Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Pura Uluwatu looks like any other temples in Bali. However, it is perched right on top of a cliff overlooking a gorgeous sea view. That makes it more special than any other temples in there. I would recommend you going between 4-6pm so that you have enough time to explore the beautiful scenery during day light without waiting too long for sunset. The traditional kecak dance starts at 6pm daily if you are interested. 

Before you enter the temple, there are many warning signboards cautioning you against the monkeys and also to keep your spectacles in your bag. Do adhere to it or you will regret losing you expensive glasses or shades to those mischievous monkeys. These little creatues are not afraid of human contact and can get pretty agressive. While I was there, there were a few monkeys which tried to snatch the slippers of some visitors. In short, anything small that is easy to grab or dangling like your camera, flip flops, glasses, etc are best guarded. There was even a cheeky monkey which was mocking the owner of a pair of spectacles as it plays with the latter with glee. 

Unlike Pura Tanah Lot which has plenty of stalls / stores which sell knick-knacks, paintings and other souvenirs, there is nothing to see here. 

The most important advice I can give you and take it seriously please: Before you get out of your car take off or store these items, glasses, hearing aids, jewelry, earrings, hats, flip flop shoes, cell phones and anything else you might want to keep. Leave your prescription glass off and in the car, seen 14 pair destroyed, really. 

The monkeys will take them, that is a guarantee.

Now relax, you don't have a thing they want and will leave you alone. We went a few hours before sunset to walk around and it was fun, now set up your camera and be ready for the best sunset of your life. Monkeys did not seem to be interested in my big SLR but I would be careful with compacts. There is a show at the temple also, but we did not go.

Ulu Watu is one of several important temples to the spirits of the sea along the south coast of Bali. In the 11th century the Javanese priest Empu Kuturan first established a temple here. The complex was added to by Nirartha, another Javanese priest who is known for the seafront temples at Tanah Lot, Rambut Siwi and Pura Sakenan. Nirartha retreated to Ulu Watu for his final days when he attained moksa (freedom from earthly desires).

A popular Kecak dance is held in the temple grounds at sunset (100,000Rp), when traffic jams form during high season.

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Tanah Lot: Bali’s Scenic Sea Temple

TANAH LOT, MAGNIFICENT BALINESE TEMPLE IN THE OPEN OCEAN

To many people, Tanah Lot epitomizes the romantic island of Bali. This is the image of Balinese temples on the rock facing the wide open ocean, perched high above the crashing waves below, with as background the colorful sky at dusk, lit by the slowly disappearing setting sun.

Located in the sea some 300 meters from shore, the huge rock of Tanah Lot is reachable overland at low tide. On its northern side stand two Balinese temples built on an overhanging cliff which connects the islet to the shore. Underneath the rock are caves that are inhabited by sea snakes, believed to be the guardians of the temples.

At the entrance lane to Tanah Lot you will find many art shops offering local handicrafts besides other products like T-shirts, Balinese sarongs, hats, sandals, accessories, paintings, woodcarvings, and more. Here you will also find stalls selling food and drinks.

The best time to visit Tanah Lot is during Odalan, which is celebrated every 210 days, near the Galungan and Kuningan festivities on the holy day known as Buddha Cemeng Langkir. On this day you will see rows of Balinese women gracefully carrying offerings on their head to pray at the temple of Tanah Lot.

The tourist area of Tanah Lot near the rock is very well managed for visitors. It has a parking area, toilets, art shops, restaurants, hotel, open stage, tourist information centre, and security and safety services. Your ticket also covers insurance against accidents.

There are many restaurants here where you can enjoy a sumptuous breakfast or lunch. Experience the serenity of the tropical sun slowly disappearing beyond the horizon and the wide open ocean, and listen to the sound of the soothing waves crashing on the shore. It will be an incredible memory to treasure all your life.

Get Around

The Sunset Terrace

The Sunset terrace is the best place to watch an unforgettable sunset over Tanah Lot. Here you can enjoy a luxurious breakfast or lunch, taste special Balinese food and drinks, and watch the tide flow in. At high tide the rock of Tanah Lot appears like a boat floating on the waves. On full moon nights, spend an unforgettable romantic evening on the terrace with your loved one.

Batu Bolong

The temple at Batu Bolong is located some 100 meters west of Pura Enjung Galuh. The temple is built within the cave inside a huge rock that juts out into the sea. During Melasti, people come here to pray at the temple of Batu Bolong.  

Enjung Galuh

The temple or Pura Enjung Galuh stands right next to Pura Jero Kandang, also at Enjung Galuh. “Njung” means the rock that juts out to sea. Pura Enjung Galuh is dedicated to the goddess of welfare, Dewi Sri Shakti.

The Surya Mandala Cultural Park

At the Surya Mandala cultural park you can enjoy cultural performances, exhibitions, while meetings and conferences are also often held here. Here is also a good place to enjoy the view. The Kecak Dance which is normally performed just before sunset is held here daily.

The Art Market

Here is also an art and souvenir market for those wanting to shop for art pieces or souvenirs from Bali to take home.

Get There

Tanah Lot is around 30 km west of the city of Denpasar or 11 km south of the town of Tabanan, and 43 km from Kuta Beach. Coming from Denpasar on the main highway and arriving in the town of Kediri, you will certainly not miss the large sign at the main intersection announcing the southwest turn to Pura Tanah Lot. To reach the temple of Tanah Lot you will need to cross some dry land then climb a hill to reach the site of the temple.

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BOROBUDUR, FAMOUS ICON OF INDONESIA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE

Located on the island of Java, the magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist monument, an ancient site widely considered to be one of the world’s seven wonders. The temple sits majestically on a hilltop overlooking lush green fields and distant hills. Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty, the temple’s design in Gupta architecture reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian.

It covers an enormous area, measuring 123 x 123 meters. The monument is a marvel of design, decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The architecture and stonework of this temple has no equal. And it was built without using any kind of cement or mortar! The structure is like a set of massive interlocking Lego blocks held together without any glue.

The temple has remained strong even through ten centuries of neglect. It was rediscovered in 1815, buried under volcanic ash. In the 1970’s the Indonesian Government and UNESCO worked together to restore Borobudur to its former majesty The restoration took eight years to complete and today Borobudur is one of Indonesiaand the world’s most valuable treasures.

The temple is decorated with stone carvings in bas-relief representing images from the life of Buddha. Commentators claim that this is the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit.

Get Around

The best way to explore this site is on foot. As you climb to the top of this magnificent temple you will marvel at the intricate detailed stone carvings displayed on the temples walls. You will certainly miss a great experience if you visit this enormous temple without learning about its history and importance which are captured on its many reliefs.

Guides are available for around Rp 50,000. This is a wise investment as a guide will be able to walk you around the site and explain the history of the temple, beginning with its construction during the Syailendra dynasty. The stone carvings attached to the temple display legends and stories which have great philosophical significance. For visitors with children, don’t miss the massive green grass area surrounding the Borobudur site.

You may choose to walk through Green Park from the entrance. Many vendors will offer you souvenirs and other knick knacks as you walk through this area, however there are regulations in place to prevent them from disturbing visitors.

Forty kilometres west of Yogya, surrounded on three sides by volcanoes and on the fourth by jagged limestone cliffs, is the largest Buddhist monument in the southern hemisphere. This is the temple of Borobudur, the greatest single piece of classical architecture in the entire archipelago. The temple is actually a colossal multi-tiered Buddhist stupa lying at the western end of a four-kilometre-long chain of temples (one of which, the nearby Candi Mendut, is also worth visiting), built in the ninth century by the Saliendra dynasty. At 34.5m tall, however, and covering an area of some 200 square metres, Borobudur is on a different scale altogether, dwarfing all the other candi in the chain. Abandoned and neglected for almost a thousand years, Borobudur was “rediscovered” by the English in 1815, though nothing much was done until 1973, when UNESCO began to take the temple apart, block by block, in order to replace the waterlogged hill with a concrete substitute.

Borobudur is pregnant with symbolism, and precisely oriented so that its four sides face the four points of the compass; the ticket office lies to the southeast.

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