The Tourists Who Hate Tourists

tanah lot with jay on the rocks

It’s official.  Jay and I are the tourists who hate other tourists.  We want to see all the landmark spots, but we don’t want the crowds or hecklers.  We don’t want the selfie sticks and we don’t want the chatter.  I’m not sure who we think we are, but we continue to be shocked at the sacred places that cost money.  Tanah Lot was our most recent temple visit.  Jay can explain:

Tanah Lot, from the pictures, looked really beautiful. It's a temple on a huge, stand-a-lone rock with a a staircase leading up to it. The pictures made it seem like a private temple that you can peacefully walk around and take beautiful pictures with a sunset in the background, no-one in the way. Chantal and I, skeptical at first, said let's just go for it. The driver took us from our Canggu villa and as we pulled up to the front gate, I could immediately tell it was a huge mistake: tour busses, crowds, selfie sticks everywhere, and loud noise... Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Welp, no going back now. Chantal and I made the best of it. As we entered, there were gift shops, local restaurants, and grass fields leading up to Tanah Lot. Not going to lie, we were a little salty walking through the area getting knocked in the head by a selfie stick or two, so I broke down and bought an over-priced "sweet corn-on-the cob" and devoured it in seconds while Chantal ate ice cream to cool herself down.

We decided to walk towards the temple area since it was getting close to sunset only to discover mobs of people around the whole thing. It was an absolute zoo. Scanning the area, we decided to walk a half-mile down the beach to a cliff that would overlook the temple and sunset in the distance. We made the best of it as we relaxed, laughed at the crowds in the distance, and enjoyed the view on the cliff as the waves crashed below us. 

tanah lot at low tide