Pura Gambur Anglayang, Kubutambahan: Can You Enter? Is There a Fee?

Pura Negara Gambur Anglayang is in Kubutambahan village, Buleleng, about 20-30 minutes' drive east of Singaraja, and it is known for shrines named Ratu Gede Dalem Mekah (Mecca), Ratu Bagus Melayu, Ratu Bagus Sundawan and Ratu Ayu Syahbandar (harbourmaster) standing side by side in one courtyard. Most people on the north-coast road stop at Pura Meduwe Karang in the same village and drive straight past this one.

Why does a Hindu temple have "Mecca" and "Malay" shrines?

Academic studies, including one in the journal Bawi Ayah (2025) and a landscape study of the temple, link the names to the area's past as a trading port called Kuta Banding or Tabanding, visited by Chinese, Arab, Malay and Sundanese merchants. Ratu Ayu Syahbandar and Ratu Manik Mas are associated with Chinese and Buddhist elements. Popular sources give a founding year of 1260; we found no inscription that confirms it, so treat the date as oral tradition.

Can non-Hindus enter?

Research published in 2020 records visitors of Chinese descent regularly praying here following the temple's own procedures. For tourists, the usual Balinese temple rules apply: wear a sarong and sash, do not enter while menstruating (see the menstruation rule at temples), and the inner courtyard (jeroan) is for worshippers unless the priest allows you in.

Is there an entrance fee?

No official fee is published (checked October 2026). The temple is not run as a tourist site, so the norm is a donation in the offering box. Bring your own sarong, since rental is not guaranteed.

When should you go?

In the morning, before the north-coast heat peaks. We could not find the piodalan (temple anniversary) date in open sources. If you arrive during a ceremony, watch from outside the wall and keep the path clear. If the gate is locked, ask the neighbours.

Is it good for kids?

The grounds are flat and close to the road, so it is safe. But the appeal is the story, not the view: there are no information boards, guides, dedicated food stalls or visitor toilets. Children expecting a beach or an attraction will get bored quickly, and adults should read up first to get much out of the visit.

How to get there, and what else is nearby?

• Location: Kubutambahan village, Buleleng. One culture site names Kubudindingan village instead, so check the pin before you set off. View on Google Maps
• Transport: scooter or rental car; no tourist shuttle. Roughly 40-45 minutes from Lovina.
• Booking: not needed.
• Instagram: search on Instagram
• Combine with: Pura Meduwe Karang in the same village, then a swim at Air Sanih about 15 minutes east.

Bring questions as well as a camera. The Kubutambahan residents who look after this temple are the best source for the story of a harbour that no longer exists.