Gunung Kawi

Gunung Kawi

Situated in Bali, Gunung Kawi draws a huge crowd from different parts of the globe. Built along a river in the 11th century Gunung Kawi, is a complex of pavilions and rock-cut shrines carved into the hillside northeast of Ubud.

A tranquil calm surrounds the place. Gunung Kawi is surrounded by terraced rice paddies where local farmers carry on with their harvesting activities. Gunung Kawi happens to be a sacred spot for the Balinese people. Gunung Kawi happens to the largest ancient monuments of Bali.

The Gunung Kawi monuments have been built in the honor of King Anak Wungsu of the Udayana dynasty and his favorite queens. Gunung Kawi complex houses one of the oldest monuments of Bali. The term Gunung Kawi literally means “carving in the mount”. Gunung Kawi monuments remain open from 8am-6pm daily.

A steep stone staircase usually leads down into a beautiful valley where one can find 10, seven-meter-high memorials beautifully carved into the rock face. Four are situated on the west side and five on the eastside of the river. The last one is situated to the south across the valley.

The quickest and comfortable way to get to Bali is by air and there are flights connect all the major cities in Indonesia from here. Ngurah Rai International Airport (Indonesian: Bandar Udara Internasional Ngurah Rai) (IATA: DPS, ICAO: WADD), also known as Denpasar International Airport or I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, is the main airport in Bali, located 13 km south of Denpasar. Gunung Kawi is located 55 km to the North from the Airport.