944 in nearby Banda village, Gunarsa has twice been named the best painter in Indonesia by the Jakarta Arts Council and has put on one-man shows all over the world. His modern oil paintings of dancers and musicians now fetch up to Rp20 million apiece. Just take any public bemo west and get off at the giant Trimurti statue with the fake policeman at the base.

GELGEL AND VICINITY

This was once the seat of the old court of Gelgel, the capital of the kingdom of the same name which lasted almost 200 years from A.D. 1515. Founded by Javanese lords and priests, Gelgel was Bali's first unitary kingdom from which the other eight major Balinese kingdoms broke off. Gelgel reached its apogee during the reign of Batu Renggong in the late 16th century. In 1710 I Gusti Sideman moved his capital to the more strategic site of Klungkung, which controlled the road from Gianyar to Amlapura as well as the approach to Besakih, Bali's holiest temple.
     Today, Gelgel is known for its pottery and beautiful handwoven ceremonial songket. Get here by simply turning south at the main crossroads by the Kerta Gosa in Klungkung and traveling three km, then taking a left one km to Gelgel. Except for the royal state temple of Pura Dasar and a few ruined gateways, nothing remains today of the noblest of all the Balinese rajadoms. Pura Dasar is entered through a huge outer courtyard. When the descendants of Gelgel's far-flung aristocracy arrive, this temple plays host to elaborate ceremonies on its large bale and wantilan. Try to make it here for the impressive odalan. Don't miss seeing the mysterious ancestral stones placed on a stone throne, and weathered Pura Nataran.
     Not far away, to the east of Pura Dasar, is Gelgel Mosque, the most ancient mosque on Bali, established by Muslim immigrants who served the Dewa Agung during Bali's Golden Age. The story goes that when Muslim missionaries tried to convert the Dewa Agung, he balked at the circumcision requirement, and thus Bali remains Hindu to this day. Visitors are discouraged from entering the mesjid, which is smack in the center of the Muslim quarter, one of only several Islamic communities on Bali which have more of the feel of Java than of Bali (other old Muslim communities are at Kusamba in Klungkung, Sarenjawa in Karangasem, and Lovina in Buleleng).
     The most significant temple in the neighborhood is Pura Jero Agung ("Great Palace Temple") built on the grounds of the former Gelgel puri to the west of Pura Dasar. Unusual and mysterious Pura Kuri Batu, in Jelantik village northeast of Gelgel, features beautiful carved doors of solid stone. Who carved the doors and when no one knows. The villagers just say "the doors have always been here."
     East of Gelgel is a large complex of kuburan and temples connected to the many noble families of Bali. North of the graveyards is Pura Dalem Gandamayu, thought to have once been the residence of the wandering Hindu priest Nirantha. One of the shrines in the temple is dedicated to the blacksmith clan; the other is kept by the descendants of Nirantha.
     The nearby village of Tangkas, near the coast to the south, is known for its sacred gamelan luang, a rare and archaic ensemble combining both bamboo and bronze instruments. One km to the west of Tangkas is Jumpai, noted for its powerful balian and sacred barong. Visit the nearby beach of Klotok, frequent destination of pilgrims. To get there from Klungkung, take the road directly south past Gelgel until you hit the ocean.

KAMASAN AND VICINITY

Descendants of the Hindu-Javanese Majapahit court artisans still work in the villages surrounding Klungkung, practicing the same professions as their ancestors of 25 generations ago. The coppersmith guild settled in Banjar Budaya (the western part of Semapura town), the ironsmiths in Klungkung and Kusamba, while the artists and silver- and goldsmiths established themselves in the hamlets of Banjar Jelantik and Banjar Sangging around the villages of Kamasan and Desa Tojan.
     Originally a village of gold- and silversmiths who produced the crowns, body ornaments, and jewelry for the raja and his family, Kamasan later became known as a center for painters. Their art was devotional work (ngayah) for god or a leige lord, sent all over Bali to decorate puri.
     When the Dutch arrived at the beginning of the century, Kamasan artists lost their royal patronage and the art of wayang-style painting nearly died. Kamasan underwent a resurgence when the Dutch commissioned the restoration of the Kerta Gosa paintings in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1960s tourists and art and souvenir shops became an important source of revenue. High-ranking officials now commission works for their homes and offices.
     Kamasan lies four km south of Klungkung. From Klungkung's main intersection, take a bemo (Rp300) down the hilly road in the direction of Klotok and ask to be dropped off at Kamasan. You know you've arrived when people start to invite you into the compound to buy directly from the artist. Since tourists only occasionally visit the village, it has only one showroom. Its proprietor, I Made Sondra, is quite knowledgeable. He sells painted wooden eggs and other collectibles like bamboo boxes, wallets, and basketry. But the richest experience is to visit the art complex of Nyoman Mandra where you can see not only women and children painting but also dance rehearsals. Nyoman's shop/gallery sells attractive hand-painted souvenirs and paintings—a real find for the bargain hunter looking for quality (see "Painters" below).

Painting
The traditional wayang-style paintings produced here were the only form of painting executed on Bali from the 14th century until the early 1920s, and it's the oldest school of painting still practiced here. The 140-plus painters in the banjar around Kamasan belong to a specialized guild working as a collective enterprise in home workshops and studios. Many of the best-known painters trace their lineage to I Gede Modara, a classical artist of the 18th century who enjoyed the patronage of the Dewa Agung.
     As in the Kerta Gosa frescoes, the highly conservative, formalized Kamasan style imitates the two-dimensional shadow puppets, with faces drawn in three-quarters profile. The heroes and demons depicted are taken from the Ramayana, Suthasoma, Pan Brayat, and other Javanese and Bali-Hindu mythologies and literary classics. These characters are not really individuals but distinct, iconographic types. The village was once a lively center court for dalang, dancers, and musicians, all serving as inspiration for local painters.
     It used to be paintings that depicted themes or characters that did not correspond to the accepted, cherished age-old values of the community risked severe criticism, but Kamasan's new patrons want painters to produce work with lighter themes. Kamasan painters also specialize in pictorial Balinese calendars costing Rp20,000 or less.
     Kamasan paintings are actually colored drawings. Traditionally, rocks, leaves, soot, crushed limestone, bone, and other vegetable and mineral dyes produced yellow, blue, red, green, orange, caramel, dark ochre, and dark brown colors. Now poster paints are beginning to replace hand-pounded natural dyes. Cotton cloth is stretched, a layer of white rice flour starch applied, scenarios sketched from memory with charcoal, outlines drawn in with China ink, and the pigments filled in with a homemade, very fine bamboo paintbrush. Figures are usually colored orange. In the best pieces, look for figures set off by fluid and distinct black outlines. Colors are dabbed on the canvases before the black outlines, which are usually drawn by the master artist when finishing the piece. Colors should remain clear and separate without being muddied by overlapping. It takes about a month to finish a one-half-square-meter painting, including preparing the canvas and paints.
     Because Kamasan lies outside the usual tourist routes, and because of the system of guide commissions that controls tourist marketing in Bali, these artists are unable to sell many paintings at a reasonable profit. The best of the Kamasan paintings are seriously undervalued and masterpieces can be purchased practically for the price of day labor and materials. The cheapest place to buy paintings is Banjar Sangging. The cloth paintings aren't usually framed and range in price from Rp100,000 to Rp750,000. Be generous; these fine traditional craftsmen are an endangered species.

Painters
The most famous and sought-after painter is I Nyoman Mandra (b. 1946), whose works are a favorite of international collectors and hang in European museums and galleries. Mandra is a delightful person and speaks so-so English. His students do amazing work as well, which you can observe in a government-sponsored school. Here, village children are trained to carry on this 500-year-old-tradition by imitating the master. Another well-known painter is Mangku Mure in Banjar Siku (the closest kampung to Klungkung), who sells his really big paintings for as high as 2.5 million rupiah. With Pan Semaris, Pak Mure directed the restoration of the Kerta Gosa paintings in 1960. Ketut Rabeg in Banjar Sangging is also considered a gifted artist. Nyoman Serengkog, a rare female practictioner in what used to be a male-dominated profession, is the wife of Pan Semaris and works in the adjoining kampung. Ni Made Suciarmi is another competent woman artist working in this style, see her work displayed in Ubud's Seniwati Women's Art Gallery.

PAKSABALI AND POINTS EAST

About a 10-minute drive east of Klungkung is the village of Paksabali, well known for the making of ceremonial parasols and flags. Be sure to catch the Dewa Mapalu ("Clashing of the Gods") festival celebrated at Pura Timbrah during Kuningan. Get to the temple by crossing the long suspension bridge, then taking the first asphalted road to the north; the temple's on the right side of the road. Pratima are carried on litters down a steep ravine for ritual bathing in the Unda River. When the bearers return, the pratima "refuse to go back" to the temple, so a wild free-for-all (or "god fight") ensues in which participants often fall into trance.
In Sampalan Tengah, the next village (one km) east of Paksabali, visit the ikat factory, which weaves designs on cotton (Rp12,500 per meter) or silk (Rp30,000 per meter). This village is also the home of Mangku Putu Cedet, Bali's preeminent traditional undagi (architect), his status equal to that of the island's highest ranking dalang or pedanda. Sadly, temples, ceremonial bale, and the occasional small Balinese-style boutique-hotel are the only opportunities left for the diversified talents of the undagi, his job having been largely taken over by modern-day building contractors and developers.
Three km after Sampalan Tengah, take the small paved road to the left and travel two km to the small desa of Dawan at the foot of Bukit Gunaksa in the foothills of Gunung Agung (in all, seven km southesast of Klungkung). Dawan is the home of Pedanda Gede Keniten, a direct descendant of the court priest of the Gelgel dynasty and a man believed to possess supernatural powers. The village lies in the middle of a sawo-growing area and is also renowned for its tuak and high-quality brown palm sugar. The adjoining village of Besang features a pura with the ancient kawi inscriptions under a soaring pagoda.

Kusamba
Take a bemo from Klungkung (Rp500) in the direction of Amlapura. On the descent, you'll come across gigantic lava beds, effluvia from Gunung Agung's 1963 eruption. Where the main road meets the sea, and where your nostrils meet the aroma of drying fish, about eight km east of Klungkung, is the working fishing village of Kusamba. On its sparkling, black-sand beach you can see many jukung in daily use. Turn south at the Y-junction in the center of town and drive about one km.
     Upon Kuta's decline in the mid-1800s, Kusamba became southern Bali's busiest and most important entry port for agricultural products and slaves. It was also the center for a specialist clan of blacksmiths skilled at weapons-making. In 1849, Kusamba was the site of a pivotal fight between the Dutch and The Virgin Queen Istri Kanya; the Balinese emerged victorious and Istri Kanya has been a national heroine ever since.
     The mixed and rather dour Hindu and Muslim population also mines sea salt, the other major industry of the area. Driving the coastal road east of Klungkung, you'll see small, brown, thatched, peculiarly shaped beach huts—salt-making factories. Across the road from Goa Lawah, three km east of Kusamba, they'll ask for money just to peer into one of the briny troughs; go farther up or down the coast to observe this centuries-old technique for free.
     Wet, salt-rich black sand is first carried by yoked buckets from the sea and spread out on flat terraces along the beach. After drying, the sand is dumped in a large palmwood vat inside a hut. Next, seawater is leached through the sand, producing a clear, salty water which is then poured in hollowed-out coconut-log troughs set in low platforms in rows beside the huts. Under the sun's blazing heat most of the water evaporates, leaving a salt slush which is further processed into salt crystals. Weather permitting, the whole process takes two days. The salt panner can make three to five kilos of salt per day in the dry season. The coarse white sea salt, used in salting fish and not as table salt, is sold to distributors who in turn sell it in the markets of Klungkung, Amlapura, and Nusa Penida.
     From Kusamba, bemo to Padangbai run Rp500; Denpasar Rp1000. Kusamba is also a port of embarkation for Nusa Penida. To Banjarbias Harbor it's about 500 meters from the main Klungkung-Amlapura road; for the old harbor, drive east through town past the market and take a right at the sign Dermaga Penyebarangan Kusamba. Motorized prahu require 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to reach the island of Nusa Lembongan or the landing stage at Toyapekeh on Nusa Penida. The fare for tourists for either of these destinations is Rp15,000 per person. The first boat, carrying sea salt, peanuts, fruit, and rice, leaves at around 0600. With enough passengers, a second boat departs in the afternoon. There are seldom any boats after 1600. The number of departures per day depends on weather, demand, cargo, and destination. These sprightly boats can carry up to 1.5 tons of cargo. They're also available for hire if you want to go snorkeling on the stunning coral reefs of Nusa Lembongan. The older harbor, on the beach in the village of Kusamba itself, also features boats to Toyapekeh, but they run less frequently.

Goa Lawah
The famous Bat Cave Goa Lawah lies just three km northeast of Kusamba and about nine km east of Klungkung on the left side of a dramatic road paralleling the sea with uninterrupted views of Nusa Penida. The holy cave begins at the foot of a rocky cliff and is said to extend all the way to the base of Gunung Agung. The ceiling is alive with thousands of fluttering, squeaking, vibrating, long-nosed fruit bats—an awesome sight. The wheeling, squealing bats are drawn again and again into the deep and dusky cavern; the noise is deafening.
     A thick layer of slippery, sickly sweet bat droppings carpets the cave floor, through which bat-gorged pythons ooze in a state of surfeit. Bat excrement also covers the small shrines of a Shivaite temple guarding the cave's entrance. It's believed Pura Goa Lawah was founded in 1007 by the peripatetic holy man Empu Kuturan. The cave and temple, one of the great sad-kahyangan state temples of Bali, are both associated with religious rites surrounding death. The locals believe the cave harbors an enormous snake, Naga Basuki, the mythical sacred serpent of Gunung Agung and the caretaker of the earth's equilibrium. Homage is paid to this deity in the pura.
     In 1904 the princes of Bali held a historic conference in this cave to plan action against the encroaching Dutch armies. Oral tradition says the cave leads by way of an underground river to Pura Goa ("Cave Temple") within the Besakih complex some 25 km away. A tale is told of how a prince of Mengwi actually entered the cave and emerged at Besakih, but his feat was never duplicated—entering the cave is now forbidden.
     Today Goa Lawah is a real tourist trap. After alighting from the minibus, sellers of postcards and necklaces descend upon you; the parking lot is choked with warung makanan and souvenir stands. Watch for cheeky young girls who drape a shell necklace around your neck as a "welcome gift," then demand payment. Entrance fee Rp550. If traveling by public transport, don't arrive at Goa Lawah later than 1700; after that bemo to Klungkung or Denpasar (55 km) are scarce.