Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is one of Bali’s most photographed sights, its tiered shrines appearing to float on the still waters of Lake Beratan in the cool highlands near Bedugul. The temple was built in the 17th century by the King of Mengwi, though stone sarcophagi and megalithic slabs found in its front courtyard suggest the site was already sacred as far back as 500 BC. It is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the Balinese Hindu goddess of water, lakes, and fertility, reflecting the temple’s role in the region’s irrigation traditions.
The complex is built in classical Balinese Hindu style, with thatch-roofed meru pagodas of varying tiers rising above the lake. The most iconic structure, an 11-tiered meru, sits on its own small island just offshore and has become the temple’s signature image, especially reflected in the water on a calm morning.
Because Bedugul sits at higher elevation than the coast, the air here is noticeably cooler, making an early visit both scenic and comfortable before the crowds and mist burn off.
