Bali’s Trunyan Village Offers Tourists Rare Insights Into Island’s Culture

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Tourists seeking to explore a truly unique side of Bali’s cultural heritage have a wealth of destinations and attractions to explore. Bali is one of the world’s most culturally generous cultures, having welcomed foreigners to observe many parts of the island’s most sacred practices.

There is one very special village, hidden away on the shores of Lake Batur, where tourists can discover the island’s oldest cultural practices.

Trunyan Village is one of Bali’s most mysterious and remote locations. Hidden away on the eastern edge of Lake Batur, the community can only be reached by crossing the Caldera Lake by boat from Kedisan Pier.

No vehicles are able to access the village, and the boat trip takes 45 minutes to cross each way, with boat drivers charging between IDR 75,000-150,000 per person, depending on the vessel, time of day, and number of passengers. 

@oneweirdplace this village on bali has a unique way of handling the dead 📍trunyan (or terunyan), bali, indonesia 💡you can take a boat tour, but it is an active burial site, so be respectful! – #bali #indonesia #travel #interestingfacts #funfacts #lore #fyp ♬ Fallen D. – Undoing

Trunyan Village, also known as Skull Island, is best known to outsiders for its rare funeral rites. The over 1,000-year-old village dates back to pre-Hindu and pre-Buddhist times on the island. While the funeral processions of Balinese Hindus can be regularly witnessed across the island, things in Trunyan Village are done a little differently.

For most Balinese Hindus, the most common funeral rites are carried out as cremations and burials, but in Trunyan Village, the dead are neither committed to the flames nor the earth. In Trunyan Village, those who have died are placed out in the open air, above the ground, and left to return to the earth, wrapped only in a cloth, leaving the head uncovered, and placed beneath the Taru Menyan, or the Fragrant Tree. The bodies are protected only by a bamboo prism, known as an ‘ancak sanji’, which is designed to keep animals away. This funeral rite is called the Mepasah. 

@oneweirdplace this village on bali has a unique way of handling the dead 📍trunyan (or terunyan), bali, indonesia 💡you can take a boat tour, but it is an active burial site, so be respectful! – #bali #indonesia #travel #interestingfacts #funfacts #lore #fyp ♬ Fallen D. – Undoing

It is also interesting to note that only eleven bodies can be placed beneath the Taru Menyan at a time.

The Mepasah process is only available to members of the Trunyan Community, though not everyone is eligible when they pass over.

Only those individuals who are married or have young children who have yet to cut their milk teeth, and only those who have died of natural causes and have all their body parts intact. 

@xtobali KUBURAN DESA TRUNYAN || LIVE PUKUL. 19.00 – SELESAI @Xtobali @XTO BALI SHOES CLEANING @PRASTAA #fyp #fypage #xyzabc #xtobali #ceritaxtobali #prasta #setratrunyan #kuburantrunyan ♬ suara asli – terzo_01 – ꧁༺༻꧂

Once the body has become a skeleton, the individual’s skull is placed upon a stone altar alongside the skulls of the ancestors of Truman Village. It is highly advisable to book a guide and a boat driver for those interested in visiting Truyan Village.

While Trunyan Village is open for visitors to explore, they are advised to be especially respectful when taking photographs and videos and walking through the community.

A visit to Truman Village is just one of dozens of culturally insightful activities tourists can take part in during a visit to Kintamani. Best known for being home to Mount Batur, Kintamani is a destination calling for exploration.

While most tourists visit only as part of a day trip or to take part in the early morning sunrise hike to the top of Mount Batur, I highly recommend booking an overnight stay or two to explore all that Kintamni has to offer. 

Tourists love glamping experiences in Kintamani, and with dozens of camps to choose from, tourists really are spoilt.

Black Lava Camp is one of the most famous glamping spots in Kintamani. For a luxury hotel feel, tourists should book at Toya Devasya Geopark Resort and Villas. 

Kintamani is notably less populated than areas like Canggu, Kuta, and Denpasar, but it offers tourists incredible stargazing, especially when the skies are clear.

Kintamani is the perfect nature retreat for tourists seeking rest and relaxation. Just remember to bring a jumper, as the mornings and evenings can be chilly due to the high elevation!