Candidasa Karangasem

Candidasa is a major destination of the tourists who come to the Karangasem, lies in the region Bugbug, Karangasem district. Candidasa Kuta beach known as replicas for the same - both have white sand. Highly suitable for water sports such as swimming, diving and snorkeling.

Candidasa is one of the tourist area that developed starting in 1983. At first the name Candidasa is the name of a temple, the Temple Candidasa, which terltak on a small hill and was built in the 12th century AD Has the potential of natural and stunning beaches with white sand.

Underwater Panorama

White sandy beach is actually named the Gulf of the will, but in its development as the enactment of the object and the beach is a tourist attraction, the Gulf coast of the will changed its name to the tourist area of ​​Candidasa in accordance with the name of the existing temples in the region.







Candidasa is located in the hamlet Samuh, Bugbug village, Karangasem district, located 12 km from the City Amlapura and about 45 km from Denpasar City. Natural charm that was developed as a marine tourism object can be an option to perform various activities, such as sun bathing, canoing, snorekling, fishing, trekking through the hills, and no less interesting is the presence of small islands that can reach the distance with a fishing boat ( boats). Small islands are storing potential of the underwater panorama of coral reefs and fish.

Tukad Bakung Bridge

Goa Gajah

   In Bedulu, about 2km (1 mile)  from the T-intersection at Ubud, is the Elephant cave or Goa Gajah. According to myth, Dalem Bedulu , the King of bedulu , was a devout Buddhist given to decapitating himself before meditating. One day, the courtiers how were instructed to mind the King’s head, lost it, and quickly replaced it whit that of a pig. The King, understandably ashamed of his appearance, concealed himself in a tower and forbade visitors to view the grotesque sight. News of the King’s condition reached Java, and the prime minister of the Majapahit Empire Gajah Mada, was ordered to meet the King of Bedulu and verify the tale. Of course, Gajah Mada found the pig- headed king, so to speak, and caused Bedulu’s ruination. The cave at Goa Gajah, was the real head of the King of Bedulu, which eventually fell beck to earth. Another myth is that Bedulu’s minister, the giant Kebo Iwa, coved the rock-face with his thumbnail.

    Goa Gajah, called the Elephant Cave because archaeologists thought it looked like the head of a elephant, was once a Buddhist monastery. Situated above the Petanu  River, the complex of temple and baths is testament to the influence of Buddhism before the arrival of Hinduism. The entrance to the cove is over 2m (6ft) high and features the whimsical carving of a man with huge eyebrows and moustache – his mouth is the opening. In sade is  a dimly lit T- shaped chamber, with niches carved in the well (don’t forget to take a torch ). At each and of the “T” is a statue of Ganesha, Siwa’s son. Of course, Ganesha is a Hindu God, but there are statues of Buddhist figurines in the pavilion adjacent to the cave, and down the 50 or so steps behind the compound are statues of Buddha.
A confusion of motifs, the Buddhist Balinese established the compound first, and as Hindu influences filtered through, Hindu religious figured were added.

 

Yeh Pulu

About a kilometer from Goa Gajah is a 14^th century life-size frize, depicting scenes of rural life. Unfortunately, few tourists visit the stite as it entails a walk through rice fields, but it’s easy find the walk isn’t difficult. Between Goa Gajah and the Bedulu croassroads, follow the combblestone road on the right (south), past warung to the rice fields. From there it is a walk to the site.

Carved into the side of the rock, the relief (25m x 2m – 82ft x 6.5ft) its either a series of isolated vignettes on day life of a story. The carvings are very different from any others foumd either on Bali or Java, scenes are naturalistic, and do not conform to editional styles found elsewere.

Framed by a leave  otif, the umpressions include hunters attacking a boor, a farmer hoeing a field, a woman firtively oeeking behind a door. A woman pulling a horses tail; culminating in relief a Ganesha, Siwa’s elephant-headed son. Interestingly, towards the end of the frize, smaller animal scenes seem to parody the human scenes, for instance, a frog stabs a snake an a monkey steers another monkey bu puilling its tail. The carving was “discovered” in the 1920s by the Dutch artist Nieuwenkamp, altouh the Balinese had known about it for years. Legend has it the carving are handiwork of the giant, Kebo Iwo, who etched them with his thumbnail.