Excursions near Pandan House
Water palace Tirtagangga
This is a bath complex, made by the last king of Karangasem (the new name of the city is Amlapura). In the past there were only springs and later they made basins. The earthquake in the sixties has damaged this complex but with help from some sponsors, the son of the last king has renovated the complex. The water palace has its own website: www.tirtagangga.nl.
Rice fields
If you walk through the rice fields you will notice that you can discover a lot. If the rice has grain, the people make a system of threads that make noise. The birds are afraid of the noise and go away. You might see people harvesting the rice or planting new rice. The people are kind, sometimes they invite you to come to their houses and you might get some tea and cake.
Ababi, the temple of the village
This temple is a (little) example for other temples in Bali. Ask your host to accompany you and ask him questions about the structure of the building and the meaning of the different places in the temple.
Wood handicraft
The worker man you can visit has made a lot of furniture in Pandan House and also in Ababi. In his workplace you can see how they make the special doors, furniture and windows. You can also take a look at his house to see how the family lives together. The sister of the host lives across the road. You might like to visit her and her family as well and drink a cup of tea. If you like, you can give them a small amount of money. Of course we are grateful for this.
The mother of your host
The walk to her place is not easy but it is very beautiful. Of course you can also ask the driver to bring you to her place. At this place you can see how a Balinese family is living, also visit the place behind where her son is living. Maybe the son, who is a farmer, gives you a coconut from the tree so you can drink the milk of the coconut. It is also possible that you get a black rice cake with your tea.
Amlapura, the local market
The traditional market has a roof, small streets, open drains and they sell all kinds of products. You can join the wife of the host to visit the market. She can explain about the textiles, about the food and about the fruit. Try to negotiate to get a discount.
Amlapura, the palace Maskerdam and Ujung
In the old palace Maskerdam you can see how the king lived in the past. Not everything has been renovated but the palace is worth a visit.
Ujung
There is also another water palace in Amlapura called Ujung, which is recently renovated.
Amlapura, dancing school for kids
At this place, near the church, a school where children learn Balinese dancing. Pandan House uses their (hired) services to dance for the guests that the school receives extra money for lessons. Individual guests give donations to the school. On Sunday it's nice to look at the free dance of the children.
Amlapura, the hospital
At the hospital you can see how the local people get their medical care. You can see the rooms, the families who are helping their sick familymember, the operation room and the first aid section. Pandan House is one of the sponsors who have sent a container with new beds and other medical things. If you like, you can also help us with sponsoring. We need money and medical things so we can send another container. Please contact Lieuwe Fonk if you would like to donate.
Amlapura, the local school
If you would like to visit a school, you are more than welcome in Amlapura. It’s nice to see the faces of the children in uniform who are always laughing. If you have some pens, please give them to the teacher. Your host can tell you about the school system, the costs, the time tables, etc. Please do not hesitate to ask him.
