Trunyan Village is located between Lake Batur and the outer crater rim of Mount Batur, and only accessible by boat. It is a Bali Aga village, inhabited by descendants of the original Balinese, the people who predate the arrival of Hindu Majapahit Kingdom in the 16th century.

Trunyan Village is well-known for its Pancering Jagat Temple, but visitors are not allowed to enter. There are also a couple of traditional Bali Aga-style houses, and a large banyan tree which is said to be more than 1.100 years old. In Kuban Village, close to Trunyan Village, there is a mysterious cemetery, separated by the lake and is only accessible by boat.

Unlike the Balinese people, the people of Trunyan do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A macabre collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas.

The dead bodies don't produce bad smells because of the perfumed scents from a huge Taru Menyan tree growing nearby. Taru means 'tree' and Menyan means 'nice smell'. The name of Terunyan was also derived from these two words.

You can visit the village of Trunyan by chartered boat from Kedisan. Sadly, nowadays the boat trips are now blatant tourist traps, as touts and guides strongly urge you to donate your cash to the temple project or leave a donation for the dead. These touts ruin an otherwise fascinating experience.