Every visitor to Bali is mesmerised by the incredible rice field vistas and staying at Villa Jendela di Bali you will be surrounded by this breathtaking beauty.

These ricefields are made possible by the seemingly impossible - a system of irrigation based entirely on cooperation and devised by the Balinese over the last 1,000 years.

Take a moment to contemplate the enormity of this achievement: university scholars have studied this system and concluded that even using today's computing power, the system could not be made more efficient.

This achievement has been recognised by the listing of the 'Subak' irrigation system by UNESCO in 2012.

Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy

As the UNESCO listing describes:

The cultural landscape of Bali consists of five rice terraces and their water temples that cover 19,500 ha. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water management system of canals and weirs, known as subak, that dates back to the 9th century. Included in the landscape is the 18th-century Royal Water Temple of Pura Taman Ayun, the largest and most impressive architectural edifice of its type on the island. The subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. This philosophy was born of the cultural exchange between Bali and India over the past 2,000 years and has shaped the landscape of Bali. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago despite the challenge of supporting a dense population.

For our French guests:

Etalé sur 19 500 hectares, le paysage culturel de Bali comprend cinq rizières en terrasses et des temples d’eau qui illustrent le système des subak, une institution coopérative de gestion de l’eau par des canaux et des barrages qui remonte au IXe siècle. On y trouve aussi le temple d’eau royal Pura Taman Ayun, datant du XVIIIe siècle, le plus grand de Bali mais aussi le plus original du point de vue architectural. Le subak reflète le concept philosophique de Tri Hita Karana qui vise à une relation harmonieuse entre les domaines de l’esprit, du monde humain et de la nature. Cette philosophie, issue de l’échange culturel existant entre l’Inde et Bali depuis plus de deux mille ans, a façonné le paysage de Bali. Le système subak recouvre des pratiques agricoles démocratiques et égalitaires qui ont permis aux habitants de Bali de devenir les plus efficaces producteurs de riz de tout l’archipel, malgré la pression d’une grande densité de population.

Having an appreciation of the significance of the Subak system will add to your enjoyment of the stunning beauty it has created when you visit and stay with us in the heart of Bali.

You can discover more about the criteria for the listing on UNESCO’s website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1194

And if you’d like to go a step further and immerse yourself in the Subak system and how it works, consider a visit to the Subak Museum in Tabanan https://museum-subak.business.site/