Mengening

General Info

Ticket price: IDR 30,000 (IDR 20,000 Domestic or visa Kitas)

Parking fee: FREE

Suitable for kids: ✅

Number of steps: 205

Popularity: 🧡🤍🤍🤍🤍

Difficulty: Low

Mengening Temple is relatively little known, and although it is located right between Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi, you will see very few tourists there. At the temple, you can also undergo the Melukat ceremony - a ritual purification, and unlike Tirta Empul, you won't have to wait in line for tens of minutes. The temple is located in Tampaksiring, Gianyar district, about 30 minutes north of Ubud. GPS here. The temple is located on the Pakerisan River and dates back to 1022 AD, when King Marakata probably founded it. In modern history, it was rediscovered in 1925. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Subak irrigation system.

Once you arrive at the parking lot (free parking) in front of the gate, you will likely be surrounded by vendors selling sarongs and other small items. An area opens up in front of you, at the end of which you'll find a small building where you can purchase a ticket, which costs IDR 30,000 (USD 2)/person or IDR 20,000 (USD 1.4) for domestic and Kitas visa holders.

Beyond the entrance gate to the temple grounds, you will descend a few dozen steps to the valley where the first holy sacred springs are located on your right. You can go directly to the temple on your left. However, you can also go to it later - there are other steps leading to it from the other side, almost from the river, once you have seen all parts of the adjacent area. To the left of the stairs, you can also see a pond with many koi carps where you can relax in the gazebo. 

Once you have descended all the steps, you will reach two more ponds for the Melukat ceremony, between which there is a prayer place and a table for the offerings. The back pond with a lovely waterfall also has a changing room where you can change your clothes.

💡 Tip: If you are interested in the Melukat ceremony, bring a second sarong to remove the wet one after it and put on the dry one. Alternatively, local vendors can sell you one on-site at the entrance. Unlike Tirta Empul, you cannot rent a sarong for the ceremony here.

On your way back from the sacred springs, take the steps to the right towards the temple, where you can get a beautiful view of the whole area with its springs and pools. The temple itself is tranquil and offers an opportunity for meditation.

💡 Tip: You can combine your visit to the temple with a visit to the second nearby temple Gunung Kawi, which we recommend for its unique shrines carved into the rocks.

For a list of temples suitable for the Melukat ceremony, see the Temples Guide.

Entrance Rules

• Men and women must wear traditional clothing (at least a sarong)

• Women must not menstruate

• The unable and the dead are not allowed to enter (yes, this is actually on the sign 🙂 )

Pros

+ Beautiful garden suitable for relaxation

+ Sacred springs with virtually no queues

+ Cheap admission and free parking

Cons

- The temple itself is not very special