Amlapura Attractions
Amlapura
By road: Denpasar to Sakah; then bear right for Blahbatuh and Klungkung; from there along the coast, via Candi Dasa.
Bus: several times daily from Denpasar-Kereneng.
Bemo: good services along the road.
Amlapura (formerly called Karangasem), the administrative center of Karangasem district, is the most easterly town on Bali, situated at the foot of the Gunung Agung volcano. It is some 80 km (50 mi.) from Denpasar.
History Amlapura, known as Karangasem until 1964, played an important part during the years when the Dutch were attempting to gain a foothold on Bali. While the rulers of the princedoms of central Bali were for the most part preparing to resist the threatened occupation, the Rajas of Karangasem reached an accommodation with the occupying forces and thus left the eastern part of the island exposed. The Dutch were then able to sail round the south coast to Sanur and attack the princes of Gianyar and Badung, who were still holding out against them, near their capitals. The Dutch were duly grateful: Karangasem became one of the wealthiest towns on Bali and the Raja retained his power.
Amlapura was devastated by the eruption of Gunung Agung on March 17th 1963 - not so much by the flows of lava, which did not reach the town, as by the earthquakes accompanying the eruption, which destroyed almost every building in the town. For some years Amlapura also suffered from the destruction of almost all the main roads linking it with the rest of the island, and it is only since the late seventies that it has again been served by good roads. Since then the town has taken on a fresh lease of life and developed into a modest district center.
The scars left by the 1963 eruption can still be seen. A walk about the town will reveal the ruins of houses which have been wholly or partly destroyed and are only gradually being replaced by new building.
Scenery Between Candi Dasa and Amlapura the road runs through a hilly tropical landscape of extraordinary charm. The area round Amlapura is intensively cultivated, with great expanses of terraced rice-fields.
By road: Denpasar to Sakah; then bear right for Blahbatuh and Klungkung; from there along the coast, via Candi Dasa.
Bus: several times daily from Denpasar-Kereneng.
Bemo: good services along the road.
Amlapura (formerly called Karangasem), the administrative center of Karangasem district, is the most easterly town on Bali, situated at the foot of the Gunung Agung volcano. It is some 80 km (50 mi.) from Denpasar.
History Amlapura, known as Karangasem until 1964, played an important part during the years when the Dutch were attempting to gain a foothold on Bali. While the rulers of the princedoms of central Bali were for the most part preparing to resist the threatened occupation, the Rajas of Karangasem reached an accommodation with the occupying forces and thus left the eastern part of the island exposed. The Dutch were then able to sail round the south coast to Sanur and attack the princes of Gianyar and Badung, who were still holding out against them, near their capitals. The Dutch were duly grateful: Karangasem became one of the wealthiest towns on Bali and the Raja retained his power.
Amlapura was devastated by the eruption of Gunung Agung on March 17th 1963 - not so much by the flows of lava, which did not reach the town, as by the earthquakes accompanying the eruption, which destroyed almost every building in the town. For some years Amlapura also suffered from the destruction of almost all the main roads linking it with the rest of the island, and it is only since the late seventies that it has again been served by good roads. Since then the town has taken on a fresh lease of life and developed into a modest district center.
The scars left by the 1963 eruption can still be seen. A walk about the town will reveal the ruins of houses which have been wholly or partly destroyed and are only gradually being replaced by new building.
Scenery Between Candi Dasa and Amlapura the road runs through a hilly tropical landscape of extraordinary charm. The area round Amlapura is intensively cultivated, with great expanses of terraced rice-fields.
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Puri Agung Kanginan
Dating to the 1800s, the Puri Agung Kanginan suffered serious damage in a 1963 earthquake. One of the more notable buildings of the palace complex is the Bale London.
Tirthagangga
5 km (3 mi.) west of Amlapura are the former princely baths of Tirthagangga ("Water of the Ganges"), which are now an open-air swimming pool open to the public. The baths, constructed by the last Raja of Amlapura about 1947, are beautifully laid out, with fountains, statues and figures of fabulous beasts. They were damaged during the 1963 eruption but have been restored as far as possible to their original form.
Ujung
There is another "water palace" at Ujung, also built by the last Raja of Amlapura, on the coast 5 km (3 mi.) south of Amlapura. It suffered extensive destruction in the 1963 earthquakes and little is left of the original buildings.
