Perched beneath the sheer volcanic precipices of Mount Abang on the eastern edge of Lake Batur lies Desa Trunyan—one of the most enigmatic settlements in Southeast Asia. While the overwhelming majority of Balinese practice elaborate fire cremations known as Ngaben, the inhabitants of Trunyan lay their deceased out under the open sky beneath the branches of an ancient, fragrant tree. Here, surrounded by human skulls mossy with age, visitors encounter an unfiltered, deeply reverent relationship with mortality that has survived unchanged for millennia.
Often sensationalized on social media as "Skull Island" or "Bali’s creepy death village," Trunyan is in reality a sacred ancestral sanctuary governed by rigorous customary law (Awig-Awig). This comprehensive, respectful guide unveils the history of the Bali Aga people, the botanical mystery of the Taru Menyan tree, and the essential etiquette every traveler must follow.
1. Who Are the Bali Aga? The Island's Original Inhabitants
To understand Trunyan, one must understand the Bali Aga (or Bali Mula)—the indigenous original inhabitants of the island who predated the grand 14th-century Hindu-Javanese migration of the Majapahit Empire. When Majapahit courtiers, priests, and artists settled across Bali’s fertile southern plains, introducing the royal caste system and elaborate royal cremations, certain mountain villages retreated into isolated highland calderas to preserve their pre-Majapahit animist-Vedic traditions.
Unlike lowland Balinese who speak complex stratified language registers (High Balinese vs Common Balinese), the Bali Aga speak an archaic mountain dialect and do not adhere to the four-tier caste system (Wangsa). Their social organization centers around direct ancestor veneration, animistic mountain spirits, and strict customary elders (Kelian Desa).
2. The Miracle of Taru Menyan: The Fragrant Tree
The name Trunyan is an etymological contraction of two Old Balinese words:
- Taru, meaning “tree.”
- Menyan, meaning “fragrant” or “incense.”
According to ancient village folklore recorded in palm-leaf chronicles (Lontar), the celestial fragrance of a giant wild Taru Menyan tree once drifted across the seas, captivating an ancient Javanese royal prince who followed the scent across the mountains until he reached the eastern edge of Lake Batur, where he married the guardian spirit of the crater lake and founded the village.
Scientifically, the Taru Menyan is a species of giant banyan-like laurel tree that emits a subtle, natural resinous fragrance capable of neutralizing organic decomposition odors. When decomposing human bodies are laid directly upon the earth beneath its massive root system, the aromatic foliage and subterranean fungal network absorb and neutralize the volatile organic compounds that typically cause putrid smells. Standing within feet of open funeral cages, visitors are routinely astonished to detect only the scent of wet mountain moss, ancient earth, and sweet forest air.
3. The Sema Wayah Sky Burial Ritual (Mepasah)
The open-air funeral practice in Trunyan is known as Mepasah. It is not an unceremonious dumping of corpses, but a deeply regulated sacred transition. However, not everyone who passes away in Trunyan is eligible for placement under the sacred tree.
The Three Cemeteries of Trunyan
The village strictly maintains three separate burial sites based on the circumstances of death:
- Sema Wayah: The primary sacred sky burial ground reserved solely for married villagers who died of natural causes or old age (a "good death" or mati patut). Here, exactly 11 bamboo cages (ancab) are maintained at any given time. When a new deceased elder arrives, the bones of the oldest resident are respectfully gathered and placed along the moss-covered stone altar beneath the cliff to make room for the newcomer.
- Sema Bantas: The cemetery for those who suffered a sudden, violent, or unnatural death (mati salah)—such as drowning, motor accidents, suicides, or infectious diseases. These bodies are strictly buried beneath the soil to prevent spiritual contagion.
- Sema Muda: A separate burial plot reserved for stillborn babies, infants, and unmarried youths.
The Mepasah Ceremony
When an elder passes away, the body is bathed with lake water, clothed in clean white cotton garments, and escorted across Lake Batur by wooden canoe. In accordance with ancestral taboo, women from the village are strictly forbidden from setting foot in the Sema Wayah cemetery. Local belief holds that if a village woman enters the sky burial grounds, the village will be struck by earthquakes or a volcanic eruption from Mount Batur. The deceased is laid on the volcanic soil inside a triangular woven bamboo cage (ancab) to protect the remains from wild animals, accompanied by personal possessions such as coins, teacups, and clothing.
4. How to Visit Trunyan Safely: Avoiding Tour Hassles
Because Trunyan is isolated by sheer cliffs, the cemetery can only be reached by boat across the waters of Lake Batur. In past decades, independent travelers sometimes encountered aggressive boat pricing or informal port fees at the docks. Today, visiting has been significantly regulated by the local tourism cooperative.
Official Boat Access Points
Boats depart from Dermaga Kedisan (Kedisan Port) on the southern shore of Lake Batur, easily reached from Penelokan, Kintamani. Always purchase your ticket at the official cooperative office window rather than accepting private touts on the roadside. The round-trip motorboat crossing takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes each way, gliding across the tranquil caldera waters beneath the shadow of Mount Batur.
5. Vital Etiquette for Visiting Trunyan
Visiting Trunyan is a solemn encounter with death and ancestral history. Visitors must uphold the highest standards of decorum:
- Modest Attire: Wear a traditional sarong and sash, with shoulders fully covered. Treat the entire cemetery as a holy outdoor temple.
- Do Not Touch Anything: Never touch, handle, or pick up human bones, skulls, or funeral items for photographs. Doing so is a grave cultural offense (cuntaka).
- Mindful Photography: Taking photographs of the weathered skulls and the ancient Taru Menyan tree is permitted, but never take irreverent selfies, comedic poses, or intrusive close-ups of recently laid bodies.
- Leave a Respectful Contribution: When you arrive, it is customary to leave a small voluntary donation (typically IDR 20,000 to 50,000) at the caretaker’s desk to help maintain the site and support local temple funds.
6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does Trunyan Cemetery smell like rotting flesh?
No. Visitors are consistently amazed to find that the cemetery does not emit the smell of decaying organic matter. The fragrant oils of the ancient Taru Menyan tree, combined with cool highland winds and natural volcanic soil drainage, prevent offensive odors from developing.
Why are there only 11 bamboo cages at the cemetery?
Village customary law dictates that only 11 bodies can occupy the sacred ground under the Taru Menyan tree simultaneously. When a 12th body arrives, the remains in the oldest cage are completely decomposed into skeletal bones; the skull and long bones are cleansed and respectfully moved to the stone terrace altar, freeing the cage for the newest ancestor.
Can female tourists visit Trunyan Cemetery?
Yes. While local village women from Trunyan are prohibited by customary law from setting foot on the cemetery ground during funerals, female tourists and external female guides are warmly permitted to visit the site by boat.