One of Bali’s oldest and most famous trees has collapsed in central Ubud. Tourists and local community members were left in shock on the afternoon of Sunday, 15th February, as the banyan tree fell in the courtyard of Puri Kantoran, next to Ubud Water Place, destroying temple structures and surrounding buildings.
The 300-year-old banyan tree can be found next to the Ubud Water Palace Office and sits within the courtyard of Puri Kantoran. The tree had been on watch for years as invasive plants, and moss had started to erode away at the tree’s strength. The tree is believed to have fallen due to the strong winds and heavy rains that swept through Ubud on Saturday.
The tree fell at around 4.30 pm, with heavy branches blocking Jalan Suweta, first halting traffic and then pedestrian access. As the trapped cars and pedestrians sought a safe way to move away from the fallen branches, the main trunk of the tree fell with a deafening bang. While cars and buildings were crushed, there were no reported casualties.
The caretaker of Ubud Water Palace Office, Tjokorda Gede Asmara Putra Sukawati, told reporters, “I was shocked. I remembered that there were still people working on the street down there. When I checked, the building was badly damaged. Luckily, they all survived.”
He noted his great sadness that the tree had fallen and highlighted how it had been a symbol of strength to the Ubud community for more than 300 years. Sukawati explained, “We took great care of this banyan tree. We even went to the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) several times to have it pruned. We also removed any parasitic plants that had attached themselves to the tree. It’s truly a shame that this tree, over 300 years old, had to fall. If new shoots emerge, we will certainly take care of them.”
Sukawati confirmed that the fallen tree damaged the pavilion known as a bale bengong, as well as other temple structures: the candi bentar, the penyengker wall, and the bale kukul, which was previously located in the middle of the tree. “The extent of the damage is yet to be estimated.”
The Head of the Gianyar Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ida Bagus Putu Suamba, confirmed that an emergency response team was deployed to the scene, who worked alongside local community members and the police to clear the scene. He explained, “We immediately deployed a full-force team. Upon arriving here, numerous police and military personnel were already present. So we collaborated with the existing team.”
He added, “The fallen material is very large, and we will try to get it back to normal as quickly as possible, as this is the center of Ubud tourism, so we don’t want to disrupt tourism activities.”
The fallen tree did not only impact temple structures but also pulled down power lines and impacted local businesses on Jalan Suweta, including a branch of convenice store Circle K. Suamba noted “We have coordinated with the PLN [electricity board] to suer the safety of the power lines, At the time of the incident the power supply in the area was turned off to prevent any untoward incidents.”
Ubud Water Palace and all tourist attractions in central Ubud remain open to the public. However, Jalan Suweta has been closed to pedestrians and vehicles while crews continue the clean-up operation into Monday afternoon. Work is set to continue into Tuesday to remove the three, and rebuilding work on the affected nearby buildings could take weeks.
With heavy rains and strong winds still expected to hit the island in the coming months, tourists are urged to be extra vigilant. Although the rainy season peak has passed, extreme weather can persist into March and even early April every year.
The incident outside Ubud Water Palace was one of eight major weather-related incidents that were recorded across Gianyar Regency on Sunday. Tourists should check the weather forecast when planning day trips and adventures in Bali and adjust their itinerary accordingly to prioritize safety.
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