Denpasar - Rajas of Badung

The palace of the Rajas of Badung (Puri Pemecutan), now a pleasant small hotel, lies in the angle between Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Hassannudin. Behind a red brick wall are a number of charming buildings set in a luxuriant tropical garden. The contrast could hardly be starker: outside the palace are clamorous traffic and swarms of people, while inside it cocks in wicker baskets crow in peaceful rivalry with one another.

The palace was almost completely burned down after the puputan on September 14th 1906, but a year later was rebuilt by the Dutch, though not on its original scale. Notable features are the richly decorated entrance gate and - the only relics of the original palace - a number of fine reliefs towards the rear of the palace precinct. In one building is a collection of lontar (palm-leaf) books which survived the fire, in another some old gamelan instruments.