Skulls and Bones Tours

This half-day tour introduces you to one of the oldest cultures on Bali. Trunyan sits on the edge of Lake Batur and serves as home to the Bali Aga tribe, which has lived here since the 10th century. In addition to an up-close look at Balinese history, as well as a dramatic landscape.

This tour begins wtih a pickup at your hotel. You’ll see incredible scenery as you go boating across the surface of Lake Batur. As you tour the lake, look for the village’s temple, with its 11 pagodas – 11 is a special number to the Bali Aga.

On a tour of Trunyan, you’ll get to know some of the more unusual traditions. They leave their dead in open-air tombs made of bamboo, their bodies visible through the slats of wood, still dressed in their favorite clothing. This tradition started as a way to avoid angering the volcano god, which stems from the villagers' animistic beliefs. Once the cages fill, they place the skeletons in a more open part of the cemetery. The Taru Menyan, or “the fragrant tree,” keeps the cemetery free from the odor of decay.

Bring your hat or a scarf, a camera, a water bottle, and suitable footwear.

Guided tour, entrance fees, and transportation.