~ Whilst on your Bali holidays take some time out to visit the beautiful temples of the region. Whether you're exploring Hindu temples located in bat caves or a temple dedicated to the dragon god of the mountain, you'll be blown away by the myths and legends that surround these sacred places of worship.
The hotels in Bali may be opulent, but they have nothing on the decadent temples of the region. Of all the Bali temples the best known is the Besakih Temple, which is also known as the Mother Temple. The temple is located on the side of Mount Agung, with the mountain peaks giving it an almost mythical quality. On your Bali holiday take a tour to this temple which is perched at 1,000 feet up the mountain and named after the dragon god that is said to inhabit the mountain.
The Besakih temple is the only temple in which a Hindu of any caste system can worship, and this is due to the eighteen separate sanctuaries housed within the Besakih . The three main shrines in this temple are dedicated to the Hindu gods: Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, and on your Bali holidays you will see a number of Balinese people who have made the pilgrimage to lay yellow marigold flowers upon their deities' shrines.
A popular temple with tourists on their Bali holiday tours is the 'Goa Lawah' which literally translates to 'Bat Cave'. The temple is not only a popular visitor attraction but is also a place of religious importance to the Balinese people. It is one of the nine directional temples that protect Bali from evil spirits, with the Goa Lawah protecting from the evil of the South-East. The temple is not for the faint-hearted on their Bali holidays, as it is located in a temple filled with thousands and thousands of flittering bats. If you're not keen on bats then you probably won't want to hear that the bat cave is also considered the home of the giant legendary snake, Naga Basuki, who was thought to be the caretaker of the earth's equilibrium.
If you're after a temple that's a little less sinister on your Bali holidays then why not take a trip to the Pura Luhur Temple? This temple is considered to be one of the best places in Bali to catch a sunset. Pura Luhur is located in Uluwata, which is also home to some of the best hotels in Bali, and with the Indian Ocean located nearby this is an ideal place to visit on your Bali tour holiday. The temple, which is dedicated to the spirits of the sea and made exclusively from black coral rock, is also considered to be one of the country's archaeological wonders.
Another temple located next to the Indian Ocean is the Tanah Lot Temple, situated on a huge rock in the middle of the ocean. It was built in the 16th Century by one the last priests to come to Bali from Java, and like the Pura Luhur Temple, is also dedicated to the guardian spirits of the sea.
When you take a Bali holiday tour to the Tanah Lot Temple, you may want to watch your footing on the way up as the sea is littered with poisonous sea snakes. These are believed to be the temples guardians standing vigil against any evil spirits, or any would-be intruders who may want to visit the spectacular temple during their Bali holidays.
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Claire Bryant is a Bali holidays specialist for key2holidays, an online tour operator specialising in Bali hotels, as well as holidays to Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean, Italy, the Far East, the Maldives, Mauritius Sri Lanka and the Seychelles, and Dubai. key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.
Besakih Temple image courtesy of Photobucket…
~ Whilst on your 
