Tanah Lot - Sea temple of the earth

Tanah Lot is located in the Tabanan district southwest on Bali, only a short way from Kuta and Denpasar, and is with it's beautiful location and architecture one of the most characteristic temples on Bali. According to legends it was built in the 16th century by the Javanese priest Sanghyang Nirantha. The local ruler Bendesa Beraben became jealous when his followers joined the newcomer, and ordered him to leave. Nirantha then used his magical powers to move the cliff that Tanah Lot was built upon out into the sea (Tanah Lot means something like "sea temple of the earth"). He also transformed his scarf to the holy snakes that still today is said to guard the temple. Beraben later converted to Nirantha's Hindu religion.

For the Balinese this is the most sacred of the sea temples, and one of many sea temples along the coast of southern Bali. These temples are built on locations where the next one in the chain is visible, and on a clear day you can see Pura Luhur Uluwatu further south from here.

This is one of the best known and most visited attractions on Bali and of course it has inevitably become a tourist trap. But still a sunset here is worth the hassle to bypass all the souvenir stalls, when that is done you will usually be left alone and can relax with a dinner or just sit and watch the sun diving into the blood red water. At low water you can walk out to the temple, while at high water it is isolated by the sea. The temple sits on top of a cliff, only Hindus are allowed to climb the stairs to the top.

There are some accommodation to be found here and restaurants with a variety of prices. To get here should not be a problem because of the short distance to the large tourist centers and it's popularity.