Tabanan has its roots in the 14th century when Javanese invaders settled in the area. As they expended their territory, they came into conflict with the Mengwi kingdom, founded during the mid 1600s with the fall of Gelgel and allied with Buleleng. In the 18th century Mengwi was the 2nd most powerful royal house after Klungkung.

Whose support it enjoyed. Internal conflict in the late 1700s weakened Mengwi and led to territorial losses to Tabanan which were retaken in the mid 1800s, By the late 1800s further conflict erupted and Klungkung with drew its support, opening the way for its destruction by Klungkung, Badung, Tabanan, Bangli and the Dutch. Tabanan got most of Mengwi, but rising Dutch interests in Bali and the refusal of Tabanan to give in led to its end in 1906 with the imprisonment and suicide of the ruler and his son. Krambitan village has 2 palaces, puppets style paintings, and the exciting tektekan exorcist dance dram with music from struck bamboo and giant wooden cowbells. Tista boasts the special lekoandir dance done by young girls. Panarukan has good carving, and ceramics are made in Pejaten. Upland Blayu is famous for its woven brocades. Extending from the mountains to the sea, Tabanan has a wide variety of natural beauty.

The Beratan Lake area has a huge botanical garden at Bedugul with produce farms at Candi Kuning. The Ulun Danu Temple to the lake goddess sits at the water’s edge, for the lake irrigates Tabanan’s ricefields. On Mount Batukaru is Pura Luhur, the royal ancestral temple. Below this is Jatiluwih with spectacular view of Bali. The Yeh Panas hot springs at Penatahan, and the beautiful Alas Kedaton temple. At the coast is the famous Tanah Lot temple on a rocky protrusion that becomes an island during high tide. Tabanan is tidy town with a Museum subak to North of the town a memorial in Marya Theater honors the dancer Mario. North of the town a memorial in Marga commemorates the slaughter of Balinese resistance fighter against the Dutch.

As yet Tabanan is little known on the tourist map, but actually it has a lot of fascinating in its vicinity which have yet to be developed in to their full potentials. Tabanan is tidy town with a museum subak devoted to rice cultivation and the Gedung Marya Theater honors the famous dancers Mario.