Bali Great Escape
No holiday to Bali is complete without seeing at least one of the amazing Balinese temples. The daily spiritual life of Balinese revolves around their community temples and is a significant and integral part of daily life. From weddings, funerals, and coming-of-age ceremonies to the observance of a busy calendar of spiritual rituals, the hundreds of temples in Bali aren’t just tourist attractions — they are daily places of worship and celebration.
The style of Balinese temples is unique, but from the humble temples found in every Balinese household, business, village, and community, they follow a common design aesthetic based on principles and architectural practices that are hundreds of years old.
Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot Temple is a must-visit for anyone holidaying in Bali. Tanah Lot, which means “Land in the Sea” in Balinese, is the most visited tourist attraction in Bali for a reason. It really is one of the most iconic images of Bali and makes for a spectacular day tour.
The surrounding car park, markets, and parks make it quite a large area, with the main attraction being a path leading down to the rocks where you can walk out to the temple itself during low tide. When the tide is coming in, the local guides sometimes have to convince swathes of tourists to get off the rocks, which can be covered by water quite quickly.
Along the way, there is a large market where some of the best souvenir shopping and deals can be had on the island. Surprisingly, perhaps because of the competition and the sheer number of tourists visiting, the prices can be much better than other markets in the tourist enclaves of Kuta, Seminyak, and Nusa Dua, so I recommend taking the time to go shopping instead of rushing through the complex.
Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple is, according to the Bali Tourism Board, the second most visited attraction after Tanah Lot, with over 1.7 million visitors in 2015. Apart from the extensive and spectacular temple complex situated on a cliff 70 meters above the sea, it is also known for the Balinese Kecak and fire dance performance.
Ulun Danu Beratan
The Floating Temple, Pura Ulun Danu Beratan in Balinese, is one of the iconic images of Bali. The temple sits on the western shore of Lake Bratan in the mountains near Bedugul, and its position in the lake can give the illusion of floating on the water. It takes a full day to get there as the temple is located around 57 km from Seminyak, making it ideal to combine with other attractions along the way.
Tirta Gangga – The Water Palace
Tirta Gangga is one of my favourite Balinese temples, quite unique in design. It is the former royal palace of the Kingdom of Karangasem located in Eastern Bali. The one-hectare complex was built in 1946 by the late King of Karangasem but was almost completely destroyed by the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963, having since been rebuilt and restored. One of the unique features of this beautiful temple complex is the stepping stones across the fish pond, which allow for spectacular photos.
Pura Tirta Empul
Pura Tirta Empul is a Hindu Balinese water temple dating back to the 10th century and is one of the holiest in Bali, located near the town of Tampaksiring, around a half-hour drive (15 km) north of Ubud. The temple pond has a spring which gushes fresh water regularly, which Balinese Hindus consider to be holy – Tirta Empul means Holy Spring in Balinese. You can bathe in the springs alongside locals if you observe a few simple courtesies and protocols.
Goa Gajah
The Elephant Cave, known as Goa Gajah in Balinese, is an ancient temple on the outskirts of Ubud. While the steps down to the temple complex are fairly steep, it’s only a 5-minute walk and not difficult for average fitness levels. The Elephant Cave temple is located 5 km from Ubud, 31 km from Seminyak, and 58 km from Nusa Dua.
Gunung Kawi
Gunung Kawi Temple is an 11th-century temple complex that sits on either side of the Pakerisan River. It comprises 10 rock-cut shrines (candi in Balinese) that are carved into 7-meter-high sheltered niches of the sheer cliff face. These funeral monuments are thought to be dedicated to King Anak Wungsu of the Udayana dynasty and his favorite queens. The temple overlooks the Pakerisan River, which also flows past Pura Tirta Empul, a kilometer to the north.
Besakih Temple
Besakih Temple (also known as the Mother Temple) is the largest and most holy of all Hindu temples in Bali. Located in the village of the same name on the slopes of Mount Agung, the temple complex is quite far from the tourist areas, 66 km from Seminyak and around 2-2.5 hours depending on traffic. Besakih Temple is more impressive, in my opinion, than Lempuyang Temple, which is a huge deal on Instagram, thanks to the fake reflective-pool photos taken using a mirror on the camera lens, creating a false illusion of what the temple actually looks like.
Lempuyang Temple
While Lempuyang is spectacular, there are so many photoshopped images on Instagram that it can be a disappointment for many people. It’s a spectacular setting, with a steep climb up several stone stairways to get to the top of the temple complex. In my opinion, most tourists are missing the point of trying to get the perfect shot looking back through the temple gates toward Mount Agung (the active volcano that disrupted flights in 2018).
