I did a brief round up of Bali temples to visit and rounded up my top three for you as a must-see as part of your Bali itinerary. While Bali has a huge share of Hindu temples and many choose to overlook them, there are three which just cannot be missed. I understand people prefer to go surfing or to a yoga retreat, but some of these Bali temples to visit are truly magnificent and you just can’t avoid them! Which of them do you find best?

3 Bali temples to visit

1. Uluwatu 

A photo posted by Francisco Cañete (@francisco_caal) on Jun 3, 2016 at 7:07am PDT

This place, like the Tanah Lot should ideally be seen at sunset. If you’re coming from Canggu, due to the traffic conditions, set out 1.5 hours well in advance to be able to see the temple at its best and to catch the kecak (fire) dance after. The Uluwatu temple is considered to be Bali’s most spiritual pillars, which is why it’s on my list of top Bali temples to visit. It is constructed to pay homage to the sea gods. There is honestly not much to see in the temple as such as the shrine is mostly closed off to tourists.

But that VIEW.

A video posted by Francisco Cañete (@francisco_caal) Jun 3, 2016 at 7:10am PDT

Also, don’t forget to watch their kecak fire dance that tells the story of Rama and Sita. It’s so visually pleasing and catchy and costs only AED 13.50 (roughly US$4) per person. Have a glimpse here:

Watched an #AMAZING traditional #kecak fire dance at #uluwatu #temple! It tells the story of Ramayana and was so beautiful with the sea breeze flying and the #sunset . . . #templerun #uluwatutemple #gorgeous #Indonesia #traditional #Baliculture #Hinduism #mythology #Ramayana #travelgram #traveltales #wanderlust #travelblogger #dubaitravelblogger #nirvana #omnomnirvana

A video posted by Aneesha Rai (@aneesha_rai) on Jun 3, 2016 at 7:04am PDT

This should be your no.1 spot for temples in Bali.

2. Tanah Lot 

This temple was a whole lot closer to the Canggu area, it’s only a 30 minutes ride from The Chillhouse. Tanah Lot is also quite beautiful and is a sea temple situated on a rock, closed off to tourists. If you would like to see it, you would need to be dressed in traditional Balinese attire. It truly amazes me how different Hinduism is practiced here and in India. On the left side of the temple across the bank, you will have to donate to see just one sea snake, which in my opinion is an attempt of commercialising the temple. However, it must be mentioned that unlike Uluwatu and the Monkey Forest, there is no entry fee to Tanah Lot.

Also, by Tanah Lot, you will see numerous restaurants with dazzling views of the temple and sea below. You will also see a lot of shops and art galleries on the way to the temple and back. Tanah Lot is quite possibly the least of my favourite temples in Bali, it lacks the sanctity that you find in both the Uluwatu temple and the Monkey Forest temple.

3. Monkey Forest

One of my favourite places in Ubud remains the Sacred Monkey Forest that houses a Holy Spring temple. You will find that most of the temples here have running water bodies all around it. Again, a place you cannot enter without the Indonesian national dress, but be wary of the monkeys around this area compared to those walking around at the entrance of the Monkey Forest, they are known to be far more visceral in nature.

And there you have it! A round up of my the best temples in Bali! Here’s a more drool-worthy post on the delicious fanfare I have had the chance to try on my visit. 🙂

Besides this, if you need any help with planning a trip to Bali, here’s a 10-day itinerary that could help you.