Desa Wisata Pinge, Tabanan: An Old Balinese Village Among the Rice Fields of Marga

About 18 km north of Tabanan town, in Desa Baru, Marga district, a straight village lane runs between low compound walls and dozens of angkul-angkul — Balinese house gates — that line up almost identically. This is Desa Adat Pinge, a village at roughly 500 m above sea level, managed as a tourism village since 2004 and named among the top 300 of the 2021 Indonesian Tourism Village Awards.

A Village Whose Layout Survived Intact

Houses in Pinge follow the Asta Kosala Kosali rules, dividing each compound into three zones: parhyangan (the family shrine area), pawongan (living quarters) and palemahan (garden and fields). Because customary rules preserve the building line and wall height, the row of gates along the main lane reads as a single continuous facade. The name Pinge comes from the local word for white, after the white cempaka tree at Pura Natar Jemeng.

Temples, Dance and Rice Fields

• The village Kahyangan Tiga: Pura Bale Agung, Pura Puseh and Pura Dalem, plus Pura Natar Jemeng with its ancient statues.
• Tari Bumbung Gebyog and Tari Leko, accompanied by bamboo instruments, usually performed during ceremonies or on request for groups.
• A 3–4 km trekking route through the rice fields, equally pleasant by bicycle.
• Farming activities alongside residents: metekap (ploughing with cattle), planting and harvesting rice, picking flowers, and wood-carving lessons.

Staying Over and What Is Nearby

The village management counts around 33 family homes opened as homestays, so a night here means sleeping in a Balinese household rather than a hotel. Taman Pujaan Bangsa Margarana, the memorial park for the fighters of Marga, is only about 20 minutes away, and Jatiluwih and Bedugul fit easily into the same route.

Practical Info & Access

• Location: View on Google Maps
• Best hours: 07.00–10.00 when villagers head to the fields, or 15.30–18.00 for the best light.
• Tickets/parking: no paid entrance ticket; visitors normally leave a voluntary donation at the information centre (small cash, around Rp10,000–25,000 per person). Homestay rates are not fixed, usually around Rp150,000–350,000 per night — confirm with the village management.
• Getting there: 18–19 km or 35–45 minutes from Tabanan town, about 40 km from Denpasar and 1–1.5 hours from Ubud. The road is paved and fine for cars and motorbikes, but the last stretch is too narrow for large coaches.
• Instagram: search on Instagram

To join the early-morning walk into the fields and watch dance rehearsals in the afternoon, staying a night in Tabanan makes far more sense than commuting from Kuta — and an AccessiaPass hotel voucher is an easy way to arrange it affordably.