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IndonesiaDescription and is it worth a visit
Pura Tanah Lot Temple (Pura Tanah Lot) is one of the iconic operating temples in Bali and at the same time one of the famous and visited attractions on the island, which is recommended to visit all guidebooks. And we also recommend it, but with one caveat. If you think that this is such a spiritual place for believers, then this is not quite true. When we visited it, there was a strong feeling that this is an amusement park where you have to pay for something at every step. Even for the ritual of sprinkling with water from the sacred stream, there is a queue of tourists, paying for it as a purchase in a supermarket. If you do not pay attention to this, then this is a very beautiful place, especially at sunset.
The peculiarity of Tanakh Lot is that it is located on a rocky islet a few dozen meters from the shore. In general, strictly speaking, the temple includes both temple buildings on the shore and on the island. But the most interesting, of course, is what is happening on the island and next to it. You can get to it on the shallows only at low tide.
Please note that the time of tides does not depend on the time of day, but is determined by calculations and forecast tables. You can view the tide times and the forecast to determine when it is better to go to the temple:
There are several "zbastic" grottoes on the island, one of them has a source of sacred water. But you will not be allowed to climb the rock itself, since this is a part closed to tourists only for believers, where they pray and conduct rituals. In theory, tourists can also get there by making donations and going through a ritual.
Even in the evenings after sunset, a show "Kecak Fire Dance" or Kecak Fire Dance takes place in a cafe near the temple, but it is not guaranteed to be held, everything needs to be clarified on the spot. A ticket to the show costs 50,000 rupees. On the way to the temple you will pass through a whole village of souvenirs. Mostly wood carvers sell handicrafts here, which is what this village is famous for.
History and legend of the Tanakh Lot
Tanakh Lot is not only a tourist destination, but also a historical temple, as well as a place especially revered by believers, and therefore there are always a lot of people here. Its name in translation means uncomplicated "land in the sea" or "island in the sea". According to legends, the temple was founded in the XV or XVI century by the brahmin Nirarta (otherwise spelled Nirartha), who came to the island following signs from above. These bright instructions led him to a healing streamlet that gushes out of the rocks. Nirarta felt that this place was sacred, and decided to build a temple to worship the Balinese sea gods. The main one is the Virgin Baruna, the goddess of the sea.
Tanah Lot is part of a unique chain of seven sea temples along the southwestern coast of Bali, which are perfectly visible from each other. There is a myth here about poisonous sea snakes guarding the temple from evil spirits! These snakes serve as a symbol of protection created from the belt of Nirarta.
In the 1980s, the temple underwent restoration, when it began to rapidly and dangerously collapse. The restoration was financed by the Japanese government, large-scale measures were taken to preserve this miracle, almost a third of the entire complex was replaced, and even the rocks that you will see here are partially artificial.
🕐 Working hours
Daily from 07:00 to 19:00, seven days a week. The best time to visit the temple is before sunset, it's about 17-18 hours, but we need clear weather, otherwise we won't get beautiful photos, how unlucky we are. And a lot of tourists come by sunset. If you want to catch a temple without crowds of tourists, then you need to come here on the contrary by dawn, but then you will not get to the temple.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Adults - 75 000 rupees (4.15 USD), children - 40,000 rupees (2.21 USD).
🚶 How to get there
Pura Tanah Lot Temple is located on the western shore of the island, 20 kilometers from Kuta and the airport, about the same from Denpasar (temple on the map). It is best to go here by rented transport, the navigator will easily lead you to the point you need. Parking at the temple costs 2000 rupees for a motorcycle, 5000 for a car.
If you do not rent a transport, you can take a taxi. It is most convenient and cheaper to order a taxi through the GoJek, Grab, Bluebird, Maxim applications. For reference, a one-way trip from the Kuta area will cost about 200,000 rupees(11.07 USD) by car taxi, and 60,000 (3.32 USD) by motorcycle taxi.
Excursions in Tanakh Lot can be purchased online at Trip.com, they accept Russian cards there.
Also see Bali excursions with reviews available for online booking on these trusted sites: