Tanah Lot Temple is one of the most important and most iconic temples on Bali, which also makes it one of the most visited. It is one of the six cardinal temples, and on a very clear day you can see all the way to Uluwatu Temple on the very southernmost tip of the Bukit Penninsula. The temple’s position, perched on jagged rocks that jut out into the sea, means it can only be reached when the tide is out, but there are plenty of places to sit and have a drink or a snack while you wait for the tide to go out. Have a look for the little black and white sea snakes that are said to protect the temple and live in caves in the rock formations. They are poisonous, though, so don’t try to catch one. Although the temple grounds are very large, it can get extremely crowded around sunset, so arrive early to get a prime spot to snap pictures of the temple with the sun sinking into the sea in the background. Tanah Lot is located about 45 minutes west of Kuta and Seminyak in Tabanan Regency so is an easy half-day trip.
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Watching the Sun Sink at Tanah Lot Temple
Tanah Lot Temple is one of the most important and most iconic temples on Bali, which also makes it one of the most visited. It is one of the six cardinal temples, and on a very clear day you can see all the way to Uluwatu Temple on the very southernmost tip of the Bukit Penninsula. The temple’s position, perched on jagged rocks that jut out into the sea, means it can only be reached when the tide is out, but there are plenty of places to sit and have a drink or a snack while you wait for the tide to go out. Have a look for the little black and white sea snakes that are said to protect the temple and live in caves in the rock formations. They are poisonous, though, so don’t try to catch one. Although the temple grounds are very large, it can get extremely crowded around sunset, so arrive early to get a prime spot to snap pictures of the temple with the sun sinking into the sea in the background. Tanah Lot is located about 45 minutes west of Kuta and Seminyak in Tabanan Regency so is an easy half-day trip.
Pura Tanah Lot: Between Land and Sea
The famous Tanah Lot Temple, located on a rocky outcropping along the coast, is a tourist destination for a reason. Here, cultural heritage and natural beauty combine to create one of the most dramatic vistas to be had on the island. Brave the shops & vendors along the way, pay the entrance fee, and take it all in—a photographer’s dream.
Honeymoon in Bali 11-16-2010
I spent a month in Indonesia had a huge wedding 500 + and topped my trip off with our honeymoon in Bali. This is Tanah Lot and the beautiful beach area surrounding it. My wife is Indonesian and is from Semarang never had been to Bali so it was a thrill for her and me who’s biggest adventure before this was to Alberta , Canada. And we get to celebrate anniversary when I go to bring her back to the states In November. So looking forward to those beaches.
Getting a Rice Blessing at Tanah Lot
It tickles when a Balinese Hindu holy man dabs your skin with wet brush bristles and his assistant places rice grains on your forehead. Standing in the volcanic rock area below Pura Tanah Lot, the holy man delivers a blessing and places a plumeria behind your ear. With a flower in my hair and a rice cluster on my forehead, I felt sufficiently blessed and blissed out in Bali. I was ready to watch an island sunset at the sacred seaside complex built in the 16th century to honor the Balinese gods of the ocean. Seeing the silhouetted temple against a molten orange sunset is reason enough to see Tanah Lot, but the visit seems even more special having been approved by a Hindu holy man. Rice blessings are available at the rock base of the temple island for a small donation, which goes to maintaining the temple site. While it may seem like a holy assembly line while you wait for your turn, it is worth it.
