Ideally located less than 20 minutes away from the Ngurah Rai International Airport lies a Balinese culture park that is truly monumental in both scale and concept. Sprawled across an extensive property of 240 hectares the Garuda Wisnu Kencana or GWK as it is affectionately known by locals is the pride and joy of southern Bali’s Bukit Peninsula which is a plateau of limestone to the west of beach haven Uluwatu.
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his mythical mount known as Garuda, the culture park’s chief highlight is of course is its larger than life sculpture of Garuda Wisnu Kencana which towers above the surrounding landscapes at a height of 150m and a wingspan of nearly 64m. The sculpture showing Lord Vishnu riding his trustee mount Garuda in a bold and victorious manner was constructed using more than 4000 tons of copper and brass. The monumental singular statue of Lord Vishnu is equally awe-inspiring as the 23m high monument is an artistic feat of no small measure. Affording stunning views of Benoa, Sanur and Kuta, the statue’s vaulted location on the highest summit of the Ungasan undoubtedly adds to its grandeur. A singular statue of Garuda in contrast is located in the foreground of the plaza and is nearly 18m in height. Surrounded by limestone pillars the Garuda sculpture occupies GWK’s Lotus Pond enclave which is sprawled across 4000m2. A stone sculpture of Lord Vishnu’s benevolent hands is found within the Tirta Agung area of the park which also houses a shopping complex.
A popular venue for weddings in Bali the GWK attracts more than 3,000 visitors daily. Other highlight events conducted at the locale includes a rock concert by iconic heavy-metal band Iron Maiden and US rock band Paramore. Other international events such as Miss World 2013 were also hosted at the park which also houses an amphitheatre, exhibition space, street theatre and festival park. Adventure sports enthusiasts can also engage in high rope climbing, trampoline and bungee jumping activities at GWK which also offers Segway tours of the space.
Memorabilia are available at GWK Souvenir Shop while those looking to purchase handicrafts and Balinese sarongs, accessories and other gifts can head down to the GWK Bali Art Market.
Travellers in search of an elegant Nusa Dua resort should look no further than The Laguna Resort & Spa Nusa Dua Bali. Conveniently located in a scenic position this stylish rest is one luxury resort Bali counts among its best accommodation providers.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
