Petulu White Herons
Petulu White Herons
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Petulu, Indonesia
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Petulu White Herons
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
111 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
33
Average
16
Poor
13
Terrible
7
mrc282
World9,223 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
this is a road through a sleepy village called Petulu, where herons tend to congregate on the trees during early morning and late evening. during the day, the herons will fly to the paddy fields and further abound to hunt for food
and therefore (as it is with most places in bali), enterprising locals starting to charge exorbitant fee to visitors who want to photograph the birds.
to avoid the shenanigans, visit in the early morning. i was told that the the ticketing is only enforced during the evening. i came in the morning and observe the birds. but be careful not to let any of them poop on your head. appearance wise, the herons look a little different as it has a shock of brown plummage on its head and also its back.
and therefore (as it is with most places in bali), enterprising locals starting to charge exorbitant fee to visitors who want to photograph the birds.
to avoid the shenanigans, visit in the early morning. i was told that the the ticketing is only enforced during the evening. i came in the morning and observe the birds. but be careful not to let any of them poop on your head. appearance wise, the herons look a little different as it has a shock of brown plummage on its head and also its back.
Written 24 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wayrton2103
Gloucestershire, UK5 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Really enjoyed the experience. We arrived a bit early, so had a drink at the Eco cafe which is on the left as you drive into the village. A bit further down on the left is the viewing gallery, it’s the first floor of a community centre. It’s a great platform to see the herons coming in around 6pm, but I would get there earlier. Would definitely recommend if you’re into wildlife.
Written 3 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gregory B
Kerobokan Kelod, Indonesia9 contributions
Dec 2019
We expected this to be a similar experience to many other tourist spots here: crowded, full of annoying vendors and pushy guides, etc. To our surprise it was none of that. There was only one other tourist here and we spent a good hour on the deck without being bothered by any vendors. The one attendant/shopkeeper there was friendly and informative even though we didn't purchase anything.
We definitely enjoyed this visit and were amazed by the huge number of birds. They are literally everywhere, including some very nearby the viewing platform. This gives plenty of opportunity to take good pictures/movies of birds, eggs, young birds, parents feeding their offspring, etc. Judging from other reviews there seems to be a large variation in the number of birds to be seen but when we visited (Christmas day) there were certainly several thousand of them.
The big downside - and reason why i don't give 5 stars - is that as usual the villagers have become greedy and now want to charge 50k, up from 20k ! That's just too much, especially considering that this price applies even for locals. At least they were "flexible" and finally settled on 1 ticket for the 2 of us.
We definitely enjoyed this visit and were amazed by the huge number of birds. They are literally everywhere, including some very nearby the viewing platform. This gives plenty of opportunity to take good pictures/movies of birds, eggs, young birds, parents feeding their offspring, etc. Judging from other reviews there seems to be a large variation in the number of birds to be seen but when we visited (Christmas day) there were certainly several thousand of them.
The big downside - and reason why i don't give 5 stars - is that as usual the villagers have become greedy and now want to charge 50k, up from 20k ! That's just too much, especially considering that this price applies even for locals. At least they were "flexible" and finally settled on 1 ticket for the 2 of us.
Written 27 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna
9 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Please don’t stop and pay for a ticket, it’s a scam. I know this because we spend a lot of time in Bali, and we ride through this particular village every day. The road leading through Petulu is a public road and there is no ticket required to ride or walk through this village. The so called ‘Ticket Booth’ is not official and the money collected by tourists is not used to improve the village. It’s also really not that interesting and the chance of you getting pooped on is extremely high. There are literally thousands and thousands of birds, and the smell can be overpowering.
By the way: Same applies to Mt Batur area, there is no ticket required as it is a public road.
By the way: Same applies to Mt Batur area, there is no ticket required as it is a public road.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christiane M H
Shanghai Region, China17 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We got to Petulu at 5:20, the village was pretty but no egrets at all, maybe not a good season to see any. locals said there would be egrets returning at 6:30pm. There were none to be seen and there was no opportunity to wait except the road. We saw one lonely cattle egret close to our parked car, the poor thing was trying to pick a heap of trash and had a plastic thing wrapped around its wing and it was clearly hurt. We left early and felt really bad about the omnipresent plastic even in the small village.
Written 3 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guide36846419793
3 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
They charge 50000 IDR per person, but it's just a public Road, there ist no terrace or any specific view point. We saw a Lot of birds arriving, but they settled down so far away, that you could hardly take any Pictures. I'd call it a scam...
Written 16 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna v
Perth, Australia55 contributions
Aug 2017
I was so excited about this place. I read the myth of the spirits of the ancestor embodied by flocks of white herons descending on a quaint village in the thousands. I imagined rice field and wetlands nearby, where the birds spend their days, and a forest of trees covered in white upon dusk. How romantic! What a beautiful feat of nature!
The reality was this: You get dropped by your taxi at a little hut where you pay your fee, then wander down a sealed road past houses packed tightly together - less a quaint rural village and more a small town, like mini-Ubud. Then you get shown to turn right and walk past a man stroking a rooster (not a euphemism) and up some stairs to the first floor of a building, which has a roof but only half walls and no windows - all open-aired, and you can sit in a plastic chair and perhaps enjoy a cool drink from a vendor. You wait patiently. The sun dips. And then the birds come! 5 fly in, then 10, then 20... then another 5.. then 2 more... they fly to two trees just in front of the building. Eventually, you have a few dozen, maybe even a couple of hundred. You might be engrossed in taking photos as the birds vie for roosting spots when you hear a strange sound from below. You lean over the half-wall and realise there are now 4 men, sitting on the ground in a circle, fondling their roosters (still not a euphemism). Your heart sinks as you realise what's about to happen. Sure enough, your love of bird watching gets distracted by seeing cockfighting. Even if you choose not to watch, you can't help but hear it and wonder if you should do something. The fighting stops. The egrets settle in the trees. The sun sets. You leave feeling underwhelmed and conflicted.
If you've never been lucky enough to see a tree laden with waterbirds, and you don't get upset by animal cruelty easily, then I recommend going. It's a nice, quick trip out of Ubud and the drive is enjoyable. You might even get some good photos. But if you're quite familiar with egrets and get out into the outdoors often, this probably won't be any more amazing than sites you've already seen, and probably in a more enjoyable environment.
The reality was this: You get dropped by your taxi at a little hut where you pay your fee, then wander down a sealed road past houses packed tightly together - less a quaint rural village and more a small town, like mini-Ubud. Then you get shown to turn right and walk past a man stroking a rooster (not a euphemism) and up some stairs to the first floor of a building, which has a roof but only half walls and no windows - all open-aired, and you can sit in a plastic chair and perhaps enjoy a cool drink from a vendor. You wait patiently. The sun dips. And then the birds come! 5 fly in, then 10, then 20... then another 5.. then 2 more... they fly to two trees just in front of the building. Eventually, you have a few dozen, maybe even a couple of hundred. You might be engrossed in taking photos as the birds vie for roosting spots when you hear a strange sound from below. You lean over the half-wall and realise there are now 4 men, sitting on the ground in a circle, fondling their roosters (still not a euphemism). Your heart sinks as you realise what's about to happen. Sure enough, your love of bird watching gets distracted by seeing cockfighting. Even if you choose not to watch, you can't help but hear it and wonder if you should do something. The fighting stops. The egrets settle in the trees. The sun sets. You leave feeling underwhelmed and conflicted.
If you've never been lucky enough to see a tree laden with waterbirds, and you don't get upset by animal cruelty easily, then I recommend going. It's a nice, quick trip out of Ubud and the drive is enjoyable. You might even get some good photos. But if you're quite familiar with egrets and get out into the outdoors often, this probably won't be any more amazing than sites you've already seen, and probably in a more enjoyable environment.
Written 25 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Melbourne, Australia627 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
Since 1965, thousands of Herrons have nested in the trees on the side of the road. The males fly off en mass in the morning and then return at night to feed the females. THis started out of the blues and happens every day at around 5:00 pm. Not easy to find even with a GPS. Leave UBUD and go towards Petulu Village. You turn left at the T intersection with the huge statue. A few hundred metres along, turn left up a side road. Pay at the ticket booth and the viewing platform is on the left where the multi coloured flags are.
Written 21 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nansbubs
Perth, Australia120 contributions
Dec 2018
If you are a bird watcher, this is the place to see many herons. We just rode through in the morning and there were still heaps of birds there. We are not bird watchers, but it was close to where we were staying passed by anyway. There is a LOT of bird poo everywhere (it is a bird colony after all) which is a bit smelly. Recommended for those with an interest in birds.
Written 30 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
juliejt
Auckland Central, New Zealand334 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
As part of a general tour to Ubud we were taken to Petulu Village the home of white herons. The herons start flying in at sundown and remain there overnight on any given day. However, as we were there in August which is not the peak season there were very few white herons to be seen. We arrived at about 5 pm and waited for about an hour, to no avail. Apparently during the peak season there are hundreds of white herons but if it is off-season it is not really worth the effort. The village itself is quaint.
Written 16 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Peter. I'm amazed - are those photos ones you took at Petalu? I got the impression that the birds were all very high up in trees, so it's hard to imagine getting those kinds of shots. Or did you have a very good telephoto lens, perhaps?
Written 15 April 2019
The birds are mostly in the trees but are easily seen from the bird watching tower (there is a small kiosk there for drinks etc and it is a substantial structure with a good roof and open sides).You can get a good picture even with a phone camera. There are also birds that walk about at street level and are very tame. There is a tiny entrance fee that goes to the village funds. It is well worth a visit and I will return next time I am in Ubud. It is a fair walk from the town of Ubud but an easy scooter ride. There are also interesting wood carving places in the Northern part of the village.
Written 16 April 2019
Is it a far walk from Ubud? we plan on walking to there...we are avid walkers, but not used to the heat, from Canada
Written 27 April 2018
It is about 3 to 4 km. You would need a hat to avoid heat. Walk in the morning better, ruce filed along the way.
Written 26 May 2018
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