Samsara Living Museum Bali image

Samsara Living Museum Bali

Local history museum

One of the Best Places To Visits in Buana Giri


Address

Jl. Telaga Tista, Jungutan, Kec. Bebandem, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80861, Indonesia

Website

www.samsarabali.com

Contact

+62 822-3633-6629

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (252 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Saturday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Sunday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Monday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Tuesday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Wednesday: 9 am to 3:30 pm
  • Thursday: 9 am to 3:30 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: Balinese (38) culture (31) local (29) Bali (26) experience (24) museum (22) visit (22) guide (20) life (18) people (15)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Claude-Alain H. 1 year ago on Google
    Very good experience to learn more about the Balinese culture and way of life. A guide walls you through the different posts of the exhibition and explains the life, religion, art of living, of local people from birth to death. Very interesting ! Several local people are here to demonstrate how certain thing are done in a Balinese life like cooking, preparing offerings, wood carving... You are even offered a local Balinese coffee and sweets during a little break. I think this kind of museum is important to keep the Balinese culture alive and understood by tourists. The entrance is hard to find, so base maybe on one of the pictures I attached or otherwise just ask local people ! They are always willing to help and know the place very well.
    11 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kusmiatun K. 3 months ago on Google • 211 reviews New
    It is beautiful.. always come back to bring friends here to have knowledge about the circle of life in Balinese. Astungkara Ong Rahayu They are very informative Friendly and helpful Thanks for the hospitality
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tales S. 2 months ago on Google • 178 reviews New
    Heartfelt welcome. Such nice people working here. We were welcomed with a special tribal music with sticks. A good introduction to all the cerimonies that take place during the lifetime of Balinese people. Enjoyed a very nice coffee time with local coffee and cake with no plastic in the process. We received a gift made from palm tree leaves with our names written in local language. Learned about the fruits and the jewel making.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eugen F. 2 months ago on Google • 121 reviews New
    A great initiative to preserve the culture of Bali with a strong emphasis on education. Wayan and the team are wonderful hosts and true champions of Balinese culture. It’s a very calming experience away from the hustle and bustle of what tourism has started to morph into.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Anrian P. 9 months ago on Google
    If you are looking to appreciate Bali beyond its clubs and beaches (as you should), you have to come to Samsara Living Museum. This place takes you to a journey to answer the question, "What makes Bali, Bali?". It gives you a close look into the cycle of life of Balinese and gives you a chance to experience a lot of hands-on traditional activities. Most importantly, this museum is built and run by the local community, so you know that what you spend here will go back to them. We talked with Pak Wayan, our guide, and discovered the noble cause behind this museum, that is to preserve the culture of Bali that has been diminishing over time thanks to globalisation and the youth going to the city to make a living, leaving the villages with less people to uphold the culture. And having experienced the museum, I can say that they are really working hard towards this goal. Now if you've made your mind to visit, I can't stress this enough. When a staff texts you to confirm your booking, ask them for the direction to the museum and follow it to a T. If someone drives you, tell them to follow the exact direction. No shortcut, no Google Maps, no room for creativity here, unless you want to spend literal hours trying to find the museum. We got lost *twice* trying to get here because we trusted the Maps a little too much, but thankfully the staffs were kind enough to pick us up (that was not their first time picking up their guests from nowhere with their own motorbikes, so if you read this, please prevent this from happening again). Pro tip: their spirits and handmade silver are the same price, if not cheaper than those in souvenir shops, so don't hesitate to make some purchases if you see anything you like! We enjoyed the homemade traditional spirits a lot and took some home with us for a very affordable price :) Also, the lunch was very yummy and worth every penny.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lubos B. 2 months ago on Google • 100 reviews New
    Very nice and educative experince, reccommend to evryone, located in the nicest area of Bali! Our guide was the best, full of knowladge and positive enrgy! Part if the experince is also local coffee and tea and somethnig small to eat! Really nice quiet zen space.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Anna Z. 1 year ago on Google
    Amazing experience! Agus Bayu was our guide, and he was fantastic. He explained many interesting facts about Balinese culture and traditions, and we had cool, relaxed chat with him by the bamboo forest, talking about how life is in Bali. It was an unforgettable experience and I would hugely recommend it to anyone. I think it will be even better when more tourists are coming, as then they have a display of handmade jewelry making and other activities which weren't active when we were there. Still, overall, fantastic. Matur suksma for everything! 100% recommended!!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 FYM 11 months ago on Google
    Hidden traditional gem inside the jungle of east Bali. A place to visit and experience the traditions of Bali from dancing until making local spirit (Arac). Also you can buy products here and see different shows. Cooking class, wellness experience or simple balinese culture emerge is the main of this spot. Good for those who plan something different than the Instagram story styles locations.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 astrid s. 11 months ago on Google
    This is really a worthy stop. We were warmly welcomed and patiently educated about the balinese culture and Hindu ways. Our host was so humble, warm and dedicated to the preservation of generations of knowledge, teachings and traditions. We had a lovely coffee and traditional snack, (no plastics), and came away feeling a deep appreciation of the Balinese people as well as quite an enlightenment of valuable learnings to use ourselves. Highly recommended, the fee for the visit continues to support the village and its traditions. They also do cooking classes and other optional activities. Thank you, and all the best.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Grekka S. 1 year ago on Google
    We learned a lot about Balinese culture. A must visit if that's your interest while touring. A great small, cultural initiative. Many of the features and activities they offer were unavailable when we visited in early December 2022. They had just suffered some damage due to heavy rains but you wouldn't know about it from anywhere online. They were also quite surprised how we managed to find them because they aren't typically included in packaged tours.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 GT 3 months ago on Google • 75 reviews New
    Amazing experience and found this place accidentally and was worth it, they offer a few activities that needs to be booked in advance so they can prepare (food and e.t.c.) and will visit again in the future. You can learn a lot about people of bali and their culture, the way of living and their lifestyle.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sean 1 month ago on Google • 54 reviews New
    Good place to visit! You can learn a lot about the cultural traditions and lifestyle of the locals nearby. If you're visiting with a big group of 10 or more. A reservation is required.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Vickie C. 3 months ago on Google • 45 reviews New
    It took a while for our driver to take us from Jimbaran to Samsara. However, the trip was definitely worth it. It was a fantastic experience to learn the Balinese culture. The gentleman that guided us was very friendly and knowledgeable. We felt very welcomed to learn their cycle of life. It was interesting to taste the Arak liquor, coffee and pancake-like dessert. It was great to see that the elders from the village still keep the tradition to gather for important meetings. I recommend to anyone who is visiting Bali. Samsara Living Museum is a true gem.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Liene L. 11 months ago on Google
    A must when in Bali. Beautiful open air museum with a private guide who told us so much about Balinese culture, history and daily life. We had a great time and learned a lot. As an extra you get a little tasting of food and drinks! Definitely recommend to visit!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lenka K. 5 months ago on Google • 18 reviews
    It is such a gem to visit in the eastern part of Bali. If you would like to find out about the traditional ceremonies during the balinese people's life, this is definitly the place to visit. For the entrance fee you get a welcome drink, coffee and a snack and a local guide taking you through the museum, giving detailed explainations in very good English. You can also taste local products and buy them to take home like a present. The the space of the museum very peaceful and taken good care of. We enjoyed every minut of our visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Stella L. 5 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    Very heartfelt display to showcase Balinese culture. Friendly guide and people who live & work there. Fun to play with different traditional instruments
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 A K. 2 months ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    Off the beaten track. Nice open-air museum where you become acquainted with the circle of a Balinese life and the rituals that go with it. Furthermore, demonstrations of harmonious pounding of rice, arrack distillation, playing gamelan, making small flower offerings and “floating” silver. You are invited to participate yourself. Including coffee and sweets, Arak tasting and guide (perfect English): 100,000 rp per person.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Maïlys E. 1 month ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    We are a group of 10 people (6 adults, 2 young adults, and 2 children under 4 years old) and we all, without exception, had an excellent time in this living museum! The visit (one to two hours depending on your pace) consists of a series of activities to discover traditional Balinese culture. We begin the visit by tasting a local fruit juice. Then, musicians teach us how to play a traditional instrument made of a hollowed-out trunk and large wooden sticks. Thirdly, the guide presents the 14 main rituals that punctuate the lives of the Balinese, from their birth to their death. Then, we learn to play the gamelan (Indonesian xylophone ensemble). We take a short break during which we are offered a snack of coconut sweet potatoes and local coffee and teas. Then we are explained the traditional process of making arak (coconut-based alcohol), which we can also taste. The rest of the visit consists of a stroll in the magnificent gardens of the museum and the discovery of several types of local crafts (silverwork, engraving of texts in palm leaves, palm leaf weaving) and we taste some local fruits. A huge thank you to our lovely guide who accompanied us throughout the visit and answered our countless questions in impeccable English. We recommend 100%!! (Note that the site offers many additional activities for those who wish: learning Balinese dance, cooking and arak making classes, purification rituals, etc.)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ilona B. 1 month ago on Google • 8 reviews New
    fantastic experience, together with the guide who explained everything we learned a lot about the traditions and ceremonies in Bali
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 joy h. 2 months ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    Beautiful place. We loved learning more about the Balinese culture and taking a traditional offerings making class.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brendan B. 3 months ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    My partner and I really felt Wayan's commitment to preserving Balinese cultural traditions and felt privileged to have them shared with us by such kind and generous people. As tourists in Bali we want to be part of supporting the people here and celebrating their way of life. 100k is a small price to pay for an experience that was so much more than another instagram swing. The included coffee and mini rice pancakes served in woven banana leaf baskets was also appreciated We'd recommend using a local driver to find the museum as it is tucked away in a valley with narrow roads in and out. .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Karen S. 4 months ago on Google
    Thanks for sharing a taste of Balinese culture from your village. Sorry I don't remember our guide's name but he was really informative and went through some significant ceremonies in Balinese life, plus shared a taste of their local coconut spirits and food. Demonstrations of local music were also included. Definitely worth a stop when you are driving through this area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Putu S. 3 years ago on Google
    This place has beautiful set up spaces for meeting or gathering or stop point to know more about Balinese living culture. Other than the knowledge, you may also enjoy the process of Arak making -Balinese traditional drink- bamboo stuff making, also the coffee Bali making. What a great place to visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yacinta H. 7 months ago on Google
    Our guests absolutely loved their visit to Samsara. We booked in advance the Water Blessing ceremony package which included an authentic Balinese lunch. They enjoyed the experience immensely, not only the water blessing but the simple museum tour. Thr guide was very informative on all levels and you can tell that he was proud if his rich Balinese heritage and wanted to genuinely educate and share with the world. They also toured the premises to different "bales" which had different activites such as basket weaving, canang making, writing aksara Bali on longan leaves etc. The surrounding nature was also just perfect. Our biggest thanks to the Samsara team who worked hard and gave the experience of a lifetime.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tabitha F. 1 year ago on Google
    We stumbled upon this on our way to Amed and we were blown away. This is the most authentic experience we have had so far and everyone was so passionate. We spend a few hours being shown around and asking questions. It was very hands on and a brilliant learning experience that couldn't have been further away from touristy. This is definitely worth a detour on your travels through Bali.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nikita K. 1 year ago on Google
    An insightful experience to learn about the Balinese and their culture. The very tranquil surroundings in which we could enjoy some arak and coffee adds to the experience. Pleasant and friendly guide. I wholly recommend visiting Samsara especially if you're already in the area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Uroš K. 1 year ago on Google
    Lovely place to get to know a little more about Balinese culture. I learned about the processes that accompany life stages from pregnancy to marriage to death. They also served me a traditional sweet potato dish with coconut and some Arak drink. You will also see a lady making an ornament offering. I was the only one there, so I got a personal guide who was very nice and informative. Thank you Wayan 🙏 The entrance donation amount is suggested as 100k
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Zuzana R. 1 month ago on Google • 9 reviews New
    I think that if you fly to Bali, this MUSEUM is worth a visit - the guide will guide you through life in Bali from cradle to death🙏❣️

  • 5/5 Anna A. 2 months ago on Google • 6 reviews New
    Another way to experience Bali! It's not all about party and Instagram spots. So if you're interested in history and local culture, come here. No "boring" museum, but a place where you can experience!

  • 5/5 Ko Phyu S. 1 year ago on Google
    The Samsara Living Museum was initiated by the local community and gives the visitors some insight to the Balinese way of life. All major traditional ceremonies and rituals are described and presented in detail. Every member of the local community somehow contributes to the Samsara Living Museum Furthermore, you can see live demonstrations of different forms of handcrafts and the distillation process of Arak, the Balinese palm liquor. The income from the entrance fee is again used within the community to maintain the property and the compounds. My wife and I really had a special tour there and enjoyed all we have seen and learned very much. It is a little of track regarding the typical tourist pathways, however, if you want to see how local institutions caring about their own traditions and culture, then this is a place to visit.

  • 5/5 Noa C. 5 months ago on Google
    The real Bali experience that cannot be found in the gentrified south Bali. They started the journey with a welcoming jamu, put a sarong on us then walked us through the museum that explains the life of Balinese people from birth to death and the spiritual significance of the ceremonies. We got to play their traditional musical instruments and very joyously dehusk the rice grains. Everyone there is part of the community that initiated the idea of this living museum to preserve the balinese culture. Please keep up with the good work!! PS. The Google map location is correct now. It is a rough drive from Sidemen but please don't let that deter you, it is 100% worth coming.

  • 5/5 Widi R. 2 years ago on Google
    A great community based cultural tourism attraction. The activities offered provide a complete and authentic local life experience. Very recommended for those seeking culture, nature, and wellness experience.

  • 5/5 Kate T. 1 year ago on Google
    Really great place to learn about Balinese culture and support their local community. It is a very welcoming space. You get your own personal guide who can answer lots of questions. The grounds are really nice and set up professionally to accommodate visitors. You get a welcome drink, coffee and snacks, all homemade.

  • 4/5 Kamil N. 1 year ago on Google
    We were on this place after storm, some of attraction was not available. Anyway it was very nice

  • 5/5 Bounces B. 2 years ago on Google
    Great story to share the life cycle of Balinese. Suggest to spend minimum half day to get more knowledge and experience.

  • 5/5 Yaroslava C. 1 year ago on Google
    Definitely worth paying a visit if you are interested in learning Balinese history, ceremonies and culture. You will be accompanied by a guide who will tell and show you everything on the site, afterwards you’ll try some Balinese authentic snacks and coffee in a beautiful bamboo garden. There are not many people in there, so chances are high that you’ll enjoy the museum for yourself. I’ve found out lots of curiosities about Balinese culture & traditions, and I admire the desire of locals to preserve the roots.

  • 5/5 Sabine 1 year ago on Google
    Really nice Museum off the beaten track. The Guide is very sweet and the Rice cakes and Coffee you get was delicious. Definitely worth visiting!

  • 5/5 Dragosh T. 1 year ago on Google
    A hidden gem! Explains all the cultural balinese traditions from birth to death, how you can create Arak (or rakia, tzuica) they gave us coffee and cake. You can see traditional homes and fruits

  • 5/5 Gejor �. 1 year ago on Google
    Good to visit if u want to know about Bali culture

  • 5/5 i dewa ayu istri i. 2 years ago on Google
    New experiences!!! Good view. Good vibe. Fresh air

  • 5/5 petya s. 9 months ago on Google
    This is a great place to lean more about the local Balinesse traditions and rituals, as well as to try local food and drinks. I personally loved the hospitality and friendliness of everyone in the museum, especially the guide who could just not stop smiling while excitedly telling me all the stories. They are also more than happy to have you take part in activities such as cooking classes and a number of rituals such as the purification one. If you want to learn more about Bali I would highly recommend this place!

  • 5/5 Oli G. 1 year ago on Google
    Superb, much better than expected. Professionally done, not many people there (so a personal tour of sorts). Also a nice biking road to get there

  • 5/5 YUN F. 2 months ago on Google • 1 review New
    We found the museum accidentally, but it was a really great experience. It’s nice that local community built this museum to preserve local culture and they try to not use plastics. The spoons of snacks are made by palm leaves🌿 we can try different musical instruments and local alcohol. I The best is that a girl wrote my name on palm leaf with Balinese writing system. The manager was very patient and kind. It was a great opportunity to learn some Balinese culture.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hannah W. 2 months ago on Google • 2 reviews New
    A visit to this museum is a must on your visit to Bali. The site is stunningly built and our guide Wayan was fun, charming and very informative with a winning smile. We leaned a lot about the beautiful Balinese culture and left feeling full and happy. Everything is made from natural materials the world has a lot to learn from Bali
    1 person found this review helpful 👍


Call +62 822-3633-6629 Open on Google Maps

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