Ulun Danu at first light, Tanah Lot after the sunset crowds — a short guide to seeing the island’s temples at their most peaceful.
Bali has more than twenty thousand temples, and the best known receive thousands of visitors a day. Arrive at the right hour, though, and you will often share them with no one but the priests.
Ulun Danu Beratan
The lake temple is at its calmest between seven and eight in the morning, when mist still sits on the water. Leave the south of the island at five and you will be there before the first coaches.
Tanah Lot
Most visitors come for sunset. Come instead an hour after it, when the crowds have left and the temple is lit against the dark sea.
Lempuyang
The famous gate photograph has a queue of up to three hours by mid-morning. Arrive at six, or skip the gate entirely and walk the quieter upper temples.
A good driver-guide knows these hours by heart — it is the simplest way to see the island differently.
Remember a sarong and sash for every temple; your guide will carry spares.