This cultural park is located in the village of Ungasan, South Kuta District, Badung Regency. Its location is quite strategic, approximately 12 kilometers or about 22 minutes from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
History of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue
With a height of 121 meters, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is one of the tallest statues in the world, surpassing the Statue of Liberty, which is 93 meters tall. This iconic statue, created by Balinese artist I Nyoman Nuarta, depicts the figure of Lord Vishnu riding the mythical bird Garuda.
The construction of this gigantic statue took a long process of 28 years. The construction of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue was initiated in 1989 but only started in 2013. This iconic statue was officially inaugurated in September 2018, as reported by Kompas.com (16/8/2021). At least 1,000 workers were involved in the construction of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana entrance ticket prices The entrance ticket prices for Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park are divided into two categories: regular and ultimate bundling packages. The price of the regular entrance ticket to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is Rp 115,000 per person, based on information from its official website. The regular ticket price already includes the following facilities:
- Admission to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
- Free watching of the animated film “Petualangan Garuda Cilik” at the Garuda Sineloka mini cinema
- Free access to ASANA Artseum, the first thematic photo studio in Bali
- Free one drink at Jendela Bali Restaurant
- Free enjoyment of 15 cultural performances starting at 11:00 AM
Meanwhile, the price of the ultimate bundling package for Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is Rp 300,000 per person. The ultimate bundling package ticket price already includes the following facilities:
- Admission to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
- Free watching of the animated film “Petualangan Garuda Cilik” at the Garuda Sineloka mini cinema
- Free Fantasy of The Garuda, a guided tour to the 23rd floor of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue for one person, according to the selected schedule
- Free access to ASANA Artseum, the first thematic photo studio in Bali
- Free one drink at Jendela Bali Restaurant
- Free enjoyment of 15 cultural performances starting at 11:00 AM
Tourist attractions in Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park In addition to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue, this cultural park complex has several other interesting tourist attractions, including:
- Plaza Wisnu Plaza Wisnu is the highest location in the GWK area, where the most important part of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is placed. This part consists of the upper body and head of the god Wisnu, reaching a height of 20 meters.
Plaza Wisnu is often the venue for various traditional Balinese performances, with the Wisnu statue as the backdrop. The beautiful view from Plaza Wisnu allows visitors to see the scenery from Kuta to Sanur. Waiting for the sunset is one of the activities often done by visitors in Plaza Wisnu at GWK Bali.
Plaza Wisnu is surrounded by a sacred water well and the Parahyangan Somaka Giri fountain. Historically, this well is believed to be a blessing for healing various diseases and a place to pray for rain during the dry season. Because the sacred water well is located at a high place, people believe that the water here is holy.
- Plaza Garuda This is the location where the head of the Garuda statue is placed. This area is just an empty land with the head of the Garuda statue fragment. In front of it, there is the Lotus Pond, and beside it is Plaza Wisnu.
- Plaza Kura-Kura Plaza Kura-Kura is located between the Street Theater and Plaza Wisnu, with a small pond and a fountain filling the area. Turtles symbolize a support that keeps the earth from shocks. Often, turtle statues are buried in the foundation of buildings because they are believed to protect buildings from earthquakes or other natural disasters. The existence of Plaza Garuda may be expected to be a ‘foundation’ to ensure the construction of Garuda Wisnu Kencana goes smoothly.
- Lotus Pond Lotus Pond is one of the main venues in GWK, apart from the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue. Lotus Pond is an exotic spot in the GWK Bali area, located right in the middle of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, surrounded by giant limestone pillar walls and the Garuda statue as its background.
Lotus Pond is one of the largest outdoor areas in Bali, where major events such as music concerts, grand parties, and international seminars are often held. One such event was the dinner for G20 Summit delegates in November 2022.
- ASANA Artseum Having a Thematic Cultural Photo Studio concept, this museum is located in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) area, right in front of the entrance.
ASANA Artseum has a unique theme, featuring Balinese and Javanese culture that is undoubtedly different from typical museums. With its theme, ASANA Artseum has many photo spots with backgrounds such as gamelan instruments, wayang (shadow puppet), traditional kitchen (pawon), and many things related to the distinctive features of Bali and Java.
As a photo studio-themed museum, lighting is already provided in every area so that your photos will look good even with just a smartphone camera. If you want to look even better, it is recommended to bring a DSLR camera. The backgrounds are also neatly arranged and clean, guided by a guide at each spot so you can ask directly about the details or even the history of each spot.
- Tirta Amertha Tirta Amertha is the main entrance gate to enter the GWK Cultural Park. In this location, there is a miniature Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue adorned with fountains. The location of Tirta Amertha is one of the favorite photo spots for visitors before entering the area. On the east side, there is a large wall adorned with mural paintings depicting the story of Ramayana. Meanwhile, on the west side, there is Kencana Souvenir Shop, where visitors can choose various souvenirs to take home.
- Amphitheatre The Amphitheatre is an outdoor venue for special performances with well-designed acoustics. Every afternoon, you can watch the famous Kecak dance for free, around 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This Kecak dance can even be collaborated with other regional dances.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park as it is one of Bali’s pride icons. Many significant events, both domestic and international, are often held here. To get an idea of what the atmosphere is like at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, you can check the video post by Emzy Ardiwinata on YouTube below:
Original Post by : Ulfa Arieza on kompas.com
Source of reference :
Original Video By : Emzy Ardiwinata
