Exploring Trunyan Village is a fascinating experience, not least because this Bali Aga Village doesn’t bury its dead. Instead, the people leave dead bodies to rot away in the open air beneath the branches of a tree said to purify the air and prevent it from stinking.
That’s why some people prefer to call Trunyan Village, Skull Island, after the village depicted in the Peter Jackson movie, King Kong.
Our guide to Trunyan Village will ensure that you’re fully prepared before you join a private tour guide and explore this very unusual corner of Bali.
Where Is Trunyan Village?
Trunyan Village sits on the Eastern shore of Lake Batur which is beneath the Mount Batur volcano. The lake itself is a fascinating example of a caldera lake and it’s worth visiting in its own right for a walk around the shores.
How To Get To Trunyan Village?
To visit Trunyan Village and find out more about its unique tradition, you will need to get to the village of Songan in the Kintamani Highland. This is about a 2-hour drive from the beach towns of Canggu, Kuta and Seminyak and a slightly shorter drive from Ubud.
We’d recommend that you hire a private driver if you undertake this journey without transport as there are almost no Grab or Gojek drivers in this area and you are going to find getting home, without a ride waiting for you, very difficult.
From Songan Village, you will want to catch a boat from the dock to Trunyan Village. We would strongly recommend that you hire a private tour guide to accompany you to Trunyan Village, they can help explain Balinese culture, and the village’s history and ensure that you fully understand the things that you witness on Skull Island.
If you’re hungry you can stop at the Grand Puncak Sari Restaurant which serves Balinese food to hungry tourists all day long.
If you’re on a private tour which includes hotel pickup and all transport to and from Trunyan Village, then the typical itinerary will include a restaurant stop on the way which will often serve only your group when you visit.
We should note that when a restaurant serve Balinese food in this area, they will often try to sell you some of the famous coffee luwak (Kopi Luwak in Bahasa).
This coffee is very popular with tourists but there are serious concerns of animal cruelty regarding the civet cats used to produce this coffee. If you prefer cruelty-free coffee, you should decline this (expensive) brew.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Trunyan Village?
There are no bad times of year to visit Bali and the same is true for Trunyan Village as this Bali Aga Village is inland and at a relatively high elevation it will be cooler than down at the beach resorts, but otherwise, the weather will be relatively pleasant all year round.
However, during the wet season, you may have to wait a while for your boat to depart for Trunyan Village if the rain is very severe. It’s worth noting that as the boat will cross Lake Batur and not the ocean, they can travel in more severe weather than ocean-going vessels.
It doesn’t rain all day, even during the wet season, and we get around 8-9 hours of sunshine each day in that part of the year. So, don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long to see Skull Island.
Who Are The Bali Aga?
The Bali Aga are a unique group of people who follow the original Balinese culture and who speak Balinese, rather than Bahasa Indonesia, as their preferred language.
There are only a few small villages remaining of Bali Aga people on the island. Trunyan village is one such village, but you can find Bali Aga elsewhere too and each village has their own unique traditions.
In the most famous Bali Aga village, Tenganan, young women are placed in a bamboo cage (resembling a Ferris wheel) and spun around while they weave “magic cloth”. These bamboo cages can be seen even when not in use as they are proudly displayed in the village.
On Skull Island at Trunyan Village, however, they practice a form of ritual whipping using rattan shoots and Trunyan Cemetery has a unique method of dealing with a dead body unknown in other locations where the Bali Aga thrive.
Many of the traditions of the Bali Aga have their roots in the original animistic beliefs of the Balinese people before their conversion to the Hindu faith over 1,000 years ago!
In the case of Trunyan Village, their unique practices seem to originate with the Agama Bayu sect which would have worshipped the spirits of the stars and the wind.
The Legend Of Trunyan Village
Trunyan Village has a minor legend associated with its founding. It’s said that many hundreds of years ago, on the island of Java, King Solo of the Surakarta Kingdom had four children.
They say that he had a single daughter and three sons. One morning, these children awoke and found the air filled with a beautiful scent.
The scent was so powerful and so amazing that they had to find its source. The siblings set off at once and their journey led them to Bali.
However, only the eldest son completed the journey and he arrived to find a small village, with a tree in the centre which was the source of the magical aroma.
He opted to stay and lead the village which we now know as Trunyan Village.
Trunyan Village And Funeral Rites – Trunyan Cemetery
Trunyan Village practices some very unusual funeral rites. In the majority of Bali, people are either buried underground or cremated. In fact, local people treat corpses much the same way as they are treated throughout the world.
However, on Skull Island, they do something quite different. The body is taken to the cemetery and is laid on the ground, the corpse is wrapped in a white cloth with just the face exposed.
Then, a bamboo frame is constructed to form a sort of prism around the body. This is known as an “ancak sanji”.
The entire ritual is called “Mepasah” in Balinese.
The bodies are then allowed to be purified with rainwater and are simply left to rot.
What makes this process possible is that there is no scent of decay, as you might expect there to be, it appears that the tree in the centre of the village has such a strong fragrance that it simply neutralizes any unpleasant aromas given off during this ritual.
Only 11 people may be included in the Mepasah at any one time.
In The Shadow Of Mount Batur
When asked why they don’t cremate their dead, the Bali Aga of Skull Island says that Trunyan Village is in the shadow of Mount Batur and they don’t wish to give offence to the spirit of the mountain by using fire in this way.
Interestingly, the people of Trunyan Village recognise and revere the Bhatara Da Tonta (or Ratu Gede Pancering Jagat in Bahasa Indonesia) which is the god of the volcano.
You can find a statue of this god in Trunyan Village and it is regularly washed in rainwater to cleanse it and then anointed with a special oil and covered in flowers.
The exact manner of the rituals associated with Bahtara Da Tonta are recorded on an ancient bronze tablet dating back to 911 AD which was discovered in Pura Tegeh Koripan (a temple on Mount Penulisan).
Once a year, around October time, the effigy of this god is given pride of place in the village for the Brutuk Festival.
Different Rites For Married And Unmarried People
There are special rules for inclusion in the Mepasah ritual and not every Bali Aga is buried in this way.
There are two cemeteries in the Trunyan Village and those interred in the other cemetery are buried underground in much the same way as they are in any other culture.
Trunyan People can only be buried in the famous open cemetery if they are married, or are young children without milk teeth, and if they have died of natural causes and are not maimed or mutilated in any way.
Children with their milk teeth are buried in the “Sema Muda” part of the second cemetery and all others in the “Sema Bantas”.
The Taru Menyan Tree
The Taru Menyan Tree (the name “Taru Menyan” translates from Balinese as “pleasant smelling”) is thought to be more than a thousand years old.
Interestingly, it doesn’t appear to have grown since the Trunyan Village was established around it.
Some scholars say that the name “Trunyan” is a corruption of “Taru Menyan”.
Visitors And These Ancient Rituals
The people of Trunyan Village are very proud of their rituals and they want to share their ways with outsiders.
Women are welcome in the cemetery as long as there is no funeral rite being carried out at the time and men are welcome at any time.
You may be asked to hold the skulls of the dead or to touch other parts of their bodies, there are around 1,100 years worth of human remains in the pile before you in the cemetery.
The Bale Agung Decision-Making Tradition
In Trunyan Village, major decisions are made democratically, to some extent and all those with a vote must attend the Bale Agung where they offer their opinions and then decide together on the precise actions that will take place.
The Brutuk Dance
This dance is part of the Brutuk Festival and is sometimes called the Barong Brutuk. Local men wear sacred masks and don aprons that are made from banana leaf fibres.
There is no musical accompaniment to the Brutuk Dance.
It can only be carried out by men who are unmarried and who have undergone a purification ritual with the local priest.
Once the purification is complete, these men must move into the local temple and are forbidden to take part in any sexual activity and must learn the words of the prayer for the dance during their time in the temple.
Other Unusual Customs In Trunyan Village
There are some other unusual customs in Trunyan Village. Firstly, the village is subject to a caste system and the banjar jero are the ruling caste and the banjar jaba are the lower caste. This, of course, is derived from old Balinese Hindu customs, most of which are not commonly followed in Trunyan Village.
You’ll also find that Trunyan Village has a touch of Buddhist influence and that the young men of the village are expected to take a vow of poverty and live as beggars in lowland Bali for a period before they are married.
Interestingly, many villagers in the Trunyan Village will never have a wedding ceremony, even though they are usually married.
This is because there is an expectation that villagers must throw very expensive and elaborate ceremonies and most villagers are simply unable to raise any cash for such a venture.
FAQs
Where Is Skull Island In Bali?
Skull Island is actually Trunyan Village and it’s found in North Bali in the Kintamani Highlands.
What Is The Story Of Trunyan Village?
Trunyan Village is a traditional village of the Bali Aga, Bali’s original people. It has a founding myth that says a prince from what is now Java came to find the tree at the centre of the village and when he found it, he stayed to help manage the village.
What Is The Trunyan Tree In Bali?
This is the tree at the centre of Trunyan Village which is said to have a pleasant fragrance that masks the smell of rotting corpses and allows the village to conduct their unique funeral rites.
What Is Bali Aga?
The Bali Aga are the people on the island who adhere to the original Balinese way of life, culture, customs and language.
How To Book A Holiday To See Trunyan And Meet The Bali Aga
If you want to see Trunyan Village, then the awesome people at Bali Res Centre can arrange a private tour including hotel pickup and more.
Final Thoughts On Skull Island And Trunyan Village
Trunyan Village AKA Skull Island is one of Bali’s more fascinating places and it’s easy to gain access to the village and its fragrant tree and have an amazing experience as you learn about the ancient rituals and open cemeteries here.
It’s an experience that’s guaranteed to leave a lasting impression too!
