Pura Batu Bolong

This temple is located in the village of Sawan, about 45 minutes drive from Lovina.
Pura Batu Bolong is an ancient, hidden forest temple located in the Sawan Village. Unlike its coastal namesakes, it is a serene jungle sanctuary recognized as a protected cultural heritage site (cagar budaya) and is historically revered as the oldest temple in Sawan Village.
Located within a dense forest ravine in Buleleng Regency, this temple is built directly onto a massive volcanic rock outcrop featuring a distinctive, natural hollow cavity. At the base of this rock formation lies a natural spring pool known as the Blue Lagoon, where the water appears vibrantly turquoise in the pool but turns crystal clear when drawn. This secluded setting is enveloped by a thick canopy of centuries-old sacred trees, creating a quiet and cool microclimate ideal for meditation and spiritual healing.

You need to drive through the village and you will see the direction to the temple which is a bit outside of the village when you drive to the temple you see a huge banjan tree and you need to climb some stairs to reach the temple.

The temple is surrounded by these big trees and it is a very quiet place. During our visit there was no one there, the temple looks nice and well taken care of.

The special thing about this temple are the ponds, the water looks very blue and clear.
The temple holds immense spiritual and practical value for the local community because its sacred aquifer serves as the primary freshwater source for Sawan Village, feeding both the local drinking supply and the surrounding Subak rice field irrigation networks. It functions as a prominent purification center where locals and spiritual travelers undergo ritual cleansing at dedicated holy water spouts. Local elders traditionally revere this mineral-rich spring water for its medicinal properties, believing it can heal persistent skin conditions and physical illnesses.

Historical records indicate that these secluded river pools were once utilized as private bathing grounds by regional Balinese royalty, and local oral history connects the site’s 16th-century origins to the travels of the high priest Danghyang Nirartha. Architecturally, the core altars and shrines are perched atop high, natural stone formations, which requires visitors to climb steep stone staircases carved directly into the landscape to reach the main prayer area dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Visitors must strictly adhere to local customary laws, which dictate that everyone must wear traditional temple attire consisting of a lower body sarong and a waist sash. In accordance with orthodox Balinese Hindu practices, menstruating women are restricted from entering the inner courtyards. Additionally, a strict local prohibition bars infants who have not yet reached their three-month traditional purification milestone from entering the sacred grounds.

There is no fixed entrance fee to visit Pura Batu Bolong in Sawan, because it functions primarily as an active communal place of worship rather than a heavily commercialized commercial park, entry is handled through voluntary donations (dana punia).
Guests typically slide IDR 10,000 to IDR 20,000 per person into the community-managed donation box near the entry checkpoint to aid in temple maintenance.
If you don’t bring your own traditional waist sash and lower-body sarong, a basic rental or borrow station at the front requires a tiny change fee or an open-ended donation of around IDR 5,000.