What’s The Best Time To Go To Uluwatu Temple?
When you visit, Uluwatu Temple does matter. If you want a spectacular sunset background for your photos, then you must visit Uluwatu Temple later in the day.
This is also true if you want to witness a kecak fire dance performance. These only take place after dark for fairly obvious reasons.
However, because of this, the Uluwatu Temple grounds are often very crowded in the late afternoon, and this important sea temple can start to feel like a more trivial tourist attraction rather than the vital part of Balinese culture that it is.
It can be worth visiting Uluwatu Temple in the early part of the day to appreciate the waves crashing against the steep cliff approximately 70 metres below your feet and to tour the grounds to see the ancient sculptures and learn about the history of Uluwatu Temple and then come back again, later in the day to see the Uluwatu Temple Sunset and dance performances.
Certainly, if you arrive at 7 a.m., you will have the place almost to yourself, and it’s a much more spiritual experience that way.
You can visit Uluwatu Temple at any time of the year. While it’s slightly cooler and less likely to rain during the dry season, it’s fine to go during the wet season (it doesn’t rain all day long), and the humidity isn’t unbearable.
When Is Uluwatu Temple Open?
The opening hours at Uluwatu Temple are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day of the year.
Please be aware that during Balinese festivals, this temple can get very busy, indeed, as it’s an active place of worship and not something preserved to keep tourists happy.
In fact, Balinese pilgrims are allowed access to the temple 24 hours a day for them to be able to carry out their rituals and ceremonies as needed.
You may also find that the opening hours can be modified at Uluwatu Temple depending on what’s going on – it’s worth checking before you travel to see if there have been any changes.
How Much Is It To Get Into Uluwatu Temple?
As we go to press, the entrance fees at Uluwatu Temple are based on two things – your nationality and your age.
International tourists are asked to pay 50,000 IDR as adults and 20,000 for children aged 6-12. Children under 6 enter for free.
This entrance fee does not include the entrance fee to the dance performance, which is currently 150,000 IDR per person.
Domestic tourists receive a small discount, and adults will pay 30,000 IDR and children 15,000 IDR.
This is reasonable given the wealth disparity between most tourists and locals, as well as the fact that this is a site of worship for Indonesians.
What To Wear At Uluwatu Temple?
We need to stress that this important sea temple located in Uluwatu is a site of worship and not a tourist attraction.
That means you are expected to dress modestly when visiting Pura Uluwatu and its grounds.
In practical terms, this means your shoulders and arms should be covered, and you should wear something to cover your legs, too.
The locals wear a shawl and a sarong to achieve this objective, and you may rent (it’s included in the ticket price, in fact) or buy these garments at the temple grounds if you’re inappropriately dressed.
You will not be allowed into Pura Uluwatu Temple without being modestly dressed, and if you should decide to remove garments inside the grounds, you risk getting into trouble with the police and might even be deported from Bali.
So, it’s best to enjoy the magnificent location of Pura Uluwatu dressed in the way that’s expected of you.
What To Expect At Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple is a visual treat. Its position on the clifftop above Uluwatu Beach means that you get incredible panoramic views of the local area, and it’s a landscape photographer’s delight.
(However, we should note that if you want to try and drone photography here, you must seek permission from the temple authorities before you fly and there will be a fee for this. Bali’s drone laws aren’t very complicated normally but flying over temples is one of the few times things can get a bit more involved).
You can hear the roar and crash of the waves below as they dash themselves against the cliff face, and the Indian Ocean horizon seems to be infinitely far away.
It’s awe-inspiring and humbling in the same instance. Your camera is rarely going to be in your bag or pocket at Uluwatu Temple.
It’s also one of Bali’s spiritual pillars, and there’s more to Uluwatu Temple than inspiring Balinese architecture and a wonderful setting.
The legend of the temple will unfold before you as you examine the statues, carvings and buildings.
All the elements combine to help you truly understand Bali’s past, its religious customs and the complex and long-lasting traditions of this proud island and its people.
The position of this temple at the Southwestern Tip of Bali isn’t an accident either. It’s a profoundly spiritual and symbolic location for the people of Bali.
Uluwatu Temple is an integral part of the makeup of the island, and it deserves and commands your respect.
You can also learn more about Balinese traditions by observing a fire dance at this temple.
The History Of Pura Luhur Uluwatu
there’s nothing at the site currently that existed prior to the expansion carried out by Empu Kuturan, a Javanese Sage, back in the 11th century.
It has been expanded and renovated many times across the centuries, and the sage, Dang Hyang Nirartha, is said to have attained moksha (a form of enlightenment) here after he constructed its padmasana shrines (empty throne shrines waiting for the arrival of the gods).
Moksha in the local language is sometimes described as “to go up” or “luhur”, which is why the name “luhur” is often found in the name of Uluwatu Temple in Bahasa.
