Straddling across the Pakerisan river, Gunung Kawi first grabs your attention with its rice terraces built along the steep ravines. Once you’ve made your way down the long staircases (371 steps), you’re treated with a large set of candi (shrines), each around 7m tall. You’ll find four shrines on the West of the river, five on the East, and one in the South. These represent 10 of the 15 known candi in Bali.

This area has long been a funerary complex dating back to the 11th century CE. Follow the mossy paths around the complex and you’ll find a series of carved spaces along the rock faces. These are believed to originally have been built for meditative and spiritual purposes, as the rooms often contain excellent acoustics (useful when chanting).