The Iconic Village in Indonesia

The Iconic Village in Indonesia

The existence of Penglipuran Village began a long time ago, it is said that during the Bangli Kingdom era. The ancestors of the residents of this village came from Bayung Gede Village and have remained until now, while the name "Penglipuran" itself comes from the word Pengeling Pura which means a holy place to remember the ancestors.

Penglipuran Traditional Village is a rural area that has a specific arrangement of traditional village structures, so that it is able to display a beautiful rural face. The physical arrangement of the village structure cannot be separated from the culture of the people which has been in effect for generations. So, Penglipuran Traditional Village is a cultural tourism attraction. The beauty of the Penglipuran Traditional Village can be felt from entering the pre-village area with green grass on the edge of the road and hedges along the road, adding coolness to the village procession area.

You may have heard the name Penglipuran Village often when talking about Bali. Yes, this village is one of the cleanest villages in the world so it is often used as a tourist destination by local and foreign travelers.

History of Penglipuran Tourism Village

Research shows that the Penglipuran Traditional Village has existed since the time of the Bangli Kingdom around 700 years ago. Quoting Feliksdinata Pangasih and Ayu Asvitasari in ojs.uajy.ac.id, the name Penglipuran comes from the words pengling and pura. Pengeling means reminder, starting from the root word eling or remember, while temple is a place or ancestral land.

The elders or penglingsir stated that the ancestors or predecessors of Penglipuran Village came from Bayung Gede Village, Kintamani. They often travel long distances and rest in an area called Kubu. The distance between the two locations is quite far by ancient standards, 25 kilometers. That's why Penglipuran Village was previously known as Kubu Bayung Village (Bayung people who live in the Kubu area).

There were more and more Bayung people living in the Kubu area and eventually they formed their own village free from their obligations as Bayung Gede residents. They built their own holy place called Pura Kahyangan Tiga. However, the village layout and the concept of their ancestral village still follow the concept in Bayung Gede Village.

Reported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy website, Penglipuran Tourism Village is located in Bangli District, Bangli Regency, Bali Province. The distance is around 60 kilometers from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and can be reached in 1 hour 30 minutes by car.

Attraction of Penglipuran Tourist Village

Penglipuran Village is known as the cleanest village in the world. Cleanliness is one of the main attractions of this tourist village. Let's review its various attractions below.

1. Cleanest Village

Based on detikNews records, Penglipuran Village received the nickname as the cleanest village in the world. This nickname is supported by various environmental and tourism awards received by this village. Starting from Kalpataru, the Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Award (ISTA), to being included in the Sustainable Destinations Top 100 according to the Green Destinations Foundation.

2. Tri Mandala Spatial Planning

As we know, villages in Bali are characterized by village layouts that uphold ancestral values. This was also found in Penglipuran Village. This village created a spatial layout that follows a concept called Tri Mandala, where the village is divided into three areas. Namely Main Mandala, Madya Mandala, and Nista Mandala.

Utama Mandala is a sacred area for the gods and worship. Then Madya Mandala was used as a residence for the residents. Meanwhile, Nista Mandala is a special burial area for residents.

3. Large Forest Area

Quoting the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy website, Penglipuran Village stands on 112 hectares of land. The area is divided into 50 hectares of agricultural land, 45 hectares of bamboo forest, 4 hectares of wood forest, 9 hectares of residential areas, and 4 hectares of holy places and public facilities. From above, it can be seen that the green area (forest and land) in this village is wider than the residential areas.

4. Cultural Customs

One of the religious rituals that often attracts the attention of tourists is Ngusaba. This ritual is carried out to welcome Nyepi Day. This village also regularly holds a cultural festival entitled Penglipuran Village Festival which is usually held at the end of the year. The activities vary, from traditional Balinese clothing parades, arts and culture parades, various competitions, to Barong Ngelawang.

5. Loloh Cemcem and Tipat Cantok

These two names are typical culinary delights from Penglipuran Village that you must try if you visit there. Loloh cemcem is a typical drink made from cemcem or Kloncing leaves. Then tipat cantok is a food consisting of ketupat and boiled vegetables, complete with savory and delicious peanut sauce.

Exciting Activities to Do in Penglipuran Tourism Village

As one of the leading tourist attractions in Bali, we can do many exciting activities at Penglipuran Tourist Village. The following is a review citing Indonesia Travel.

1. Visit a temple and learn about culture

As the name suggests, Penglipuran, tourists can find several temples in this village area. There are Pura Penataran, Pura Dalem, and Pura Puseh. We can visit the temple and learn about the culture and customs of Penglipuran Village. If the timing is right, we can also witness interesting traditional celebrations such as the Ngusaba and Galungan rituals.

2. Feel like a local resident

How to? By staying at someone's house. As a tourist village, several residents of Penglipuran Village provide their houses as accommodation for tourists. You can mingle with local residents and feel like a resident of Penglipuran Village for a few days. Exciting, right?

3. Taste typical culinary delights

No trip is complete without tasting typical culinary delights. As mentioned previously, there is tipat cantok food that you must try when visiting Penglipuran Village. There is also the loloh cemcem drink which is good for health because it is made from spices.

4. Make handicrafts from bamboo

Many works of art are available in Penglipuran Village that tourists can buy. But is just buying enough? You might try making one! Many local craftsmen can be found in this village and are willing to teach you how to make bamboo trinkets for souvenirs. Doesn't it feel proud to be able to bring home your own handmade souvenirs?

5. Explore the Bamboo Forest

Tired of making handicrafts from bamboo, you can relieve your tiredness by enjoying the atmosphere in the place where your handicrafts originate, namely the Penglipuran Village Bamboo Forest. There are many beautiful spots there that are suitable for taking photos.

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