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Published: August 13th 2017
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Pura Lempuyang
Temple #1. Unfortunately, Mt. Agung was clouded over. On a clear day you can see the whole mountain. This entry records my day trip to the east of Bali to visit Pura Lempuyang and Tirta Ganga. All my other activities in Bali were around Ubud, and these will be published later in a separate entry.
Pura Lempuyang
I recently learned about a particularly picturesque temple in East Bali. After viewing the photos online, I immediately knew I wanted to experience it for myself. The temple is called Pura Lempuyang, and it is one of the holiest sites in Bali. Incredibly, despite its Instagram-worthy clickbait credentials, it doesn't attract many tourists.
Today was my splurge day. Because of its distance from Ubud, I knew I had to fork out some dough to hire a car and driver to take me there. I've been trying to keep my expenses to below $50 per day while I am in Bali, including accommodation, but I allowed myself one cheat day to hire a car and driver. Waking up that morning, I wolfed down my breakfast and eagerly rushed to meet Wayan, my driver for the day. Soon after 8am, we were on our way.
The journey to Pura Lempuyang took us along winding mountain roads and it took
Pura Lempuyang
Temple #1. The naga-lined steps leading to the gathering area. almost 2.5 hours to get there. I started my walk around 10.40am. I knew that Pura Lempuyang has seven temples on a steep hiking route. Unfortunately, I hadn't researched more, so I didn't know that the entire circuit takes around 4 hours. As luck would have it, I was there on a Sunday and a minor Hindu holy day to boot, so there were a lot of devotees.
There are seven temples in this complex. I can't recall all the names, so I will refer to them by number. Temple #1 is an easy walk from the parking lot, and it is the most picturesque of the lot. The first thing you see is a gate at the top of a flight of stairs. I think the gate is called The Window to Heaven. The gate looked stunning with Mt. Agung in the background. Behind the gate is an ornate set of three staircases adjacent to one another leading to a gathering area. Each of the three staircases was lined with naga on both sides. At the gathering area, a big group of devotees was praying. Not wanting to intrude, I snapped a few photos and went on my
Pura Lempuyang
Temple #2. Devotees in the mist. way.
From Temple #1, a steep road leads to Temple #2. The view of the valley below was incredible. this view was shortlived, though, as the clouds soon rolled in. Temple #2 was at the end of the paved road. There, again, were many devotees. After Temple #2, the paved road ended and I had to walk on a rocky path.
Temples #3 and #5 were a blur to me as they both looked very similar. Temple #4 was quite grand with a long naga lined staircase and gates. There were zero tourists past Temple #3. I was alone with the devotees. It was exhilarating.
At Temple #5, I asked some devotees how much further the last two temples were and they said it was 90 minutes each way. I knew I could probably do it faster than that. Nevertheless, I was crestfallen as it was already noon and I had one more destination to go to before the long drive back to Ubud. I also knew that Wayan and I had to wrap up by 6pm as he had to head to the airport at that time to pick up a customer. I cursed my lack
Workout Summary
3.07 miles with 1050 foot elevation gain. of research and reluctantly decided to go back down. The devotees seemed genuinely disappointed too; they were encouraging me to finish it. Ah, the tyranny of time.
Feel free to view my workout record
here. According to Map My Run, the hike was 3.07 miles with a 1,050 feet elevation gain.
Tirta Ganga
I decided to pair my day to the east with a visit to Tirta Ganga near Pura Lempuyang. Tirta Ganga is a water palace built in 1948. It was pretty and certainly worth a visit, but it was a letdown for me after the high from the climb up Pura Lempuyang.
Wayan drove back to Ubud via a coastal route. Along the way, we drove through Candidasa and Padangbai towns, and Nusa Lembongan island was in the distance.
In hindsight, I should have researched more, and started out earlier, I really wish I had had the time to visit the last two temples.
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alex waring
Alexander Waring
"Flashpacking"
Love the term "flashpacking", I think my travels may be categorised similarly. Gone are the days of dormitories and hostels, hello boutique hotels! Great to read about your journey east on Bali, and that you were able to coincide with a Hindu holy day. Also get you on the "splurge" day - sometimes it just has to be done! :) Enjoy!