Bali, the island of Gods, has beautiful temples and rice fields spread whole over the island. This trip will take you to the breathtaking rice fields in Jatiluwih, the amazing water temple Puru Ulun Danu Bratan, the temple of the first kingdom Taman Ayun and will show you the beautiful sunset at the Tanah Lot temple. The best way to do this is to hire a driver for the whole day. He will bring you to all the places and this will cost you only around 750.000 rupiah. We recommend leaving around 8.30/9.00 in the morning so you don’t have to be in a rush. After Tanah Lot the drivers brings you back to your accommodation. So if you don’t feel like having a surf lesson at Odysseys Surf School, we recommend you this trip.
Rice fields in Jatiluwih
From Seminyak its almost 1.5 hour drive to Jatiluwih, but it’s a beautiful road through the country side. Jatiluwih is based in the middle of Bali
The rice fields in Jatiluwih are really breathtaking, which goes in line with the meaning of Jatiluwih. Jati means really and Luwih means good, beautiful or especial. The rice fields have a wide surface, 2,372 hectare and many different colors of green. The atmosphere is cooler here, because the rice fields are based at the foot of the mountain on 700m above sea level. You can walk into the rice fields to have a good view and take beautiful pictures. Since the 26th of July the rice fields are a part of the UNESCO World Heritages Sites because the site has been able to maintain the cultural heritage in form of water irrigation system managed by the traditionally SUDAK. When you have seen the rice fields, you can buy some rice for yourself or some nice fresh fruit. After the rice fields it is time to go to the water temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
This temple is based at Danau Beratan. This is a one-hour drive through the countryside from Jatiluwih. The lake is located between the mountains and 1240m above sea level. The temple was build in the 17th century and serves as the temple of Sudak and to worship the goddess Danu of the water for fertility. The temple is built in the water, which gives a beautiful view with the mountains and the lake on the background. A lot of tourists and photographers come here to take pictures of this beautiful view. When you get hungry, there is a good buffet located near the entrance of the temple. You can eat as much as you want for 100.000 rupiah, it also includes coffee and tea. When you finished your lunch it is time to travel to the other temple, the Taman Ayun temple.
Taman Ayun Temple
This temple is based near the Mengwi Village in the Badung district. The temple is strategically based beside the major road between Denpasar and Singaraja. The temple is surrounded by a beautiful garden and a fish pool what give you a warm welcome when you are in front of the temple. Taman Ayun is a mother temple to the Mengwi kingdom, built by Mengwi King I, I Gusti Agung Putu, in the Javanese year of 1556. The temple itself cannot be entered, but you can have a walk around the temple to take pictures. This temple is very touristic but still worth a visit because with the beautiful garden and fish pool, amazing pictures are guaranteed. This temple is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list. When you collected your pictures it will be time to go to the last temple, Tanah Lot.
Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot is really beautiful to see the sunset. The temple is at the south west coast, 20 km away from Denpasar. The temple is build on an off shore rock in front of the coast. This makes it really majestic for pictures when the sun goes down. Don’t expect to be there alone, the chance is big you will see the same tourist that you seen at the other temples and many more. Tanah Lot is very touristic, especially during the sunset. But it is definitely worth a visit.
This day trip is really nice and you will see and learn more about Bali and the culture. Your driver or tour will tell you everything you need to know about the temples and the rice fields, which makes the trip more interesting. If you did this trip or visit one of the temples or rice fields, let us know what your experience was in the comments.