Puri Anyar Kerambitan, Tabanan: A Still-Inhabited Palace and the Home of Tektekan

Puri Anyar Kerambitan is not a museum. This old palace compound west of Tabanan town is still lived in by the royal family, and it is precisely here that tektekan — the bamboo-clapper music that accompanies the Calonarang drama — developed from the late 1960s. Visitors are welcome, but as guests of a home, not ticket buyers.

A Palace That Is Still Lived In

• Founded by the Tabanan royal family in the 17th century and opened to visitors from the late 1960s.
• Wide courtyards, gong pavilions, stone carvings and antique Chinese porcelain plates set into the walls.
• Parts of the compound are ageing and being repaired gradually — come expecting a living old house, not a polished attraction.

Tektekan and the Royal Dinner

• Tektekan is performed alongside barong, rangda and the Calonarang story — it is not a daily show.
• It is usually staged as a royal dinner package for groups, with roughly 90 minutes of entertainment during the meal.
• Other dances often included: legong/leko, andir, and joged bumbung, which pulls guests up to dance.
• It must be booked well ahead through the palace management or a tour agent; cost depends on group size and menu.

Visiting Etiquette

• Wear a sarong and a sash; this is a family compound with its own temple.
• Report to a caretaker or family member at the front before going deeper inside.
• Ask permission before photographing shrines, offerings or ceremonies, and stay out of private quarters.
• Speak softly, remove footwear if asked, and carry small cash for a donation.

Practical Info & Booking

• Location: View on Google Maps — Baturiti village, Kerambitan; about 15 minutes from Tabanan town, 1–1.5 hours from Denpasar.
• Booking/Visiting: for a daytime visit simply arrive and ask permission at the front; for a tektekan performance or the royal dinner, contact the palace management or a local tour agent well in advance.
• Instagram: search on Instagram
• Hours & cost: there is no official ticket booth; come at a reasonable hour, roughly 9am–4pm, and leave a voluntary donation (tens of thousands of rupiah per person is appropriate) towards upkeep.

Since Kerambitan sits on the same road as Tanah Lot and Jatiluwih, a night in Tabanan makes the day far less rushed, and an AccessiaPass hotel voucher can cover exactly that.