Which one to choose in Ubud
Pura Puseh Batuan (Batuan Temple) vs Gunung Kawi, Tampaksiring
Two temples in Ubud. Pura Puseh Batuan (Batuan Temple) has 9 tickets and tours to book; Gunung Kawi, Tampaksiring has 4 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Ubud, Indonesia
Batuan Temple is a village temple, and visitors simply pay a small entrance donation at the gate, where a sarong and sash are handed over to wear inside. There are no time slots or advance tickets, and a visit takes well under an hour, so there is no need to book anything specifically for it.
The temple lies on the main road between the south of the island and Ubud, and most travellers see it as the first or last stop of a day tour. The usual format is a private car with a driver who doubles as a guide, starting from Ubud or the southern resorts and combining the temple with a waterfall such as Tegenungan or Kanto Lampo, the rice terraces of Tegalalang, the Monkey Forest in Ubud and often a coffee plantation with a tasting.
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Ubud, Indonesia
Gunung Kawi does not need a ticket in advance: you pay the entrance fee at the top of the steps, where a sarong is handed over with it, and walk down into the valley. What is worth arranging is the transport, since the site lies in Tampaksiring, a rural area north-east of Ubud with no useful public buses.
Most tours from Ubud treat it as one stop on a half day in the Pakerisan valley. The usual partner is the spring temple of Tirta Empul a few minutes up the road, where some tours include a purification bathing ritual, with the sarong and offerings provided and sometimes a local guide to lead you through the fountains.
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