Within the last few years the little village of Penglipuran has begun to feature in the programs of tour operators: it remains to be seen whether this will affect the charm of the village and its 750 inhabitants. Visitors are now greeted by children and young people offering to show them round, after they have made the obligatory donation and
signed the visitors' book.
Penglipuran lies off the road from Bangli to Kintamani in beautiful wild country. 5 km (3 mi.) north of Bangli a sign "Traditional village" points the way.
Family compounds in traditional Balinese style line both sides of the street through the village, which is built on a series of terraces. Between the road and the houses are narrow channels which serve for waste disposal. The family temples, of which there is one in each compound, are oriented towards Gunung Agung.
At the upper end of the paved village street (which has the air of a well kept pedestrian zone) stands the Pura Desa (village temple), an exact copy of a temple in Bayung Gede, near Kintamani, from which the older inhabitants of the village claim that their ancestors originally came. This suggests that Penglipuran is a settlement of fairly recent origin.
At the lower end of the street, on the edge of the forest, another temple with finely carved figures on the base can be seen.
Visitors who take one of the local children as their guide are usually invited into one of the family compounds. The villagers are glad to see visitors and give them a friendly welcome.
The people of Penglipuran live mainly by farming and forestry. Some of them have gained some reputation as artists.
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