You can’t visit Bali without hitting the temples dotting the entire island. Balinese architecture is very distinct and it shows in its many temples. Whether on land, up in the hills or by the lake, these temples, big and small, adorn the entire island. While Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, the island of Bali is 90% Hindu.

On Day 2 in this island, we visited 2 temples: Ulun Danu Beratan and Taman Ayun. We timed our visit to Tanah Lot at sunset but we failed to consider Bali’s traffic jams. And what horrendous jam we were in — lasting nearly four hours! When we realized we’d miss sunset here, we scrapped Tanah Lot and headed straight back to our hotel in Nusa Dua. Nearly 9pm when we reached it. Maybe another day. Two temples today will do for my caboodle.

Ulun Danu Beratan is a Shaivite water temple on the shores of Lake Beratan. There was a good crowd when we visited, but we noticed they were mostly locals. You may say it’s their Sunday family day since the temple complex includes restaurants, and a garden park. I like this temple complex as it is well-maintained and any temple by the waters is a natural charmer. Being in the highlands via a zigzag road much like our local summer capital (Baguio City), the weather here is cool and breezy. And because it was far from the island capital, there were not as many tourists. Most visitors were locals. By late afternoon, it was foggy around the lake near the highlands of Bedugul mountains when we passed it a second time on our way back to the hotel. Foggy in Bali! And yes, did I say it was cooler too?

Pura Taman Ayun required us to wear those shiny green sarongs. Sun was shining brightly but temps were actually tolerable. We didn’t break a sweat even as we rounded up the temple complex. Because this temple is only 17 kms from Denpasar, it’s among first-of-mind temples to visit for tourists. Built in 1634, it claims to be the mother of all temples in Mengwi. With Chinese inspirations, this Balinese temple with its moss-lined walls and lily ponds is a Bali landmark that shares the same anniversary as another iconic Bali landmark, Uluwatu Temple. Across the temple complex is a Museum which features Balinese rituals and passages. If you don’t want to go too far from the capital and have limited time, this is a good temple choice. And without the traffic!