The Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang Temple in Bali is home to the beautiful Gate to Heaven arches. You may have seen these #instagramworthy arches at some point in your travel feed. It’s the main highlight of this Balinese temple and the reason why so many tourist flock here every year. Another reason is because the temple is located across Mount Agung, where you get beautiful mountain views. The temple itself is huge and is a nice to place to visit in Bali if you have a chance.
What’s all the hype about?
You may be wondering why the Gateway to Heaven is so popular. Well, it’s the amazing photo you can capture at the arches (reference my photo above). The main appeal is that it appears as though there’s a lake of water surrounding you as you jump into the ‘heavens’. But want to know a secret? There is no actual lake! The photo is actually a cool camera trick made up by the locals here. They use a glass cup and somehow “create” the illusion of a lake/water by positioning it under your camera. The result? A beautiful photo that looks like you’re actually jumping through heavens doorstep.
What to do when you arrive
When I visited this temple, it was a far drive from the city of Ubud (approx 2 hours) so we decided to skip the scooter and hire a local driver who knew the roads better. As you arrive, you’ll see many other tourist and lots of local guides near the entrance. As is custom in Bali, you must wear a sarong in order to enter any holy site. You can purchase one at the entrance or bring your own. We were told by locals that this temple is the first of many temples on this hillside, so you do not have to trek far to get there.
PRO TIP: I highly recommend coming early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the Bali heat
There’s a line that forms just before the arches. Fortunately, we arrived early in the morning and were among the first in line. There will be some nice locals helping you out and will take the photo for you. The last time I was there, they didn’t charge but were accepting tips 🙂 We happily tipped them because they were helping us out by snapping the beautiful photos for us. We even befriended a local guide who shared some amazing stories about the temple and mountains.
Directly across the gate to heaven is this beautiful Balinese stairway. It is used for rituals and celebrations and we were able to hike up the stairs.
Is it worth visiting?
Over the years, this temple has been overtaken by tourists and is visited solely to take that gateway to heaven photo. Some may find it overrated as it’s not the most aesthetic temple. However, despite all this I actually enjoyed my experience here. Yes, it did seem like the temple lost its “charm” due to all the tourists but I was able to capture a gorgeous photo. Travel photos are important to me and so I would say it is worth visiting!
What made my experience worth while was the kind locals we interacted with at the temple. They were so happy to help us with our photo op and even shared stories about the island and temple history. I would recommend hiring a local guide to enhance your experience and as a way to support the local economy.