The Ultimate Guide to Banjar Hot Springs

Indonesia     Destinations, Favorite Spots
Air Panas Banjar is a centuries-old therapeutic sulfur hot springs bathing spot nestled in lush vegetation in the hills of Bali. Here's the scoop on costs, restaurant menu, when to go, and even a tip on how to get in for free!
Tucked away in a green lush hillside in North Bali about 5k from Lovina is Air Panas Banjar. The sulfury hot springs in the town of Banjar have been a favorite little stop of mine since I first visited in 2000. It's not a huge place with really only one main place to swim, but it's in such a beautiful setting and if you time it right, you won't have any crowds at all.

It's a nice place to stand under warm water spouting out of the mouths of protective dragon creatures, grab a bite at the restaurant, and maybe even treat yourself to a massage.

The entry is Rp 20,000 (about $1.75 US). Check the Banjar Hot Springs website for current hours and admission price. Air means water (yeah, funny huh?) and panas means hot (how about that?). Aeer (say "aye" like a pirate but add an r at the end) PAH-nahs
"Hot Water Baths"
Nice offerings throughout the
 riverside grounds.
Nice offerings throughout the riverside grounds.

When to Go

Go early in the morning, mid-week. Most recently I went at 8:30am on a Friday and I was literally the only person in the springs.

I can't stress enough to NOT go on the weekends, and NOT go on local holidays. You will hit crowds and it will be a different experience. I have heard horror stories about the state of the water and the state of the people in the water during crowded times - not great!

Also if tour groups go to the springs, you want to get there early enough to miss them when they get there around mid-day.
If you arrive before they open, you can get in free while they are filling the pools. Well, it's sort of at the whim of the workers of course. But pay or not, best of all you will have the whole place to yourself!
Go early and you'll have the whole place to yourself! Plus it's not too hot since you have the morning shade.
Go early and you'll have the whole place to yourself! Plus it's not too hot since you have the morning shade.

What to Bring

You can go simple and just bring some money and a towel and wear your swimsuit under your clothes, or bring dry clothes and even soap and shampoo for post-swim cleanup. The restaurant does request that you do not come in wearing wet swim clothing.

Bring a camera, bottle of water (or buy drinks there). In the early morning, the sun has not hit the pools yet so there is no need for a hat or sunglasses at that hour. If you happen to have river shoes, it might not be the worst idea since the steps and platforms are pretty slippery, but bare feet is fine too.

Even though it's called holy hot springs, every person I've seen there has been wearing a bikini (the women I mean! LOL). I'm sure if you wore shorts and a t-shirt you would not be out of place, but a bikini seems acceptable. I have seen posts saying you should bring a suit you don't mind getting ruined but I wore a pretty light colored suit and did not have any green on it when I left.

Getting There

If you are driving yourself, you will head inland at the (only) Banjar traffic light off of the Seririt-Singaraja main road. Follow the road a short way past the local market on your right until you get into more of a town. Go a bit further just until you figure you must have missed the turnoff. You will then see a sign to turn left to the hot springs.
Keep an eye out for this sign when driving to the springs.
Keep an eye out for this sign when driving to the springs.
Then you drive up a quiet little makes-you-smile kind of road past a grape field (field?).

There's a parking lot with an entry gate but motorbikes have a special parking lot in the middle of the souvenir shops. It's easy to miss though! Look for the sign on the left where you will go down a steep driveway and off to either side to park your bike in yet another gorgeous setting!

I was told the parking fee for the motorbike was donation but typical is Rp 2000 for a motorbike and Rp 5000 for a car. Maybe he was just hoping I'd give more than Rp 2K.
The parking lot and entry gate.
The parking lot and entry gate.
There are helpful workers close by to get you to the correct spot.
There are helpful workers close by to get you to the correct spot.


Don't miss the sign pointing you to where the motorbike parking is.
Don't miss the sign pointing you to where the motorbike parking is.


It's a bit of a steep hill to get to the parking. I'm glad one of my brakes was working okay!
It's a bit of a steep hill to get to the parking. I'm glad one of my brakes was working okay!
Even the motorbike parking lot is pretty! And empty early in the morning.
Even the motorbike parking lot is pretty! And empty early in the morning.
Then you walk past the souvenir shops who all have the same thing; sarongs, shorts, towels, swim suits, tourist t-shirts. Bargain your heart out if you're feeling in the shopping mood.

The entry to the springs is at the end of the shops under a stone arch.
The actual entry to the springs past the souvenir shops.
The actual entry to the springs past the souvenir shops.

The Springs

The whole place is surrounded by green vegetation and blooming tropical flowers. The slippery cement pools are fed by natural sulfur hot springs so the water is a murky green and a bit eggy smelling (but not too much).

The upper pool is the hottest one but it's still more warm than hot. It's a narrow pool 1 meter deep and is just the right temperature for me. Below that is the big main pool that is the coolest temperature. It is 1 meter deep where the water spouts out of the dragon heads from the upper pool and goes as deep as 2m at the opposite end.

Stand under the streams of healing holy waters and enjoy the view. I'm not sure if the water truly has therapeutic qualities or not, but the whole package sure does! Assuming you didn't come during a crowded time, take one of those "ahhh" moments that cleanse the soul.
The big pool and upper warm pool.
The big pool and upper warm pool.
There's a reason why everyone has this same photo - it's cool!
There's a reason why everyone has this same photo - it's cool!
This is the upper and lower pools.
This is the upper and lower pools.
Around the corner (you walk by it when you enter the springs) is the third pool which may or may not have a pool of water in it. The three streams falling from a few meters above make for an incredible massage! I mean really, it targets those tight computer shoulder muscles like it's nobody's business!
Oh the massage you get from these spouts! Notice on this particular day there's no pool in this pool. Dry area on far wall to put your things.
Oh the massage you get from these spouts! Notice on this particular day there's no pool in this pool. Dry area on far wall to put your things.
This is from 2000. Not much has changed other than me!
This is from 2000. Not much has changed other than me!

Facilities

The thankfully and surprisingly unobtrusive-to-the-surroundings restaurant and facilities building is just off to the side of the pools behind the Holy Hot Springs sign. You have options to rent a locker and use the showers. All for a small fee, of course.

You don't necessarily need a locker if you don't bring much or if there are not many people around. Most of the cement around the pools is wet but there is a dry shelf/bench along the side where you can put your things. There is on-site security that walks around the pools.

The restaurant is pretty big and has decent prices! The menu has Indonesian and Western food, drinks and beer.
Good selection of local food on the menu at good prices for a tourist attraction.
Good selection of local food on the menu at good prices for a tourist attraction.
The changing rooms aren't much; just a tiny room with a few hooks (no charge for this luxury).

The toilets (scattered throughout the property) cost 3K ($.20) and the rather large lockers cost 5K ($.35).
The springs facilities on bottom floor, restaurant on top floor.
The springs facilities on bottom floor, restaurant on top floor.
The changing rooms are just a tiny dingy room with a few hooks.
The changing rooms are just a tiny dingy room with a few hooks.
Lockers are available for 5,000 IDR.
Lockers are available for 5,000 IDR.
There are also a few little shops inside the springs with souvenirs, cold drinks, and snacks like bags of nuts.

Around the corner from the restaurant and over the bridge is the VIP(?) area. It costs Rp 15,000/hr and you get a special pool area that didn't look like much to me.

This is also where there are massages available for Rp 75,000/hr. That's about $5 US! So yeah, get a massage.
The massage area is not very obvious to find. You have to go around the side of the restaurant and through a staff area.
The massage area is not very obvious to find. You have to go around the side of the restaurant and through a staff area.
The VIP pool? Not too impressed.
The VIP pool? Not too impressed.

Explore

All done with your soothing soak? Head up above the pools and walk around the paths. Up past the temples are some wooden bench swings and a pretty (but somehow odd) garden with umbrellas and tree houses. I started to venture further up into the jungle to the top of the hill but was stopped by some rather large spider webs. I decided to the webs won that battle so I turned around.
Wander around the grounds and you'll find this beautiful but odd garden up on the hill.
Wander around the grounds and you'll find this beautiful but odd garden up on the hill.
I'm still not sure what the Wisata Selfi is. It might be the garden on the hill?
I'm still not sure what the Wisata Selfi is. It might be the garden on the hill?
Some swings that seemed a bit out of place, but nice.
Some swings that seemed a bit out of place, but nice.
Not a bad place to visit that will only cost you about $1.75 or go all out with lunch, a beer, and a massage and still spend only $10! It would be easy to combine with a trip to Brahmavihara-Arama Buddhist Monastery in Bali which is only 1.5k from away.

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