Besakih: the mother temple of Bali

Besakih sits at about 1,000 metres on the south-west slope of Mount Agung, the highest and most sacred mountain in Bali. The complex is not one temple but a village of them: more than twenty separate sanctuaries arranged along a ridge, with the great Pura Penataran Agung at the centre and a staircase of shrines climbing towards the summit.

For Balinese Hindus this is the mother temple, the one all the others refer to. For visitors it is the most impressive religious site on the island and also the most complicated to visit: there are guides, donations, dress rules, ceremony days and a long history of tourists being overcharged. Go informed and it is worth the drive.

What the complex actually is

The site covers a ridge about three kilometres long, with Pura Penataran Agung as the central and largest temple. Around it are temples dedicated to particular gods, clans and villages, built at different times over the last thousand years. The black thatch roofs of the meru towers are layered up the slope, and on a clear day the whole thing looks like it grew out of the mountain.

The 1963 eruption of Agung destroyed villages all around but stopped short of the temple, which Balinese regard as proof of its power. The mountain is still active, and the temple is still the place where the island performs its biggest ceremonies, including the purification rites after a major eruption.

The climb, the steps and the ceremonies

From the car park, a paved path and then a long staircase climb to the central temple. It is not a difficult walk, but there are hundreds of steps and the altitude makes it slower than it looks. Allow an hour to walk up, look around and come down, more if there is a ceremony.

On a ceremony day, Besakih is transformed: thousands of people in white, offerings carried on heads, gamelan, and a queue of pilgrims that fills the stairways. It is the most extraordinary sight in Bali and also the least convenient, with roads closed and the temple crowded. Check the Balinese calendar before you go; Nyepi and the full-moon ceremonies are particularly busy.

Guides, donations and the scams

Guides at Besakih are not officially compulsory, but the complex is large and the etiquette is not obvious, so a local guide is genuinely useful. The problem is the unofficial ones who wait at the car park and demand a fee, sometimes aggressively. The official guide association has a desk at the entrance; use it and agree the price before you start.

The same applies to donations. There is an entrance fee, and there may be a separate donation for a ceremony, but nobody should be asking you for large sums at the gate or pressing you to buy offerings. A sarong is required and can be rented at the entrance for a few thousand rupiah. If someone tells you the temple is closed and offers to take you somewhere else, walk to the official entrance.

Dress, etiquette and photographs

Wear a sarong and a sash, cover your shoulders, and take your shoes off when you enter a shrine. Do not walk in front of people who are praying, do not stand on offerings, and do not climb onto shrines for a photograph. Women who are menstruating are traditionally asked not to enter the inner temples; respect the sign if there is one.

Photography is allowed in the outer courtyards, but not during ceremonies and not of people praying. Ask before photographing a priest or a family. The light is best in the early morning, when the mountain is clear and the tour buses have not arrived; by eleven the cloud often covers Agung and the site fills up.

Where to stay and what is nearby

There is nowhere good to stay at Besakih itself. The nearest bases are Sidemen, 45 minutes east, with rice-terrace guesthouses and views of Agung, and Ubud, 90 minutes west. Sidemen is the better choice if you want to see the temple early and combine it with the eastern valleys. Rooms in Sidemen run from Rp 400,000 for a family homestay to Rp 2,000,000 for a villa with a view of the mountain.

Other stops on the same road include the Tirta Empul water temple at Tampaksiring, the Gunung Kawi rock-cut shrines, and the villages around Rendang with their old temples and coffee gardens. The drive from Ubud over the ridge is one of the most scenic in Bali, especially in the morning.

Getting there and a plan

Besakih is 90 minutes from Ubud and two hours from Kuta, via Klungkung and Rendang. The last road climbs through villages and is steep in places. A private car and driver for the day costs Rp 700,000 to 900,000, and it is the sensible way to visit, since public transport does not reach the temple.

Leave Ubud by seven to be at the temple by nine, before the cloud and the crowds. Combine it with Sidemen for lunch and a walk in the rice terraces, or with Tirta Empul on the way back. Do not try to add Besakih to a day that already includes Kintamani; the drive between them is long and the light will be gone.

• Arrive by 08:30-09:00; the mountain is usually clear until about eleven.
• Use the official guide desk and agree the fee before starting.
• Sarong and sash required; shoulders covered; shoes off inside shrines.
• Check for ceremony days; they are spectacular but crowded and slow.

Questions people actually ask

Is Besakih worth visiting?

Yes, if you have not seen a major Balinese temple and you are prepared for the logistics. It is the largest and most important complex on the island, and the setting on Agung is spectacular. If you only have three days in Bali, Uluwatu or Tanah Lot are easier.

Do I need a guide at Besakih?

Not officially, but the complex is large and the etiquette is not obvious. Use the official guide desk at the entrance and agree the price first. Ignore anyone at the car park who says a guide is mandatory.

What should I wear to Besakih?

A sarong and a sash, with shoulders covered. Sarongs can be rented at the entrance for a few thousand rupiah. Shoes come off inside the shrines.

How long does it take to visit Besakih?

Two to three hours including the climb, the central temple and the walk back. Add an hour if there is a ceremony, and more if you continue to Sidemen.