Paying a call on the Subak Museum, at least you will discover the information on how Bali farmers cultivate their land. By and large, there are four points to visit there. Firstly, miniature of subak (traditional irrigation cooperative) reflects the life of subak in Bali. It is portrayed there from the time of looking for the wellspring, coagulating the mud, channeling the water through a dam, tunnel and later it comes to an end when the water flows to the rice field.

Secondly, the audio visual in the form of film describes the process of handling the agricultural land. Activities are started from the meeting of subak members, arranging the legislation, cultivating the land (at home and outside) up to expressing gratitude by organizing several kinds of rituals. Thirdly, you can watch various tools commonly used by farmers in cultivating their land. Fourthly, look around the traditional house compound applying the astha kosala-kosali geomancy, an arrangement on the layout of Balinese houses.

This Subak Museum is located in Tabanan Regency, precisely on Jalan Kediri—Tabanan or 20 km west of Denpasar city. It is within close range of Alas Kedaton monkey forest and magnificent Tanah Lot Temple. Office hours of this museum are from 08.00 to 17.00 except for holidays. Every visitor will be charged entrance fee amounting to IDR 5,000 for adult and IDR 3,000 for children.

According to I Gusti Ngurah Putu Widiantara, Head of the Subak Museum, there are 250 books concerning with the subak in the collection of the museum. They mostly describe about a variety of rituals held at rice field, method of planting rice and auspicious days to start activities including their abstinences. There are also books carrying the monograph on the subak abian (subak of non-irrigated field), subak basah (irrigated rice field) and Balinese customary legislation. The existing books are usually read by civil servants, researchers, pupils or students who are completing their assignments pertaining to subak.

Explained, its library is also equipped with 204 books carrying about the regulations of non-irrigated field subak from all over regencies in Bali. They comprise that exist in Denpasar(39 copies), Karangasem (18), Bangli (21), Tabanan (41), Jembrana (32), Buleleng (22), Klungkung (20), Badung (26) and Gianyar (41).

Among the many books on display, there is one entitled The Birucate Subak: The Social Organization of a Balinese Irrigation Community written by an Indian, Jha Nitish. This book gives an account of the uniqueness of social life of Balinese community along with its water distribution system that at all times accompanied with rituals both in starting and ending their works.