Penglipuran Village – Showing the Way for North Bali Tourism
Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, the tourism manager for the Village of Penglipuran in the Regency of Bangli, I Wayan Sumiarsa, says the traditional (Bali Aga) Village welcomed 1,023,143 visitors in 2024.
Sumiarsa said the total number of visitors in 2024 increased over 2023 when 956,425 tourists traveled to Penglipuran. This was an increase of 66,718 tourists or 6.9% for 2024,
In the Tourism Village of Penglipuran, domestic tourist visitors predominate. Of the 1,023,143 visitors in 2024, domestic visitors constituted 870,337 or 85% of all visitors, while the remaining 152,806 comprised foreign tourists.
Cited by the United Nations as among the world’s best traditional tourism villages, Penglipuran’s average number of daily visitors in 2024 was 3,536, with the peak number of 5,298 visitors occurring on Tuesday, 31 December 2024.
In 2024, Penglipuran passed the one million visitor mark during December 2024, with 109,637 visitors recorded for December.
Located 5 kilometers north of Bangli, the village covers 112 hectares and sits at a cool 500-600 meters above sea level. One of several extant ancient “Bali Aga” communities found on the Island, Penglipuran is located in Bangli Regency. The distinctive physical layout of the village, its broad, orderly lanes, unique architecture, and rich cultural traditions continue to attract a growing number of visitors each year.
An Award-Winning Destination
In 1995, Penglipuran received the prestigious Kalpataru Award, acknowledging the village’s work to preserve and protect its local bamboo forests.
Penglipuran has been cited as the “best tourism village in Indonesia.” Meanwhile, a Dutch NGO, Green Destinations Foundation, has named Penglipuran among the three cleanest villages in the world.
In 1993, the Provincial Government of Bali commenced promoting Penglipuran as a tourism village destination under the praiseworthy vision of “community-based tourism.” The central tenet of “community-based tourism” is that no individual benefits from tourism, with income used to fund village development. Those employed in Panglipuran Village Tourism as guides, ticket takers, security, and others earn their incomes from ticket sales.
Each household in Penglipuran can sell souvenirs from their front yards, and a share of each sale is reserved to support village development.
Villagers operate at least four homestays at Penglipuran to accommodate those wishing to stay more than a day.
The management of the tourism village sees the demonstrated substantial visitor numbers as a strong indication that Bali is approaching a more equitable distribution in terms of north-south tourism development by creating points of growth outside the over-developed southern regions of the Island.
Sumiarsa attributes the quality of construction of buildings in Penglipuran, the natural beauty of the village, and efforts by the community to maintain a close relationship with nature as all contributing to the unique visitor experience on offer.
He said that to encourage tourist flows, locals are optimizing objects of interest in the village and the younger generation’s participation in several activities. “Various attractions such as cultural festivals, art performances, and presentation of handicraft products, the ngelawang – a traditional arts and culture parade – all intended as ways in which the village’s cultural heritage is maintained while providing a space for expression for the younger generation,” said Sumiarsa.
The current population of Penglipuran is 980 people living across 76 households. Most people living in Penglipuran share a very close familial lineage due to a long tradition of only allowing marriage between people from the same village.
The people of Penlipuran live by strict written laws (Awig) and equally strict unwritten codes and customs (Drehtha) that govern behavior and daily life.
Polygamy is strictly forbidden for the residents of this traditional village. Those unable to live a monogamous life are banished from the inner circle of the village and stripped of all customary rights and privileges granted to villagers. These “outsiders” are banned from participating in rituals and prayers held at specific village temples.
The Role of Bamboo in Penglipuran
Bamboo and the Bali Aga Village of Pelipuran have an age-old connection. Believed to be the best bamboo cultivated in Bali, a special area of 37.7 hectares is reserved for the sustainable propagation of 15 bamboo species.
Bamboo is used to construct and maintain village temples and buildings, while a portion is harvested for commercial sale.
The best time of the year to visit Penglipuran is during the 10-day Galungan-Kuningan Cycle when the village’s lanes are adorned with rows of penjor – bamboo poles decorated with palm leaf accessories.
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