Tanah Lot Sunset Tour

Our package to Bali included five free tours, but we aren't big on buses, so we decided to do a half-day tour first to see what they were like.

A small bus came to pick us up at our hotel at around 2pm and we continued on to pick up other people, then headed to the company headquarters where we boarded a larger bus.

Our first stop was Taman Ayun Temple, the water temple. (No sarong and sash needed for this temple, unlike most others.) This temple symbolizes the union between the sea and the mountains.

We had just started to go in, when we were approached by about 10 children, around the age of 10 wearing shirts that said "English School." They wanted to ask us questions like, "What is your job?", "What is your name?" to practice their English. They were so cute--even though you knew they didn't have a clue what you were saying!

Inside, the guide walked us around the temple. It wasn't all that impressive really, but the grounds were nice as they were beside a river. The guide told us a bit about the temple and then we all reboarded the bus.

Our next stop, after more driving, was Alas Kedaton Temple, a monkey and bat forest. Having been to the Ubud Monkey Forest, we knew what to expect but still really enjoyed it. When you got off the bus, guides greeted you and if you came to look at their stall afterwards, they would take you around. (You have no obligation to buy anything but it's nice to do so.) The girl that took us around was very nice and kept the monkeys away from me (I'm not a huge fan!), but got them to sit on my boyfriend's shoulder and hold his hand. Got some great photos from it!

She also showed us the bats in the trees--actually, I didn't ever see them but after about 5 minutes of her trying to point them out for me, I just lied and said I did!

When you first go into the forest, you can buy yams and tiny bananas to feed the monkeys. They're worth buying even if you just give them to your guide to feed them, it's cute to watch them eat. I highly recommend bringing some sort of antibacterial hand sanitizer (like Purel) for after this sort of thing!

Our last stop was Tanah Lot Temple. Now, had there not been construction and repairs going on at the temple, it would have been a stunning sight. Unfortunately, it was surrounded by cranes and it was hard to get a decent photo. It is only temporary though, as they are reinforcing the cliff the temple is on.

The sunset at Tanah Lot was beautiful though, even if it wasn't the really red ones they are famous for. There are lots of stalls for shopping around it as well, while you are waiting for the sunset and a couple restaurants, which I imagine aren't cheap with a view like that!

Well, if that was a half-day tour, we would have never made it through the full day. If you get even remotely car sick, you may want to try the half-day tour first. Or, as we did later, hire a car and driver. The sights were great but the bus on the bumpy roads is just too much to handle! We were glad we did the tour, but never did any of the other four.