3 weeks in Bali, Indonesia- 5/28- 6/15/2024

Day 4- Tanah Lot temple -5/30/2024

Tanah Lot is one of seven major “sea temples” along Bali’s southwestern coast. These sea temples were deliberately placed so that you can see one from the next, forming a kind of spiritual chain or bulwark to protect the island from negative sea spirits. The temple plays a very active role in Balinese religious life, and pilgrimage occurs especially on its odalan (temple anniversary), which follows the Balinese Pawukon calendar.

 The name means "land in the sea" in the Balinese language. The temple sits on a rocky islet just off the coast of Bali, visible from the mainland (especially at low tide). The temple is said to have been founded in the 16th century by a revered Hindu priest named Dang Hyang Nirartha. The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna, or Bhatara Segara, the sea god, or sea power.

As our tour guide drove in and parked, we are leaving behind the more rugged coastal cliffs and enter a lively, bustling stretch. The road from the parking lot gradually gives way to a pedestrian path lined with souvenir shops, cafés, and small stalls. Motorcycles are parked densely along the sides,  ocals and tourists alike giving this approach the feel of a local marketplace meets tourist promenade.

 Walking down this street, there's a tangible energy: voices, colors, and the scent of incense or local snacks drift through the air.

As we moved closer, the buildings thin out and the view opens up toward the end of the street with a  glimpses of the ocean, framed by tall trees that seem to guard the path. At the end of the corridor, a black gate stands before us, framed by those trees. It feels like a threshold, that we are leaving “market mode” and entering something more sacred.

  As the street of souvenir stalls and parked motorbikes narrows toward the sea, we arrived at a tall black stone gate. This gate is built in a traditional Balinese architectural style, made from black volcanic stone, giving them a dramatic appearance against the greenery and ocean backdrop.

After passing through the first black stone gate, the path suddenly opens up. The walkway descends slightly, and you follow a series of broad steps that lead down to a wide open promenade. From here, the scenery shifts from shaded trees to a more expansive coastal view, and also the first real sense that we are approaching the ocean.

As we walked along this large stone walkway, the horizon begins to stretch out in front, and the sound of waves becomes louder, echoing between the cliffs.

At the end of this promenade stands the second black gate, taller and more commanding, again made of dark volcanic stone. Seen from a distance, it rises like a frame against the blue sky and the sea behind it.

As we passed through this second gate, I looked back and this is the view of where we just came from.

This place feels very special.

After passing through the second gate, the path opens again, this time directly onto a dramatic stretch of coastline. To our right there is a black square pavilion built from dark volcanic stone, echoing the architecture of the gates.

 The structure has a simple, sturdy shape, raised slightly on a platform, with open sides and a tiered roof that blends into the coastal landscape.

Hoa standing at the black stone pavilion again, we walked toward the edge where a balcony-like viewing platform extends over the coastline.

This spot feels like a natural lookout point, elevated just high enough that the ocean feels close but expansive at the same time. A red flag stands tall, fluttering sharply in the wind. Against the muted tones of black stone, dark cliffs, and white waves, the flag stands out like a warning and a marker, a reminder of strong currents and dangerous tides below, and signaling that while the view is stunning, the ocean here is powerful and not meant for swimming.

With the sound of the waves beneath the cliff and the wind sweeping across the viewpoint, this area feels like the perfect place to pause.

The waves are restless!

We are now moving further and as I looked back, you can see the black Pavilion next to the ocean and on the right you can also see the second gate.

After passing the black stone pavilion, the landscape opens dramatically and Tanah Lot finally comes into full view. The temple stands on a massive rocky outcrop just offshore, its dark silhouette rising above the waves. The rock itself has a sculpted, natural form, curved and hollowed out by centuries of tides, with arches, ledges, and sea caves carved by the ocean.

At Tanah Lot, the waves are one of the most dramatic parts of the scenery.

The temple sits on a rocky outcrop just offshore, so the water constantly surrounds it, crashing against the base of the cliffs and sending white spray upward as the tide pushes in. When larger sets roll through, the ocean almost seems to wrap around the temple, making it look like it’s rising out of the sea. The sound of the waves echoes against the rocks, adding to the temple’s mystical and isolated feeling, especially at high tide when the pathway disappears and the temple looks completely set apart from the land.

Instead of visitors walking across, the water forms a natural barrier, emphasizing the temple’s isolation. The rock becomes an island again. untouchable, protected by the sea.

With high tide, the sea wraps completely around the base of the rock. Waves crash against the lower cliff walls, sending sprays of white foam upward, and the usual path that leads to the temple’s base is fully submerged.

The shrine at the top is small and compact, crowned with a multi-tiered thatched Mere roof, blending almost seamlessly with the dark volcanic stone below. From a distance, it appears less like a building placed on a rock and more like a sacred form growing out of the sea itself. 

After taking in the temple from the main viewpoint, we continued walking along the coastline and soon the path opened up to a stretch of restaurants and cafés perched right along the shore.

These places line the cliff edge, each with open-air seating, wooden tables, and wide views of the ocean. The atmosphere is relaxed for people linger, watching waves roll in, waiting for sunset.

We stopped at one of the seaside spots and sat down facing the water.

 I ordered a fresh coconut juice, served chilled and still in the shell. As we sat there sipping and resting, the view spread out endlessly in front of us: the deep blue ocean, waves crashing against the rocks below, and Tanah Lot standing proudly in the distance.

We are now making our way and we passed by Tanah lot again.

The scenery is magnificent and the sound of waves crashing against the surrounding rocks is really captivating.

From this angle you can really see that the temple is constantly battered by waves, the rock base started to erode significantly. In the 1980s and beyond, restoration projects were undertaken. Interestingly, part of what appears to be “rock” under the temple is actually artificial. During conservation, portions were rebuilt with reinforced rock to stabilize the structure.

According to legend, while traveling the coast of Bali, Nirartha rested on this little rock island (called Gili Beo in some stories) and had a spiritual revelation that the spot was sacred. He asked local fishermen to build a shrine there to worship Dewa Baruna (also known as Bhatara Segara), the sea god. There’s a fascinating mythical element: the temple is said to be protected by sea snakes. Legend says Nirartha used his spiritual powers (or even his shawl) to create these serpents, which now guard the rock from evil spirits. At low tide, some of the caves at the base of the rock open, and here, these sea snakes are believed to dwell.

As we left the main Tanah Lot viewpoint, the path opened into a wide grassy lawn, stretching across the cliff top like a natural terrace above the sea.  Walking across the lawn and looking back, the view changed into a broader, more scenic panorama. In the distance, the rooftops in shades of warm orange and terracotta, peeking above trees and stone walls, traditional Balinese pavilions set against the coastline.

View of Tanah Lot from the grassy lawn. Tanah Lot stood isolated on its rocky island, completely surrounded by water. With the tide still high, waves crashed heavily around the base of the rock, white foam spraying upward and dissolving into mist. From this distance, the temple felt smaller but more dramatic, almost like a silhouette floating on the ocean.

Buildings inside the compound.

Further away is Pura Batu Bolong, sometimes just called Batu Bolong Temple, located near Tanah Lot, part of the same sea-temple complex.  The temple is built on a rocky promontory that has a large natural hole or arch carved by the sea,  waves splash into and through this void.

 Batu Bolong is one of the “sea temples” in this area and shares a spiritual role with Tanah Lot. It helps form a line of coastal temples that protect the island.

Underneath the rock hole is a fresh-water spring called Tirta Pakuluh (also “holy water”) that flows out of the rock. This water is used in religious ceremonies like Melasti, Pakelem, and temple anniversaries.  The temple is tied to local myth and spiritual practice, much like Tanah Lot.

There have been structural concerns , the rock face has cracks, and restoration work has been done to stabilize the cliff around the temple.  When the waves crash against the base of the arch, you see water rushing through the gap and spraying upward, making the temple feel almost suspended above the sea. With the dark volcanic rock, the vibrant offerings, and the sound of the ocean pounding below, the whole place has a dramatic, almost cinematic coastal energy.

Batu Bolong Temple sits dramatically on a rocky promontory with a natural arch carved through the stone. The rock bridge stretches out into the ocean, forming a narrow pathway to the small shrine at the end, while the opening beneath it lets the waves surge through, creating bursts of white foam as the tide rolls in.

We are now done with our visit and we are now leaving the property passing by one of the beautiful gate.

NEXT... Seseh Beach and Dinner at Bu Reka