Pura Luhur Tanah Lot, a.k.a Tanah Lot is one of the most popular places of interest in Bali. It is located on the coast of West Bali, at the quiet village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency. Tanah Lot means "Land in the Sea" in Balinese language. It is a unique rock formation off the coast of the island. Tanah Lot is the home of a pilgrimage temple that became a popular tourist attraction and a cultural icon for photography and exoticism.
We visited this sacred site in the morning on our second day in Bali. Getting there from Kuta town only takes about 30-45 minutes drive depending on the traffic and road conditions. The entrance fee is Rp 30,000 per pax and you can stay as long as you want there. Many tourists opt to visit it early in the morning for the sunrise or in the evening to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bright golden sun setting in the background, revealing the majestic silhouette of the holy temple on the rock enclosed by the beautiful blue sea. The best time to visit it is when the tide is low and you can get close to the temple above.
From the main entrance of the site, you will need to walk about 10-15 minutes in between a row of colourful stalls selling eye-catching souvenirs, interesting works of art and crafts as well as local food and cold drinks. Tips: Watch out and be ready to give/pay a fee of Rp. 5000; more or less depending on your generosity to any locals that you take photographs of/with or you would have to face the consequences.
Besides Pura Luhur Tanah Lot, there are other smaller temples in the vicinity - Pura Jero Kandang, Pura Enjung Galuh, Pura Batu Bolong, Pura Batu Mejan and Pura Luhur Pekendungan which are equally unique and worth checking-out. When you are there, you will have many opportunities to take a lot of beautiful photos of the temples, its natural surroundings as well as its people therefore it is wise to have a camera with you.
Tips: Alternatively or should you feel that your photography skills are not good enough, you may engage one of the many local photographers on standby around the area to take beautiful, well put together photographs of you and/or your friends for a fee. If I remember clearly, it costs about Rp 50,000 or more per instant photo in which they would print out on-the-spot and give it to you before you can say cheese! The downside of this is you will not be able to have the negatives of the photos (unless you purchase many copies of it) so you will not be able to wash/print out more in the future if you need it.
What I did was I took a look at their samples/available photos to get an idea of where is the best spot/place to take stunning photographs and not forgetting, how to pose too and in the end, took my very own professional lookalike, postcard-worthy photos for my family and friends - minus the photography fee! Below are some of the photos I took and would like to share.
Pura Batu Bolong
Smile and say cheese!
Backpacking Bali - Pura Luhur Tanah Lot (Part 2) with more photos will be shared soon so stay tune for it. Feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment and I will be happy to engage with you. Happy travel!
Labels: Bali, Indonesia
