The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (or GWK) statue in BALI!

The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (or GWK) statue on the Bukit Peninsula is an iconic sight, visible from across most of South Bali. At 121m tall, including its base, GWK is Indonesia’s tallest statue, and the 4th tallest in the world (if you include the base). It’s even taller than the Statue of Liberty. The monument depicts the Hindu god Vishnu riding Garuda, a mythical bird that plays an important role in both Balinese Hindu traditions and broader Indonesian culture (Garuda appears on the country’s coat of arms). Construction began way back in 1990, but took 28 years to complete. The project evolved over time, with the final design much larger than originally planned. It opened in 2018 and remains open to visitors today. If you visit, we recommend the top-of-the-statue tour, where a museum explains the statue’s significance and how it was built.