Waking up at 5 in the morning, I wondered whether it would be worth it. The sound of snoring filled the air – my brother wasn’t up yet. I rolled out of bed and my feet hit the bamboo floor. I stumbled a bit but got back up, and 30 minutes later, we were all out of the house and into the car to start a fresh new adventure. 

Although it was still 6 AM, the streets of Ubud were already filled with commotion, and several morning market stalls were selling their goods to locals. The roads were already trafficked. The sun was just rising on the horizon. There was some traffic already, but I could tell the drive was faster. 

When we arrived at our destination, the Besakih Temple, no one was there, and the view from the top of the mountain was gorgeous. I could see the whole of Bali in a single picture. I saw the ocean to my left and dense jungles and hills to my right. I could just about see the ocean, even through the early morning haze and pollution. Just behind me, the massive and powerful-looking volcano of Mt. Agung loomed, but as the fog kept rising, I could barely see the mountain anymore.

View of Bali from Temple

The 1000-year-old temple is one of the oldest and largest temples in Bali. It is also referred to as the ‘Mother Temple’ because of its importance to the island. The Besakih Temple consists of 23 temple complexes and 86 individual temples, and it’s situated 1000 meters on the slopes of Mt. Agung. During one of the busiest festivals in Bali, over three million people in a 21-day period come to pray and visit the temple from all over the island. 

Walking through the sacred temples and pagodas made me feel like there were many spiritual presents around me. I couldn’t see Mt. Agung anymore, even though I knew it was there somewhere. We walked up some more steps and finally reached the top. We got to pray in the temple of Brahma and learned how to use the offerings. The view at the top was even more breathtaking than the one down below. Still, no one was there except us, and I felt so peaceful wandering along the path while inhaling the freshest Bali air you could ever experience. 

Besakih Temple and Pagodas

Going to Besakih Temple was one of my favorite adventures in Bali and it was definitely worth waking up early to see the sunrise from the temple.