Tanah Lot Sunset Tour

May 6, 2013 | Bali Tour | No Comments

We will visit Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, a huge state temple of Mengwi Kingdom surrounded by a wide moat, the temple was built in 1634. Outside yard with an open grassy expanse and meeting hall for holding the meeting, dance performances, and sometimes cockfighting. Middle yard built high wood bell (Kulkul), outside yard to middle yard separated by open gate and from middle yard to inner courtyard separated by a closed gate. The inner courtyard has a lot of multitier shrines (Meru), from the first to the highest one. As the note: the visitor is allowed to see the inner courtyard from outside only.

Second, stop at Pacung Mountain Resort and follow by Botanical Garden, Pacung is a highland with cooler temperatures and with a nice view of rice terraces and the mountain, which takes a picturesque route through Jatiluwih Village and Batukaru Mountain region. Then continue the trip to see Bali Botanical Gardens (Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali), it’s about 150 hectares on the slopes of Gunung Pohen (Tree Mountain), there are more than a thousand species of plants such as trees, bamboo collection, orchid’s collection, palm tree collection and a nice view of Bratan Lake.

Third stop at Candi Kuning Fruits and flowers Market, the market sell variety of fruit such as durian on season, mango, banana, salak (snake fruit), papaya, green apple, avocado, strawberry, sweet corn, peanut, coffee powder, and many kinds of herbs. For flowers and vegetables, they sell orchids, carrots, roses, oranges and etc. The market also sells many kinds of handicraft products, paintings, and textiles. They do sell rabbits too.

The fourth stop at Bedugul (Bratan Lake) the temple well known as Ulundanu Temple Ulun it means heart and danu it’s means lake, the temple dedicated to the Gods of lake or waters (Danu Goddes), the lake supplies a lot of water to the rice field. The temple was founded in the 17th century by the King of Mengwi. In the outside yard, there is a Buddhist temple and a big Banyan tree. This temple is an important temple in the mountain because used for the Nyegara Gunung ceremony, nyegara (ocean), and Gunung (mountain). The visitor can rent a speed boat to around the lake.

Fifth stop at Fruit Bats and Monkey Forest (Alas Kedaton), located in Kukuh Village a little bit west of Taman Ayun Temple, Tabanan regency. About 500 population monkeys in this forest, inside the forest there is a very old temple (Alas Kedaton Temple), and big fruit bats hang in high trees during the day time and will go outside for feed in the night time. A lot of shops are on the way to the forest and the local guide (one of the shopkeepers) will accompany you to see the monkey around and at the end, they will ask you to visit their shop for souvenirs.

The sixth stop at Tanah Lot Temple, at the end of the trip we will see Tanah Lot Temple. The temple perched on a little rocky islet. This temple was built in the 16th century years ago by the Javanese priest Danghyang Nirartha who built many temples near the sea around the island such as Rambut Siwi Temple in the west of Bali, Pulaki Temple and Ponjok Batu Temple North of Bali.