Now there is no use to point out all the temples in Bali because there are thousands; temples for villages, temples for districts, temples for spring water, temples for irrigation and so on.  But we will highlight some of the more important ones and those that are interesting for tourists to see. First some general info about temples in Bali and a list where you should think about before entering a temple;

1. You often have to wear are sarong (a big piece of fabric to wrap around your waist and covers your knees) and sometimes even a sash
2. A sarong / sash is often provided at the temple entrance (if it’s a touristic spot)
3. Remember that a temple is a holy place; so don’t fool around here and be silent when there is a ceremony
4. Never sit higher then a priest (the one dressed in white) when your admitting a ceremony
5. Don’t flash with your camera at the priest’s face or to someone who is praying
6. Don’t walk between two people praying
7. When a woman is having her period, she is not allowed to enter the temple
8. When you’re having a bleeding wound, you’re also not allowed to enter the temple
9. Women should cover their shoulders and tummy- so please note what you are wearing

Tanah Lot is well known with tourists because of it’s special location; this temple is located on a big rock in the shore of the district Tabanan. This temple is only accessible when the tide begins to ebb and it can only be entered by the hindu. But as a toursit you can anjoy a great sunset with this temple on the foreground and the setting sun behind it.

From the Kuta area, Pura Tanah Lot is only about a 40 minutes drive (depending on the traffic). Before entering the the Tanah Lot temple you will have to pay an entrance fee (around Rp 5000) and witness many tourist shops and food stalls. The best, but also the worst, time to visit this temple is around sunset. The place looks amazing then, but ofcourse you will not be the only one there.

The (hi)story of the Tanah Lot temple is quite spectacular; it’s believed that, in the 16th century, a traveling priest named Dang Hyang Nirartha spotted a light on the coast and started to meditate there. The villagers where impressed by this man and decided to follow meditation lessons. A village leader became jealous of his popularity and made trouble with the priest. Nirartha was not pleased with it and decided to move the land where he meditated on into the sea. He threw his sashes in the sea and those became holy sea-snakes, which are believed to be still inside the underwater caves in the rock, to guard the temple from evil.

*tip: to enjoy a peaceful time ate the Tanah Lot temple, you better wake up early and visit it in the morning.

The Pura Besakih is the biggest and most important temple on the island of Bali. It’s located on the slopes of Mount Agung. The complex itself consists out of many temples and one ‘mother temple’; the Pura Penataran Agung. A long stairs will guide you to a ‘candi bentar’ (split gate) made out of granite. Tourists are not allowed in this temple but you can look over the walls to get a glimpse of it.

History; Back in 1917 there was a big earthquake which destroyed a big part of the Pura Besakih. The temple was rebuild and in 1963 the Mount Agung errupted. On the preparation of the biggest ceremony, the ‘Eka Dasa Rudra’ (which is only once in an era), the Balinese heard that the mountain began to rumble after being silent for 120 years. On the day of the ceremony, black smoke was coming out of the mountain and soon after, it erupted. It was a miracle that the temple didn’t got a lot of damage, because it’s located only 6km from the volcano. Though, the Balinese believe that this eruption was a punishment from the Gods, because the ceremony was held at the wrong time. The volcano eruption of 1963 destroyed hundreds of nearby villages and killed over one thousand people.

*tip: When you want to visit the Pura Besakih, you will notice the commercial activities around it (many shops and sometimes disturbing sellers). You will have to hire an ‘official guide’ at the entrance and you will probably get shocked about the prices they ask. No worries, try to bargain the price to Rp 50,000 or less. The guide will show you around, but don’t expect too much from him. These guides will probably talk more about their own (poor) lives then about the temple, but as a tourist you’re basically obligated to hire one.

In the east of Bali, between Kusamba and Padang Bai, you can find another important temple; the Pura Goa Lawah (also known as the Bat Cave). This temple/cave offers you a strange sight. Thousands of bats are covering the walls and they are so packed that it looks like a waving mud bath. Next to the entrance of the temple are some small sacred objects covered in bat excrement and the smells are a bit overwhelming at the temple.

The Balinese Hindu believe that every once in a while a sacred python ‘Basuki’ enters the temple to feed itself with some bats. The Pura Goa Gajah is very important to the Balinese for the use of post-cremation ceremonies. The soul of the departed is called back from the sea and brought back to the Goa Lawah Temple in an urn. Then after some more rituals the urn is brought to the Besakih Temple (Mother Temple, see above). It is believed that the Bat Cave and the Mother Temple are connected with an underground tunnel of lava.

*tip: You might get disturbed by, sometimes annoying, sellers outside of the temple. To enter you have to pay a (small) entrance fee but a sarong and sash are provided before entering.