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中文Temples and day trips in Bali: what to see and how to get it right
In short. Bali's temples are open to visitors but remain working places of worship: a sarong below the knee, covered shoulders, and no walking into the inner courtyard during a ceremony. The well known sights are easier to see in clusters from the area you stay in: the south and Uluwatu from the Bukit, waterfalls and terraces from Ubud, the sea temples on the drive west.
What to see
- Pura Luhur Uluwatu - a temple on the cliff above the ocean in the south of the Bukit. People come for sunset: the drop to the ocean, and usually a Kecak fire dance performance in front of it.
- Tanah Lot - a temple on a rock in the sea in the west of the island. Best seen from the shore at sunset; at high tide the rock is cut off.
- Pura Tirta Empul - the holy spring temple at Tampaksiring, north of Ubud. People come for the melukat purification, walking under the water spouts in the pools.
- Besakih - the mother temple of Balinese Hinduism, on the slope of Mount Agung. The complex is large and rises in terraces up the hillside.
- Tegalalang terraces - the rice terraces north of Ubud, easy to combine with the waterfalls on a morning drive before the heat.
- Waterfalls - Tegenungan close to Ubud, and further north Munduk and Sekumpul with quieter paths.
- Mount Batur - a climb before dawn for the view over the caldera and the lake. It runs through the night, so you set off from Ubud or from Kintamani.
Which area to see it from
- Ubud - the base for the centre and north: Tirta Empul, Tegalalang, the waterfalls, Mount Batur.
- Uluwatu and the Bukit - everything to do with the ocean and cliffs: Uluwatu itself, the southern beaches, the sunset spots.
- Canggu, Berawa and Seminyak - the sea temples in the west, Tanah Lot and the Tabanan side, plus short drives south.
- Sanur - a convenient point for the east of the island and for the boats to Nusa Penida and Lembongan.
Etiquette
- A sarong below the knee and covered shoulders before entry. In the inner courtyard a sash is tied over the sarong.
- Shoes come off where temple staff ask.
- During a ceremony visitors stay in the outer courtyard and do not walk through the procession.
- Feet are not pointed at people or shrines; that is considered disrespectful.
- People are not photographed while praying without their consent. At busy tourist temples this is treated more loosely, but asking is still right.
- If you are unsure how to behave, follow the locals: what they do is what is appropriate for you.
Getting there
Distances in Bali are deceptively short, and travel time depends on traffic. Canggu and Ubud are about 30 km apart, roughly half an hour in light traffic and noticeably longer during the day. We always build in a margin, and if you drive or hire a driver we suggest leaving early in the morning or after lunch.
We can also pick a villa so that the places on your list are closer: tell us what you want to see and we will suggest the area and the house.
Entrance fees and opening hours at temples change, so we publish no numbers here and confirm them on the ground beforehand.
Villa catalog with current prices: Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud and other areas.
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