Bali temple tour

We left the hotel at 8 a.m. with our same guide, Winten, to take us on an all day temple tour. The first one we went to was Taman Ayun Temple, which is very iconic with multiple tiered thatched roofing on the different temple buildings.

Pura Taman Ayun

Pura Taman Ayun

Our second temple is one of the ones you see in all the Bali tourism ads – Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple. It’s set out in the middle of a lake and it’s truly gorgeous. We got some excellent photos there.

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

Then we stopped by a coffee place where they make all this handmade Balinese coffee including Luwak coffee. This is the most expensive coffee in the world – though it’s not too bad if you buy it in Bali. But listen to how it’s made...

the coffee plantation

With our tour guide, Winten

Sampling bar

There are these little cat-like creatures called luwaks that eat a variety of coffee beans from the plants, as well as berries and a few other things. They are apparently quite selective in their eating habits. After they eat these beans and berries, their POOP is retrieved and washed and the coffee beans from their poop is smoked and roasted and then made into Luwak coffee. At this coffee place (which looked out over the hills and rice fields – a really gorgeous location) we were offered all different coffees and teas to try. I tried a couple of the teas which were very good. Obviously, I didn’t try the coffee. Especially not the “cat-poo-chino” as our driver hilariously called it.

Next we went to the rice terraces to have lunch with a view of the verdant green terraces and their rice shoots. It was such a gorgeous day with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Behind the terraces, the mountains of Bali framed the picture. I wished we’d had time to hike a bit on the trails through the terraces.

Jatiluwih Rice terraces

Lunch with an amazing view of the terraces

Next we went to Pura Luhur temple – the temple in the forest, as they call it. Unfortunately, most parts of the temple were closed for viewing because of some special ceremonies, so we just walked around the grounds for a while. It was very quite and we were practically the only visitors.

Our final temple of the day was Tanah Lot. This was probably our favorite one simply because of the location. The temple is on top of a rock island a couple hundred feet out into the ocean. During low tide, you can cross over to it and be blessed with “holy water” that comes up from a spring in a little cave at the base of the rock. It’s pretty crazy since it’s IN the ocean, but has fresh spring water coming up out of it. When we arrived, all the girls split up and Linda, Traci and I walked around the base of the cliffs looking at the temple on the rock. We then decided to walk over to the little cave and Linda would drink the holy water. We got wet up to the bottom of our shorts on the walk out because the ground was uneven and we stumbled a bit, and when a wave would come, the water got deeper. However, after spending 15 minutes on the little island, I started looking at the crossing and said, “I think the tide is coming in...we need to get back now.” Thankfully, I convinced Linda to put her camera in her bag (instead of around her neck). The three of us started making our way across, but the crossing was even more treacherous. A big wave came and the waters rushed around us and Linda almost fell in completely, but a Balinese man helped keep her up. We all got soaked up to our waists. If Linda had been wearing her expensive DSLR camera around her neck, it would’ve been ruined. We came out gasping and laughing, but unharmed. Shortly thereafter, they closed the crossing.

Tanah Lot

People crossing over during low tide

Sunset was magical

The three of us made our way up to the cliffs to find a good spot to watch the sunset. We found a restaurant that had a cliff-side table where we sipped milkshakes and watched the sun setting behind the rock temple. It was a sight to behold. As we walked back to the bus to meet the others, the sky just kept getting more and more breathtaking. Oranges and purples and pinks filled the sky.

It was a very full, but very rewarding day.