Puputan Square (Lapangan Puputan Badung)

The Basics

There is no charge to visit Puputan Square, which is a popular destination for local workers on their lunch breaks and for families during evenings and weekends. Most people visit on a Denpasar city tour, with either a private driver or an organized group. The Puputan mass suicide is an important event in the history of both Denpasar and Bali as a whole, so history completists will not want to miss the square.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Puputan Square is worth visiting for history buffs and fans of Vicki Baum’s novelLove and Death in Bali.

• The mother of the Balinese family in the statue is holding her jewelry in her hand, because women apparently threw their jewelry at the Dutch soldiers in contempt.

• Bali was one of the last parts of Indonesia to be occupied by the Dutch.

• Badung, whose king led the mass suicide, is now a province covering south Bali.

How to Get There

Puputan Square (Lapangan Puputan Badung) sits in the heart of Denpasar, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northeast of the airport. Choked roads, dangerous traffic, and confusing one-way systems make Denpasar a risky choice for self-driving. Unless your Indonesian is good enough to piece togetherbemo minibuses, hiring a private driver or joining a tour is a must to get around Denpasar.

When to Get There

The square is most lively during weekends, when it becomes a gathering place for Denpasar locals, who feast on satay and other street snacks from the stalls. Children often meet here to fly traditional kites. You can visit pretty much any time during the day on Saturday or Sunday, but sunset is particularly popular.

Love and Death in Bali The Puputan

First published in 1937, Vicki Baum’s classic novelLove and Death in Bali tells the story of a simple man who survives the Puputan mass suicide. The book also depicts life in Bali before the Dutch arrived. Baum visited Bali in 1935 and stayed in Ubud with the painter Walter Spies, who also figures in the book in thin disguise.