TOP 3 TEMPLES IN BALI

Indonesia is a country where about 87% of the population is Muslims. On the other hand, Bali is a part of Indonesia where about 84% of the population is Hindus. Therefore the beautiful island of Bali has tens or even hundreds of beautiful temples and in addition the home altars. As a traveler, it might be hard to choose which temples to visit since all of them are stunning. I saw these three temples that are very different from each other which is great since then I got the experience the religion much deeper.


1. Tanah Lot
The name of the temple comes from Balinese language, meaning "Land in the Sea" which describes the temple well. It is built on a rocky island that is sometimes surrounded by the sea and sometimes by land, depending on the tide and weather conditions.

Tanah Lot is the perfect place for the most instagrammable photos. The best time to visit this temple is just before the sunset so you can first tour the area, maybe get blessed with the holy water by the priests for a small donation to the temple. Then, when the sun sets is the perfect time to take stunning photos. Though make sure that there's not too cloudy weather.

Remember that the rocks are very slippery and the waves can be very strong so remain cautious while exploring the area. And by the way, you won't be allowed to climb on the top of the rock where the actual temple is located, but the surrounding area is worth seeing.





2. Ulun Danu Batur


One of the best mountain temples in Bali, Ulun Danu Batur is located over 900 meters from the sea-level in the center of Bali. You can see a beautiful scenery of the volcano Gunung Batur and the Danau Batur lake from the temple.

The temple is very colorful and includes a lot of courtyards. This temple is not too crowded with tourists which is extremely nice since we got to explore the temple just by ourselves. Though a guide wanted to show us around and we went with him even though we thought that he just wanted us to pay him. He was really nice and told us a lot about the history, culture, and religion in Bali, especially in the are of Bangli where the temple is located.

As usual, there were some peddlers but since this temple is not that well-known it didn't make us anxious. We actually bought some pictures that had been made with the lava stone from the volcano.



3. Tirta Empul
Located near Ulun Danu Batur temple, Tirta Empul has huge contrast compared to Ulun Danu Batur. Tirta Empul is located at a pit with a lot of exotic forest around it.

Tirta Empul is well-known for its holy water that runs down from the mountains and gathers to the pit. There are usually many pilgrims who get to bathe and pray there so remember to respect their religion and leave them alone.

In Tirta Empul's exit, there's a lot of peddlers who try to make you buy everything. The alley of shops goes on and on for a couple of hundred meters. Remember to be polite.



That's my top 3 temples in Bali. And the last advice: Remember to dress correctly and respect their religion in every way since you are their guest there. Hope you enjoyed this post!
-TH