Bali Museum Invites Tourists To Connect With Island’s Heritage In New Interactive Ways

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Tourists looking for an interactive way to engage with Balinese culture while on vacation should visit the Lontar Library Museum in Karangasem Regency.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the Balinese language and script. During a visit, tourists can learn to write Balinese letters and use traditional lontar paper.

International tourists are invited to visit the Lontar Library Museum in Dukuh Penaban Traditional Village, Karangasem Regency, whenever they have the chance.

The Balinese language and script are cultural assets that need preservation and conservation, and tourists are invited to play an active role in their protection by learning all that they can on vacation in a fun yet meaningful way. 

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Guests can take a tour of the museum and learn about the heritage of the lontar art form, where Balinese script, scripture, and stories are recorded on palm paper.

The script is etched into the palm paper using a ‘pangrupak,’ and once the word, sentence, or scripture is completed, the palm paper is glossed over with oil. The oil seeps into the etching, making the script stand out against the cream color of the traditional paper. 

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During a visit, guests can observe the huge range of exhibits on show, and have the honor of observing some of the rarest and most important lontar scriptures in Balinese history. For the interactive part of the visit, guests are guided by lontar expert Ida I Dewa Gede Catra who teaches the technique of writing and etching Balinese characters on the lontar leaves.

Speaking to reporters the Head of Dukuh Penaban Village, Jro Nengah Suarya, shared his delight that more tourists are visiting both the museum and the village. He told reporters “Besides watching the lontar collection, they relied on the Balinese script on the lontar leaf. At least, they try to be able to write their own name on the lontar leaves as a souvenir when visiting Bali.”

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The lontar writing session is a really lovely way to connect with Balinese culture. During the workshop, guests work with the guide to translate into Balinese script the name, word, or phrase they would like to write onto their lontar paper.

The guide writes the Balinese translation on a piece of paper, in pencil, making sure to demonstrate how each character is formed. Guests then copy the script onto their piece of lontar, and are of course welcome to practice on the paper before they dive into the real thing! 

The museum itself is surrounded by lush Karangasem forest and plenty of coconut trees. Jro Suarya added, “All tourists who come to learn to recite Balinese characters in the lontar leaf for free.”

Though the museum and the lontar writing experience are free to everyone as part of Bali’s generous cultural exchange, visitors are invited to give a suggested donation of IDR 100,000 or whatever they feel called to share to help keep the museum open for all. 

Tourists can spend a few hours enjoying the Lontar Library Museum which leaves free a whole afternoon and evening to explore more of what Karangasem has to offer.

If tourists are in the mood for an even deeper cultural immersion, then heading over to the Samsara Living Museum, also in Karangasem Regency, is a great spot to experience a broader spectrum of Balinese culture, from traditional dance to arak palm liquor and beyond.

For an afternoon immersed in nature then look no further than a visit to Candidasa Beach. The soft sandy shores of Candidasa are one of Bali’s most underrated coastal hideaways and offer incredible sunset views and a fantastic selection of boutique beachfront hotels if an overnight stay is on the itinerary.