Beautiful Bali: Monkeys in a Temple

Our guide was quite a talkative guy, telling us stories about not just Bali but also about his family and his experiences as a tourist guide. About Bali, he told of the Hindu priest who came from Java building a number of key Hindu temples all over Bali. In Uluwatu, on the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the Indian Ocean, there is this temple dedicated to the spirits of the sea called Pura Luhur Temple, said to be Bali's most spectacular. There is a pagoda here, near which is a limestone statue of a Brahman priest, said to be that of a priest, Dhang Hyang Dwijendra. Another shrine within the complex represents the boat on which Dwijendra traveled from Java. Legend had it that he arrived at Pura Peti Tenget, north of Kuta. Dwijendra however, was not the only priest associated with the temple. There were other priests from different eras like Empu Kuturan who lived in the 10th century and Niratha who lived in the 17th century. Some people are of the opinion that the temple is an architectural wonder but maybe, you'd think it is rather a small temple, quaint perhaps but not as wonderful as Java's Borobudur or Cambodia's Angkor Wat. In any case, you'd like the serenity and the scenery here, not to mention the monkeys that may jump out from nowhere to snatch your spectacles. These monkey, according to our guide, were trained to do that and you could get back your belongings back for a small sum of money. Don't say you have not been warned!


Watch out for the monkeys!

Traveling Tip: Watch your belongings!