Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati (Water Palace)

Saraswati Temple in Ubud is a beautiful and peaceful place dedicated to Dewi Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, and the arts. The temple is known for its classic Balinese architecture, intricate stone carvings, traditional split gates, and the stunning lotus flower ponds that create a serene atmosphere right in the center of Ubud. As a solo traveler, I had a wonderful experience here. It felt very calming and grounding. This temple holds strong cultural and spiritual significance for the Balinese people, so please respect the culture while visiting. There is a dress code at the entrance where shoulders and legs must be covered, and sarongs are provided if needed. A lovely stop for anyone looking to experience Bali beyond just sightseeing 🌿✨

The Water Palace is a pretty and well-maintained spot, with its lotus ponds and temple architecture making it visually pleasant. However, the site itself is quite small, and the visit is brief unless you are specifically keen on temple photography. In hindsight, the entrance fee may be better spent next door at Cafe Lotus. The café offers drinks with excellent views of the palace, and you can still take very good photos of the temple from there without entering the grounds. Overall, it is a nice stop if you are already in the area, but not a must-see. Pleasant to look at, but expectations should be kept modest.

Temple is not open for public. Just to see the pond we have to pay. Better not to visit. The staffs in the counter have to be trained to speak nicely. Basically they are interested in Money and they should change the Name. There is no palace too. Just two chairs in front of the temple. Not worth the money and time. Shopping outside that place is also highly expensive.

Pura Taman Saraswati is one of the most beautiful Hindu temples that I visited during my stay in Bali. It's known also as the Water Palace of Ubud because of its lotus ponds: you can walk on them thanks to round decorated stones that create a path. All the visitors are given the same purple coat that matches the colour of the ornaments of the temple.

Very nice. They have the traditional garb for you to wear, but it was damp from previous wearers not understanding the use of umbrellas… The temple itself is pretty and a nice 10 min stroll around. Some cool sculptures and it must be great to watch the traditional dancing they do here!! Can have a drink or food at lotus cafe with good view of temple and fountains as well.

Best visit time is evenings after dark. We didn't get to see the dance show as it wasn't happening when we visited! Tip, plan ahead. Dinner at the Locus next doors finishes off the visit perfectly- food is good quality and tasty

Disappointing After seeing this online, I was very keen to visit. However, after I was left disappointed. It appears they have made some renovations/changes this year and not for the most positive. The stepping stones have been added to the lily pad ponds but I’m not sure if that’s to the detriment of the lily pads…. Didn’t look as healthy as previous photos. The main area of the temple is no longer public accessible so you’re really just seeing the front garden. Which you could just look at from the road without paying the entrance fee. The traditional Balinese dress is required to be worn, but is just passed onto the next person and on a hot day is very sweaty and grubby. Also just comes in one size. So if you are a bit taller or wider it doesn’t fit correctly and just probs make a bit of a mockery of it all rather than being culturally sensitive

It was ok, but be aware that visitors are not allowed inside the temple at all, so all you get to see for the entrance fee is the gardens and ponds at the front. They're pretty, for sure, but it's not quite what we were expecting. I understand it's culturally important and they don't want to be overrun with tourists, but it's disappointing to get there and find out you can't actually see the best bits. The front also houses a Starbucks (!!!) and big restaurant, so it's not exactly capturing the authentic temple feel.