TIRTA GANGGA WATER PALACE BALI – The Complete Guide
Tirta Gangga water palace is a former royal palace in Karangasem, east Bali, built in 1946. The beautiful Tirta Gangga water palace is still owned by the royal Karangasem family. It features 1.2 hectare of ponds and fountains surrounded by tropical gardens and stone sculptures of mythical creatures. You can feed the Koi fish in some of the fish ponds and walk around the gardens to admire its beauty and the history. Read in this complete guide more background info about Tirta Gangga water palace and all the practical info you need to know!
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How to get to Tirta Gangga water palace Bali
Located in East Bali, Tirta Gangga water palace is a great idea to put on your itinerary when staying in the Amed, Manggis, Candidasa area. From Ubud and Canggu it is at least a 2 hour drive. But because you can combine so many other great spots nearby Tirta Gangga I’d highly recommend planning a few days in this area. For example the famous Pura Lempuyang temple with impressive views on Mount Agung and viewpoints such as Bukit Cinta and Lahangan Sweet are pretty nearby Tirta Gangga. The best way to come here is with a rental scooter or private driver. It’s easy to find and the roads are great in East Bali to navigate by yourself.
Entrance fee Tirta Gangga water palace
The entrance fee for the Tirta Gangga Bali water gardens is 50.000 IDR per person for adults and 15.000 IDR for a child in 2022. Parking fee is 2000 IDR per vehicle.
If you want to take pictures with the big koi fishes in one of the fish ponds, you can buy fish food at the vendors near the entrance. They sell bags of fish food for 5,000 IDR per bag. Feeding the greedy fish is guaranteed fun and can turn into a great Instagram picture. If you want to rent the traditional boat in the pond it costs 20 000 IDR. Ask for more information at the ticket booth.
Best time to visit Tirta Gangga water palace
If you want to avoid the heat then visiting in the early morning is the best advice I can give. For example after watching sunrise at some of the amazing viewpoints in East Bali. You won’t need an hour to explore the whole complex, so you can perfectly squeeze a visit in before heading for breakfast. Then you’re not only beating the heat, but also the crowds that usually arrive around 10 AM.
There is not much natural shadow at the water palace, so walking around in the scorching heat can be exhausting. Pic your time wisely and come in the morning or late afternoon.
The opening hours for Tirta Gangga water palace are from Monday to Sunday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Best tours to explore east Bali
If you want to explore the best of East Bali then it is highly recommended to book your tours in advance. Of course you can also explore the area by yourself if you are comfortable driving a motorbike. But if you book your tour you don’t have to think about anything else, you can just enjoy and take pictures. All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.
- East Bali 2 day tour. Discover the beauty of East Bali during this 2 day tour including a visit to Lempuyang Luhur temple, Tirta Gangga and Taman Ujung water temple, the black sand beaches and a Chocolate Factory visit.
- Snorkeling Trip to the Japanese Shipwreck in Amed. Explore the underwater world and visit the Japanese Shipwreck Point and snorkel in between a variety of reef fish, coral, and other marine life.
- Hike Mount Batur and go diving at WWII shipwreck in Tulamben.
- Lempuyang and Besakih temple tour. Visit some of the best temples that Bali has to offer. Lempuyang temple with the famous view on Mount Agung, the mother temple Besakih, Tirta Gangga water palace and a delicious lunch.
- Beginner’s dive experience in Amed Bali. Learn the basics of scuba diving and take a dive with an instructor in Tulamben Bay on the north-east coast of Bali.
- 3-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course Amed. Get your diving certificate and see the Coral Triangle, an area with the highest biodiversity of marine species near Amed.
- 3 days tour; Hike Mount Batur, explore east Bali, Lempuyang temple, Ubud and Nusa Penida. Get the best of Bali and Nusa Penida during this 3 days tour. Watch the sunrise on Mount Batur, see the best of East Bali, Ubud and visit beautiful Nusa Penida island.
- USAT Liberty Wreck Dive and Tulamben Bay Amed. Explore some of the best dive sites off the north-east coast of Bali and get up close to the USAT Liberty wreck on a dive experience at Tulamben Bay Amed.
- Bali Instagram tour; visit Lempuyang temple, Tirta Gangga, Tukad Cepung waterfall, jungle swimg and rice terraces Ubud
History of Tirta Gangga water palace Bali
The Tirta Gangga water palace was built in 1948 by the King of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. The way that Tirta Gangga was built is inspired by Balinese and Chinese architecture. Unfortunately many parts were destroyed during the Mount Agung eruption in 1963 but have been restored afterwards. The interesting fact about Tirta Gangga water palace is that it is located near a natural spring. This makes the water at Tirta Gangga sacred considering the Hindu culture in Bali. The name Tirta Gangga is also derived from the words Tirta, which means blessed water. And Gangga which come from ‘Ganges’, the holy river in India.
Purpose of Tirta Gangga water palace
Besides the natural beauty of the water gardens, there is also a purpose for the water reservoirs. Via the grounds it receives the natural spring water which is then delivered via a pipe system to the town of Amlapura. Another pipe system leads to the upper swimming pool where it ends up via the mouth of the Raksasa demon statue.
What to expect at Tirta Gangga water palace
The beautiful water palace consists of three separate areas which are all connected by well maintained paths. There is a swimming pool which is allowed to use for swimming for an additional 10.000 IDR. So if you fancy a refreshing dip in the natural spring water, then bring you swimsuit! You can also rent a beautiful traditional boat, called Jukung, for 20 000 IDR. Because the complex is quite small, you won’t need long to explore everything. You can wander around for about 20 – 30 minutes and see all corners of the area. Of course it will depend how long you take pictures, but the general time spend here is not more than 30 to 50 minutes.
The fish ponds are most popular for photography as you can capture the hungry Koi fish here. If you feed them with the fish food you just bought you’re in for an instagrammable picture. So bring your fanciest dress and capture this moment as a nice souvenir.
When you explore the water palace you will see all sorts of fountains and stone sculptures of mythical creatures spouting water into the bathing pools. It is a nice site to explore, however we personally think that Taman Ujung water palace is the prettiest water garden of the island. Tirta Gangga is smaller and there are less photogenic spots here. So if you want to create some instagrammable pictures in one of the water gardens in Bali, then check out our blog post about Taman Ujung and decide for yourself.
Taking a break at the water garden
If you’re in need of a coffee or food then there are some small vendors selling drinks and snacks. But there is also a restaurant overlooking the water gardens. This is the perfect spot for a break and to recharge your batteries before heading off to your next destination!
More things to do nearby Tirta Gangga
Once you’ve finished exploring the beautiful Tirta Gangga water palace it is time to discover more of East Bali. There is so much to do and to see in this underrated area of Bali! Therefore we made a complete blog post about the best things to do in East Bali. But hereby a summary of some of the highlights.
- Watch sunrise at Bukit Cinta
- Wander through the beautiful Taman Ujung water palace
- Marvel at the Gates of heaven Pura Lempuyang temple
- Get close with Mount Agung at Lahangan Sweet viewpoint
- Relax at the most beautiful beach in Bali, Virgin beach
- Go snorkeling in Amed
Personally we think Taman Ujung has better photo opportunities and views than Tirta Gangga
More Bali travel inspiration
I hope you enjoyed this complete guide about Tirta Gangga water palace.
For more Bali travel inspiration, head over to our other guides.
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