After a gorgeous first day travelling from our home at Bali Paradise Beach Estates up to our friends lodge at Lake Beratan and later that day a boat ride around the lake we were ready to discover other beautiful sites in the Bedugul area.
As I mentioned in my previous blog I was a little disappointed in the Pura Ulun Beratan Temple.
It certainly did not look too exciting from the water.
After doing a little research I decided to drag my family up at an hour before dawn the second day and drive only eight minutes from the lodge to the sight of this famous temple to catch the early morning light.
When we arrived at 6:30 AM the sun had still come over the 1,200 Mtr. mountains and the site was not open.
The normal opening hour is a 8:30. AM.
Again frustration set in and we tried to make the best of it with a few shots of the area which includes many boats that you can hire for short excursion around the lake as we did the day before
Azizah can brighten up any gloomy morning a few quick shots.
We did manage to capture this very colourful kaleidoscope of local canoes.
I said to Azizah "let's go back and see if we can get in a little earlier than a 8:30 because I had read some Travelers had done that before.
Sure enough the gate was open for employees and my wife just had to blink those beautiful brown eyes at the parking attendant and we were soon let into parking area making us the first ones to arrive there in the morning.
One of the first features is this ancient tree with a unique root system.
Then there is this Gate which I've seen featured in many publications before.
The lighting was not good enough to take a good photo so we proceeded onwards.
Then as we turned the corner there was one of the most picturesque magical temples in the world Pura Ulun Beratan Temple.
It was obvious that I needed more light and we waited and we waited and we waited.
In the almost 400 years since it's creation the Balinese have spent plenty of time making this site a photographers dream with colourful dragons swirling around attractions.
As the sun slowly began to rise over the elevated hills of this former volcanic Valley the temple began to show its true magic.
Even I had to get in on a photo.
They all it the floating temple because when the lake water is a little higher during the rainy season the temple is completely surrounded by water.
Again frustration set in and we tried to make the best of it with a few shots of the area which includes many boats that you can hire for short excursion around the lake as we did the day before
Azizah can brighten up any gloomy morning a few quick shots.
We did manage to capture this very colourful kaleidoscope of local canoes.
I said to Azizah "let's go back and see if we can get in a little earlier than a 8:30 because I had read some Travelers had done that before.
Sure enough the gate was open for employees and my wife just had to blink those beautiful brown eyes at the parking attendant and we were soon let into parking area making us the first ones to arrive there in the morning.
One of the first features is this ancient tree with a unique root system.
Then there is this Gate which I've seen featured in many publications before.
The lighting was not good enough to take a good photo so we proceeded onwards.
Then as we turned the corner there was one of the most picturesque magical temples in the world Pura Ulun Beratan Temple.
The temple complex is on the shores of Lake Bratan in the mountains near Bedugul.
In Bali, Hindu temples are known as "pura", being designed as open-air places of worship in walled compounds.
The compound walls have a series of intricately decorated gates without doors for the devotee to enter.
The design and plan of the holy pura follows a square layout.[
A typical temple is laid out according to ancient Lontar texts with three courtyards separated by low walls pierced by ornate gateways.
Built in 1633, the temple is used for offerings and ceremonies dedicated to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali.
The 11-storey pelinggih meru in the complex is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Buddha's statue is also enshrined in this temple.
This temple is also called the "Bali temple on the Lake" because it looks as if it is floating when the Bratan River rises.[citation needed]
See also
It was obvious that I needed more light and we waited and we waited and we waited.
In the almost 400 years since it's creation the Balinese have spent plenty of time making this site a photographers dream with colourful dragons swirling around attractions.
As the sun slowly began to rise over the elevated hills of this former volcanic Valley the temple began to show its true magic.
Even I had to get in on a photo.
They all it the floating temple because when the lake water is a little higher during the rainy season the temple is completely surrounded by water.
During our visit it was perhaps three quarters surrounded by water.
The dragons keep on reaching out and asking to be photographed.
As you can see it was still predawn.
Nice to catch the Indonesian flag in the background since Indonesia was celebrating it's 75th. diamond anniversary the following day.
As the temple finally started to recieve the first remnants of sunlight I went into a shooting frenzy.
I always remember the professional photographers in movies yelling "hurry, hurry were losing the light".
As you can see it was still predawn.
Nice to catch the Indonesian flag in the background since Indonesia was celebrating it's 75th. diamond anniversary the following day.
As the temple finally started to recieve the first remnants of sunlight I went into a shooting frenzy.
I always remember the professional photographers in movies yelling "hurry, hurry were losing the light".
I never fully understood it until I realize that there's only a few minutes to take the perfect shot of this temple.
And there it is was, arguably the best shot of the day.
This one will definitely go up on a wall someplace with some fond memories.
Then it was time to move around the complex shooting the temple and other features from different angles.
The gardens were gorgeous and full of vibrant colours.
Here's a different exposure from the West side.
The Balinese as usual have phenomenal interesting statues and carvings all throughout the place.
We ventured beyond the grounds and found this unique arc which made for some stunning photos.
First the beauty and then the beast.
Then the beauty again.
Even the grounds next to the temple site were meticulously kept by two hotels that butt up against this grounds.
I call these the pyramids of Bali.
One private temple which I took from a distance.
There are a few resorts right there on the spot that you can literally walk out the back door to this temple which we may want to consider in the future.
As you can see from the shot after full sunrise the temple loses a lot of its magic but is still one of the most beautiful temples in the world.
We were a bid a fond farewell by these two gigantic bears.
Then it was go time to go back and wake up the boys who were absolutely impossible to wake up earlier. Their loss.
Hopefully they will have a chance to bring there girlfriends or wives, with our grandchildren here in the future to one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
Believe it or not later on in the morning after finally raising our boys up and having a healthy breakfast we headed off for another venture to
Thanks to Google maps we were able to find it down literally a one Lane Rd. straight down the hill.
My family asked how what are we going to do if we meet another car. I said we'll work it out.
Banyumala Waterfall is a waterfall located in Banjar Asah of Panji, Wanagiri village, Sukasada subdistrict, Buleleng Regency, Bali. [1] Banyumala Waterfall opened as a tourist attraction in July 2015. [1]s.
And there it is was, arguably the best shot of the day.
This one will definitely go up on a wall someplace with some fond memories.
Then it was time to move around the complex shooting the temple and other features from different angles.
The gardens were gorgeous and full of vibrant colours.
Here's a different exposure from the West side.
The Balinese as usual have phenomenal interesting statues and carvings all throughout the place.
We ventured beyond the grounds and found this unique arc which made for some stunning photos.
First the beauty and then the beast.
Then the beauty again.
Even the grounds next to the temple site were meticulously kept by two hotels that butt up against this grounds.
I call these the pyramids of Bali.
One private temple which I took from a distance.
There are a few resorts right there on the spot that you can literally walk out the back door to this temple which we may want to consider in the future.
As you can see from the shot after full sunrise the temple loses a lot of its magic but is still one of the most beautiful temples in the world.
We were a bid a fond farewell by these two gigantic bears.
Then it was go time to go back and wake up the boys who were absolutely impossible to wake up earlier. Their loss.
Hopefully they will have a chance to bring there girlfriends or wives, with our grandchildren here in the future to one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
Believe it or not later on in the morning after finally raising our boys up and having a healthy breakfast we headed off for another venture to
the Banyumala Twin Waterfalls a short 22 Min Drive.
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