Also known as Turtle Island or Pulau Sakenan, this dry, low-lying, 73-hectare, three-kilometer-long island formed on the sandbar at the entrance to Labuhan Benoa, only 250 meters off the southeast coast of Bali.

The island's lovely, palm-lined southern beach is visible from the village of Benoa at the northern tip of the Tanjung Peninsula. At the northern end of Serangan are two villages, Pojok and, just 500 meters to the south, Dukuh, connected by a bridge over an inlet.

One kilometer south of Dukuh is Serangan's slender Pura Sakenan, a two-part sea temple, sacred to all south Bali. A feature of this seaside 'pura' is its peculiar, graceful 'bersayap'-style winged 'candi bentar'. Inside is an obelisk to the rice goddesses, Dewi Sri.

Legend has it Pura Sakenan was founded by the 10th century wanderer-priest Mpu Kuturan. It shares the same guardian statues and decorative designs as its contemporary, Pura Uluwatu, on the Bukit, and was constructed with the same material-hard coral stone.

The more squarish Pura Susunan Wadonan contains pyramid-shaped 'prasada' - Javanese 'candi'-style, stepped shrines, but without the 'cella'. The combination of 'candi' and prehistoric pre-Hindu stepped pyramid is seldom seen in Balinese temple architecture. It's best to visit the island at festival time.

Once every 210 days, a festival (Manis Kuningan) is held at the Pura Sakenan sea temple in the north of the island, one of Bali's eight most sacred public temples. For the two-day 'odalan' festival, droves of people are ferried or wade across the sandbars bearing offerings to the sea gods. At the same time, towering giant puppets for the 'barong landung' dance are carried by canoe in a water procession. A big colorful fair takes place outside the temple as throngs of people in all their finery stream in and out.

Getting There

The most common method is by motorized boat from Desa Suwung, about 1.5 km south of Sanur. You'll see the sign pointing to Serangan Island. There is no regular 'bemo' but you can just charter one from Sanur. Take a right turn off Jalan Bypass, then drive past shrimp farms and mangroves to the estuary where motorized longboats wait for passengers.

Bargain the fare while waiting for other passengers to arrive to split the cost. The boat then negotiates the narrow and very shallow channel through the swamps. Once on the island, get to Pura Sakenan from the north by walking south over the bridge to the banjar of Dukuh. From Dukuh, follow the path that leads across the cement causeway over the lagoon then through a coconut grove.

From Tanjung Benoa, plan on about 20 minutes each way to cross the bay by 'prahu motor', and at least a half-day on the island. From Tanjung's tip, it's possible to walk across the mud to Pulau Serangan when the tide is low.