Why Bali’s most photographed temple is now on my no-go list

If you type the word Bali into Google Images, the first result and many of those that follow are of the principal multi-roofed shrine at Ulun Danu Beratan temple that appears to float when the water in the lake rises.

Set on a rocky outcrop on the banks of Lake Beratan in the highlands of north Bali, it is one of nine directional or state temples on the island. The last time I went there was with my parents shortly after the international airport had reopened after the pandemic. We had a wonderful time. So when I drove past the temple earlier this month, I decided to stop by and see how things had changed now that mass tourism had returned to Bali. It was a decision I would soon regret.

The first thing that struck me after paying the parking fee (which was $5, five times the normal price in Bali), was how busy the place was. There were rows and rows of luxury coaches and hundreds of cars and scooters in the carpark.

But I wasn’t able to walk in a straight line due to the inconsiderate behaviour of mostly Indonesian tourists who took up the entire width of the footpath to take photos of their family and friends, forcing others to walk around them and on the lawn. On two occasions photographers bumped me while reversing to get wider shots.

There are many smaller gateways within the compound but they were perpetually occupied by Indonesian and Russian women modelling for their Instagram accounts. The crowd got even thicker when I reached the banks edging the principal shrine, with hundreds of tourists jostling for space to take exactly the same photo. After a short wait, I managed to secure a spot on the foreshore. But as I was framing a shot, I got a tap on the shoulder. I turned around to see a family from the Middle East.

“Can you please move?” they asked me.

I ignored them but they didn’t get the message and tapped me on the shoulder again, at which time I turned around and gave them a solid piece of my mind. The exchange ruined the vibe and with that, I left.

My negative experience at Ulun Danu Beratan was a result of two factors. The first is young people’s obsession with receiving the approval of other Instagram users for their photos and physicality, a universal phenomenon that is not unique to Bali.

The second is greed. Millions of dollars are being collected from tourists for parking and entrance fees at Ulun Danu Beratan every year. Funds are certainly needed to maintain and improve the temple and pay the salaries of staff, and there is no disputing the need to charge visitors. But they are letting in far too many non-worshippers (I estimate there were 3000 people on the day of my visit) at the expense of Balinese worshippers, many of whom just sit and stare blankly at the sad sight of a holy temple converted into a tourist trap.

Management at Ulun Danu Beratan should introduce a daily or hourly quota where non-worshippers must purchase a limited number of tickets in advance through an app, as per the Acropolis in Athens and the lakeside village of Hallstatt in Austria. Foreign tourists can also help alleviate the situation by removing Ulun Danu Beratan from their bucket list until a quota system is introduced. There are an estimated 20,000 Hindu temples in Bali, the vast majority of which are empty and beautiful, places of quiet contemplation where you can appreciate the unique architecture, culture and religion of Bali sans crowds.