Tanah Lot Temple

This is a must see place in Bali, the view is just amazing.  The best time to go is when the sun is setting. If you have a good guide, he will know exactly when to go. The place is beautifully maintained.   We have been to Tanah Lot 3 times so far.

Before you enter the place, you will pass a market place where they sell all things Balinese. The prices here are much much more cheaper than anywhere else in Bali.

We were twice lucky when we came, it was high tide. The waves hitting the land was just too beautiful a scenery. It was crowded but because it was so huge, it did not matter to us. 

The temple was built on rocks formations and it really one amazing view. The sheer scale of the place is really breathtaking.  Unlike the Temple at Besakih, you wont get cheated at the entrance. 

On a negative side, the weather is really very hot.  Dont forget to put on your sunblock, wear a hat & look fashionable at the same time.

The Market Place before entering Tanah Lot Temple

Goa Gajah

A place to visit only if you are in Ubud.   Although you can cover the area in a short amount of time, it is worth your time.

Goa Gajah or the Elephant Cave is located in Gianyar.  There are two temples, one has the elephant cave and the other is the buddha temple.  Just outside the temple is a market but there's no touting.  The vendors will just leave you alone but do not rent the sarongs from them as they are provided at the entrance.  

As you enter the area, you will be greeted with steps going down towards the temple.  The surrounding gardens are lovely & well maintained.  You can feel the history as you enter the beautiful temple grounds,  walked around and see the ruins of an ancient Buddha temple.

The last shrine we went has an old man who will advise you what to do.  At the end of the offering, he actually asked for money or donation?  He just pointed a IDR 50,000 for you to put at the mat.  The whole image has been destroyed by this.

Klungkung Temple

When you enter the temple, you are required to wear a sarong. Do not rent from the nearby shop as the sarongs are provided at the entrance.

The Klungkung temple is located in the east of Bali going towards Amed. We were told by our guide that this was where the king used to pray.  It is called Kerta Gosa, a floating pavillion.  The main building sits in the middle of a large pond with lots of lily pads, quite beauitiful sight. It was quite fascinating as all the ceilings have drawings of Balinese art.  The more you looked at the paintings closely, you realised that its very detailed.  There was a carved table and 6 matching chairs preserved and was in the centre of the the pavillion. 

 Nearby the temple is a museum depicting the history of the place. There are many lovely statues thoughout the garden and along the walls on the way to the museum.

Worth the visit, if you are interested in traditional Balinese architecture.

Pura Besakih, The Mother Temple of Besakih Bali

Pura Besakih is one of the most beautiful temple we have ever visited. Just mind blowing. Before we arrived, we were brief by our tour guide what to do and what to expect.

At the entrance, we were met by two staff asking for our entry tickets. At the same time, they asked for donation. I asked them how much and their reply was it was up to us. When I gave him IDR 100,000 he refused and showed the entry book what most tourist paid and "demanded" IDR 500,000. That already spoilt our day but because we came all the way from Kuta, we just bear it. Our guide told us that we do not have to use their temple guide and if we do just pay him IDR 50,000 would suffice. We flatly refused their guide but they insisted saying there was a ceremony going on which we later found out there was none.

Our temple guide fortunately was a very nice man in his 60s who patiently explained to us the background of the temple. We found out that it was his first day as a guide and we were his first customer. He proudly showed us his identification card. he was a farmer working part time there.

We gave him IDR 100,000 as tip and we told him its for good luck and I think that made his day.

For those who wanted to go there, remember to bring along your scarf to wear when you go to the temple because if not you will be overcharged by the surrounding shop to rent their scarf at ridiculously high price.