Tirtagangga Water Palace

Tirtagangga — which translates roughly as 'water from the Ganges' — is a royal water palace in the remote eastern reaches of Bali, built in 1948 by the last Raja of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. It sits in the foothills below the brooding bulk of Gunung Agung, Bali's holiest and highest volcano, and the setting alone makes it one of the most visually dramatic royal gardens on the island. The complex was badly damaged by the eruption of Agung in 1963 and later by an earthquake, but has been thoughtfully restored and remains a working site of spiritual significance for Balinese Hindus who come to collect its holy spring water.

The experience is all about wandering through a maze of tiered ornamental pools, stepping-stone paths, fountains crowned with mythological nagas and multi-tiered pagodas, and lush tropical plantings threaded together by the sound of moving water. You can actually swim in the upper pools — a genuinely surreal experience, floating in royal spring water while staring at stone demons and distant rice fields. The surrounding village and terraced landscape stretching down toward the coast complete a picture that feels almost impossibly photogenic, especially in the soft light of early morning when mist rolls off the mountain.

Tirtagangga sits in the Karangasem regency, the least-touristed corner of Bali and one worth lingering in. The palace is far enough from Ubud and the south that crowds are manageable even at peak season, and the drive through eastern Bali — past black-sand coast, salt farms at Amed, and jungle roads — is worthwhile in itself. Arrive early to have the stepping stones and pools largely to yourself, and factor in time to eat at one of the simple warungs overlooking the complex from the ridge above.